Fantasy Baseball Wk 21 & Football News | In the Eyes of The Optiongirl

Two weeks left to be in the fantasy baseball playoffs, the moment of truth. Opportunities remain, so stay focused and be alert to take advantage of managers dropping players in the final weeks to qualify for the playoffs.  If the season were to end now I am in 5^th place and would be in with a chance to win! Time will tell. Here are some players that could be available from the waiver wire for the final run.

Vazquez Vindicated? By D.J. Short of Rotoworld

We are currently in the dog days of summer, but this is crunch-time in most fantasy leagues. Assuming you haven’t already wrapped up a playoff spot, these can be some pretty tense days. Everybody is out there scouring the waiver wire for the extra stolen base or the streaming option that can put them over the top.

If you are currently one of those jockeying for position, my only advice is that you shouldn’t waste a roster spot on someone who hasn’t come around by now. For instance, if you are still waiting on the likes of Adam Dunn, Francisco Liriano ,Vernon Wells or Aaron Hill to justify their ADP, well, you are probably going to have a lot of time to focus on fantasy football in the coming weeks and months.

Ryan Raburn 2B/OF, Tigers

I’m giving serious thought to the notion that we should just ignore this guy every year until the second half of the season begins. Like clockwork, Raburn is batting .305 18-for-59 with three homers, two doubles, one triple and eight RBI since the All-Star break. The recent Delmon Young trade might squeeze him out of at-bats eventually, but he should get most of the playing time at second base while Carlos Guillen recovers from wrist soreness. He’s worth a shot if you’re looking to fill a MI middle infielder spot.

Frank Francisco RP, Blue Jays

Jon Rauch underwent an appendectomy on Monday and is expected to miss at least three weeks, which means Francisco will be the Jays’ primary closer for now. While Rauch was probably pitching himself out of the job anyway, Francisco has actually been very solid recently, allowing just earned one run on a solo homer over 13 1/3 innings while striking out 11 and walking just one. He is a must-own in all formats.

Ryan Doumit C/OF, Pirates

Doumit has been limited to just 44 games this season due to an ankle injury, but the good news is that he is batting .313 10-for-32 with two homers and four RBI since returning from the disabled list earlier this month. Sure, this is a very small sample, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t take much in the way of production to garner attention at the catcher position. The 30-year-old should continue to see most of the playing time behind the plate, at least until Chris Snyder returns from back surgery next month, so go ahead and pick him up in deeper mixed formats while he’s healthy for once.

Randy Wolf SP, Brewers

I’ll admit it, Wolf isn’t pitching nearly as well as his current 3.30 ERA would indicate. But at this time of year, we don’t have the time to wait for regression to the mean. The veteran left-hander has won four straight starts while pitching for the hottest team in baseball. He has also allowed three earned runs or less in six out of his last seven starts dating back to early-July. With a start against the depleted Mets on tap for Saturday at pitcher-friendly Citi Field, he looks like a solid matchup play.

Bobby Parnell RP, Mets

The transition is officially underway. Moments after Jason Isringhausen put the finishing touches on his 300th career save Monday night against the Padres, Mets manager Terry Collins announced that Bobby Parnell would get the bulk of the save opportunities moving forward. The 26-year-old right-hander has struggled since the All-Star break and his command remains an issue at times, but with his high-90s heat and an improved slider, he has all the talent to be a long-term solution at closer. I wouldn’t drop a more established closer for him, but he should be owned in all formats.

Kurt Suzuki C, Athletics

It isn’t saying much, but Suzuki is in the middle of his best month of the season. Including his two-homer game on Wednesday afternoon against the Orioles, the 27-year-old backstop is batting .268 11-for-41 with four homers, three doubles, seven RBI and a 6/6 K/BB ratio so far in August. I have been waiting for Suzuki to bust out for a while now, because while he is striking out more often this season, he is also hitting more line drives and flyballs. He could be worth consideration in deeper mixed formats if you’re currently waiting on the likes of Carlos Ruiz or Miguel Olivo to get hot again.

Jose Tabata OF, Pirates

I don’t hide my enthusiasm for Tabata very well. Not only did I feature him among my keeper targets in the annual Rotoworld Draft Guide, but I also liked him as a rebound candidate in the Midseason Pass. While his recovery from a quad injury took a bit longer than originally expected, Tabata has led off each of his first two games back from the disabled list and hit a two-run homer on Wednesday night. Alex Presley’s eventual return could complicate things in the Pirates’ outfield, but I’m much more confident in Tabata’s ability to be a fantasy asset the rest of the way.

Javier Vazquez SP, Marlins

I mentioned Vazquez a little over a month ago and while he has had one dud since then, what we’re really witnessing is a sustained period of success. The 35-year-old right-hander has a 2.36 ERA and 57/13 K/BB ratio in 68 2/3 innings over his last 11 outings dating back to mid-June. Perhaps most encouraging, he averaged 91.3 mph on his fastball during Saturday’s win against the Giants, equaling his 2009 average. I wouldn’t hesitate to use him in most matchups at this point.

Wilson Betemit 3B, Tigers

Betemit has thrived as the Tigers’ regular third baseman since coming over from the Royals last month, batting .316/.355/.474 with two homers, three doubles and 12 RBI over 62 plate appearances. Many routinely scoff when Betemit is suggested as an option in mixed leagues, but I’m honestly intrigued to see what he can do now that he’ll be playing his home games in an environment that is more hitter-friendly than Kauffman Stadium. If you are looking for someone to fill your CI corner infielder spot, you could do worse than find out.

Nate Schierholtz OF, Giants

You might have expected to see Brandon Belt here, but as much as I like him, I fear he’ll go back to the bench or maybe even the minors once Carlos Beltran is ready to return from the disabled list. Besides, Schierholtz is plenty productive on his own right now. The 27-year-old has proven to be one of the Giants’ best hitters since the start of July, batting .299 with five home runs and nine doubles. While he gave the Giants a bit of a scare after fouling a ball off his foot on Monday night, Schierholtz went 2-for-5 in his return to the lineup Wednesday. His role should be pretty secure moving forward, so he is worthy of consideration in deeper mixed and five-outfielder formats.

Kyle Blanks 1B/OF, Padres

While I included Blanks in my NL-only recommendations three weeks ago, it hasn’t taken him long to be relevant in mixed leagues again. After collecting just three hits over his first 32 at-bats, the 6-foot-6 monster is batting .370 with three homers, four doubles, one triple and 10 RBI over his last 13 games. I realize this includes an unsustainable batting average on balls in play, but he is hitting more line drives than ever before and has a fly ball rate approaching 50 percent. Blanks could be a major asset in the power department down the stretch.

Casper Wells OF, Mariners

Wells has struck out 19 times in 46 at-bats since being acquired from the Tigers in the Doug Fister deal last month, but he also has five homers, including four in the last five games. All five of his home runs have been at Safeco Field, which is a pretty noteworthy accomplishment. I’m not sold on Wells as an everyday player in the long-run, but the 26-year-old has 13 homers and an .875 OPS over his first 252 at-bats in the big leagues. That sort of power shouldn’t be left on the waiver wire in AL-only leagues. Wells was hit in the nose by a Brandon Morrow fastball on Wednesday night, but could return to the starting lineup as soon as Friday.

Josh Bell 3B, Baltimore 

Chris Davis is likely done for the season with a slight tear in his shoulder, so Mark Reynolds is expected to get the majority of the playing time at first base while Bell plays the hot corner. The 24-year-old has really struggled against major league pitching until now, batting just .208/.228/.279 with a .507 OPS over 202 plate appearances, but has at least hit safely in each of his last three games. His stock has taken a severe hit over the past two years, but he has a chance to play his way back into the O’s long-term plans with a strong finish to the season.

Tyler Flowers C, White Sox

A.J. Pierzynski was placed on the disabled list Tuesday for the first time in his career with a fractured right wrist. It’s not clear how long he’ll be sidelined, as he could even need surgery, but Flowers has the opportunity to benefit during his absence. The 25-year-old hasn’t progressed the way the White Sox originally hoped he would, but he has at least bounced back from a subpar 2010 season to bat .261/.390/.500 with 15 homers and an .890 OPS over 270 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. Fields is a batting average risk due to a his lowly contact rate, but he has enough power potential to be owned in AL-only leagues.

Tim Wakefield SP, Red Sox

Wakefield has failed to notch his 200th career victory in each of his last four attempts, but he actually hasn’t pitched all that poorly, posting a 4.08 ERA and 19/6 K/BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings during the same timespan. He’ll get his next opportunity on Saturday against the last-place Royals. No, I’m not guaranteeing a victory here, but Wakefield probably won’t hurt you in AL-only leagues even if he walks away empty-handed again.

Bryan Petersen OF, Marlins

I don’t claim to understand the whole Logan Morrison demotion, but Petersen has at least decided to get hot at the right time, batting .476 10-for-21 with two doubles, three triples, one RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base over his last six games. With his line-drive approach and above-average speed, Marlins manager Jack McKeon has really taken to using him out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup recently. Things could change if and when Morrison returns from the minor leagues, but Petersen is well worth using in most NL-only leagues at the moment.

Wade Miley SP, Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks were dealt a tough blow over the weekend when the recently-acquired Jason Marquis suffered a fractured right fibula. While they could have replaced him with either Zach Duke or Micah Owings in the starting rotation, they instead opted to call up Wade Miley from Triple-A Reno. Miley, 24, has an impressive 3.64 ERA and 56/16 K/BB ratio over 54 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season. And in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, no less. He also carries the reputation of a ground ball pitcher, so I’m a little less nervous about him starting his major league career in the desert. I would consider keeping him in reserve for his first major league start this weekend against Atlanta, but he could really surprise over the next few weeks.

Chris Marrero 1B, Nationals

Davey Johnson said earlier this week that he plans to give Michael Morse playing time in left field in an effort to prepare him for next season. While this will clear the way for Adam LaRoche to get his old job back following shoulder surgery, Chris Marrero will likely benefit in the short-term, as the 2006 first-round pick is widely expected to make his major league debut in September. The 23-year-old is batting .308/.384/.467 with 14 homers, 68 RBI and an .851 OPS over 119 games with Triple-A Syracuse this season. Some still wonder whether he’ll hit for enough power to stick at first base in the long, but he should get enough playing time down the stretch warrant a pickup in NL-only leagues.

FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT TIPS

My 5 Favorite Running Back Handcuffs for you to draft! 

In the old days I would “handcuff” my top running back with his backup. Now there are many backfield committees all over the league so I look for a running back that share carries or just seem to find a way to get into the lineup as they are very skilled and produce when given a chance.   

1. Rashad Jennings  RB JAC

Maurice Jones-Drew is still recovering from offseason meniscus surgery; Jennings owns a career 5.5 yards-per-carry average when given a chance.

2. Michael Bush RB OAK is the backup to Darren McFadden who has a history of being injured. Bush has proven that he has the ability to take on a leadership roll being the number 1 back. In the three games that Darren missed last year, Bush averaged 23.6 carries for 96.0 yards.

3. Ricky Williams RB BAL

Ray Rice is the starter for the Ravens who has in the past years has focused on the run.

Williams has averaged almost 4.5 yards per carry over the last two seasons in Miami but if Rice were to be injured Williams will be ready to carry the load.

4. James Starks RB GB

Ryan Grant is the starter but Starks the playoff hero from last year should see action and could be worth putting on your bench.  

5. Willis McGahee RB DEN

Knowshon Moreno is the starter but the team should be running the ball frequently and their could be enough carries for both. If Moreno gets injured then McGahee will be ready.   

Thank you for visiting my blog. I will be continuing to post more about football in the coming weeks so visit again soon. Feel free to share your thoughts, and ask me questions directly by email at BonnieGortler@gmail.com or direct message me @optiongirl on Twitter, my favorite social media site. Please be sure to download my FREE eBook, Twitter Magic & make sure to share the link with your friends too ;) Create an excellent week! ~Bonnie