SP Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins (66%)
In his past five starts, Cabrera has gone at least five innings and has not allowed more than three runs. His start to September has been especially encouraging, as he has struck out 15 batters and only walked two. Cabrera’s main issue has always been the free pass, so if these past two performances represent a lasting improvement in Cabrera’s control, then that is very exciting indeed.
He’ll have a challenging start against the Dodgers on the 19th, which will be worth watching closely. For his final start, he gets Miami, who ranks second to last in runs scored on the season.
RP (SP) Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds (50%)
Martinez has secured three wins in a row for Cincinnati, his most recent two games being quality starts against Atlanta and Minnesota. He has a rock-solid 3.37 ERA and 1.083 WHIP on the season and a good track record over the past couple of years. Thus, Martinez is a decent arm to roll out over these final two weeks in fantasy; hoping he can stay hot and finish strong.
SP Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians (25%)
The young Hawaiian lefty has back-to-back wins and faces a Minnesota lineup that ranks 26th in runs scored over the past 30 days. He has notably walked fewer hitters over these two starts than in his first four starts this year, which bodes well for him moving forward. Cantillo also has a good prospect pedigree, and we could be witnessing him turning a corner if he finishes the year strong.
SP Brant Hurter, Detroit Tigers (23%)
That’s another win for Hurter, which makes it an impressive five in a row for the towering 6’6” lefty. In this last start, Hurter pitched 5.2 no-hit innings, striking out eight Baltimore hitters and walking only one. The rookie now holds a sparkling 2.56 ERA and .828 WHIP, along with an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio of about 7:1.
His arrow is pointed straight up, and although rookie starters can often be too volatile to rely on, Hurter’s start to his career is about as promising as it gets. Scoop him up if you’re in need of wins.
2B, OF Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins (20%)
Lopez has quietly been very good in his first major league season, and he seems to improve as he goes. August was his best month so far, as he not only hit .291/.360/.378 but also stole eight bases, as much as he had stolen over the past four months combined. He is hitting .314/.352/.529 over the first half of September and though he only has one steal so far this month he has smacked two bombs, which nearly doubled his total this year.
His batted ball data suggests he still has a ways to go before he can consistently produce power, but Lopez is showing he can be a scrappy hitter who can provide stats for his fantasy owners across the board when he is swinging a hot bat. His speed, in particular, along with his dual eligibility, make him a fine fantasy asset, especially in deeper leagues.
SP Brady Basso, Oakland Athletics (16%)
Basso’s ownership has experienced a bump of over 10 percentage points after he blanked his opponents once again in his last start. Granted, the Tigers and the White Sox do not have the most formidable batting lineups, but the start to Basso’s major league career has been quite positive. His eleven strikeouts to just two walks inspires confidence, though he will have a greater test against the Cubs in his next start.
While the Cubs are outside the top 10 teams in runs produced this year, they rank second over the last month. It might be worth waiting to see how he does against them and then potentially starting him against the Rangers, who have ranked consistently outside the top 20 teams in runs scored.