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 installment will focus on catchers and outfielders. The middle infield portion is here. The corner infield portion is here. We will cover the pitchers tomorrow.
May 10, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher John Jaso (5) receives a pie from right fielder Josh Reddick (16, not pictured) after the game against the Washington Nationals at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Nationals 4-3 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Catchers:
John Jaso, Athletics: Yes, he is in a platoon with Derek Norris, but he bludgeons right handed pitching. He has three homers in his last four games. He is also hitting a robust .438 over the last two weeks. He is on the favorable side of the platoon, and you know exactly when his days off will be. His is worth playing when he is in the lineup.
Steve Clevenger, Orioles: He is 8-21 with a couple of RBI since Matt Wieters went down. With the news that Wieters will have Tommy John surgery, Clevenger is assured of lots of playing time. He is hitting .300 on the season, so he is worth putting in your lineup as long as he keeps hitting.
Mike Zunino, Mariners: He will probably continue to yield a couple of starts a week to veteran John Buck, which will be annoying. Zunino is riding a modest six game hitting streak, and has hit half of his six homers over the past two weeks. He seems to be heating up, and for those of you in need of power, he is worth a look.
May 6, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Junior Lake (21) reacts after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Outfielders:
David DeJesus, Rays: DeJesus has been as hot as anyone since May 3rd. Over that span, he is hitting the ball at a .400 clip with two homers and six RBI. It is worth rolling the dice with DeJesus as long as he keeps this up. You can bet the Rays will keep him in the lineup until they have a reason not to.
A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks: Pollock is settling back in to an everyday role in the Arizona outfield, and has put together a nice little run over the last couple of weeks. His is hitting .333 over that span with a homer and five steals. If you need speed, he is worth picking up because he won’t hurt your average in the process.
Junior Lake, Cubs: Lake is starting to find his hitting stroke, prompting the Cubs to give him more at-bats. An everyday job by mid-summer seems like a given, so it would be wise to pick him up while he is still available. Junior is hitting .325 with two home runs and a steal over the last two weeks. This means that he will no longer hurt you in the short term either.
Corey Dickerson, Rockies: Dickerson is part of the revolving door that is the Colorado outfield right now, so it makes it hard to know when he will and will not play. That said, if you are in daily leagues and need an offensive spark, he could be your guy. Dickerson is hitting .387 with a pair of homers and eight RBI over the last two weeks. All of this in 31 at-bats. He will play primarily against righties, so he should still get a good portion of the at-bats.
James Jones, Mariners: Jones has started off his big league career right, hitting .367 so far. He has yet to drive in a run, but he has scored seven and stolen a base. If you are looking for some average help that could turn into something else, Jones is a good low-risk option.
Come back tomorrow for the pitcher portion of the show!