You may be surprised to see the names listed under “Sell” this week. But as Dan Fouts once said (before repeating it several times): Last game of the year, Brent, can’t hold anything back now.
With so many owners in do-or-die mode, anything and everything is on the table.
Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?
Week 23 Buy Candidates
Randal Grichuk, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Since returning from a brief demotion to the minors on August 11, Grichuk has been murdering baseballs on a nightly basis. In that time, he’s hit .284/.300/.750 with 10 homers and 35 R+RBI. His plate approach remains problematic – note that he’s struck out 30 times and walked twice during this hot streak – but when you’re sending this many balls into the stratosphere, that’s an acceptable tradeoff. Grichuk is unowned in over half of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN. There are few better options on the wire right now for owners seeking a boost in power.
Kevin Kiermaier, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
If you feel more of a need for speed, Kiermaier’s a great target. While he’s known more from his fantastic fielding than his bat, the Rays’ center fielder has 16 stolen bases on the year despite missing nearly two months with a broken hand. Four of those swipes have come in the last two weeks. Kiermaier also has a little bit of pop; he’s on pace to crack double digits in homers for the third straight year. His 10.2% walk rate and spot near the top of the lineup make him an asset in runs scored as well.
Robbie Ray, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
With his 12-strikeout performance against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Ray has now recorded double-digit strikeouts in four of his 10 second-half starts. Since the break, he’s got a 3.88 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, with a whopping 80 whiffs in just 58 innings. Ray still gives up too much hard contact thanks to his spotty secondary offerings, but he’s cut down on walks and homers enough to be a fantasy asset. His schedule down the stretch isn’t especially friendly, unfortunately. But no other pitcher on the wire in the majority of leagues offers this sort of upside.
Week 23 Sell Candidates
Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants
#EvenYear isn’t dead, but it is on life support. The Giants have been in freefall since the All-Star break and now find themselves in a three-way battle with the Cardinals and Mets for the National League’s two wild-card berths. Part of the reason for that swoon is a lack of production from their star catcher. Posey is still hitting for average, but his power has completely vanished. He hasn’t homered since July 16 and has just 21 RBI in the second half despite hitting the middle of the order.
Jose Fernandez, SP, Miami Marlins
Fernandez was shelled by the Indians in his last start, leaving him with thoroughly mediocre ratios (4.08 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) since the break. His strikeout rate, while still ridiculous, is down. His walks and homers are up. Most crucially, the specter of an innings limit has hung over Fernandez all season, and manager Don Mattingly acknowledged that the Marlins are likely to shut him down if they fall out of contention. Considering that they’ve lost 10 of 11 and are now five games out of the second wild card spot, that seems likely.
Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)
Fantasy Baseball Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]