RADIO
As the second half progresses, new names keep surfacing for fantasy owners to watch. Contenders are calling up top prospects, looking for an added boost to their lineups. The lesser teams are taking a hard look at any and all options in an effort to build for the future. Below are several players that haven't been fantasy relevant in the first half, but may have a great deal of upside in the second half.
This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues, or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster. Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.
Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?
Hitters
Jorge Soler (OF, CHC) - 25% owned - Don't call it a comeback. Well, it sort of is, so what else would you call it? Soler came off the disabled list swinging away and it resulted in a homer in his first at-bat and five RBI in his last four games. Soler's talent has never been in question and he certainly has the opportunity to keep a starting job if he is hitting. Maybe it was the extended time off or the warmer weather is motivating him, but Soler is starting to resemble the player we all expected entering the season. Soler was only hitting .223 before hitting the DL on June 6th, so he has been largely forgotten about. Now is the time to add him before he goes on a serious hot streak. He is still widely available in three-fourths of leagues.
Justin Bour (1B, MIA) - 23% owned - Bour was supposed to come off the DL last Friday, but he wasn't quite ready yet. He is four weeks into recovery from a high ankle sprain, so he could rejoin the fray any time now. Owners needing power should prioritize Bour if he is available. You don't usually find 15 HR, 46 RBI in 213 AB sitting on the waiver wire too often. His .268 average won't hurt you either and the Marlins have been playing well lately. Pick him up before someone else notices that he is back in the lineup.
Rob Segedin (OF, LAD) - 0% owned - Segedin has made a name for himself rather quickly for two reasons. First, he had a spectacular debut, driving in four runs against Boston in his first three at-bats. Second, he got dissed on social media by Yasiel Puig. We can pretty much ignore the latter, but Segedin has proven to give the Dodgers more than they bargained for. He is hitting .300 with six RBI in his first four games. Sometimes it's the ones we least expect that produce the most.
Travis Jankowski (OF, SD) - 5% owned - The bat is finally coming around to match the speed. Jankowski was a worthy add weeks ago for his speed alone. His ridiculous steal last night (have the Padres set the record for most steals of home plate yet?) gave him 25 on the season. Now, his average is rising too, as Jankowski has nine hits in his last 19 AB and is hitting .381 in the past two weeks. Throw in 13 runs scored in the last 14 days and there is no reason to keep ignoring him.
Matt Joyce (OF, PIT) - 1% owned - If there is a part-time player to own in NL leagues, it is Joyce. Despite not being a regular starter all year, Joyce is slashing .271/.404/.548 and has 12 HR with 38 RBI. His average has taken a downturn lately, but he is still hitting for power. I wonder what would have happened if Joyce had been starting instead of Cutch all year?
Aaron Altherr (OF, PHI) - 12% owned - Altherr makes this list again because he is still being slept on. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games, and has contributed three HR, three steals and 12 RBI in just 54 at-bats. Altherr is proving that he can actually contribute across five categories (well, sort of in average) and could be a fixture in starting lineups for NL-only owners down the stretch.
Pitchers
Alex Reyes (RP, STL) - 15% owned - Reyes is a flame-throwing right-hander that hardcore baseball fans have been waiting all season to watch in a Cardinals uniform. Reyes made his debut on Tuesday and consistently topped 100 MPH on the radar gun. He did as well as possible, holding the Reds scoreless and hitless. Of course, that was in just one inning of relief. The reality is that Reyes is being used out of the bullpen, limiting his usefulness at the moment. Reyes has the ability to start, as he has already done 14 times in Triple-A this season. His 4.96 ERA and 32 BB in 65.1 IP prove that there is work to be done in order to harness that fastball, however. Reyes may be best suited for the bullpen and possibly a closer role down the line. Trevor Rosenthal's ousting from the role leaves the door open for Reyes next season, as Seung-hwan Oh can become a setup man. For the rest of 2016, Reyes can definitely help your K rate and possibly pick up some holds. It's dynasty league owners that should have already jumped the gun here.
Luke Weaver (SP, STL) - 19% owned - Another Cardinals prospect and another dynasty league addition. Weaver will make his first MLB start on Saturday against the Cubs. You may not want to take the risk of seeing how he'll fight his nerves in Wrigley against the best offense in the NL, but he could be a good bet down the stretch. Michael Wacha has hit the DL, so Weaver will get more than one look regardless of how he fares. He has been outstanding in Double-A with a 2.69 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 10.3 K/9.
Jake Thompson (SP, PHI) - 16% owned - The unfortunate news of Aaron Nola's injury opens the door for another young Phillies pitcher to earn his stripes. Thompson didn't exactly impress in his first start against a depleted Padres team, giving up six runs in 4.1 IP. Once again, I will remind you that fellow Phils pitcher Zach Eflin got obliterated in his first start before running off a string of excellent starts.He will get the chance to redeem himself against Colorado on Friday. It may be wise to take a wait-and-see approach before playing him, but he is worth monitoring in deep NL and dynasty leagues for sure.
Chad Bettis (SP, COL) - 9% owned - Bettis is back on the map with a solid post All-Star break run. In his last five starts, Bettis has a 3.45 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 25 K in 31.1 innings, earning three wins over that time. He has become a quality start machine, rattling off six in a row. He has held some tough opponents in check, including the Orioles at Camden and the hot-hitting Marlins in Coors. Bettis doesn't suffer too much from home/road splits, so you can feel comfortable deploying him each week.
Chase Anderson (SP, MIL) - 6% owned - Getting your ERA below 5.00 for the first time since mid-June isn't a ringing endorsement, but Anderson has been a relatively safe start each time since then. He has not allowed more than three ER in each of his last seven starts. The problem is that he isn't going deeper into games, lasting no longer than six in any of those seven outings. If he can stretch out a bit longer, Anderson can be a safe, if not exciting, option for deep NL owners.
Edwin Jackson (SP, SD) - 1% owned - Seeing as how he was most recently in Miami before being traded to the Padres, I'm now convinced Edwin took a road trip up to St. Augustine to visit the Fountain of Youth. Jackson has to be surprising even himself with some of his recent starts. In five appearances with San Diego, he has taken a no-hitter to the seventh inning twice and has gone 3-1 playing for a team that traded almost every good player on their roster. Jackson's 1.54 K/BB needs some work, but with quality starts in four of his last five starts, it's hard not to recommend him.
Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)
Fantasy Baseball Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]
