By Dan O’Shea
If your fantasy baseball team is in second or third place as we move into June, then you have plenty to be happy about. But, there’s another way to look at it: Why aren’t you in first place? Is the first place team that much better, or is your team, hobbled by one or two troubling stat categories, just not winning by large enough margins?
If you have a player you have been wanting to drop, or have someone you can stash on the DL to free a roster spot, now’s the time to act. Here’s a bit of potential help for whatever stat is ailing:
HRs: Mark Trumbo, 1B, LA Angels.
Great name for a slugger. Trumbo is getting a lot of buzz for his tape-measure blasts, which have been showing up in greater frequency in recent weeks. He has 10 so far. Available in 74% of Yahoo! leagues.
RBIs: Ryan Ludwick, OF, San Diego.
With 34 RBIs, Ludwick is pretty much the chief RBI threat on a low-scoring team. In the last 30 days, he has knocked in 22 runs. 63% availability.
SBs: Coco Crisp, OF, Oakland.
16 SBs puts him close to the league leaders, and unlike some other speedsters, he’ll occasionally get you extra base-hits and RBIs. 45% availability.
(If you want to stretch, there’s always Tony Campana, OF, Cubs. Of his five career stolen bases, four came in the same game on Memorial Day. The Cubs are suddenly losing outfielders by the dozen, so he’ll start for a while, and though the Cubs don’t run, Campana has already earned the green light. 99% availability.)
Ws: Jake Westbrook, SP, St. Louis.
He has won three in a row and pitches for a first-place team. Not a great source of strikeouts, but when he’s on, he has complete game potential. 93% availability.
Ks: Bud Norris, SP, Houston.
You may not get wins, because Houston just doesn’t do that much, but Norris has 41 strikeouts in his last 39 innings. 55% availability.
Saves: Aaron Crow, RP, Kansas City.
This one is pure speculation as he just became closer this week after Joakim Soria blew his fifth save. Crow has put up dominant strikeout numbers and a low ERA as a set-up man, and the Royals have played many one-run and extra-inning games. 60% availability.
Expert Wire
* USA Today notes the recent spate of injuries to some of the game’s top players. Looking at you, Buster Posey.
* Bleacher Report has some hot waiver wire pick-ups, including Michael Morse, 1B/OF, Washington, and Jonathan Lucroy, C, Milwaukee, who became a hot commodity after Posey’s injury.
* Yahoo! Roto Arcade likes our boy Campy as an SB boost for your roster. Even if he is starting, he may not hit much, so he’ll need to make the most of every trip to first.
* Sports Grumblings goes treasure hunting and comes up with Danny Duffy, SP, another Royals pitcher.
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Dan O’Shea’s Fantasy Fix appears in this space every Wednesday. He welcomes your comments. You can also read his about his split sports fan personality at his Beachwood blog SwingsBothWays.
Posted on June 1, 2011