Daniel Murphy, 2B, New York Mets
Over the course of the season, most player hit their hot and cold streaks. For Murphy, his hotstreaks seem to always be scorching hot. Sure a .400 batting average over a two week span is impressive, but after a double header where Murph had six hits in nine at-bats, he is now 13 for his last 24, pushing his average to .286 on the year. The two homers and five RBI both matched career highs, and he's proving to be a very reliable fantasy option, already with 60 runs, 49 RBI and even showing a little pop, with eight homers on the season. His 11 stolen bases is also a career high. Murphy has been nothing short of a gem for owners in all formats and should continue to shine amidst another hitting streak.
Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves
Heyward's only hit of the day was a solo blast, his eighth of the season. It was a first half filled with a major slump and two stints on the disabled list, so it couldn't have gonemuch worse for Jay Hey. With just 22 RBI and a .223 BA through 72 games, he has been one of the bigger disappointments, especially considering he was ranked in the Preseason Top 50 by most fantasy baseball sites, including us here at Fantistics. His value already took a big dip, so trading him wouldn't be worth it in most instances, but Heyward is a streaky hitter and this homer will help him get going.
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals
Zimmerman finished 4-for-8 during yesterday's double dip versus the Mets, winning game two with a walkoff shot, of the solo variety, off of LaTroy Hawkins to salvage a split. He's been a little hot an cold since the All-Star break, but he has seven hits in his last three games, raising his season line to .279/.353/.451. With 12 HR and 52 RBI on the year, it hasn't been the most productive year for Zimm, but he's stayed healthy and he has contributed decently in every major offensive category (fantasy-wise of course). It's hard to fathom that a team loaded with offensive weapons like Washington is can struggle this bad with the bats, so expect the entire teams production to go up in the second half, making Zimm's value rise a bit.
Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Wainwright was knocked around a bit yesterday, allowing four runs (three earned) in seven innings of work. He fanned eight and walked only one, so in K/BB leagues, he was stellar in that sense, but he had a short leash with Mike Minor on point, so four runs was more than enough for the Braves to beat the Cardinals ace. On the season, Wainwright is 13-6 with a 2.51 ERA and 145 SO, so this was just a bump in the road. He'll be going for his NL leading 14th victory against division rival Pittsburgh in what will prove to be a crucial five game series next week. After going through Tommy John surgery three years ago, Wainwright has quickly re-established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game.
Jenrry Mejia, SP, New York Mets
Mejia made his season debut for the Mets in game one of their double header yesterday, and boy was he dealing. The Mets jumped on Jordan Zimmermann early, making it smooth sailing for Mejia throughout the game. He finished with seven strikeouts over seven innings, allowing seven hits and walking none. Last year, Mejia struggled coming mostly out of the bullpen, but after working down in the minors for the first half of this season, he seems polished and looks more like a big league pitcher now. The Mets may not have the most potent offense, but they have hitting and they have been a good team since the break. With this being said, Mejia pitching like this definitely has to make manager Terry Collins consider keeping him around, even it he's making mostly spot starts and working from the bullpen. If he finds his way into the rotation consistently, he'll hold moderate value in mixed leagues with his devastating stuff.
