As the fantasy baseball year dwindles down, the article this week is going to help to pinpoint the hot streaks you should ride out for the rest of the season. Starting with Greg Allen (FAAB: 2-3%) of the Cleveland Indians who provides speed to desperate squads. Since his recall, Allen has 7 stolen bases, and a homer, with a plus batting average. One of the most significant differences for Allen is an improved contact rate on his small sample from last season’s debut. He is currently at 90% Z-Contact and 82.4% Overall Contact compared to 84.8% Z-Contact and 75.7% Overall Contact in 2017. Riding this hot streak will provide a bit of everything necessary to stay ahead in speed, average, and power categories. Plus, Allen has capabilities to supply multiple SB and HR during the week for head-to-head leagues and playoff situations.
Melky Cabrera, OF, Cleveland Indians
(FAAB: 1-2%)
Moving on to another piece for the revolving outfield in Cleveland, the Melk Man is crushing the ball since returning to the bigs. Allen carries slightly more excitement in fantasy due to the speed upside that comes with some power. However, Melky is about as consistent as they get with his .270 average and double-digit homers. If this is the kind of stat-line you need then go out there and spend a bit more money for his floor. This outfielder is the perfect replacement for late season injuries if you want to roster a player that won’t hurt you in any category. Cabrera isn’t stealing like he used to, but he still looks to provide that easy value for the rest of 2018, and he is as hot as any player right now.
Billy McKinney, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
(FAAB: 1-3%)
McKinney finally receives the playing time opportunity that he deserves in Toronto. This promotion is huge for me as a fan of the outfielder’s profile for quite some time. Power, speed, above-average contact ability, athleticism, decent defense, there are a ton of things to love about McKinney. For fantasy, he has 3 HR with a .333 average in his first 9 games this season with impressive plate discipline numbers. He is yet to steal a base this season, so the speed may not result in any fantasy gains, but the upside is still there. Think of him as another version of Melky, without the floor but with a higher ceiling.
Mike Fiers/Brett Anderson, SP, Oakland Athletics
(FAAB: 2-4% [Each])
This is the part of the season where it doesn’t necessarily matter if the hot streak is sustainable. There are only a few weeks left in the fantasy realm, and even the most ridiculous streak can continue for the rest of our year. Fiers and Anderson are succeeding mainly because they are not walking anybody. In their past 11 combined starts, the sum of their BB/9 is 2.24. These guys are only allowing a BB twice in 18 total innings. This statistic is staggering. With their beneficial home ballpark, amazing bullpen, and solid offense there could be a handful of wins on the way out to go with a WHIP that will aid any fantasy team to end their season.
Lucas Giolito, SP, Chicago White Sox
(FAAB: 3-4%)
This situation is a bit clever. Giolito makes his start against Boston this week, which is not something we would like to invest in with a late-season FAAB move. However, people will see that start and avoid this starter as one of their adds. If this week came against Kansas City, Baltimore, or contained two-starts, people would be heading to their wire to spend money on a former stud, #1 prospect when realizing the improvements he’s made in the past 30 days. Most notably the walks have come way down to 2.80 per 9, while the strikeouts have remained intact. Giolito is a name that everyone is looking to for success in the bigs, but has not shown that upside. This season has been a tale of two pitchers for the young White Sox arm. Save some money by picking him up this week and bidding against a few other teams, rather than most of your league, due to the poor matchup this week.
Lonely ONLY-League Targets:
J.T. Riddle, Util, Miami Marlins (Past 14 Days: 25% Line Drives, .268 AVG/.248 BABIP/.268 ISO, more BB than K)
Phillip Ervin, OF, Cincinnati Reds (Speed/power upside, HOT HOT HOT, 9 HR/14 SB in 98 G this season)
Nick Delmonico, Util, Chicago White Sox (Can he close out the year like he did last season? Sure looks similar over the last two weeks.)
