Welcome back to “Off The Deep End”, where I will give you fantasy baseball tips on who to pick up in deeper leagues. For people who play standard leagues, drop/add columns are easy for you to find, but for those of you that love deeper leagues, advice can be harder to come by. That is where I can help. All of these players are available in 85% or more of ESPN leagues.
This piece will focus on catchers and outfielders. I will have a piece up for relief pitchers tomorrow, and starting pitchers on Saturday. I won’t leave you hanging!
You can find the MI portion here, and the CI portion here.
Apr 25, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Welington Castillo (5) breaks his bat while grounding out in the seventh inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Catchers:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Marlins: No one has been hotter at the position than Salty in the last week. He has three homers and a .471 average over that span, and is riding a five game hitting streak. He is definitely worth picking up in two catcher leagues, at least until he cools off.
Derek Norris, Athletics: He is on the losing side of a platoon with John Jaso, but he has a seven game hitting streak going, and is hitting a ridiculous .611 over that span. He doesn’t have a homer in that span, but if a .611 average doesn’t have you ready to pick him up, you must be really stacked at your catcher and utility positions.
Welington Castillo, Cubs: Castillo is hitting .353 with a homer over the last week, and continues to get the lion’s share of the starts at catcher. Yes, the Cub lineup is still pretty punchless, but he can help your average at the very least.
Josmil Pinto, Twins: The Twins have had a rough go of it lately, and mostly because of mother nature. The good part of that is they have to make up the games sometime! Pinto provides some power potential, and his .243 average won’t kill you. Where else can you get five home runs from a catcher that is available in 95 percent of leagues?
Apr 29, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) makes a catch during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Outfielders:
Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox: As long as Boston keeps starting him in center, you should have him on your roster. Bradley is hitting .353 over the last week. He has yet to hit a home run, but he does have four steals. For those of you desperate for help in deep leagues, he is worth a look at the top of the Boston order.
A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks: He finally seems to be at 100 percent. That means he should play nearly every day, even in the crowded Arizona outfield. He has a pair of homers in the last week to go with his .333 average.
Sam Fuld, Twins: Fuld is hitting .438 since being claimed off of waivers from Oakland, and seems to have a home in left field. At least until Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia get healthy. Even then, the Twins might have trouble taking him out of the lineup. He has yet to hit a home run with Minnesota, but he does have four doubles for those of you that play in 10×10 leagues.
Jarrod Dyson, Royals: He will have free reign in center field until Lorenzo Cain comes back. Even after that, it could be hard for the Royals to bench Dyson with his .343 average and five stolen bases. If you need cheap speed, he is your guy!
Chris Young, Mets: Young has two homers in the last week, and actually has his average above the Mendoza line at .205 on the heels of a modest three game hitting streak. If he keeps hitting for power, Juan Lagares could find himself as the fourth outfielder.