With just one week left until the playoffs (we end early to make room for football), this is the crucial point in the MLB fantasy season. Whether you're aiming for a first-round bye or fighting for a postseason spot, every move now is critical.
This season has been full of surprises. We've seen exciting breakouts and it's been thrilling to watch Juan Soto make a strong comeback. If you took a risk on Oakland Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler, your gamble has paid off handsomely. Butler has been outstanding, becoming a key player for the A’s. While finding another player like Butler this season might be a long shot, we’ll certainly keep searching. Fortunately, injuries were relatively mild this past week.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout (meniscus) suffered a new tear in his surgically repaired knee, ending his season. Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (hand) was hit by a pitch, resulting in a fracture and a 10-day IL stint. Additionally, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (fatigue) was scratched from his start due to general body fatigue but is expected to return shortly. It doesn't look like he will need any additional testing.
To help you navigate this final gauntlet, we’ll highlight some intriguing options that are worth considering while they’re performing well. For our list, hitters must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo! leagues, and repeat appearances are reserved for those who continue to excel. Let’s dive in.
Jake Burger, 1B/3B - Miami Marlins (58% Owned)
Miami 1B/3B Jake Burger has reached base safely in 15 of his last 16 games. Six of those have been multi-hit performances and he's hit eight home runs in July – more than half of his total (15) on the season. Additionally, over the last 30 days he’s a strong 25-for-86 (.291). While Burger strikes out a bit much (26.2%), he’s done so just twice over the previous six contests.
The Marlins third baseman had easily his most productive month in July in terms of runs (14) and RBIs (15). As he continues to hit near the top of the order, his counting stats should get a nice boost for the season’s final stretch.
Masataka Yoshida, OF - Boston Red Sox (52% Owned)
Boston OF Masataka Yoshida has been a run-scoring machine over the past five days. He's scored seven times in that stretch on the back of a whopping .400/.458/.600 (8-for-20) slash line. However, It's not just last week, as over his last month Yoshida is batting .315 with a .400 OBP (8:14 BB:K) and a productive .879 OPS.
The Red Sox outfielder has ticked up his BB% a bit this season (7.3) and remains one of the least susceptible hitters to chasing pitches in the majors. His plate discipline alone (90th percentile K%) is a good reason to roster him in points leagues, but if he’s going to continue hitting .300+ on the strong side of a platoon, he’s also worth a shot in category leagues. Additionally, he hasn’t hit lower than third in the order since 7/27.
Eugenio Saurez, 3B - Arizona Diamondbacks (51% Owned)
D'backs 3B Eugenio Saurez has appeared on and off in this column throughout the year, yet every time I write about him he keeps getting better. Over the last seven days, the third baseman is hitting .435 (10-for-23) with an outlandish 1.481 OPS. Since the start of July, Suarez has an OPS of 1.100 or higher, clobbering 10 home runs and knocking in 27 RBI – just under half of his season total (59).
The 11-year veteran is still striking out a bunch (28.2%) and hasn’t been much better during this hot stretch. Nonetheless, Suarez has been very good for both the D-Backs and those fantasy managers who have used him. Additionally, while It was only for a few games, Suarez found himself all the way up to fourth in the batting order. Any increase in the hierarchy there would obviously be a positive as he typically finds himself in the six or seven hole.
James Wood, OF - Washington Nationals (50% Owned)
Washington OF James Wood has struck out 37.8% of the time over his first 111 plate appearances, and that’s.....the bad news. However, there’s a lot of good to like here – at least over the last week anyway. During that time, Wood is batting .364 (8-for-22) with three extra-base hits, five runs and four RBI. Additionally, what I love even more is the fact that he drew six walks.
Wood had just six walks overall prior to this past week, and while he hasn’t quite cut his K% just yet, the increase in plate discipline is an encouraging factor. The Nats No. 1 prospect was batting an impressive .353 over 52 games before his call-up and also boasted a 17.3 BB%. Wood has garnered an impressive raw power grade as a prospect (a rare 70) and could be a largely productive fantasy producer if he shows out like he did in Triple-A.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B - Los Angeles Angels (19% Owned)
Angels 1B Nolan Schanuel has quietly been very productive since the end of June. He’s been hitting at the tippy-top of the Angels lineup nearly full-time, helping aid in his run production. He’s also getting on base a ton. Since July, he’s walked (18) more times than he’s struck out (15), and is 26-for-83 (.313) during that stretch.
Schanuel doesn’t hit the ball very hard (27.2% hard-hit rate), but makes good contact and has a 95th-percentile whiff percentage. He’s scored seven runs over the last seven days while batting .400 with a .455 OBP and a 1.306 OPS.
Deep League Options
Dylan Moore, 2B/3B/SS/OF - Seattle Mariners (14% Owned)
Seattle 2B/3B/SS/OF Dylan Moore has been an everyday player since July 20th and is currently riding a six-game hit streak. Moore has four doubles and three steals in that stretch with three walks and just two strikeouts. Also, Moore has great positional versatility and I love to see his improved discipline over the last few weeks. Aside from a four-strikeout game on Jul 22nd against the Angels, he hasn’t K’d more than twice since June 30th.
Addison Barger, 3B/SS/OF - Toronto Blue Jays (2% Owned)
Toronto 3B/SS/OF Addison Barger has hit .260 in Triple-A this year and was having a very poor debut up until the last 15 days. He’s 6-for-16 (.375) with four extra-base hits (two homers, two doubles) and seven RBI. In the minors Barger was lauded as a prospect for his power and put together an impressive stretch over his first 19 Triple-A appearances. That stretch saw him club .314/.435/.586 with a 1.021 OPS, including an elite 16.5:17.6 BB:K% with 11 Doubles, 3 HR, 17 Runs and 21 RBI. Again, that was in 19 games. He’s not a full-time player just yet, but is at least employed on the strong side of the platoon and should be monitored moving forward.
Pitching/Streaming Options
JP Sears, Oakland Athletics (11/34% Yahoo/CBS)
Oakland starter JP Sears has been up and down in stretches this year but is coming off one of his best starts of the season. This past Tuesday Sears spun seven strong innings of three-hit ball against the San Francisco Giants (15th in runs per game), piling up nine strikeouts and allowing just one free pass. This upcoming week, the 28-year-old will toe the rubber against the Chicago White Sox (30th in RPG) and Toronto Blue Jays (25th in RPG).
The Jays have been better of late, but the Chi Sox aren’t a matchup that should instill fear in fantasy managers. Either way, Sears has been very good over the last month. In the last 29.1 innings, he’s racked up a 30:4 BB:K ratio with an excellent 3.07 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
As we approach the final stretch of the year, making the right moves in Week 19 can be pivotal for securing your playoff position. With just one week left to lock in your spot, the pressure is on to optimize your roster and seize every advantage. The players highlighted this week, from Jake Burger’s power surge to Masataka Yoshida’s consistent run production, offer valuable opportunities to boost your team. Meanwhile, emerging talents like James Wood and Nolan Schanuel could provide that extra edge if they continue their recent strong performances.
Injuries and fatigue have reshuffled the landscape, with stars like Mike Trout and Jordan Westburg sidelined, opening doors for other players to step up. Whether you’re looking to capitalize on hot streaks or find potential hidden gems, staying proactive and informed is crucial. Keep an eye on these players and consider making strategic additions to your lineup as you head into the playoffs. Every decision matters at this stage, so make sure to leverage these insights to set yourself up for success in the critical games ahead. Best of luck!
