It may have been hard to catch Grey’s BUY post last Friday, because it was littered with SAGNOF outfielders. We’ll take a look at some of those guys today, with a special focus on Rajai Davis of the Blue Jays, who recently found himself some steady playing time in left field while Melky Cabrera is on the DL. As you’re reading this, I’m on the road to the Jersey Shore with my family for the Fourth of July, so I apologize in advance if I’m not as quick as usual with the comments. Speaking of Grey and Jersey, the main man talked about how New Jersey, my home state, looks like the profile of Kid from Kid ‘n’ Play. I have to say I was impressed. I like that image better than the American Indian profile they taught us in school. It’s probably more politically correct, too. Hats off to you, Grey! If only you had been my third grade teacher…
Rajai Davis (Last Week: 5 SB This Week: DET , MIN Owned: 15%)
Last week, Rajai was my Green Light Special with two great match-ups against Tampa and Boston. He didn’t disappoint, swiping five bags over the weekend. Davis has always been a great source of cheap speed, with his value usually getting deflated due to a lack of playing time. But when he plays, he runs. In 2012 he stole 46 bags in 142 games. Going back to 2011, when he only played in 95 games, he still managed an impressive 34 SB. The injury to Cabrera has given him a chance to play on a semi-regular basis now, and that means he’s a great add that can contribute lots of steals. Mr. Davis has 19 SB already on the year, and the even better news is that he has only been caught twice. The Twins have been successful this year in catching base stealers, but the Tigers haven’t, and that means you should expect another solid week from Rajai.
Leonys Martin (Last Week: 4 SB This Week: SEA, HOU Owned: 70%)
Happy Fourth of July! Martin is putting on his own personal fireworks show, and he’s also piling up the steals in Texas with a stolen base in each of his last four games. He now has 16 on the year in less than 190 AB. Like our friend Davis, he has only been caught twice. Neither the Mariners nor the Astros are particularly good at stopping stolen bases, so I really like both match-ups this week. Martin remains the top pickup of this entire group if you find yourself in a league where he’s still available.
Jarrod Dyson (Last Week: 2 SB This Week: CLE, OAK Owned: 2%)
It looks as though Dyson is destined for a three-man platoon with Lorenzo Cain and David Lough, which doesn’t bode well for his playing time. However, Dyson has tremendous speed, and came off the DL with a bang, swiping three bags in his first three games back and adding another on Saturday against the Twins. Lough is playing well and I’m not a fan of the platoon situation for Dyson, but it’s also worth noting that he’s hitting .385 at home and .179 on the road, which is a pretty drastic split. How did I know that? The Twins announced it on their broadcast against the Royals. How did they know that? They looked it up on Platoony Tunes! Both series this week are at home for Dyson.
Eric Young (Last Week: 1 SB This Week: ARI, @MIL Owned: 5%)
Young looks like a tantalizing pickup now that he’s playing every day and batting leadoff for the Mets. However, he managed only one steal last week and has been caught 4 times in 13 attempts this season. He’s still worth a look because he has the natural speed, but in terms of steals help for your fantasy roster, he’s not my favorite option of the bunch until that talent starts converting into successful SB attempts. He’ll draw Arizona, who’s second only to St. Louis in least stolen bases allowed, so this might not be the week to take the gamble.
Brad Miller (Last Week: 2 SB This Week: @TEX, @CIN Owned: 2%)
We have to include at least one middle infielder so they don’t feel all left out, and the Mariners recently called up Miller to play shortstop on a regular basis. Despite going 0 for 8 in his first two games, he did manage to steal two bases. Miller showed some speed in the minors, stealing 24 bags across three levels of minor league ball last year. He could have some value in mixed formats, and double-digit steals ROS is a real possibility. This might not be the week to take him for a spin, however, with two poor match-ups against the Rangers and Reds.
Noteworthy:
– Adam Eaton is becoming stashable again if you have a DL slot available. He resumed his minor league rehab assignment this week and could still contribute to fantasy teams in the second half. Meanwhile, Peter Bourjos caught a bad break and hit the DL with a fractured wrist just when he was starting to get hot again. Players in deeper leagues may want to give J.B. Shuck a whirl when he faces the Red Sox later this week in hopes of garnering a steal or two.
– Speaking of Boston, they face the Padres and Angels this week, two teams that have combined to allow 116 stolen bases. Fire at will with your Red Sox players and let the steals wash over you like a cleansing summer rain.
Teams highlighted in green are in the top ten in most stolen bases allowed.
Teams highlighted in red are in the top ten in least stolen bases allowed.
Have a safe and happy 4th, Razzball nation!
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