It’s the final weeks of the season so no more speculation for us. We’re going to ride out the hot streaks as long as we can. While streaky players don’t make great fantasy investments over the longterm, they’re great temporary gets when they catch fire. Let’s take a look at some streaky bats that are hitting at their best and some young arms that aren’t getting their fantasy due.
Buy:
Michael Wacha: Strong Buy. Wacha is still available in 60% of leagues and he’s a must-grab if you’re in one of them. A 2.72 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 8.2 K/9 is good enough but how about his 19.2 straight scoreless innings? Over that stretch, he’s only ceded nine hits and put up 16 K/6 BB. Get him, get him now.
Evan Gattis: Strong Buy. Gattis’ streakiness makes him hard to own for a full season but it makes him a must-buy when he’s hot. September has been very kind to him and he’s put up a .314 BA, four homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs over nine games. He’s a must-have for the playoffs.
Mark Reynolds: Strong Buy. Reynolds has looked very different since coming to the Yanks and, like Gattis, he’s worth grabbing in all leagues when he catches fire. Reynolds is batting .279 with four home runs, 16 RBI, and 10 R in 22 games since coming to the Bronx. Over his last seven games, Reynolds has added two home runs, three doubles, and nine RBI. He can be a huge HR and RBI help in the final weeks.
Danny Salazar: Solid Buy. Salazar has quietly been very impressive through his first seven Major League starts, putting up a 2.92 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 45 K/11 BB. Over his last four starts, he’s put up a 1.86 ERA, .225 BAA, and 23 K/6 BB. Get him now before someone else grabs him for cheap ERA and WHIP points.
Matt Adams: Solid Buy. With Allen Craig sidelined, Adams is a must-have for the final weeks. Over his last eight games, he’s batting .310 with four homers, six runs batted in, and six runs scored. Cheap home runs are rarely this easy to find this late in the season.
Jonathan Villar: Solid Buy. Villar has shown promise before and has caught fire in the final month. Over his last ten games, Villar is batting .350 with 10 R, five RBI, and six steals. He even hit a home run the other day, but don’t expect much more than average, runs, and steals.
Brett Oberholtzer: Solid Buy. Oberholtzer has quietly been one of the best starters in the league over the last six weeks and is even winning on the worst team in baseball. Over seven games as a starter, Oberholtzer is 4-2 with a 1.91 ERA, .226 BAA, and 31 K/7 BB. The strikeouts aren’t great but he’s only given up more than three runs once (four over 5.1 IP to CHW) all season so his risk is next to nothing. In the playoffs, I’ll gladly take fewer strikeouts for lower risk.
Sell:
Jose Fernandez: Fernandez was sensational and owners could not have asked for more than 12 wins, a 2.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 187 K/58 BB. He was brilliant and may well be the favorite to go right behind Clayton Kershaw in next year’s drafts. Unfortunately, he’s been shut down for the season so it’s time to free up that roster spot and get one of the guys above.
Justin Upton: Upton might be a good roto player but I’m wondering if he’ll ever be worth the trouble in head-to-head leagues where consistency is so much more important. He’s been up and down all season and he’s certainly down now. Over his last 18 games, he’s put up a paltry .143/.273/.215 line with no homers, no RBI, and 20 K. You can’t get much worse than that, just cut him loose and use his roster spot on someone that’ll help.
Desmond Jennings: For all the talk about Jennings’ improvements, any spurts of success have been few and far between. Over his last 34 games, Jennings owns a mere .165/.287/.240 line with two homers, five runs batted in, and 35 K. Like Upton, just let him go.
