The Fantasy Countdown

Countdown your way to another victory this week!

Here is what we got for you today:

3 Winning waiver claims

2 Start starters

1 Story from around the league

3 Winning waiver claims

Billy McKinney was given the tall task of filling in for Aaron Judge while the slugger is on the IL. The 28 year old has held his own, getting a hit in all 5 games he has played in. Despite not showing tons of production throughout his career, McKinney was showing some power in the minors hitting 9 HR’s and 25 RBI’s through 40 games. His starting spot will most likely disappear when Judge returns but in the meantime you can run with his hitting streak. The outfielder is rostered in 0.2% of ESPN leagues so there is a very good chance he’s available in your league if you need an outfielder.

Andrew Abbott should be looked at after not allowing a run through his first two MLB starts. The lefty has struggled a bit with his command, allowing 7 walks through the two starts, but has not allowed the walks to cause any damage. His statline through 11.2 IP is a clean 0.00 ERA while striking out 10 batters. The 24 year old is rostered in 23.6% of ESPN leagues and has shown enough to warrant a pick up.

Royce Lewis is definitely worth being looked into if you’re in need of a SS or 3B. He is currently only eligible at SS but he has been playing 3B this year so fantasy eligibility should be incoming. Lewis has had bad luck with injuries, missing the 2021 season with a torn ACL and only played in 12 games last year before tearing the same ACL again. It seems as though the main question moving forward is if he can stay healthy because when he is on the field he has performed. The former #1 overall prospect is hitting .317 with 2 HR’s and 9 RBI’s through 10 games this season. The 24 year old is rostered in 10.2% of ESPN leagues and is worth an add to his boom potential.

2 Start starters

In order to get the most from your fantasy week it is important to map out your lineup. This can help ensure you are using all of your starts/innings in points leagues and maximizing your stats in category leagues. If a pitcher is making two starts in a week it can give your team an extra boost by giving you the flexibility of an extra roster spot or by being able to punish your opponent by starting a hot pitcher twice in a week. Here are all pitchers who are double dipping this week.

1 Story from around the league

The Oakland Athletics are currently in a very dark place. They currently have a record of 17-50, which gives them the worst record in the majors by a wide margin (except for Kansas City, who is 18-47). They have put themselves on a historically bad pace this season, having only just won their fourth series of the year. However, brighter days might be ahead as the Athletics have gained some momentum and find themselves holding the longest winning streak in all of MLB.

After what seemed like one of the worst seasons in MLB history, the Athletics may be turning over a new leaf. They have won five straight games, giving them the longest streak in the league. Their last three wins came against the Brewers, who were kept out of first place in the NL Central due to these losses. The Athletics may have already taken themselves out of playoff contention, but they are going to do anything in their power to bring other teams down with them.

Although we have not seen too much talent on display in Oakland this year, there are definitely a few players to be excited about. Offensively, Esteury Ruiz and Brent Rooker have done the most damage. Ruiz is a rookie who finds himself as the MLB leader in both stolen bases (31) and hit by pitches (12). His ability to get on base and steal bags makes him a valuable asset for the A's in the future. Brent Rooker has been around for a couple of years with a few different teams, but he has never enjoyed success like he has this year. Rooker has hit 13 home runs and has 37 RBIs, which both lead the team. His ability to drive the ball can be seen in his career-best .873 OPS and .513 SLG%, both of which are top 20 in the league. If these two can stay consistent, they could be big parts of turning this organization around.

Now, it doesn't feel like we have a Moneyball scenario on our hands, but we do believe the A's can have a much improved second half of the season. If Rooker and Ruiz can get a little help offensively and we see some consistency from the pitchers, who knows what can happen? They probably will not exit their fifth-place position in the AL West, but they can hopefully pass on the crown of worst in the league to another struggling competitor.