Sean Doolittle (RP-WAS) - Doolittle continued to solidify his hold on the closer's job Thursday, tossing a perfect ninth inning for his 19th save overall, and 16th with the Nationals. Doolittle lowered his ERA overall to 2.84, but with the Nationals, he's allowed just two runs in 17 innings. This isn't luck either, as Doolittle is averaging 94.7 mph with his fastball with elite ratios, including a 10.6 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 overall. RH hitters are also batting just under .200 against him, so his stuff plays well against either sided hitters. As long as he can stay healthy, Doolittle is an easy top five or six fantasy closer on a great team.
Matt Harvey (SP-NYM) - Maybe there's still hope after all for the Mets and Harvey. The Reds aren't very good, but Harvey still has to be satisfied with five innings of two-run ball thrown against them on Thursday. The ex-ace walked one and only struck out one, but at 5.82, at least his ERA is under 6. Harvey allowed seven runs in just two innings last time out, so if he can keep up this improvement in his next start, he may actually be worth using. I still wouldn't start him outside of NL-only leagues in his next start (currently projected to be the Cubs in Wrigley Field), but keep an eye on his velocity and effectiveness next time out and consider putting him on your radar in shallower leagues.
Brad Ziegler (RP-MIA) - Ziegler blew his fifth save on Thursday, allowing a pair of runs in the ninth inning and losing to the Braves. Ziegler now has a 5.04 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and he's blown his last two save chances. He was unscored upon in August, so perhaps he gets one more chance at keeping his job, but no one wants a closer with an ERA over 5. Factor in a 5.1 K/9, a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 80s, and so-so control (3.1 BB/9) and you have to wonder how much more patience Don Mattingly has here. I don't know about you, but I'm already seeing which of my leagues still have Kyle Barraclough on the waiver wire.
Victor Robles (OF-WAS) - The big NL news that broke Thursday afternoon was that Robles had his contract purchased from Double-A. A top-five overall prospect in the game (or at worst, top-10), Robles hit .300/.382/.493 with 10 home runs and 27 stolen baes at the High-A and Double-A levels. He's still just 20 years of age with relatively limited experience, but the talent is through the roof. It remains to be seen how much playing time he'll get, but with Bryce Harper (knee) sidelined, he is certainly worth a look in all fantasy formats. Michael Taylor has performed fairly well in CF this year (.777 OPS), so this could just be a matter of Robles getting his feet wet at the big league level now that the minor league season has concluded. Grab him if you have a spot, but monitor his usage in case he doesn't play frequently.
Jose Reyes (INF-NYM) - With Wilmer Flores out for the year with a broken nose, Reyes looks to be the biggest beneficiary in terms of playing time. If healthy, Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario should be every day, but now, Asdrubal Cabrera and Reyes should be as well, perhaps with a smattering of Matt Reynolds. Reyes could be a decent source of steals down the stretch, as despite batting just .236/.307/.389, he's hit 10 homers and swiped 19 bases. Reyes has played much better as of late, batting .333 with six steals in his last 57 at-bats. He's worth a look if you need infield flexibility, though in deeper leagues, he's already rostered.
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