Joey Butler, OF, TB
Butler continued his fantastic rookie campaign, going 2-4 with a BB on Monday and raising his season line to a remarkable .344/.378/.516 and giving him a .400 BA (24-60) over his last 15 games. There are still some concerns however, as even after drawing walks in back-to-back games, he still only has 4 total walks in 135 PA's this season compared to 37 strikeouts. While Butler has always posted high BABIP marks in the minors, his current .460 BABIP is unsustainable which means his BA is due for a significant drop, and being that his average has been his primary asset to fantasy owners, that drop could sap nearly all of his value. His hot streak has put him on the mixed league radar and reasonably so, just don't be surprised if there's a cold spell in the future.
Wade Davis, RP, KC
After Greg Holland allowed 3 ER on 4 hits and a BB without recording an out in the 9th inning, Davis entered the game with the Royals ahead 8-5 and retired all 3 batters he faced to collect his 8th save of the season. While it would probably take several more hiccups or an injury to Holland before Davis would take over the closer role, it's something to keep an eye on, as Davis would immediately jump into the upper echelon of relief pitchers if given a full-time closer gig. Even without that, his excellent ratios combined with a solid amount of K's and the occasional win or save give Davis plenty of value as a setup man, making him strongly worth considering in most formats.
Anibal Sanchez, SP, DET
Sanchez threw a complete game two-hit shutout on Monday, striking out 7 and not walking a batter. He now has thrown 16.2 scoreless innings over his last two starts and has a 1.76 ERA over his last 4 outings. Overall it has been an inconsistent season for Sanchez as he has had 5 starts in which he's given up 5 ER's or more and 5 starts in which he's allowed 1 ER or less. While his current 4.65 ERA is disappointing, he has gone 6 consecutive seasons with an ERA under 4, and his 3.67 xFIP suggests that this year shouldn't end up being much different. Sanchez' K and BB rates remain in line if not better than his previous years' marks, the only peripheral that has really been different this year is his GB/FB ratio. His current 39.4% GB% would be a career low, as he has never before posted a GB% under 40%, and this partially explains his career high 1.29 HR/9 this year. However, over his last 11 starts his GB% has been over 42% so it could just be a matter of time before things even out. If you need help with SP and Sanchez has been dropped in your league, he is definitely worth considering.
George Springer, OF, HOU
Springer blasted two HR's against the Rockies on Monday and is now hitting a scorching .371 over his last 25 games. The two homeruns give him 10 on the season to go along with 13 SB's, making him the first AL player to reach double-digits in both categories. With a 40/40 season already in the books for Springer in the minor leagues, he may the best HR/SB combo threat in the league right now. We haven't expected Springer to hit for a high average because of his high K%, but that number has improved from 31% in April to 25.8% in May to 16.9% through 59 PA's in June. As a result his BA has risen from .200 to .247 to .407 for each month of the season. If he can even somewhat maintain his improvements in the contact department, we could be talking about a five category monster with the potential to be a regular first-round pick in fantasy.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, BOS
Sandoval has been heating up recently, going 12-31 (.387) with a 1.065 OPS and 6 RBI over his last 8 games. He entered Monday's game slashing an impressive .315/.380/.503 against RHP's this year with all 14 of his XBH's coming against right-handers. He has also hit better in Fenway where his OPS this season is .848 compared to .609 on the road. He has an excellent matchup on Tuesday, when the Red Sox go up against RHP Julio Teheran in Boston. Lefties have a .918 OPS against Teheran this year, and Teheran has a 6.94 ERA on the road with 10 of the 13 HR's he has allowed this year coming away from Atlanta. This makes any LH hitter on the Red Sox a good play on Tuesday. Value Play DraftKings Salary: $3,400.
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