Fantasy 5 Up 5 Down: Weighing Everything Up

With just a handful of games left in the season, Major League teams are ready for the late post-season push. Similarly, September is the most important time of the year for fantasy players, especially those in head to head formats with a play-off system. September call-ups always leads to excitement, and those in keeper leagues should pay careful attention to which players have a good September, as they may be excellent players to pick up or target in next year’s draft. Just as in the Major Leagues, a slumping hitter or struggling pitcher can pull the whole team down, so picking and choosing the match-ups is as important as ever. Some rookies may also be nearing innings limits, which can prove crucial in post-season match-ups. With all that said, which players are on the rise, and which are lagging behind?

1. Will Venable

Venable has always been an intriguing fantasy option – an example of a player with plenty of tools but never able to put them all together. Well this season, Venable has gone under the radar to have a superb year, with a .279 average, 20 homers and 15 steals. He’s been especially hot of late, hitting in nine straight games with three homers in that stretch. Continue to ride his hot bat, and keep a strong finish in mind for next season, as he could have draft day value as a 20/20 outfielder.

2. Brandon Moss

The slugging lefty has been on fire of late with the A’s, hitting four homers across a three game span against the Tigers, raising his season total to 25. He has hit over .280 since the all-star break with all the pop he flashed down the stretch last season, and he can be a real help to fantasy teams in the final few weeks, especially given the easy schedule the A’s have from this point forward.

3. Billy Hamilton

Hamilton was a household fantasy name way before he got close to the Major Leagues after stealing 165 bases across three levels last season. He has continued to swipe bags at a prodigious rate at AAA this season, whilst transitioning to his new center field position. Unfortunately, the bat hasn’t kept up with the legs, as he has struggled to get on base enough to utilise his game-changing speed. Still, he looks set to be called up on Monday by the Reds, and should be owned in pretty much every fantasy league, because he could steal 20-30 bases over the last month alone. A more realistic projection would be around 10-15, as it’s unlikely he’ll step straight into playing time, but his unbelievable speed makes him a must-own in fantasy, regardless of his other skills.

4. Taijuan Walker

The highly touted prospect made his debut Friday night against the Houston Astros and flashed his potential with 5+ innings of strong pitching, allowing just one unearned run. The two strikeouts are disappointing, but he should increase that as he becomes more comfortable pitching in the Majors. Those in keeper leagues need to take a look at Walker, and he could be helpful down the stretch in standard leagues too – but be wary that he might be shut down soon as he nears his innings limit.

5. Rex Brothers

Rafael Betancourt’s injury opened up the door to the ninth inning role for Rex Brothers, who is having a superb season out of the Rockies bullpen. He has saved three games already and should be a lock for a few more down the stretch, with excellent K numbers and little ERA or WHIP. Brother is also an interesting player to watch heading into next season, as this breakout campaign should give him a chance at a ninth inning role in 2014.

1. Evan Gattis

After a sublime April that saw him shoot in to most fantasy teams, Gattis has disappointed since, combining poor production with a lack of playing time. This week Atlanta sent him down to AAA to try and give him regular at-bats, and whilst he should be back up when rosters expand, it’s time to cut him from your team too. There simply isn’t enough playing time for him to be a productive fantasy player.

2. Desmond Jennings

Jennings was tabbed for a breakout season by some analysts this year, but he has once again disappointed with just a .247 batting average and 11 homers and 18 steals. He still has the tools to put together a season with high average and plenty of homers/steals, but at this point it seems unlikely he’ll ever have that monster season. He’s been struggling of late, going just 2 for his last 24, and may lose at-bats against right-handers to newly acquired David DeJesus.

3. Hiroki Kuroda

The Yankees right-hander had quietly been putting together a stellar season, and had become the ace of the Yankees rotation, but he has struggled in recent starts, allowing seven runs in six innings against Tampa Bay and then lasting just five innings against Toronto, giving up five runs. It’s possible he’s running out of steam, or that regression is coming all in one go (oh, hey Jeff Locke), but I think he should still have value in him down the stretch. He gets a good chance to bounce back in his next start against the White Sox.

4. Jose Fernandez

Fernandez has been utterly dominant this season, becoming not just one of the best young pitchers in the game, but one of the best outright pitchers. So why on the five down list? Well, he’s at 158 innings for the season already, and with a limit rumoured to be around 160-170, he may only have one or two more starts until he gets shut down. The same concern could be shared for pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Zack Wheeler, who may begin to have their outings spread out or reduced.

5. Grant Balfour

The A’s ninth inning man has been solid all season, which made his ninth inning blow up against the Tigers all the more surprising. He allowed four runs in just .2 of an inning, blowing his second save and putting a dent into his ERA and WHIP. He bounced back yesterday, protecting a one-run lead and should be able to put that horror-show behind him, so don’t fret if you’re a fantasy owner.

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