10 Team Leagues
Gavin Lux SS LAD; FAAB Bid: 15-18% - Lux has an opportunity to make a pretty sizeable impact with the Dodgers and he wasted no time in his debut on Labor Day. Hitting out of the eighth spot, Lux went two-for-five with a double and three runs scored. So as long as he’s getting on base at the bottom of the order, the top of the order could continue to drive him in. Lux clubbed 26 home runs with 99 runs scored across Double-and-Triple-A this year. His ownership will most certainly spike in the immediate future so grab him while you can. At the time of this writing the Dodgers Tuesday night game has yet to start, but they’ve already moved him to the top of the order. It’s hard to say whether or not that position sticks for him, but it’s nice to see the organization has that much faith in him.
Dakota Hudson RP, SP STL; FAAB Bid: 12-15% - Hudson has become a fairly reliable source of wins over the past couple months. Since July 5th, just before the All-Star Break, Hudson has eight wins in his last 11 starts. Overall he’s 14-6 on the season despite slightly higher walk and home run rates. Regression’s been in line for a while, but he still maintains a 3.53 ERA. I mentioned the home runs previously, but truth be told he has allowed just one in his last six starts, so tread carefully because he could get lit up at any moment. He gets a tasty home matchup Thursday afternoon against the Giants.
Corey Dickerson OF PHI; FAAB Bid: 7-10% - Dickerson wasted no time getting in the good graces of the Philly Faithful. Since being acquired by Philadelphia he has hit .296 with a .561 SLG. He gets a downgrade in points leagues because he’s walked just twice in his brief tenure with Philly. That explains why his OBP is currently just 11 points higher than his batting average. Alas, he’s still hitting for plenty of power. Since August 2nd he has 14 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. He bounces around the top of the order and he’s hit toward the top of the order in five of his last six games. You don’t need to go crazy grabbing an outfielder off waivers, but Dickerson can really help out in head-to-head categories leagues right now.
12 Team Leagues
Mark Melancon RP ATL; FAAB Bid: 20-25% - Melancon continues to be under-owned across the industry. Even on Yahoo he’s just barely over 60% owned, but on Yahoo he’s under 30% owned and he needs to be on your roster for the playoff run. Over the last two-and-a-half weeks Melancon has been phenomenal. He’s been the cure to the bullpen and closer woes that have plagued the Braves all season long. In his last eight appearances, Melancon has seven saves and a win. In those 7.1 innings of work he has ten strikeouts and one earned run on five hits. He hasn’t allowed a home run or a walk. He’s been a big reason the Braves have been able to hold off the surging Washington Nationals and he can keep this stretch going into the playoffs. Get Melancon on your roster NOW.
Sean Manaea SP OAK; FAAB Bid: 6-7% - Manaea made his first start of the year on Sunday in Yankee Stadium. He only lasted five innings and threw just 82 pitches, but he did record five strikeouts while striking out five and walking three. But he held the Yankees loaded offense scoreless so that has to count for something, right? He never had a lights out fastball, but the velocity averaged around 91mph. Manaea’s next start comes against the woeful Detroit Tigers so he should be able to notch his first win of the season.
Kevin Newman 2B, SS PIT; FAAB Bid: 3-4% - Newman’s experiencing some leg tightness so he’s been benched for Pittsburgh’s last couple games. But he should be picked up off waivers because he’s one of the hottest hitters in the game right now. Prior to the minor injury Newman was 18-for-39 with three home runs, a triple, and two doubles over his last eight games with 13 runs scored, ten RBI, and a pair of stolen bases. He’s also a pretty disciplined hitter with an 11.5% strikeout rate on the season. He shouldn’t be out of the lineup for too long, but keep the bid to a minimum if you can.
15+ Team Leagues
Jordan Lyles RP, SP MIL; FAAB Bid: 8-10% - Lyles is like Dakota Hudson , but available in deeper leagues. His ownership has been slowly going up over the past few weeks and it’s because he’s been racking up wins for the Brewers. Since July 31st he has a 2.51 ERA, 8.91 K/9, with four wins. He’s currently in line for his fifth win in that span as he’s lasted six innings against the Astros allowing two earned runs and he’s only thrown 75 pitches. Regression has been in store for Lyles, but he’s been solid. His 4.55 FIP and 5.07 xFIP are unsightly, but Lyles is defying regression.
Nick Solak 2B, DH TEX; FAAB Bid: 5-7% - Solak was mentioned in this article not too long ago and he hasn’t disappointed. He just hasn’t hit many dingers really. In the two weeks with the big-league roster he has a home run, a triple, three doubles, and nine runs scored. He’s got a stolen base and four multi-hit games and blah blah blah. The point is, he’s been very solid. He’s even drawn six walks and struck out 12 times so he’s an okay addition in points leagues too. The Rangers keep fitting him into their lineup typically in the fourth or fifth spot. The Rangers have a four-game road series on tap this weekend against the Orioles and they give up hard contact like no other.
Victory Caratini C, 1B CHC; FAAB Bid: 2% - Caratini has been on a bit of a hot streak with four multi-hit games in his last eight starts. He has three home runs in that span and he’s 11-for-28 with an .808 OPS. Catcher is very thin in deeper leagues so Caratini is an intriguing option, but you don’t need to give him a long leash. If Caratini isn’t your cup of tea then keep an eye on what the Athletics do with their top prospect Sean Murphy . And if he’s still out there, you can pick up Jorge Alfaro as well, but Alfaro may not be there in a 15-team league.