Hello there. My name’s Jt DiMaio and this is my first article for Deepish Thoughts. I’ll be bringing you fantasy baseball and fantasy football content going forward and I’m happy to be aboard. I’ve been playing fantasy sports since about 2006 and have had varying levels of success. I mostly play season long leagues, but I’ve also been known to play the daily slate every now and then.
One thing that will likely change for me next year is the number of fantasy baseball leagues that I’m in. It’ll be the first time in years that I have more than one team. To be one hundred percent honest, this year is the first year in recent memory where I’ve been consistently active all season and can say that I’ve actually enjoyed the season. So what changed that made me enjoy this year as opposed to the few?
- I changed leagues – This probably had the single biggest impact on my enjoyment of the game. For years I played the same league, primarily with the same people (which eventually got a little clique-y), with pretty much the same settings. Repeating things get stale, knowing the same people would trade and the same people would end up not playing every year contributed to me just not enjoying the league at all.
- The league I’m in now is bigger than any I’ve ever done – I made the jump from a 10 team H2H categories league to a 16 team league with similar scoring. This biggest thing about this change is that proposed a new challenge, I’d never done a league with more than 12 teams and I’d never been a part of a league with keepers and the option to trade draft picks. Part of the reason I play fantasy sports is that I (like many) enjoy stats and resource management. Additional resources create another new challenge and puzzle to solve.
- I reevaluated what I want out of fantasy baseball and my relationship to the game – I can honestly say that I really played the last few years just because I had friends in the league, not because I actually wanted to play. When you’re playing just because your friends are playing, the high points are the draft, making trades, the weeks you play them, and the playoffs. This makes it really hard to stay motivated when none of those things are occurring (especially in a league with daily lineups) and the playoffs soon become out of reach, which furthers the lack of motivation. This has been the first year where I’ve cared more about my team’s performance than the social aspect of the game. Feeling that competitive aspect is one the reasons I’m clinging to the 8th playoff spot during the last week of the season.
Going Deep For The Playoffs
Now that we’ve figured out why I’m still playing, let’s get to what you came here for – actual actionable fantasy advice. I’m going to do a quick rundown of players that may still be available in your league and how they’ll help you during the stretch run.
Rhys Hoskins adds a power bat to the Phillies lineup.
1B – Rhys Hoskins (PHI)
Hoskins is considered one of the better prospects in the league and is also going to gain outfield eligibility as well shortly. He’s shown power at all levels of the minor leagues and has had a strong start to this week with three home runs in two games. His plate discipline should help his OBP and average stay high as well.
2B – Howie Kendrick (WSH)
Another player with three home runs over two games (Sunday and Tuesday for Kendrick), but that’s not why you should be picking him up. He’s in a little bit of a platoon split with Adam Lind, but Kendrick should be able to help owners in batting average, steals, and runs.
SS – Ketel Marte (ARI)
With Chris Owings out for the year, Marte has the starting shortstop position on lockdown for the Diamondbacks high power offense. He hasn’t stolen any bases this year, which is usually one of the merits for owning him, but owning a spot in a lineup featuring Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb should help him contribute in runs.
3B – Cory Spangenberg (SD)
Spangenberg has been red hot as of late and also has position eligibility at second base and in the outfield (even if he doesn’t play in a great lineup or ballpark). He’s coming off a three game stretch with seven runs, four homers, and eight RBI. If you need a little depth at multiple positions, jump aboard and ride this train while it’s hot.
OF – Dexter Fowler (STL)
Fowler is probably the most likely player to be owned on this list, but he’s scored at least one run in five out of eight games since he’s been back from the DL on August 7th. He’s getting on base with multiple hits in four of those eight games as well.
SP – Dinelson Lamet (SD)
While Petco Park might not be ideal for Spangenberg and other hitters, it’s certainly much better for those toeing the rubber. Lamet’s quietly been consistent over the last two months, only giving up more than three runs in two out of his last ten starts (and two runs or less in seven out of ten). Even one of his subpar starts surrendering five earned runs in four innings at Colorado during that stretch is quite forgivable. You’ll want to play matchups with Lamet, but a 3.75 ERA and .176 batting average against at home makes him a potential asset for the stretch run.
Chasing Saves
Lastly, if you’re like me you probably could use one more closer. The Angels bullpen is an absolute mess right now and I have no idea what to make out of it. That also holds true for the White Sox as well. If I had to choose from those situations, I’d want to Cam Bedrosian and/or Juan Minaya respectively.
If you have the luxury of stashing a player on the DL, take a look at Jeurys Familia (NYM) or Glen Perkins (MIN). Both have been all-star closers in the past and could retake the 9th inning duties upon their return. Perkins has the easier path to close games based on competition in his bullpen, but Familia is likely the better pitcher overall at this point in his career.
I’d just like to quickly thank you all for taking the time out of your day or night and reading. Best of luck in your efforts to get into the playoffs and I’ll be back over the weekend to talk about the best pitchers going into next week.
Reach out to Jt on Twitter: @jth_d
