Roster expansion brings us a whole host of new options for deep league owners willing (or needing) to take a shot at season's end. While there weren't a bevy of exciting rookies on the NL side, there may be a few familiar faces ready to prove themselves again. You may be hesitant to give players like Michael Conforto a second chance, but if you do and are lucky enough to catch lightning in a bottle, it could mean all the difference to your playoff hopes.
This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues, or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster. Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.
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Hitters
Michael Conforto (OF, NYM) - 25% owned - Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you might be Michael Conforto. He let fantasy owners down early in the season and has now re-emerged, hoping to make an impact. It hasn't happened yet, with just two hits in 11 at-bats since his recall and no counting stats to speak of. Given some time, he may well regain his Autumn form of last year. Hopefully it's not too late for fantasy owners by that point. He's worth a shot given his immense talent, but he is slashing .217/.299/.412 on the year. Proceed with caution.
Jose Peraza (2B/SS/OF, CIN) - 19% owned - Not sure how many more ways I can advocate for Peraza at this point, but I'll repeat what I said two weeks ago in this column and again in extended form (complete with gifs!). Peraza is now 11 for his last 20 (.550) with a pair of stolen bases in the last week. He will continue to receive playing time across the field at multiple positions and is an asset in average and steals. His positional eligibility pretty much seals the deal when you're looking for a waiver add with his assets.
Adonis Garcia (3B/OF, ATL) - 14% owned - Garcia has had a couple of moments throughout this season where it appeared he may catch fire, but he hasn't quite put up the type of power production expected of him. It seems he has found a home at the #2 spot in the lineup, however, hitting .284 with five HR and 14 RBI in 109 at-bats. He is slashing a nice .370/.433/.667 with a couple of homers in the last seven games. It would seem the entire Braves offense is thriving since the arrival of Matt Kemp last month and Garcia is no exception. He may not ever go on that power surge that Atlanta brass was hoping for, but an average near .300 and decent run production is nothing to gloss over in deep leagues.
Domingo Santana (OF, MIL) - 11% owned - First Keon Broxton, now Domingo Santana becomes the latest Brewers outfield to experience a sudden late-season surge. Santana put up a two-homer game against the Pirates and then drove in two runs in his next start against the Cubs. He is now 11-for-35 with seven runs scored since returning from the disabled list. He has not yet approached the 20+ HR power potential he showed in the minors, but could provide some sneaky value over the last month if he earns extended playing time.
Socrates Brito (OF, ARI) - 1% owned - "True knowledge comes from admitting you know nothing at all." If you believe that saying, then all fantasy baseball players should be Socrates fans because it seems we are wrong far more often than we are right! As far as the D-backs young outfielder, he was set to take A.J. Pollock's place as the season opened and had a chance to become a breakout rookie. I advocated for him in the very first week of the season in this column, but he promptly hit .226 with just one homer, two RBI and one steal before getting demoted. In just three games in September, he already has a homer and three RBI. He has the talent to warrant a reboot in deep leagues.
Raimel Tapia (OF, COL) - 1% owned - Tapia has taken his opportunity in the bigs and run with it so far, hitting .412 over the past week in 21 at-bats. The Rockies aren't post-season bound this year, so Tapia should continue to see playing time if he contributes. Tapia was a top 50 preseason prospect according to Baseball Prospectus and has a .317 minor league batting average. His greatest additional asset is his speed, as he has stolen over 30 bases the past two seasons.
Pitchers
Matt Wisler (SP, ATL) - 6% owned - Wisler's return from a month-long hiatus at Triple-A has been exceptional. NL-only managers with a long memory may recall when Wisler was one of the top additions in May. His 2.93 ERA and 0.99 WHIP were actually lower than teammate Julio Teheran by mid-May, but then the wheels started to fall off by July. He seemed to take his demotion pretty well, considering he has only allowed two ER in his last 14 innings, with 14 K. If he can keep up his early season pace, Wisler could be a priority pickup once again for deep leagues.
Chad Bettis (SP, COL) - 9% owned - Bettis has been consistently inconsistent this season, but his last two starts have been head-turners. He threw a complete game shutout against the Giants two days ago, walking none and giving up just two hits. Before that, he went seven innings and allowed just two solo homers in a tough game at Washington. With the promise of two upcoming matchups against the lowly Padres, Bettis could be a great streamer and a steal in daily formats.
Robert Stephenson (SP, CIN) - 3% owned - His first Major League start since April didn't go too badly, although he narrowly missed a quality start. Stephenson went 5.1 IP and gave up two solo shots. His 9/1 K/BB rate is most encouraging, however, and could benefit owners in need of cheap K. Stephenson has not profiled as a huge prospect, but he has not flinched yet in three MLB starts with the Reds. He gets the Pirates twice in the next week, who have struggled offensively in the second half.
A.J. Cole (SP, WAS) - 3% owned - Lucas Giolito is getting all the love from fantasy owners, but Cole is holding his own. The rotation is very much a fluid situation with Giolito's recall and the return of Stephen Strasburg from the DL, but Cole may earn more starts down the road. In three starts so far, he has allowed eight ER in 18.2 IP and struck out 17 batters. He is currently scheduled to start on Thursday against Philadelphia, which is a choice matchup. Keep an eye on daily lineup announcements to ensure it stays that way before adding him.
Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 23% owned - Anderson may soon win the award for most times appearing in this space. I know it's hard to trust Rockies pitchers, but together we can overcome that bias. He doesn't have the strikeout prowess of Jon Gray, but Anderson has displayed great control with a 3.50 K/BB. He hasn't been victimized by the long ball too frequently either, allowing 11 in 16 starts, good for a 2.8% HR%. His 3.35 ERA and 1.20 WHIP are serviceable even in deep mixed leagues, but NL-only owners can deploy Anderson weekly at this point.
Daniel Hudson (RP, ARI) - 10% owned - If you're looking for a revolving door at the closer position, look no further than the Arizona bullpen. I typically advise staying away from these situations, but in playoff mode sometimes you are desperate for category help. There is no guarantee Hudson will be the closer next week, but for now he is getting the chances, despite blowing a save just days ago. Hudson was solid as the setup man early on, but his ratios are now at 6.04 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 8.3 K/9. Just to be clear, I'm not saying you should pick him up, just that you could if needed.
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