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AVG
Corey Dickerson, OF, Cardinals -- Available in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues
Widely available in mixed leagues, Dickerson could help fantasy teams in the batting average category this week. The 33-year-old outfielder is having a solid season with the Cardianls as a part-time player against right-handed pitching. He’s hitting .293/.323/.441 with five homers over 235 plate appearances. This week, St. Louis has seven games on the schedule, six projected to come against right-handed starters, including five against the Reds pitching staff.
HR
David Villar, 1B/2B/3B, Giants -- Available in 97 percent of Yahoo leagues
Villar struggled in his first stint with the Giants, hitting just .175 over his first 80 plate appearances. After spending more time in the minors, he got another opportunity with the team after Brandon Belt underwent season-ending knee surgery. Villar is taking advantage of it, slugging four homers so far in September. And the Giants have rewarded him by playing him everyday around the diamond between first, second, and third base. The 25-year-old infielder is putting the power he produced in the minors on display after launching 27 home runs over 366 plate appearances in Triple-A. It’s a great time to add Villar in mixed leagues before the Giants go to Colorado for four games in Coors Field next week.
R
Elvis Andrus, SS, White Sox -- Available in 70 percent of Yahoo leagues
Andrus has been on an absolute tear since joining the White Sox. Chicago added the veteran infielder after he was released by the A’s in the middle of August. With his new team, Andrus has hit .296 with five homers over 96 plate appearances. His success at the plate has earned him leadoff honors over the last 12 games. While Tim Anderson could be back before the end of the season, Andrus still remains in line to benefit from everyday playing time until he returns. And teams looking to supplement some runs in deeper formats should consider the 34-year-old veteran shortstop.
RBI
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals -- Available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues
Pasquantino returned to the Royals lineup on Friday after a brief stint on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort. He took his place back in the heart of the lineup, batting cleanup for Kansas City. The 24-year-old slugger is hitting .261/.353/.433 with eight homers and 15 RBI across 207 plate appearances in his rookie campaign. But he had really started to heat up with a great month of August before the injury, hitting .329 with five homers. Pasquantino does everything right that you want to see from a slugger. From his 13 percent strikeout rate to his 11 percent barrel and 49 percent hard-hit rates. Those skills make him a must-add everywhere available.
SB
Bubba Thompson, OF, Rangers -- Available in 82 percent of Yahoo leagues
Thompson is off to an excellent start in September. After going 2-for-4 with a pair of steals on Sunday, he’s 12-for-32 with five stolen bases in the month. The 24-year-old rookie outfielder is slashing .298/.348/.365 with one homer and 13 steals over his first 114 plate appearances. Between the majors and minors, he’s collected 62 steals in all. Often time, performances like this get overlooked late in the season. Someone like Thompson could be a great value in 2023 fantasy drafts as someone who could carry the stolen base category for teams. For now, managers looking to add some speed over the final few weeks shouldn’t hesitate to add Thompson.
W
David Peterson, SP, Mets -- Available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues
With Max Scherzer back on the injured list, Peterson remains in the Mets rotation. The 27-year-old left-hander has been a valuable swingman for New York all season, bouncing between the majors and minors to stay stretched out. It’s made him an excellent streaming option and a regular in this column. In all, he’s compiled an outstanding 3.47 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts across 98 2/3 innings. Walks remain a bit of an issue for Peterson, but he’s improved his strikeout rate while maintaining a high ground ball rate as he puts together his best season yet. This week, he’ll take on the Cubs, who have been a below-average team against left-handers all season.
ERA
Drew Smyly, SP, Cubs -- Available in 82 percent of Yahoo leagues
Smyly will look to put together another excellent start after allowing one unearned run with eight strikeouts over seven innings against the Giants. The performance gives him a solid 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts across 98 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old left-hander has done a good job of limiting baserunners with a six percent walk rate while allowing just a 33.3 percent hard-hit rate. And while he’s not getting the strikeouts, he’s still generated a healthy 12.9 percent swinging-strike rate. Smyly will look to put together another quality outing when he takes on the Rockies in Chicago this week. Colorado has been the worst road-hitting team this season, with a league-worst 76 wRC+.
WHIP
Bailey Ober, SP, Twins -- Available in 86 percent of Yahoo leagues
Ober made a rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday. He’s progressing towards a return from a groin strain that has sidelined him since early June. The 27-year-old right-hander had posted a 4.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts across 33 2/3 innings before landing on the injured list. The promising starter has excelled at limiting free passes with a 4.9 percent walk rate. It’s something he’s done throughout his minor league career, as he consistently posted excellent WHIP ratios. Ober should be in line to return to the Twins rotation sometime this week.
K
Hunter Greene, SP, Reds -- Available in 69 percent of Yahoo leagues
Greene made another rehab start on Sunday, striking out five batters with one run allowed over three innings of work. He tossed 66 pitches in the outing as he continues his progression towards a return from the injured list. The 23-year-old right-hander has been out since early August with a right shoulder strain. He holds a 5.26 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts across 102 2/3 innings. Greene appeared to be turning things around before the injury, recording a 2.70 ERA over his last four starts. And he displayed excellent bat-missing ability all season with a 13.5 percent swinging strike and 28.8 percent strikeout rate.
SV
Brandon Hughes, RP, Cubs -- Available in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues
Hughes has been one of the Cubs’ best relievers all season, posting a 3.17 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts over 48 1/3 innings. With his fastball and slider combination, he’s generated an elite 15.1 percent swinging-strike rate while striking out 30.5 percent of batters. Now, the 26-year-old southpaw shares the closer role with Rowan With. Hughes picked up his fourth save of the season on Friday and should continue to get his share of ninth-inning opportunities. Teams in deep mixed leagues looking to add some late-season saves could consider adding the widely-available Hughes.
