I had my whole article raring and ready to go with the flow, and then Thursday happened; Michael Brantley down indefinitely, Josh Reddick broken hand. No biggie I told myself, I have Jason Heyward, who is about to go off. Then Friday night, Heyward crashes in to the wall and now he’s out. So I have no more OF to play and it’s time for dumpster diving. Or wading through the valley of the waiver wire of a 12 team league that’s been picked over like honey crisp apples with no blemishes at a farmers market. So scrap the original article, that will go next week. It’s really good, so make sure you come back to check it out. Maybe even better than this week. Probably better. So you should definitely check it out next week. Please? Pretty please?
This week we look at fill-ins at the OF spot for OPS leagues now that injuries have ravaged my, I mean all, of our teams. If you all glean some wisdom, well then I’m glad I could help us both. Let’s dive in.
Trayce Thompson (7% owned in Y!, 10% ESPN): Drat! He’s taken in my league. But maybe not yours. If not, hop to it! He’s getting starts versus RHP and the Dodgers need him right now. He does have a two homer game so that inflates his ranks a bit; flip that and it should only serve to help him get playing time. And who are the Dodgers going to play? Yasiel (I should be good, I have all the tools, but I’m not) Puig? Pshaw. Trayce also has minor league seasons of 24, 27, 15, and 16 homers, and has stolen more than 20 twice in minors. He doesn’t even have a steal in 2016! Add him up, yeah add him up, add him up, yeah!
Adam Duvall (16% owned in Y!, 17% ESPN) Talked about him last week. Go check it out! Anyway he’s who I am going after first now that Trayce is gone. Get ready for some PT on my team Mr. Duvall!
Cameron Maybin (29% in Y!, 17.6% ESPN) He’s back. Like he never left. But oh, he has, for long stretches of suckitude. But he’s hot right now, and worth seeing how long he can keep it up. Funny that he’s back with Detroit as they were team that drafted him 10th overall back in 2005, and if y’all remember, he was the key piece (along with current stud RP Andrew Miller) in the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Now he and Miggy can reminisce about that time they passed were traded for each other. I wonder if guys ever do this once they get on the same team. Cause it has happen fairly often. Or are they just like Rickey Henderson and forget his teammates as soon as he learns their names? I need to know. A career .682 OPS is not going to win any leagues but he has three homers thus far, is in a decent lineup, and maybe he finally puts that 6’3 frame to use hitting some homers. Dan Pants has more Razzball Maybin goodness here.
Leonys Martin (5% owned Y!, 5.3% in ESPN) That he couldn’t do squat in Texas meant that I never considered him once he wound up in Seattle. But in the last month he’s made everyone sit down and take notice with six homers and five steals. That reminds me of when my freshman year Spanish teacher, Mrs. Weisman (yes I was taught Spanish by a Jewish woman; her accent was, eh, not so good) would yell “Siéntense todos!” and no one did anything; kind of like how, up until now, I’ve paid no attention to Mr. Martin, who I am sure has a better accent than Mrs. Weisman. Anyway his next home run sets a career high, and I’m really leaning toward adding him. Who will I add? You have to keep reading. Or Choose Your Own Adventure and skip to the end. Like a cheater. I may as well call you Dee, or Jenrry, or Ryan, or Sammy, or, well, you get the idea.
Matt Joyce (1% owned in Y!, 1% ESPN) Uh, the dude is crushing it. He has five homers and a 1.119 OPS in 43 ABs. How is he not getting more love? That’s right, he’s a journeyman who stunk up the Angels last year and before that toiled away in Tampa, which is no place to toil, I can assure you. Tampa’s stadium, the Trop, does have a very nice cigar bar with pool tables and comfy chairs because anything is better than sitting in the stands at that stadium (last time I was there I’m not 100% sure the Rays game was even on the TVs in the bar). Joyce doesn’t really have a place to play but if you can play him the games he does start he’s going to bring value. Only for the deepest leagues now or until Jaso is busted hiding stolen diamonds in his hair at the airport.
Mallex Smith (7% Y!, 5.5% ESPN) Only add him if you need speed as he’s probably never going to hit two home runs in a game again (really hoping to reverse jinx him into doing it once he’s on my team) but he’s hot, he’s playing, and maybe he shows more power as the season goes on. If not, he steals bases and has a cool name you can use for your team name (I like Mallex’n and Relaxin’ personally).
I just read Heyward should only be out a week; maybe when he comes back he can start actually helping my (or your) team. But for the time being I’ve decided on Duvall first, then Martin. You add who you feel. I hope this helps. It definitely did help me so if it helped you too we got two birds stoned at once. Shout out to Ricky and the Trailer Park Boys! If you haven’t seen the show, stop what you’re doing and go watch it. Watch the Christmas Special to get your feet wet. Cause who doesn’t like wet feet!
Good luck OPSers, as well as those who play in leagues where SLG and OBP are separate categories (because you guys just can’t add them together into one category; too good for you, eh?). I’ll be here to answer your questions quickly, succinctly and in an orderly fashion.
