Need some help in a specific 5x5 Roto category? We’re here to help.
AVG
Luis Rengifo, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Angels -- Available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues
Rengifo has been one of the few steady contributors in the Angels lineup since becoming an everyday regular in May. He’s coming off a strong month of July after hitting .337 with one homer and four steals. On the season, he’s slashing .276/.322/.414 with five homers across 256 plate appearances. While unspectacular, that’s certainly a useful batting average in today’s game in deeper mixed leagues. His 16.4 percent strikeout rate, .318 BABIP, and 21.6 percent line drive rate support the kind of profile that can sustain a healthy batting average. And hitting in the top third of the lineup won’t make him a zero in counting categories.
HR
Jose Miranda, 3B, Twins -- Available in 60 percent of Yahoo leagues
Like many highly-touted prospects, Miranda got off to a slow start this season hitting .176 in May. But since the start of June, he’s quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball, slashing .331/.377/.544 with seven homers going into Sunday’s action. With a home run against the Padres, he’s up to ten on the season over 227 plate appearances. The 24-year-old third baseman is displaying some of the power potential he flashed in his breakout 2021 season in the minors after hitting 30 homers across Double-A and Triple-A. A strikeout rate under 20 percent (19.3), and hard-hit rate of 42.5 percent, and a fly-ball rate of 40.1 percent are all good signs of sustained success in the majors. Given the lack of depth at third base, Miranda should be added across all mixed leagues.
R
Kolten Wong, 2B, Brewers -- Available in 65 percent of Yahoo leagues
Wong has been among the hottest hitters in baseball out of the All-Star break, going 13-for-31 with five doubles, one homer, and 11 runs scored since play resumed. He’s crushing the ball with a 58 percent hard-hit rate and a 108.6 max exit velocity, his hardest-hit ball since 2017. And with a nine percent walk rate on the year, he’s showing the on-base ability he displayed over his career in St. Louis. Wong will look to keep his hot streak going this week with the Pirates and Reds on the schedule, as both teams could be shipping out their best remaining pitchers by Tuesday’s trade deadline.
RBI
Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Tigers -- Available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues
Candelario has started to come around at the plate over the last month with a .266 average, five home runs, and 14 RBI in July. On the year, he’s slashing .211/.273/.371 with ten homers and 32 RBI across 304 plate appearances. It’s certainly been a disappointing season so far for the 28-year-old third baseman. But he’s capable of putting together a strong final two months. Last season, Candelario hit nine of his 16 home runs between August and September. And he’s produced a similar barrel rate in July as he did over that stretch in 2021. Candelario’s hot stretch moved him back up the Tigers’ order as he’s hit fifth or sixth in the lineup in each of the last six games.
SB
Dixon Machado, 2B/SS, Giants -- Available in 99 percent of Yahoo leagues
Like last week’s Magneuris Sierra call, we’re reaching deep into the waiver wire for this one. Machado hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since June of 2018. After signing a minor league deal with the Tigers, he hit .312/.402/.394 with two homers and ten steals across 391 plate appearances. Desperately needing a shortstop with Thairo Estrada on the injured list, the Giants acquired Machado on Sunday morning and promptly had him in the lineup the same evening. San Francisco has been a team that will let a player run if they’ve shown a propensity to swipe bases. With what should be everyday playing time this week, he could be a streamer in deep mixed leagues for teams looking to add a bit of speed.
W
Aaron Ashby, SP, Brewers -- Available in 66 percent of Yahoo leagues
Ashby came out of the All-Star break with an excellent start, striking out nine batters over seven innings with two runs allowed against the Rockies. He followed that with six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings against the Red Sox on Sunday. While he gave up five runs, none were earned after an error by the defense in the fifth inning. He had been cruising to that point with four scoreless innings. Ashby lowered his ERA to 4.13 on the season to go with a 1.45 WHIP and 98 strikeouts across 80 2/3 innings. Despite some control issues, the 24-year-old left-hander possesses plenty of upside with a 27.3 percent strikeout and 56.8 percent ground ball rate. He’s got a decent chance at a win this week when the Brewers host the Reds on Friday.
ERA
Brady Singer, SP, Royals -- Available in 61 percent of Yahoo leagues
Singer is a must-add after back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances. After whiffing 12 over six innings of one-run ball against the Rays, he struck out ten Yankees over seven shutout frames in a one-hit effort his last time out. He lowered his ERA from 4.02 to 3.51 with a 1.13 WHIP and 91 strikeouts across 84 2/3 innings. His 3.58 FIP and 3.23 xFIP suggest his surface stats are legit. The 25-year-old right-hander showed promise at times last season. The breakout has come to fruition with a significant improvement in his walk rate, down from nine percent in 2021 to six percent this season. One of the best indicators of skill is a pitcher’s K-BB rate, which Singer has raised from 13.3 percent to an impressive 20.5 percent. He draws two starts this week, with matchups against the White Sox and Red Sox. But both teams have performed much better against left-handed pitching than against righties. The last time Singer faced the White Sox, he struck out nine over seven shutout innings.
WHIP
Cole Irvin, SP, Athletics -- Available in 57 percent of Yahoo leagues
Irvin was one of July’s best pitchers, with a 1.85 ERA and 0.65 WHIP over 34 innings. Even more impressive considering three of his starts came against the Astros. He’s having a solid season for the A’s, recording a 3.05 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 74 strikeouts across 109 1/3 innings. While his strikeout rate is low, having a cavernous home ballpark helps, where he carries a 1.73 ERA. The 28-year-old left-hander has excelled at limiting baserunners with a 4.8 percent walk rate. He draws a decent matchup against a depleted Angels lineup that has posted a 64 WRC+ and .573 OPS in the last month, both of which are worst in baseball over that span.
K
Drew Smyly, SP, Cubs -- Available in 96 percent of Yahoo leagues
Streaming a left-handed starter against the Marlins certainly worked out last week when Nick Lodolo was recommended. This week, we’re right back to that matchup with Smyly taking the mound for the Cubs against Miami on Friday. While he carries only an 18.8 percent strikeout rate on the season, the Marlins are striking out against left-handers at a 27.6 percent clip. And Smyly’s 12.3 percent swinging-strike rate indicates he could be in line for more strikeouts as it is. I wouldn’t recommend the 33-year-old southpaw beyond this week, as he carries a 4.42 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 59 innings. But teams in deeper leagues could look to exploit this matchup by streaming Smyly on Friday.
SV
Luis Garcia, RP, Padres -- Available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues
Padres manager Bob Melvin is giving Taylor Rogers a break from the closer role after the left-hander blew back-to-back save chances. The team is expected to go with a committee in the ninth inning until Rogers gets right. Garcia should be a part of that mix as he’s been one of the more consistent relievers in the bullpen with a 3.32 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts across 38 innings. He got the first chance on Sunday as he locked down his first save against the Twins with one strikeout in a scoreless inning. Garcia should be added in mixed leagues where saves are needed.