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AVG
Yandy Díaz, 1B/3B, Rays -- Available in 79 percent of Yahoo leagues
Diaz capped off his big week at the plate with a three-hit game against the Reds, including a double and two RBI. He went 10-for-21 over the last week with four doubles, four runs scored, and three RBI. The 30-year-old infielder is slashing an exceptional .299/.412/.395 with three homers across 311 plate appearances for the Rays. Making plenty of contact and showing excellent plate discipline, Diaz is one of nine qualified hitters to walk more than they’ve struck out. And he leads the way with a 1.47 BB/K ratio. Diaz has always hit the ball hard. This year is no different, with a 44.9 percent hard-hit rate. And while his 52 percent ground ball rate limits his power ceiling, he’s a safe bet to continue hitting for average.
HR
Nolan Jones, 3B, Guardians -- Available in 90 percent of Yahoo leagues
The Guardians promoted Jones after the 24-year-old prospect hit .311/.417/.500 with three homers and four steals across 108 plate appearances in Triple-A. He’s 5-for-10 with a home run, double, and a 3/2 BB/K ratio over his first three games. Jones has shown some power potential in the minors but has been held back by his high strikeout rate. Though he does show excellent patience, consistently posting high walk rates. And the left-handed hitter has had platoon splits. But this week could be a good opportunity to see what the young slugger can do. The Guardians have an eight-game week ahead, with all eight games projected to come against right-handed starting pitchers.
R
Luis Garcia, 2B/SS, Nationals -- Available in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues
Garcia hit out of the leadoff spot in the Nationals’ lineup for the first time on Sunday after hitting no higher than fifth all season. Continuing to do so would put him in line to score more runs going forward. The 22-year-old infielder is hitting .298/.310/.433 with two homers and 11 doubles across 145 plate appearances. Garcia could benefit from drawing more walks. He’s posted just a 1.4 percent walk rate. But as long as he continues to hit for a good average, he can help fantasy managers looking for a boost in runs and batting average.
RBI
Luke Voit, 1B/DH, Padres -- Available in 62 percent of Yahoo leagues
Voit started the season off slow, hitting .143 in April before landing on the injured list with a biceps tendon injury. But since his return on May 10, he’s essentially been the hitter many expected when drafting him, slashing .246/.323/.467 with ten homers and 30 RBI across 223 plate appearances. This week, the Padres go to Colorado for a four-game series against the Rockies. The last time Voit visited Coors Field, he went 5-for-10 with four doubles and a homer. Hitting in the heart of the San Diego lineup, he’s got a good chance of driving in some runs this week.
SB
Luis Gonzalez, OF, Giants -- Available in 91 percent of Yahoo leagues
Gonzalez was activated from the injured list by the Giants on Saturday. He’ll provide the team some much-needed help offensively after missing a couple of weeks with a lower back strain. The 26-year-old outfielder has been an excellent find for San Francisco after he was claimed off waivers from the White Sox, hitting .311/.371/.457 with three homers, 13 doubles, 25 RBI, and seven steals over 186 plate appearances. Before landing on the injured list, Gonzalez had started hitting leadoff against right-handed pitching. With five right-handers on the schedule this week, he could provide some production across the board.
W
Jake Odorizzi, SP, Astros -- Available in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues
Before landing on the injured list on May 16 with a leg injury, Odorizzi was enjoying a solid start to the season, recording a 3.13 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 31 2/3 innings. He surrendered five runs over four innings against the Royals in his first start off the injured list. The 32-year-old right-hander bounced back nicely on Sunday, tossing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts and the win against the A’s. Odorizzi will make an excellent streamer this week as he takes on the A’s once again in Houston over the weekend leading up to the All-Star break.
ERA
Keegan Thompson, SP, Cubs -- Available in 58 percent of Yahoo leagues
Thompson is coming off one of his better starts, tossing 5 2/3 innings against the Dodgers with eight strikeouts and one unearned run allowed. The 27-year-old right-hander is having a solid season, posting a 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts across 77 innings. A 23.4 percent strikeout and 7.9 percent walk rate have given him a respectable 15.5 percent K-BB rate. But where he’s excelled most is limiting hard contact, with only a 35.2 percent hard-hit rate and 87.9 mile-per-hour average exit velocity allowed. This week, he gets a decent matchup against the Orioles in Chicago.
WHIP
Ross Stripling, SP, Blue Jays -- Available in 65 percent of Yahoo leagues
Striping has been valuable for the Blue Jays, pitching out of the rotation and the bullpen as needed. He’s been better as a starter, posting a 3.20 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 56 1/3 innings. The 32-year-old right-hander is coming off a solid start against the Mariners, allowing two runs with six strikeouts over five innings. Stripling has been able to limit baserunners and maintain a serviceable WHIP by limiting free passes with an excellent 5.1 percent walk rate. A decreased reliance on his fastball and more usage of his changeup has led to better results, with the pitch generating a 19.6 percent swinging-strike and 53.1 percent ground ball rate. This week, Stripling gets a matchup against the Royals in Toronto.
K
Alex Cobb, SP, Giants -- Available in 68 percent of Yahoo leagues
Cobb is a viable streaming option in mixed leagues with two starts this week. He’s surrendered four runs over six innings against the Diamondbacks his last time out after pitching back-to-back scoreless outings. He’ll bring a 4.74 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts across 57 innings. The 34-year-old right-hander has been frustrating to roster, as his 3.07 FIP and 2.79 xFIP indicates he’s pitched much better than the ERA suggests. Still, we’re taking the chance with a rematch against the Diamondbacks, followed by a start against the Brewers. Both will come at home in San Francisco for Cobb, where he’s posted a much-better 3.45 ERA. And both teams have been prone to striking out throughout the year.
SV
Brett Martin, RP, Rangers -- Available in 96 percent of Yahoo leagues
After blowing back-to-back save chances, Joe Barlow was removed from the closer role in Texas. He’ll pitch in a lower-leverage role for now. Meanwhile, Martin earned the save on consecutive days following Barlow’s relegation. The 27-year-old left-hander has posted a 3.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts across 27 innings. With Matt Bush coming off the injured list, he could also figure into the mix for saves. But early signs indicate Martin will be a factor in the ninth going forward, even in a committee.
