Jonathan Schoop
Schoop has been mashing the ball since his return from injury, with his third home run in nine games (and just eight starts) coming on Sunday. Schoop is now slashing .305/.339/.661 for the season (62 plate appearances) and although expecting him to slug .661 for the rest of the season is obviously outrageous, Schoop is definitely a good pick up if he's still available in your league. Schoop hit 16 home runs in not quite a full season last year, and, at 23 years old, is only getting better. That is borderline elite power for the second base position, and he's proving that power was no flash in the pan. Schoop's strikeout and walk rates are somewhat disturbing (14 strikeouts to two walks in 2015 and even worse, 122 strikeouts to just 13 walks last season), but Schoop had a hard hit ball rate of 37.2 percent even before Sunday, and he's got a regular spot in a strong lineup. He's still available in a lot of leagues, but hurry up because that won't last long.
Yovani Gallardo
For a non-Gallardo-believer, Sunday was a sign of things to come, and an overdue outing. Gallardo got beat to the tune of five runs on seven hits and three walks over just four innings. Gallardo had just one strikeout, and the outing was the worst of the year for Gallardo. Gallardo's ERA/FIP/xFIP slashes now read 2.91/3.68/4.12, a scary sight for owners who are hoping that the magical bounce-back season from Gallardo will continue through the second half. Gallardo's poor strikeout rate (6.14), and lucky peripherals (.271 opponent BABIP, 76.2 LOB%) also suggest a slight regression ahead, and given that Gallardo is relying on a barely 90 mph fastball, and control has never been his strong suit - there could be some rough times ahead. Personally, I would use the fact that he still has a sub-3.00 ERA to try to sell before it's too late, but like I said I have been saying that for a while, so this start may be a bit of confirmation bias more than the sign of a huge decline to come. If you're really in his corner, stick it out another couple starts, but beware that it may be too late to sell at that point.
Chris Colabello
After a day out of the starting lineup Saturday, Colabello returned to the Jays' lineup in style with his ninth home run of the season. Colabello was one of the best stories of the first half, as he hit well over .300 and slugged over .500 in an out-of-nowhere performance. Colabello owners still have to worry about his sky-high .413 BABIP, but with the power he has added of late, it may be all right if his batting average slips a bit. Colabello has three home runs in his last seven starts, and five home runs in the past month. Colabello's average hasn't been below .300 a single day this season, and he is producing in a high-offense lineup - there's no reason to do anything but start him in your lineup. The future may see a dip in batting average, but we've seen plenty of players ride sky-high BABIPs to single season success (see: Danny Santana last season).
Jose Iglesias
For those not paying attention to Iglesias' day-to-day batting average (how dare you!), the Tiger shortstop is now hitting .321 for the year after going 4-for-4 on Sunday, and although he offers limited power, that .321 number from that shortstop position is extremely valuable. Iglesias also has ten steals on the season, and has proven at this point that he can maintain a high-end BABIP, as his .347 BABIP in 2015 is actually lower than it was in 2014 (.356). Iglesias hits a lot of line drives and grounders, and uses his speed to beat out those ground balls. Iglesias isn't going to produce a ton in terms of R/HR/RBI thanks to his limited pop and spot in the batting order, but for owners with a weak spot at shortstop, or in need of a batting average or steals boost, there are worse places to look.
Daily Fantasy Leagues
Brad Miller
Miller is still dirt cheap at FanDuel, and after a day off on Sunday gets to face Alfredo Simon, a pitcher who has given up 28 runs over his past five starts! Honestly, you can't go wrong snagging a good chunk of the Mariner lineup Monday, a sentence that has never been written before - that's the kind of slump Simon is in though. Miller also has had success in limited time against Simon, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a steal against him in his career. Miller quietly has eight home runs and nine steals this season, and if the Mariners could just score a couple runs, would have decent runs and RBI totals. Simon may just be the cure for the Mariner offensive blues, and Miller is one of the best Mariner bargains. The game is in Detroit, which means the Mariners avoid the offense-depressing Safeco Field and move to a friendlier stadium in Detroit.
FanDuel: $2,300
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