The Fantasy Baseball Head to Head season is coming to an end. We can all hope that it goes the way of some other amazing finishes, like MASH, Breaking Bad, and Parks and Rec. I feel it is my sole responsibility to deliver the goods this week so that your Head to Head finish isn’t reminiscent of the final episode of Game of Thrones or Quantum Leap. So Sam Beckett could have always lept back home, and he ultimately never did? Huh? That is the equivalent of Vlad Jr being forced to jump into the body of Matt Carpenter to get his batting average over the Mendoza mark, and never choose to return to his glorious MVP self. Oh well.
Contrary to other weeks, depending on your league format and assuming it isn’t a keeper-based league, you can now just drop any player that can’t help you, or won’t hurt you by your opponent adding them. If you have a starter pitching on Wednesday or later, you can drop him after their start and move on to the next guy. This weeks’ schedule is filled with tricks and treats that should help you gain an edge over your competitor if you can strike while the iron is hot. And I am not using that reference as an homage to that garbage fest of a finale in Game of Thrones. Don’t get me wrong, the show had to end, but it was as if the MLB condensed the entire playoffs into a game of Strat-O-Matic.
So what can we look for in this final week?
9-Game Week: Cleveland (2-Double Headers)
8-Game Week: St. Louis & Chicago White Sox
5-Game Week: New York Mets & Boston
Interleague Matchups
MIA @ TB. (MIA gains DH)
BAL @ PHI (BAL loses DH) – Monitor Anthony Santander
NYM @ BOS (NYM gains DH)
MINN @ CHC (MINN loses DH) – Monitor Josh Donaldson
Runs/SB
Myles Straw, SS/ OF, CLE– 59% rostered in Yahoo- At this point in the season, I am reaching out to any and all leagues. As I mentioned above, the Indians are set to play 9 games, even if two of them are 7-innings. Straw has stolen 9 bases over the past month and gets to face a very generous team for SB’s allowed, in the White Sox. If there is an All-Nate article team, Straw is my leadoff hitter.
Nicky Lopez, 2B/SS, KCR– 55% rostered in Yahoo- If there is a second member to the team, Lopez is sure making a compelling case since the ASB, going 33/2/24/12/.345 and has yet to be caught stealing on the season. The Royals are set to play 7 this week against the Indians and Tigers.
Daulton Varsho, C/OF, ARI– 28% rostered in Yahoo- This is strictly a recommendation if you have been streaming the C position and are in need of SB’s. Varsho has above-average speed, but it is the matchup that I like to exploit. He is set to face a slew of righties and gets the Dodgers over the weekend, who are turning a blind eye on thievery.
HR/RBI
Andrew Benintendi, OF, KCR– 57% rostered in Yahoo- By the time you read this, I am guessing his roster % has even gone up from 57%. Rightfully so, he has been absolutely smashing. 5/3/19/.462 over his past 14 with multi-hit games in 6 out of his past 9. An extra dash of hot sauce is that Benintendi has been more aggressive on the basepaths away from Kauffman Stadium.
Yoshi Tsutsugo, 1B/3B/OF, PIT– 7% rostered in Yahoo- Yoshi is getting everyday AB’s and is absolutely taking advantage of them. 14/7/19/.309 since joining the Pirates on 8/16. The Pirates will play 7 this week (6 RHP), with 3 of them being played at Great America SmallPark.
Harrison Bader, OF, STL– 7% rostered in Yahoo- Bader had an absolutely terrific July, only to go into the dumps in August. The Cardinals get 8 games on the road this week in a battle for playoff positioning. Bader, as with the Cardinals, is just more dangerous on the road. Harrison has hit 10 of his 12 HR’s away from Busch.
WINS
Nestor Cortes Jr, SP/RP, NYY- 50% rostered in Yahoo- “Nasty” Nestor has looked the part since joining the Yankees rotation. On the season, Cortes carries a 2.60 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP across 79 innings. This week Cortes will get a tasty two-start matchup against the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox. Cortes hasn’t given up more than 4 runs or gone less than 5 innings since July 27th.
Carlos Hernandez, RP/RP, KCR– 35% rostered in Yahoo- With the Royals facing the Indians for a doubleheader on Monday, Hernandez is in line to start the second game. Ervin Santana is slated to go in the first game. I think that they anticipate a little more bullpen assistance than what Hernandez is going to need. Look for Carlos to rebound nicely from his previous start against Oakland and get the W. If they give him 2-starts, the Indians would be a juicy matchup.
Reynaldo Lopez, SP/RP, CWS– 35% rostered in Yahoo- Lopez has had a mixed bag of results, but in the end, he is in a prime position to pick up the H2H necessary Win. The Sox play a DH on Thursday, look for Lopez to go the distance.
Saves
Dylan Floro, RP, MIA– 34% rostered in Yahoo- Flora has been dominant in the 9th over the past 30 days. His 7 saves rank 3rd in MLB over that span.
Scott Barlow, RP, KCR– 50% rostered in Yahoo- Looks like Matheny ran out of quarters to put into the closer carousel. Enjoy the Barlow ride! Tied with Floro for 3rd most saves in past month.
Rowan Wick, RP, CHC– 23% rostered in Yahoo- *Insert John Wick joke*. Laugh hysterically…pick up Rowan Wick.
Chris Stratton, SP/RP, PIT– 12% rostered in Yahoo- Has the coveted SP option for a closer. With Bednar on the IL, it appears to be Stratton’s job.
