T.I.P.S.: No time to waste

Whether your fantasy baseball season ends with playoffs or not, these final few weeks are important regardless of format. There’s no time for poor outings, and players that aren’t getting it done at the plate need to be let go. T.I.P.S. typically takes a look at a few players each week, but just like fantasy baseball, adjustments need to be made when the time calls for it.

This week, we’ve expanded our player pool and will focus on more streaking ballplayers and their recent performances. As always, feel free to e-mail at brysz@rotoexperts.com for any last-minute lineup advice, trade talk or free-agent pickup suggestions.

Alex Rios(notes) had five steals last week. Considering he had four in his previous 43 games, it appears he is back to swiping bags at the rate he was at the beginning of the season.

Chone Figgins(notes) is still really bad. We all knew he had a lack of power, but zero homers and four RBIs over the last month is pure garbage. That leaves runs, steals and average, where he has proceeded to go 7/6/.221. With the exceptions of the six steals, the rest is garbage. His 76 percent ownership is a joke.

J.A. Happ(notes) isn’t giving up many hits in Houston. Happ, the seventh-ranked player over the past week, went 2-0 (including a complete-game shutout) with a 1.12 ERA and 0.69 WHIP. In eight starts with Houston, he’s 5-2 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a .191 batting average against. He’s ownable in all formats, and is available in 52 percent of leagues.

Carlos Lee(notes) leads the majors with 29 RBIs over the last month. Despite a horrendous start to the year, Lee is poised to finish with his typical 25/100 season. His average has been brutal, but he’s back to producing in the power department.

Jorge De La Rosa(notes) hasn’t given up more than three runs since July 17. Since then, he’s struck out at least five in seven of nine starts, while not allowing more than six hits in eight of them. Available in over 50 percent of leagues, he’s become a quality start machine.

Tim Lincecum(notes) has come back down to Earth. In the last month, Lincecum has gone 1-4 with a 6.67 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. His one quality start in that time came in his most recent start, an eight-inning, eight-K gem against the Rockies. While injury concerns have been raised, Lincecum claims he’s healthy, and the Giants are in the middle of a pennant race. Oddly enough, I trust Lincecum enough to start him down the stretch.

Ben Zobrist(notes) is hitting .149 since Aug. 1. The poor average can probably be related to his 883rd ranking over that time period, but his 91 percent ownership shows he hasn’t been given up on yet. He does have 14 runs, two homers and 13 RBIs in the process, but his average is killing fantasy teams. If you haven’t already, it’s time to send the young man to your fantasy bench.

Gio Gonzalez(notes) has decided to join the elite lefties. In the last month, GiGo is ranked 15th overall, going 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with six quality starts. His 16 walks in 39 innings is a cause for concern, but opponents are hitting only .224 against him, so he’s limiting his mistakes. Since the All Star break, Gonzalez’s 2.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 55 Ks firmly entrench him with the best lefties in the game. Oh yeah, and he’s only owned in 54 percent of leagues.

INJURIES

Cliff Lee(notes) is not a safe bet in crunch time. Owned in virtually every league in existence, Lee has been a rock for most fantasy staffs. Unfortunately, he’s a liability when owners need him most. Not only has he struggled (8.28 ERA, 1.60 WHIP in the last month), but back soreness keeps delaying his next start. In weekly leagues, I’d opt to leave Lee off my starting roster.

Aramis has found his newest nagging injury. A sore quad is now keeping Aramis Ramirez(notes) out of the Cubs lineup. Whether it is an injury to his hand, shoulder, groin or quad, it seems there is always something forcing fantasy owners to keep an extra eye on the Cubs lineup to see if ARam is in it. Ramirez was out of the Cubs lineup on Monday, and is likely to miss at least a few days. In weekly leagues, he’s a bench player this week.

Justin Upton(notes) is still out. Although he was expected to return on Sunday, Upton still isn’t seeing much improvement in his sore shoulder. All signs point to Upton returning at some point mid-week, but shoulder injuries can hamper power numbers in a big way. He’s been hitting .306 since the break, but his three homers in that span are not adequate. Benching Upton to see how he responds isn’t the worst idea.

Jose Reyes(notes) is looking like a mid-week return. Reyes’ injury has been a frustrating one for his owners, as he’s taken day-to-day to a whole new level. As we’ve seen with many other players, strained obliques can heal slowly. The good news is that he’s been hitting daily and making progress.

Scott Baker’s(notes) injury has forced a raised eyebrow or two. Originally expected to miss just one start due to a sore elbow, Baker has now been declared out for at least two starts. Mark me down as someone who is concerned. Whenever a timeline gets delayed, it means that progress in recovery is not being made. Baker may return shortly, but my guess is they let him rehab for at least the next two weeks.

Kevin Slowey(notes) is set to return. Slowey will fill Scott Baker’s empty rotation spot after he missed two weeks with a strained right triceps. Slowey has a 3.79 ERA and 1.04 WHIP since the All-Star break, so his return is a nice addition for any fantasy rotation.

PLATOONS

Neil Walker(notes) continues to hit. The Pirates may be the worst team in baseball, but Walker (39 percent owned) is a bright spot. This past week he hit .481 with eight runs, two homers and five RBIs. With 2B and 3B eligibility, a .313 average and 49 RBIs in only 329 at-bats, Walker should be owned in all league formats. He was the sixth-ranked fantasy player this past week, and 54th over the last month. Walker is a must-add in dynasty formats, and someone that can be a useful addition to any team struggling for starters late in the season.

Jordan Zimmermann(notes) is going to be a stud. While his first start since returning from Tommy John surgery wasn’t much to write home about (five ER, four Ks), Zimmermann responded with a career night in his second. The 24-year-old prospect tossed six innings of one-hit ball against the Marlins. He also struck out nine while walking none.

Starlin Castro(notes) is challenging for a batting title, but is only 48 percent owned. If Ichiro Suzuki(notes) can be an elite fantasy option, Castro can at least make a fantasy roster. The rookie SS is hitting .317 on the season and .363 since the All Star break. What’s even more impressive is his seven steals since the break compared to just one before. Castro doesn’t have much power, but his stellar average, ability to steal bases and 30 runs in 48 post-break games makes him a useful roster filler.

Anibal Sanchez(notes) is still going unnoticed. The Marlins’ 26-year-old starter has been a beast since the All-Star break. In his most recent start, he struck out seven Nationals while allowing only three hits and no runs in seven innings. His final August line looked something like this: three wins, 2.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 36 Ks in 36 innings, .232 batting average against. Over the last month, he’s been the 19th-ranked starting pitcher. You’d think he’d be owned in more than 47 percent of leagues.

Ian Desmond(notes) is quickly figuring it out. After struggling in the season’s first few months, Desmond has turned it on since getting regular playing time. Since the break, Desmond is hitting .348 with three homers, 22 RBIs and six steals. This past week he hit .500 with five runs and five RBIs. Desmond is currently day-to-day with a hip issue, but should return in a few days and continue to provide adequate numbers for a middle infielder. He’s also widely available in 57 percent of leagues.

Carlos Zambrano(notes) has been let out of the fantasy doghouse. True, Zambrano hurt a ton of fantasy teams this year, but he’s trying his best to make up for it. Since his return to the Cubs rotation, Big Z has been masterful. In six starts, he has yet to give up more than two earned runs in any game, has struck out at least seven in his last three outings and has four wins to zero losses. Owned in only 37 percent of leagues, Zambrano has been a Top 100 (99th to be exact) fantasy player over the last month.

SUGGESTIONS

Hunter Pence(notes) is establishing himself as a potential keeper. Pence led all of baseball with nine RBIs last week, which has pretty much been par for the course since the break. After hitting .263 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 85 pre-break games, Pence has 10 bombs, 39 RBIs and a .337 average in 46 post-break games. His progress has been slow but steady over the years, but he’s emerged as one of the most complete players in fantasy.

Add Ryan Raburn(notes). Although he is dealing with an illness, Raburn has been the fifth-ranked fantasy player over the last month. He has nine bombs, 22 RBIs, 22 runs and a .333 average during that span. Add 1B, 2B and OF eligibility, and you have the makings of a worthy fantasy role player. He’s also available in over 50 percent of leagues.

Add Coco Crisp(notes). I seemingly write this every week, but he continues to get no love. Owned in 27 percent of leagues, Crisp has been a Top 50 fantasy player for two months now. His ability to steal bases (nine in the last month) and add power (three homers and 13 RBIs) is rare for someone on the wire. He’s also hitting for a decent average lately (.287 past 30 days).

Bench Yovani Gallardo(notes). If Gallardo has helped you rise to fantasy success this season, now is the time to put him on the bench. Over the last month, his ERA is 9.11 and his WHIP is 1.88. While certainly talented, Gallardo is a liability that no team with fantasy championship aspirations can afford to gamble on right now. He’s walking far too many batters, and isn’t fooling anyone. If you sit near the top of your league standings, don’t ruin it by starting Gallardo.

Past Week’s Top 20 (per Yahoo! standard 5 x 5 league) …
1. Alex Rios
2. Carlos Gonzalez(notes)
3. Hanley Ramirez(notes)
4. Hunter Pence
5. Felix Hernandez(notes)
6. Neil Walker
7. J.A. Happ
8. Jonathan Sanchez(notes)
9. Mark Teixeira(notes)
10. Troy Tulowitzki(notes)
11. Aaron Hill(notes)
12. Hiroki Kuroda(notes)
13. Curtis Granderson(notes)
14. Jason Heyward(notes)
15. Carlos Zambrano
16. Shin-Soo Choo(notes)
17. Chase Utley(notes)
18. Starlin Castro
19. Adam Dunn(notes)
20. Chad Billingsley(notes)

*All stats up-to-date as of 9/6.

In search of accurate and up-to-date daily and weekly player rankings? Look no further than RotoExperts Xclusive Edge Rankings.

Brad Rysz is a fantasy writer and Associate Editor for RotoExperts.com. Send him your questions, comments or concerns at brysz@rotoexperts.com.

Follow Brad on Twitter: twitter.com/bradrysz

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