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
Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) - 19% owned - Talk about fresh off the farm. It was unclear whether Swanson would see time in the majors this season, much less this month, but the Braves officially pulled the trigger on Wednesday. As the top overall pick in the draft, his pedigree and potential are not in question. The risk with Swanson is whether he is ready for Major League pitching, having played just 84 games above Single-A and skipping Triple-A altogether. As we have seen with Alex Bregman, talent sometimes needs time to develop. Swanson's numbers in Mississippi don't nearly approach the level Bregman was hitting at either. He hit .261 with eight HR, six SB and 54 runs scored at Double-A before getting the call. Deep NL owners should definitely take the dive if he's available, but dropping your starting shortstop for him in a re-draft league would be ill-advised. Keep him as a bench stash to see if he shows a mature approach at the plate.
Ryan Howard (1B, PHI) - 4% owned - Throwback Thursday is in effect! Howard is reliving his past glory by pumping out 10 RBI in the last week with a pair of homers. More surprisingly, over the past month he is actually carrying a .378 batting average, along with five HR and 14 RBI. Here's the catch: all that has come in just 45 at-bats this month. Howard is no longer an every day player and for good reason. He is still below .200 on the season and Tommy Joseph has been a more than adequate replacement. Consider Howard as a temporary streaming option in the deepest of leagues, but strike now while the iron is hot.
Jedd Gyorko (1B/2B/3B/SS, STL) - 25% owned - Although it appeared as if Gyorko's power only showed up when facing his former team, San Diego, he is catching fire once again. Gyorko has three HR in the past week, giving him 18 on the season. The trade-off for his power is average for the career .238 hitter. If you are looking to take advantage of his power as a streamer, be warned that 16 of those homers have come against righties, so playing the split against LHP will probably not serve you well. Being eligible at every single infield spot helps his cause to make the way onto fantasy rosters in deep leagues. With Matt Holliday and Matt Adams both out, Gyorko should continue to see regular playing time.
Keon Broxton (OF, MIL) - 11% owned - If you have the need for speed (read: you are desperately behind in the SB standings of your roto league) then Broxton is your man of the hour. He has swiped five bags in the last three days alone and nine in his last nine games. That would average out to 162 steals if he were to play every day. That said, don't expect too much else. Broxton is swinging a hot stick, batting .444 in the last 14 days, but his season average still sits at .233.
Chris Owings (2B/SS/OF, ARI) - 10% owned - Owings last made an appearance in this column probably back in April. The utility man was on the shelf most of June and July, but is making a difference as of late since his return. In the last week, he has stolen three bases and raised his average up to .281 with 13 hits in 29 at-bats. There is no power to be had here, but the average is climbing and the occasional steal doesn't hurt either. If you're in need of a utility man on your roster, he is eligible at MI and OF.
Randal Grichuk (OF, STL) - 24% owned - It would be nice if Grichuk could make up his mind as to what kind of player he's going to be. He had a miserable April, hitting .189 until showing some signs of life in May. Then he completely fell off the map in June and was banished to Triple-A for a while. He came back swinging, hit a couple homers, went back down to the minors and now has reappeared again thanks to multiple injuries in St. Louis. In five August games he has a .353 AVG, 1.000 OPS and two homers, including a grand slam. His 22/85 BB/K rate is an indicator of his poor plate discipline, but he does have enough power to make for a potential spot starter while he's on. Ride out the hot streak but be prepared to cut bait once he slumps again.
Pitchers
Reynaldo Lopez (SP, WAS) - 10% owned - Lopez is hoping to turn things around after his last start for the Nats showed some promise. Lopez started his big league career with two bad outings against west coast teams, not escaping the fifth inning in either one. On Saturday he went seven strong innings, allowing just one ER on five hits. Yes, it was against the Braves. Here's the good news - he faces Atlanta again on Thursday, so if you can get him in your lineup on time, he might at least provide a good spot starting option for one turn.
Bud Norris (SP, LAD) - 13% owned - Bud is back off the DL, scheduled to start Friday against Cincinnati. Since April ended, Norris has been his old self, posting a 2.08 ERA in May and June. In six starts with the Dodgers, Norris has been slightly less impressive with a 4.34 ERA and 3-2 record. Fantasy owners should like the 32 K in 29 IP, however. Although the Reds are hitting only .249 against right-handers this season, they are third in the NL in team average since the All-Star break, with a smoking hot Joey Votto leading the way. It may be best to wait until after Friday's start to add Norris or to simply keep him benched until the next start.
Robbie Ray (SP, ARI) - 22% owned - After a bad stretch coming out of the All-Star break, Ray is back on the upswing again. He has allowed just one ER in his past two starts. Best of all, he gets the Padres next as they suffer a massive hitting slump. Ray has a 4.47 ERA on the year, but his 3.62 FIP suggests he is better than that. His 10.9 K/9 is reason enough to put him in your rotation if you are an NL-only player.
Jake Barrett (RP, ARI) - 22% owned - You need saves, he's a closer. Sounds simple enough, except that Barrett is completely unproven and just blew his most recent chance by giving up a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Save chances haven't been coming the D-backs way much lately, but when they do Barrett still figures to be the guy unless he continues to crack under pressure. He currently has a 3.71 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and four saves. Not overly inspiring, especially considering his 4.65 FIP. You did say you needed saves, didn't you?
Kyle Barraclough (RP, MIA) - 12% owned - With David Phelps moving into the rotation and AJ Ramos hitting the shelf, Barraclough finds himself to be the primary setup man for Fernando Rodney in Miami. Barraclough has 24 holds this season and is holding hitters to a .177 BAA. A 14.7 K/9 would seem to scream "closer material" but he has to cut down on his 6.2 BB/9 big time before being trusted in big situations. The 26 year old may soon be ready, but for the time being he will remain a 7th/8th inning option.
Hector Neris (RP, PHI) - 17% owned - Neris has become a bullpen staple for the Phillies, appearing in a league-leading 60 games this season. As a non-closer, his value lies in his reliable ratios and strong K rate. In the last month, Neris has an outstanding 16.00 K/BB rate and an 11.3 K/9 on the year. He's the type of RP you can keep plugged in your lineup for non-counting stats.
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"]
