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 corner infielders. The middle infield portion is here. We will cover outfielders and catchers tomorrow and pitchers on Saturday.
May 11, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Mark Reynolds (M) celebrates after hitting the game-winning single in the ninth inning to defeat the New York Yankees 6-5 at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
First Basemen:
C.J. Cron, Angels: Cron is hitting .379 with a pair of homers and six RBI since his call up. He plays in a potent lineup, and should see plenty of time at first and DH. At least until he cools off. It’s definitely worth riding the hot hand.
Mark Reynolds, Brewers: Reynolds should be in the lineup every day with Aramis Ramirez out. He has hit .257 over the last two weeks, and has three homers in that span for a total of eight on the season. If you need power, he can help you out. And now he won’t really hurt your average if he can hit around .250.
Ike Davis, Pirates: Davis has not hit a homer since his game winning grand slam on April 21st. So why pick him up? He is hitting .333 over the last two weeks. When a guy with his power potential can help boost your average, he is worth playing in deep leagues.
May 14, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez (30) reacts after getting a game winning hit during the ninth inning as the Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 5-4 at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Third Basemen:
Matt Dominguez, Astros: He has been known as an average killer over his entire career. That said, he is hitting .296 over the last two weeks to raise his season mark to .250. Dominguez has slowed a bit in the homer department, but at least he is not hurting your average right now. And the potential is still there for some bombs.
Mike Olt, Cubs: His average is terrible. He is an all-or-nothing hitter, as shown by his 32 strikeouts this year. But he does have four home runs in the last week. If you can deal with the low average, there isn’t a better source of power on waivers right now.
Cody Asche, Phillies: Asche hit a major slump from mid April until the end of the month. His bat has come around some. He is hitting .273 over the last two weeks with a pair of homers. Asche will have to improve his defense to stay in the lineup though. You can bet that Ryne Sandberg has an anxiety attack every time a ball is hit Asche’s way. However, as long as his bat is producing positive results, they need him in the lineup. Pick him up, but it’s okay to have a quick trigger if he starts struggling again.
Come back tomorrow for the outfield/catcher portion of the show!