Lucas Duda, OF, New York Mets -- Duda had a nice double header, reaching base five times (three hits, two walks) in eight plate appearances, including a solo homer. The big fly was his 14th of the season, and his second in three nights as he's strung together hits in four straight now. He hit a lull for a few days this month, but with 3 HR, 8RBI and a slashline of .262/.326/.452 in September, he's a moderate play in deeper mixed leagues if you need an extra outfielder.
Henderson Alvarez, SP, Miami Marlins -- Alvarez bounced back from a rough last outing to throw seven scoreless In New York en rout to his fourth victory of the season. He struck out five batters an allowed just four baserunners, albeit against a weaker Mets lineup. He has definitely inconsistent and won't provide a lot of strikeouts (47 Ks in 81 IP), but owns a 3.80 ERA and a sub-1.20 WHIP since the ASB, so he has value in deeper NL Only leagues, but he isn't recommended in mixed league formats.
Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers -- Just when we thought Gomey might be out of magic this year, he comes out and has that 5 RBI performance two nights ago. He followed that up yesterday with two hits, a run, an RBI and a SB. That gives the 27-year old seven hits in his last 15 ABs, driving in six, scoring three times and stealing three bases in the process. He is one homer away from a 20 HR season and is having a top 50 type in most fantasy formats. He should go into 2014 as a top 50 or 60 ranked player and holds great value in keeper or dynasty leagues considering he was a bit underrated entering 2013.
Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds -- Hamilton came in as a pinch runner and stole his fifth base of the year, as well as scoring his fourth run. The 23-year old rookie has still yet to record his first major league hit (2 ABs), but he holds some value in NL Only leagues with his potential for multiple steals in any given week. In the playoffs, even one steal is crucial sometimes, and specialty players can prove to come up bigger than you'd think. He's got five steals and four runs in two calendar weeks now, which is evidence enough that he can be of help to plenty of fantasy teams.
Scott Baker, P, Chicago Cubs -- A great effort by Baker was for naught as the Cubs bullpen gave up the deciding run in Chicago's 2-1 loss. Baker surrendered just one earned on three hits, fanning four. It was his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery. In 11 innings, Baker has allowed just six baserunners, one run and has struck out five. He is in a six man rotation, meaning he will get just two more starts for the remainder of the season, but it's nice to see him play well in his first couple starts back. It could mean good things in 2014 as he has been a SP5, SP6 in years past with a career 4.13 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.
