Ryan Howard - Howard may be on pace for well over 200 strikeouts this season (which would break his own record of 199 from last year and be the first person EVER to K 200 times in a season), but at least the long-ball is still there. He hit his 36th dinger of the season yesterday, improving his HR/AB to 14.0 and slugging to .483. The bad news with Howard is that the rest of his overall numbers are rough. Despite his power, he's still only posting an .801 OPS, .228 average, and an FPI of 0.56. Hardly what any of us would call top-notch, first-rounder fantasy numbers. Let's just hope he gets hot at the right time for both our fantasy leagues and for Philly fans. Both playoff hopes will be shortlived otherwise.
Jonathan Sanchez - Jonathan Sanchez will return to the Giants rotation early next week after being on the disabled list with a strained shoulder. Sanchez has been one of those "add and drop" guys for most of the season, helping teams with their strikeouts but hurting them with ERA, WHIP, and low probabilities of earning a win. Feel free to add him if you're looking for that strikeout boost. His K/9 if 8.87 for the year with a K/BB of 2.1. That comes with a price though, as he posts an 8-9 record with a 4.53 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. He's also a two-start pitcher against Colorado and Pittsburgh if you're looking for that 2-starter for playoff week #1.
Tim Lincecum - Get comfortable folks. Tim Lincecum is a name we're going to be hearing for quite some time. This kid is doing some special things on the mound this season. He's posting a 2.43 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 15-3 record (for a very poor team may I add). His strikeout numbers are sick: 10.2 K/9, K/BB of 3.0, a K/I of 1.13 and 210 total K's for the season. And we still have a month to go! For my money, him and Cliff Lee in the AL are shoe-ins for the Cy-Young awards. Let the debates begin.
Mike Cameron - We've seen this out of Mike Cameron before. He went 2-for-3 with a double, run, RBI, and a stolen base. He has one of thsoe nights that makes you think: "I need this guy on my team." Well, he's certainly a serviceable outfielder, but his stellar games come in bunches and streaks. For the season, he's hitting .260 with a .874 OPS, 0.72 FPI, and a HR/AB of 15.0 (while adding 15-for-20 in stolen bases). Hmm... a 0.72 FPI guy and he's still unowned in 50% of all leagues.
Jeff Francoeur - Back-to-back two hit games with 4 RBI should raise an eyebrow out there. Francoeur has been attrocious this year, in general, but could go on a little hot-streak for the Braves. With nothing to play for as a team, he can perhaps focus on reversing his season and ending on a strong note. Afterall, his 0.39 FPI is quite a drop from last year's 0.60. In fact, his entire line is considerably down, from a drop in HR production (33.8 to 48.8 HR/AB) to a significant average drop from .293 to .232. I do think he's better than what he has shown this year. The questions remains if he can turn this modest few game hot-streak into something extended. Keep an eye out for the next day or two and pounce if you need some depth in the OF.
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