This is the end... my only friend, the end... For some fantasy baseball owners, the season was a brutal mix of frustration and disappointment. If you're reading this, however, you're still grinding and looking for a chance to pull out a late-season victory. Good luck the rest of the way!
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
T.J. Rivera (2B, NYM) - 2% owned - It's hard to believe someone could go largely unnoticed in the Big Apple, but Rivera's contributions have barely been publicized. He is hitting .338, mostly in spot duty, since August 10th. Rivera has played nearly every day this past week and responded with 10 hits in his last 24 at-bats, including three home runs and six RBI. He probably won't be a major contributor next year, but he is certainly a worthy streamer the rest of this season.
Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) - 13% owned - Last year's top pick has held down the shortstop spot nicely since his surprise call-up. He will be a hot commodity entering drafts in 2017, but he is still paying dividends for those who took a chance this year. He is hitting .305/.358/.421 with a pair of homers and steals, but has gone on a mini-tear driving in runs lately, with 10 RBI in his last 12 games. Given the way the Braves' offense has responded in the second half, there is good reason for optimism with Swanson.
Luis Sardinas (2B/SS, SD) - 1% owned - This former prospect has revived his career with San Diego after being dealt at the deadline. After hitting to the tune of .196 in 97 AB with Milwaukee in 2015, he fell to .181 in 72 AB with Seattle this season before being discarded for the third time in three years. In San Diego, Sardinas has shown the type of bat he was projected to have years ago and officially took over for struggling vet Alexei Ramirez. Sardinas is now up to .291 with the Padres and is up to .316 over the past two weeks. He has shown just modest power/speed with four home runs and four stolen bases in 151 total at-bats this season, so grab him for average if nothing else.
Adonis Garcia (3B/OF, ATL) - 15% owned - Like most of the Braves offensive players, Garcia waited until the second half to start producing as expected. Nine of Garcia's 14 homers have come since the break and he is hitting close to .300 since then. He has also cut down his strikeout rate and increased his OPS to .801. Garcia has shown enough offensive prowess to be an everyday starter for NL-only leagues and is rosterable in deep mixed leagues.
Chris Owings (2B/SS/OF, ARI) - 15% owned - If your league counts triples as a rotisserie category, you need to draft Owings next year (you also may want to consider switching leagues). Owings leads MLB with 10 triples despite logging only 392 at-bats due to a six week absence mid-season. He's also kept a .283 average and managed to steal 17 bases. This past week he also picked up the run production a bit with two HR and six RBI. He isn't necessarily start-worthy in mixed leagues, but his speed makes him a useful utility MI.
Sean Rodriguez (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, PIT) - 22% owned - I already advised adding him last week, so hopefully you did so. He has been on fire, hitting .423 with five HR and 11 RBI since that time. He also slots at every position on the field except catcher. It may be too late for NL-only leagues, but he should be available to standard league owners.
Pitchers
Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 22% owned - It's hard to believe Anderson never approached even 50% ownership levels, considering the year he's had. Despite the stigma of pitching in Colorado, Anderson never saw his ERA rise above 4.00. That includes 18 starts since early June, 12 of which came in Coors Field. He is actually far better at home, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in Mile High country. With a solid 8.2 K/9, there is no justifiable reason to keep ignoring him. If nothing else, make sure to stream him when he starts in Colorado. Yes, I mean that.
Mike Montgomery (SP/RP, CHC) - 19% owned - Unlike most of the Cubs' starting staff, Montgomery is not going to be earning any Cy Young votes. He has done a nice job adjusting to the role after coming over as a swingman, mostly in a relief role, from Seattle. Montgomery has kept a 3.27 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with the Cubbies, striking out nearly 10 batters per nine. He may make just one more start before year's end or may be shifted back to the bullpen to prepare for the playoffs. Either way, he can fill out your roster with decent ratios and counting stats.
Chad Kuhl (SP, PIT) - 13% owned - Kuhl has done his best to match up with top prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow in the Pirates' rotation. He isn't a strikeout machine (6.2 K/9), but he has maintained a winning record, now 4-3 and respectable ratios. An abbreviated start against St. Louis the other day interrupted a solid string of starts - at one point he threw five consecutive starts of at least six innings with two ER or less. His 3.97 ERA and 1.20 WHIP make him stream-worthy even in mixed leagues.
Matt Garza (SP, MIL) - 10% owned - Since being activated on June 14th, Garza started out hot before falling back to his old ways in a horrible July. He's finishing strong, not allowing more than one ER in his last four starts. He has 25 strikeouts in his last 23.1 IP as well, compensating for a lack of victories. Garza is always a volatile pick, but when he's on he is capable of putting up solid mid-rotation numbers.
Brandon Maurer (RP, SD) - 25% owned - Of all the closers that are available in three quarters of leagues, he's one of them. Maurer has actually been pretty solid in the role since Fernando Rodney was dealt months ago, but he simply hasn't gotten enough opportunities. Maurer has picked up two saves in the past week and now has five in September after saving six games over the previous two months. His 9.5 K/9 and 3.53 FIP suggest he may be in the mix for saves next season and still has modest value to offer fantasy owners over the next week.
Luis Perdomo (SP/RP, SD) - 4% owned - I have resisted putting Perdomo on this list recently, but given the fact this is the last week of the season he can't hurt you too badly (there's a ringing endorsement). Perdomo was absolutely abysmal in relief duty and spot starts the entire first half, registering a 7.48 ERA and 1.97 WHIP. As a Rule 5 selection, the Padres didn't want to let him go and kept him plugged in the rotation all the way through. It took a while, but he has put together a solid end to the year, with a 3.54 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in the last 28 days. He isn't striking out too many batters, but with time that could change too. Try him out just for fun this last week - what have you got to lose?
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