SP Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins (75%)
Paddack is owned in 75% of FanTrax leagues, but if he was dropped after allowing seven runs against the Yankees a couple starts ago and is still floating out there, he could be worth grabbing. Although he owns an ugly 4.79 ERA and a not-so-inspiring 1.374 WHIP, his peripherals indicate that he should be doing significantly better, as his expected ERA is about a full run lower than his current ERA. He has two starts against the Oakland batting lineup, which, despite showing impressive power this year, ranks third to last in runs.
1B Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox (71%)
If Andrew Vaughn is still available in your leagues, he is worth a look. While Vaughn started off this season ice cold and carries an unappealing .227/.283/.386 on the year, he has caught fire recently and is hitting a scorching .340/.365/.680 over the last two weeks. The best part about Vaughn is that he is locked into a starting role and will be racking up the at-bats while he (hopefully) continues to right the ship. His 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 47.4% flyball rate bode well for any owners chasing the power he has been exhibiting lately.
OF Joc Pederson, Arizona Diamondbacks (49%)
This write-up is long overdue. Although Joc Pederson has always been a bit of a daily format specialist because he doesn’t hit against lefties, he has matured into such a good hitter that he is likely worth owning in all deeper fantasy leagues, regardless. He has two bombs and a whopping eight RBI in his past three games and is a known streaky hitter (though his lows have become far more palatable). I recommend scooping him in leagues with 15 teams or more, and I believe he is worth owning in all daily leagues, regardless of the size.
1B Carlos Santana, Minnesota Twins (40%)
It looked like Santana would be stuck platooning with Alex Kirilloff, but the former seems like he may have seized hold of starting duties due to his recent success. Santana is slashing .294/.333/.559 over the past 14 days with an impressive 11 RBI. He can help owners needing a corner infielder, though he will no doubt be far more worth starting in OBP formats, as always.
1B Tyler Soderstrom, Oakland Athletics (39%)
Soderstrom has an ugly 33.7% strikeout rate this year, but he’s been walking more lately and heating up. He has hits in eight of his past ten games, three of which were home runs. He is also rocking a very impressive 15.2% barrel rate to accompany his impressive exit velocities (92.5 mph average, 112 max) and is doing an excellent job of lifting the ball (41.3% flyball rate). This is a great recipe for success, and I expect more bombs from Soderstrom as long as he can continue to take walks and keep pitchers honest. These could be signs that the once-top prospect is ready for a breakout or a nice growth spurt. Like Santana, he has added value in OBP leagues.
RP Ryne Stanek, Seattle Mariners (28%)
Munoz is still the closer in Seattle but has been dealing with lower back soreness recently. Meanwhile, Ryne Stanek has converted three straight save opportunities for the Mariners, and though Stanek isn’t an elite reliever like Munoz when he’s healthy, he’s a solid one. It might be a good idea to scoop him up in case Munoz reaggravates his injury or has to go to the injured list for some reason.
Honorable Mentions
OF James Wood, Washington Nationals (70%)
Will likely be called up once he’s fully back from his hamstring injury. May want to grab him now.
SP DJ Herz, Washington Nationals (23%)
Had 29 walks in 36 innings in the minors. He is likely still not ready despite his awesome last start.
OF Mickey Moniak, Los Angeles Angels (18%)
Four of his 10 walks this year have come in the last week. Could be starting to heat up.
SP Jonathan Cannon, Chicago White Sox (12%)
The 6’6” righty has serious upside but had a 1.51 WHIP at AAA before his callup.
