Fantasy Baseball

Desperate for an option over the final few days of the season? It’s certainly worth looking under the radar, especially for those in deeper formats.

I don’t think you can get much further under the radar than Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who has silently emerged as a viable option.

It’s funny.  Two years ago I found myself in desperate need of saves in August, and my league rules limited my options for trades (in August you can only trade with a team two spots from you in the standings). 

With excess power, I was able to coerce the team behind me to trade me Jonathan Papelbon and Melvin Mora in exchange for Ryan Braun and Jonathan Sanchez.

In the last week of the season, you will see a lot of things happening that didn’t happen over the first 25 weeks. You will see teams who have already locked up playoff berths sit their starters to make sure they are fresh for the playoffs.

Starting rotations will be jumbled as aces will be bumped a day or two to position them for specific days of playoff action. Rookies will get more playing time and vets will sit as teams out of contention look to the future.

The Diamondbacks lineup, when healthy, is fairly potent. They are right in the middle of the pack in runs scored (16th with 694 through Saturday) and fifth in home runs (175).

Their home ballpark helps to inflate power, so using a spot start pitcher against them never seems like a very good idea.

Over the final week of the season, though, things may be different.

Are you in a two-catcher league, and looking for an under the radar option to potentially carry you over the final week of the season?  Surprisingly, there are probably many of you out there, with players like Geovany Soto and Yadier Molina being lost for the year.

We all know that filling out your catcher spots are difficult the deeper your league is, but Brad Davis of the Florida Marlins could be an interesting option to turn to.

First, let’s look at what he has done through Friday:

Is Kelly Johnson a player who has turned a corner, becoming a must use fantasy option, or is a one-hit wonder, so to speak?  Before we can fully answer that question, let’s take a look at the numbers he’s put up this season (through Tuesday):

627 At Bats
.274 Batting Average (150 Hits)
23 Home Runs
65 RBI
86 Runs
11 Stolen Bases
.361 On Base Percentage
.484 Slugging Percentage
.323 Batting Average on Balls in Play

For those of you still contending in your fantasy baseball leagues, here are some batters you may want to pick up in a last ditch effort to win some cash in 2010.

Homeruns

Dan Johnson (1B TB) In only 22 at bats, Johnson has hit three homers, earned four runs and drove in seven. He seems to be getting every day at bats now for the Rays with 21 at bats in the last seven days. He should be a good source of power and earns fantasy value just being a part of the Tampa Bay line-up.

There has been a lot of news as of late regarding players being shut down for the rest of the season (and others who we aren’t quite sure about). 

Let’s take a look at a few of the names that influence fantasy owners.

Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs

Shoulder surgery brought his renaissance campaign to a bitter conclusion as he hit .280 with 17 HRs, 53 RBI, and 47 runs on the year.

It’s hard to call Scott Sizemore anything but a disappointment in 2010.  Thought to be a sleeper second baseman entering the season, he lasted until mid-May before being sent back to Triple-A.

He was solid while there, hitting .298 with nine HR, 37 RBI, 49 R, and two SB.  With injuries piling up in Detroit, the Tigers ultimately brought him back to the majors, though they were still hesitant to depend on him.

The Philadelphia Phillies outfield has one major question mark surrounding it heading into 2011;  two, if you are concerned with the age of Raul Ibanez.

Of course, the major question surrounds Jayson Werth and if he re-signs with the Phillies. Of course, when you have a talent like Domonic Brown waiting in the wings, the concerns are minimized.  He’s gotten a taste of Major League action in 2010 (.214 in 56 AB), but he spent the majority of time in Double & Triple-A, posting the following line: