He isn’t the best player and he most certainly does not play in a favorable stadium, but Michael Saunders is worth adding in mixed leagues if you need outfield help. With a wRC+ above 100 and 14 homers and 19 steals, it is rather surprising that Saunders is available in so many leagues. He is owned in just 9% of Yahoo! leagues, so picking him up and dropping a struggling outfielder or another replaceable player should be worth it as the season comes to a close.
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With an average of 20 games remaining for most American League teams, finding the right player (that is still available) to help you in Head-to-Head playoffs or the final weeks of the Roto season is a difficult — if not nearly impossible — find. Luckily for you, dear reader, doing the nearly impossible is what RotoGraphs thrives at. That, and being basement dwelling nerds. Take your pick.

The following is a list of scarcely owned outfield eligible players that should recieve enough playing time and accumulate enough counting numbers to be worth owning.

Jonny Gomes – Gomes is now up to 16 homeruns in less than 300 plate appearances on the year. He has 42 runs and RBI’s and if you play in an OPS league, he is now up to .866 on the season. His strikeout rate is pretty severe at over 30%, but he is hitting for enough power to make it livable. Gomes is owned in just 2% of Yahoo! leagues and all of 0.4% of ESNP leagues. He has been averaging two or three games per week throughout the season and has produced very well despite the partial playing time.
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With the season heading into hair-pulling territory, especially for us head-to-headers in the middle of a playoff battle, nothing matters as much as the next matchup. So let’s look at this weekend’s best matchups in each statistical category, focusing on outfielders because they’re the easiest to find and the easiest to plug in. Good luck!

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The regular season is over for most fantasy leagues and the playoffs have begun, meaning all of that long-term planning and patience kinda goes out the window. Here are two players — one pitcher, one hitter — who can help you during the postseason push these next few weeks…

Zach Britton | SP | Orioles | Owned: 30% Yahoo! and 36.9% ESPN

Britton, 24, returned from the DL earlier this season and needed a few weeks to settle in before really taking off. Prior to yesterday’s self-imposed meltdown against the Yankees — five walks in 3.1 innings — he had allowed just three runs in his previous four starts combined. That included seven walks, 29 strikeouts, and a 55%+ ground ball rate in 28.2 innings against the Tigers, White Sox, and Blue Jays (twice).

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On Saturday, I checked in on some surprising HR/FB ratio surgers and attempted to determine what we can expect from these hitters next season. Today I’ll look at the opposite end, those hitters whose HR/FB ratio have experienced a large decline. Will they be bargains in next year’s drafts or money traps?

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With just three and a half weeks to go in the season, you should be targeting specific categories in which you can move most easily. Even if it’s just a couple of points, if you can take them, take them now.  In looking at the standings of my roto leagues, stolen bases still looks like the easiest category in which a move can be made in a short period of time, so here are readily available two guys who you might consider picking up to get a quick speed boost. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s only about 3 1/2 weeks left of the season, so it’s scrambling time if you’re lucky enough to be in contention. Any hitter with a pulse who’s receiving every day or near regular at-bats could get hot and be the guy to bring home the trophy for your team. Here are two possibilities for that honor.

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The fun part about MLB trades for fantasy owners is all the new opportunities afforded to players on the teams involved. New roles open up and suddenly intriguing fantasy options are available for the taking from the free agent pool.

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It’s like a mad lib! Alex Gordon is… sexy? Misunderstood? Pretty good with a chance of more? Not as good as last year? Better than this year? Let’s try something else. Let’s try to answer it with another name and find him a ‘fantasy comp.’

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This week’s American League Stock Watch has a little bit different of a flow. With September right around the corner — and thus September roster expansion and call ups — there should be a strong infusion of minor league talent about to jump onto the scene. To help you get a jump on your leaguemates regarding some of these soon-to-be-available outfielders, here is a list of AL club outfielders that are already on their respective 40-man rosters.

Michael Taylor – He happens to have a top 10 wOBA among Pacific Coast League outfielders and already had a brief stint with the A’s. During his time in Sacramento this year Taylor has amassed 506 plate appearances and although he only has 12 home runs, his triple slash is a robust .289/.406/.449. His power might have waned a bit but his speed is still intact. His SB/CS ratio is a very strong 17/3 mark. His strikeout rate won’t ever impress, but given his combination of plate discipline, still solid power and above average speed, Taylor makes for a potentially intriguing pick up. The only downside to Taylor would be playing time. The A’s are currently juggling Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespdes, and Jonny Gomes on a regular basis. That doesn’t leave too many PA’s for Taylor, especially with the A’s in the playoff hunt and most likely unwilling to give PA’s to a still unproven player.
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