As the fantasy baseball season winds down, injuries and slumps occur right in the thick of the playoff race. Here are three guys available in over 90 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Batters
Wilmer Flores: San Francisco Giants 1B, 2B, 3B (9% owned)
The utility infielder is swinging a hot bat, hitting .484 in July for a Giants team that is still on a bit of a tear. Having eligibility at three infield positions only increases Flores’ value. The drawback is doesn’t start every day. He does start more times than not and comes in midway through the games he does not start. If you are in a bind and looking for some infield depth, Flores should be available.
Edouard Julien: Minnesota Twins 2B (6% owned)
Julien was a highly touted call-up earlier in the season and has proven that he belongs in the big leagues. He is on an absolute tear in July, hitting .480 with 3 HR, 5 RBI, and 6 runs scored. Surprisingly, he still has a low ownership percentage, as he has largely outperformed Jorge Polanco. Snag him while you can.
Dane Myers: Miami Marlins CF, RF (5% owned)
Miami hasn’t seemed to miss a bit after Jazz Chisolm went on the IL. His replacement setting the world ablaze has something to do with that. In six of his first ten games, Myers has multiple hits and is 16 for 26 (.444 average). Get him while he’s hot, and who knows, maybe he will find a way to stay in the Marlins lineup long-term.
Pitchers
Joel Payamps: Milwaukie Brewers RP (34% owned)
The Brewers always seem to have great relievers come out of nowhere, and here we go again. Payamps is having a great season in general but in July in particular. In six appearances, he has 2 saves, 4 holds, 9 strikeouts, zero runs allowed, and 0.20 WHIP. He is coming off of a stretch with three straight games with a hold and two strikeouts in each. This can help bolster your playoff drive, especially in holds and k/9 leagues.
Alex Vesia: Los Angeles Dodgers RP (1% owned)
If you missed Payamps, you could get a lesser version in Vesia in 99 percent of leagues. His July stats are similar enough: one save, two holds, no runs allowed, and 8 strikeouts in 5.1 innings. This is a great move for deep leagues but also a nice short-term pick-up in any league where someone is dealing with injuries or off days and wants to fill a pitching spot.
Nick Pivetta: Boston Red Sox SP (11% owned)
Seemingly going completely unnoticed, Nick Pivetta is having a fantastic month and is the lone starting pitcher on this list. In 3 starts, he is 2-0 with 27 strikeouts in 16 innings! He also only allowed 3 runs in that time. Coming off of a spectacular 13-strikeout performance against Oakland, there is probably not a better guy out there to make some spot starts for you if needed.
