Roto Riteup: September 8, 2015

Unlike that other Roto Riteup author, I won’t let down my readers just because of Labor Day. This is actually a particularly contentious week between the unnamed one and I, as we are in a showdown in his league to see who makes the playoffs. The winner is guaranteed a spot, so it’s all hands on deck. If there’s any interest, I can post the running score throughout the week.

On today’s agenda:
1. James McCann flashes us (his power)
2. Patrick Corbin cruises
3. Welcome back, Joe Panik and Lucas Duda
4. Streaming Pitching Options

James McCann flashes us (his power)
On Monday McCann slugged his seventh dinger of the season in 357 plate appearances. That it came off of left-hander Drew Smyly should be no surprise, and that isn’t a knock on Smyly. The catcher has blasted southpaws all season, posting a .317/.364/.549 line against them prior to Monday. Given his more modest .240/.268/.332 line when facing a right-hander, McCann probably isn’t one to own in traditional fantasy leagues, though he makes for a very useful platoon option in DFS. He holds a .280/.353/.414 line throughout the minors against lefties so the power at the big league level is a new development for the 25-year-old.

Patrick Corbin cruises
Speaking of left-handed pitchers, Corbin had a strong outing yesterday, tossing six shutout innings against the Giants. He surrendered six hits and zero walks, sitting down six San Francisco batters on strikes. Corbin only threw 85 pitches with 10 of them going for swinging strikes and probably could have pitched deeper if not for the fact his spot in the lineup came up second in the sixth inning. Since returning from the disabled list due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in late March last year, Corbin has given up more than three runs just twice in a dozen starts, both times surrendering four runs. With a 61:13 strikeout to walk ratio in 62 1/3 innings, a fastball that is in line with his 2013 velocity and a 3.19 xFIP, I’ll happily roster — not just stream — Corbin for the rest of the year. He’s already owned in more than 70 percent of CBS formats however if you play in ESPN (33 percent owned) or Yahoo! (25 percent owned), it’s time to grab him.

Welcome back, Joe Panik and Lucas Duda
Despite being activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game against the D-backs and Corbin, Panik wasn’t in the starting lineup. The second baseman is enjoying a season where he’s hit .311/.375/.447 line almost exclusively from the No. 2 spot in the Giants lineup. I’m counting on getting back in the lineup shortly, even if he is going to be regularly rested just to keep an eye on his back. If someone dropped him in your league, he’s likely still worth picking up, even if Panik is going to be limited to four or five games per week. Similar to Corbin, Panik is owned in 70 percent of CBS leagues yet just 53 percent of ESPN formats and 39 percent of Yahoo! settings.

The Mets activated Duda prior to Monday’s game, yet he was limited to being available strictly as a pinch hitter. He didn’t appear in the game and like Panik, it was a back injury that placed him on the shelf in the first place. Duda’s power and the improved Mets lineup — their 118 wRC+ and .339 wOBA both rank third best in baseball since the All-Star break — means he should be owned everywhere. Unsurprisingly, 80 percent of owners in CBS leagues have picked him up, but he is still available in about 40 percent of both Yahoo! and ESPN leagues.

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Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Colin Rea vs COL (Jon Gray)
The Rockies aren’t particularly difficult to deal with on the road, yet I still don’t have a ton of confidence in this pick. Still, I think he’ll last long enough for a quality start and should be good for a handful of strikeouts. Rea is free to stream in over 90 percent of the three major fantasy sites.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Kris Medlen vs MIN (Mike Pelfrey)
I’m somewhat buying into Medlen’s comeback. His fastball is sitting 91 mph, though it should be noted seven of his 10 appearances have come in relief. In his three starts, the three most recent games he’s logged, Medlen has averaged 92.8, 91.23 and 91.76 on his four-seamer. The Twins offense against right-handers ranks 26th in both wOBA and wRC+ this season, so I’m not too scared there. Medlen can be picked up in 45 percent of CBS settings, 76 percent of ESPN formats and 81 percent of Yahoo! leagues.