Fantasy 5 Up 5 Down: The Final Countdown begins

by UK American Sports Fans

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With the final weeks of head-to-head match-ups on their way, this is the most crucial period for many fantasy owners.

Those embroiled in a tight roto battle will also be hoping their stars have a big final couple of weeks, rather than fade down the stretch. In keeper leagues, now might be a sneaky time to pick up hot prospects, or trade away a slugging star for a nice stash of youngsters in a bid to compete in the next couple of seasons.

Anyhow, with that said, which players are making their owners very happy indeed, and which players are on the verge of meeting the free agent scrap-heap.

5up

1. Ryan Zimmerman

Zimmerman has always had the talent to be a top-tier third baseman, but injury woes and inconsistency at the dish has let him down. His season line of a .280 average, 24 homers and 74 RBI are, whilst not bad, a little disappointing. However, the numbers don’t tell the whole story – Zim has been red hot in September, hitting nine homers in his past eleven games and proving himself to be a match-up winner for those in head-to-head leagues. Keep riding him whilst he’s hot, but be warned that one hot month doesn’t turn around all of his fortunes…

2. Astros middle-infielders

It’s not often that an Astro makes this list, so why not give them two for the price of one? Jose Altuve was just about the only draftable Astro entering the season, and he has repaid that faith with a solid season, hitting .281 and stealing 35 bases. So far in September he is batting .418 with 10 RBI, 12 runs and five steals as he finishes the year strong. Meanwhile, his partner at the middle-infield in Houston, Jonathan Villar has proven he is more than a speed merchant, hitting in seven straight games (13-for-33) to raise his season average to .291, whilst the 17 steals in limited playing time are very impressive indeed. Keep rolling these guys out there, regardless of their poor situation.

3. Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez has never been able to reach the same lofty heights he did with the Rockies in 2010, but he has been impressive so far in the second half for the Cleveland Indians. He has struck out 10 in three of his past four outings, and whilst the control issues may not truly be behind him, there have at least been signs of improvement of late. He is still available in some leagues, so be sure to snap him up if that is the case in your league, as his next start against the White Sox is an intriguing one.

4. Michael Wacha

The rookie out of the 2012 draft has had a superb season when he has been up at the big league level, shining in a cameo earlier this year and then pitching dominantly since his recall in August. He hasn’t allowed a run since August 19, including three scoreless starts recently, and whilst the strikeouts haven’t been sky-high, there are enough to help your team. His next start against the Mariners will give him a chance to improve this impressive resumé.

5. Huston Street

The one major knock on Street during his career has been his inability to stay healthy, and to his credit, he has avoided any major injury this season. As a result, he has been able to put up 30 saves, with an impressive 2.66 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He has been particularly dominant of late, allowing just one earned run since June 23rd, picking up 15 wins and two saves in that stretch.

5down

1. Matt Joyce

The left-hander had been enjoying a relatively successful season with the Rays until September came about, but the month has not been kind to him at all, as he is just 1-for-29 (.034), lowering his season average to .241. Joyce is good enough to turn this streak around, but right now he shouldn’t really be started in any leagues, and is droppable in most formats.

2. Miguel Cabrera

It’s not often that you’ll find Miggy’s name in this section of 5 up, 5 down, but after taking a few days’ rest, Cabrera has not been the same as he tries to deal with hip and abdominal injuries. He’s been on a different planet this season so far, providing in all offensive categories but steals and playing almost every day. However, with his production dwindling over the past week (no extra base hits) and his injuries refusing to go away, the Tigers may choose to take it easy with their star as the post-season looms large. Fantasy owners really have no option other than to stick him in their line-up and hope, but his final couple of weeks may not live up to the other 25.

3. Derek Holland

The 26-year-old southpaw was expected to take a large stride forward this season, and establish himself as an elite number two behind Yu Darvish. Although the season numbers aren’t bad (3.40 ERA, 174 strikeouts), the 1.30 WHIP shows that control is still a problem. In recent starts, he has been especially poor, allowing thirteen runs over his past three starts, and not getting through more than six innings since mid-August. If the Rangers want to keep the heat on the A’s and go far in the play-offs, they’ll need an effective Derek Holland – for fantasy owners, he’s best used as a streaming option.

4. Hiroki Kuroda

Kuroda was putting up Cy Young calibre numbers up until the all-star break, with an ERA in the low 2’s, plenty of wins and bags of strikeouts as the ace of the Yankees staff. In the second half, however, he has struggled, and whilst the season stats of a 3.13 ERA and 1.13 WHIP are impressive, he hasn’t gone more than 6.1 innings since August 12, and has allowed three earned runs or more in five of his past six starts. Playing in the tough AL East, especially at Yankee Stadium, doesn’t afford him much room for error and fantasy owners need to treat him with caution in the final couple of weeks.

5. Edward Mujica

Mujica has been a revelation, both for the Cardinals and for fantasy owners this season, racking up 36 saves with excellent peripheral numbers. In recent outings, however, he has been a bit shaky, allowing at least one run in three of the last five and seeing a sharp decline in his strikeout numbers. He is likely in no danger of losing his job, but the fatigue of a long season may be setting in, so fantasy owners need to beware that he might not be so effective, especially on back-to-back days.