1. Brett Gardner (OF - Yankees) - Brett Gardner has had a solid year for sure, swiping 43 bases and playing a solid left field for the Yanks. He's had a couple of rough months to end the season though, dropping his average to .264 by posting an August average of .226 and a September of .235. Since Gardner's game (and fantasy value) is to get on base, steal them, and score, we look to see positive trends in OBP from Gardner. However, his OBP has dropped year over year from .383 to .353 and his BB/K has gone from .78 to .66. Likely correlated to the drop in OBP is also a drop in runs scored, going from 97 in 2010 to 77 this year to date in just 20 less AB. Gardner's value will remain in the same breath as other low-power speedsters in the league in 2012.
2. Ivan Nova (SP - Yankees) - He didn't win on Thursday, but he didn't lose either. His record remains at 15 and the streak of 13 straight starts without a loss remains in tact. Nova wasn't as sharp as he has been recently, hurling 5.2 IP and allowing 3 ER, 3 BB, and 5 hits. Nova has a been a savior for the Yanks and for fantasy teams as he is one of the quietest 15-game winners in the league. That's quite an impressive figure for being 15-for-24 in QS. With a 3.94 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, the wins total is a little flukish so don't expect to see him especially high in drafts next year.
3. Gavin Floyd (SP - White Sox) - It wasn't an overly special start from Gavin Floyd on Thursday as he went 5.1 IP and gave up only 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 hits while striking out 4. But it does continue a trend that has made fantasy owners feel more confident about his starts in the 2nd half of the season. Pre-All Star break, Floyd posted some crooked numbers including an ERA of 4.59, WHIP of 1.26, and a K/9 of 6.4. Since the break, he has greatly improved with an ERA of 3.92, WHIP of 1.03, and K/9 of 7.4. He'll have a tough matchup against Detroit next week and if the schedule remains in tact, he'll face Cleveland again in a double-header on Tuesday 9/20 that could potentially make him a 2-start pitcher that week (maybe facing the Royals that following Sunday).
4. Paul Konerko (1B - White Sox) - Paul Konerko finally did something for his fantasy owners on Thursday, hitting a grand slam for his first HR since August 18th and his 29th of the year. Konerko has been pretty cold over the last couple of weeks, hitting .259 in September with just a .333 OBP compared to his season rates of .314 and .400. Despite a sluggish trip to the finish line, Konerko is still in line to post his 7th season with 30 HR or more, 6th with 100 RBI or more, and it would be his first season ever finishing over .400 in OBP (if he can hang on). Overall, its good for a 0.78 and worthy of a superstar fantasy player designation. With so many higher profile first basemen on draft day (Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Howard, Adrian Goznzalez, Joey Votto, etc.), Konerko is typically an excellent buy. This past season his ADP was around 9.0, ranking him below all of those aforementioned first basemen yet still posting 30 HR/100 RBI numbers.
5. Adam Lind (DH - Blue Jays) - Lind is expected to return to the lineup on Friday after battling a wrist injury over the last couple of games. Perhaps the rest will help a bit since his September has been dreadful with just an .111 average going 2-for-18 with a HR. In fact, since July, Lind has been lost. Through 56 games and 230 AB since July 1st, Lind is hitting just .196/.234/.322 with 50 K's, just 11 BB's, and 8 HRs. Perhaps the rest will do him good and can he finish the season the way he started. The smart money will keep him benched until he turns it around (if he can turn it around in time). Despite his 24 HR's, the lack of consistency will keep his fantasy value depressed heading into 2012.
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