Jose Abreu, 1B, CWS
So is Jose Abreu just not good anymore? He certainly hasn't been this July as he is mired in an 8-54 slump (.148) with just 2 XBH in 16 games this month. In truth, his struggles extend well beyond that - since May 1, he's hitting just .245 with 7 HR's in 71 games. Overall, his .250/.311/.433 slash line, 13 HR's, and 52 RBI are all on pace by far to be career-lows for the 5-year veteran. He's not striking out more than usual, but his BABIP has dropped to .281 this season, after posting marks of .327 or higher in each of his first four big-league campaigns. And his 12.5% HR/FB is about 6% lower than his career average as well. Yet his batted ball profile doesn't differ much from previous years, and it's always worked out for him until now. His track record is too strong to give up on him during this cold spell, and more likely than not, his numbers will improve by the end of the season.
Chris Archer, SP, TB
Archer notched a season-high 13 K's against the Marlins on Sunday, marking his first double-digit strikeout performance of the season. His K% has lagged a bit from a where it's been in recent seasons, but it looks like it may be heading back towards his lofty norms, which is great for the Rays if they are trying to sell him. It's crazy to think that Archer could be headed towards his 3rd consecutive season with a 4.00+ ERA (currently at 4.30), given that his xFIP sits at an excellent 3.52, and he's posted even lower marks each of the last two seasons. One might be tempted to say that he's just a perennial underperformer, but I personally don't see how his current .347 BABIP (which would be 2nd highest in MLB if he qualified) is at all sustainable, and eventually you would think luck would bounce his way. In 10 starts since May 1, Archer has posted a 2.98 ERA, and I still believe that that's close to the type of pitcher he can be going forward.
Khris Davis, OF, OAK
Davis homered twice in a win against the Giants on Sunday, giving him 4 multi-HR games this season and 23 dingers overall. This breaks a stretch in which Davis hit just 1 HR in 29 games dating back to June 15. The return to form should not come as a surprise for Davis who ranks in the top-10 in MLB in FB% (46.7%), Hard% (47.9%), Avg. Exit Velocity (93.3), and Barrel% (10.2%). He may go through a slump here or there, but have no fear - with 108 HR's since the start of 2016 (2nd only to Giancarlo Stanton's 109), Davis has securely established himself as one the most reliable power sources in all of baseball.
Jonathon Schoop, 2B, BAL
Since receiving a mini-benching at the beginning of July, Schoop has looked like a new man, hitting .352 with 4 HR's and 6 doubles in his last 17 games. His 32.7% Hard% in July (entering Sunday) is easily his highest for any month this season, while his LD% this month is up to 29.1% after posting miserable marks (12.7%, 11.1%) in each of the past two months. It definitely seems like something has clicked for Schoop, and there's a good chance he ends up with a solid second half after a first half that couldn't have gone much worse. One area that he could still use some improvement in however is hitting with men on-base. His homerun on Sunday was his 12th of the season and his 12th solo-shot; with runners on base he's slashing an almost unbelievable .191/.229/.237. That's likely nothing more than a fluke though, and all indications are pointing to Schoop having a productive final two months of the season.
Kole Calhoun, OF, LAA
Calhoun has woken up from his early season swoon, hitting 7 HR's through his first 15 June games. All of his HR's this season have come against RHP's and he'll have a chance to do some more damage on Monday against CWS RHP Lucas Giolito. Giolito has struggled to a 6.18 ERA this season and LH-hitters have compiled an .873 OPS against him. DraftKIngs Value Play Salary $3,600.
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