Fantasy Baseball Second-half Sleepers – Sleeper Central – July 8
On this final day of the first half of the Major League Baseball season, it’s time to take a good hard look at your fantasy baseball lineup. If you’re chasing the championship or just looking to replace some none-functioning parts of your roster, you’ve got to the right place. Fantasy CPR can help you in your daily lineup choices with our daily features (Sleeper Central, Spot Starters) and our weekly articles (Off the Radar, Waiver Wire Weekly).
Each day in sleeper central we highlight the best performances from players owned in under 50% of ESPN league so that you can decide who you need to grab if you’re looking to give your roster an upgrade. Today we’ll look at a Marlin making a splash in our awakening segment and then the reason that Fenway was chanting “Pedro, Pedro, Pedro for the first time since Martinez retired.
Sleeper Awakening
Justin Ruggiano – Mia: (owned in 18.1% of ESPN leagues) Ruggiano has hit in 10 games in a row with seven multi-hit games during that span. He’s raised his average to a scorching .410 on the year with a 1.273 OPS. He has four home runs in his last six games with eight runs batted in during that stretch. He’s only had 78 at-bats this season but has 10 2B, one 3B, and six home runs. He won’t be able to keep this up all year but has definitely forced his way into the Fish’s lineup and should be owned in virtually every format going into the second half.
Sleeper Starting Lineup
C– Michael McKenry – Pit: (0.4%) 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, HR. AVG-.252 with four HR in his last nine games.
1B– Ike Davis – NYM: (46.6%) 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR. four-game hitting streak. Three HR in last nine games. 12 HR, 49 RBI this season.
2B– Ramon Santiago – Det: (0.0%) 2-3, 2 R, 2 2B. started nine of last 10 games. Two consecutive multi-hit games.
3B– Luis Valbuena – ChC: (0.1%) 2-3, R, 2B. 14 RBI, 3 HR in 22 games this season.
SS– Pedro Ciriaco – Bos: (0.0%) 4-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, SB. Could start at 2B in place of DL’d Dustin Pedroia.
OF-Andruw Jones – NYY: (0.3%) 3-9, 3 R, 3 RBI, 3 HR in yesterday’s double-header.
OF– Justin Ruggiano – Mia: (18.1%) 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR. See above for details.
OF– Jordan Schafer – Hou: (15.4%) 2-4, 2 R, 3B, SB. Back to hitting leadoff, 20 SB on the season and 33 R.
DH– Delmon Young – Det: (22.6%) 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR. Three games in a row with a HR and four in his last nine games. AVG-.268 with 9 HR and 35 RBI in 77 games played.
AL Starting Pitcher– Freddy Garcia – NYY: (1.2%) 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W.
NL Starting Pitcher– Dillon Gee – NYM: (13.8%) 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, o BB, 4 K, W. Allowed three runs or less in nine of last ten starts.
Relief Pitcher– Justin Germano – Bos: (0.0%) 5.2 IP, 5H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7K. Unsure future, but solid performance saved bullpen in game one of double-header.
Relief Pitcher-Jason Grilli – Pit: (3.0%) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. 21st hold of the season with a 1.87 ERA and 54 K’s in 33.2 innings.