Fantasy Baseball Pickups: Second-Half Starters and Sleepers

Baseball Is Back After the All-Star Break

Baseball takes a short break in the middle of the year for a fun event called the All-Star Game. After that break, games start again!

• On Thursday night, the New York Mets visit the Philadelphia Phillies at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
• Both teams have Friday off.
• If you play in a "daily league" (where you pick new players every day), you can grab Phillies and Mets players early to get ahead of your friends.

Important: In daily fantasy leagues, picking up players before everyone else gives you a head start on the competition!

Players to Grab for Thursday’s Mets vs. Phillies Game

Here are some players you may want to add to your team for Thursday:

Aaron Nola, Pitcher (SP), Phillies

• Rostered in only 37.4% of ESPN leagues (so many people haven’t picked him yet).
• He had a rocky start to the year, but lately he’s been great.
• In his last 2 games (12 innings), he struck out 15 batters and only walked 2.
• The Mets don’t score many runs (6th fewest in baseball), but they were getting better in July.

J.T. Realmuto, Catcher (C), Phillies

• Rostered in just 14.0% of leagues.
• Usually, chasing a "hot streak" (when a player does really well for a short time) is silly because it’s often just luck.
• But hitting the ball hard and not striking out are real skills.
• Realmuto’s hard-hit rate (how often he hits the ball really hard) jumped from 38.9% for the season to 55.6% in his last 4 games, with 4 hits over 100 mph.

Jared Young, First Baseman (1B), Mets

• Rostered in only 0.3% of leagues (almost nobody has him!).
• Good news for the Mets: the Phillies won’t start their best pitchers (Sanchez and Wheeler) until next week.
• They’ll still face Jesus Luzardo, but left-handed hitters like Young do better against the Phillies’ post-break rotation.

Friday Double-Header at Fenway

What’s a Double-Header?

It’s when two teams play two games in one day!

• The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox play a double-header on Friday.
• That means they get one more game than the other 28 teams.
• Both teams are well-rested and really want to win, so some players may play both Friday games—and maybe all weekend!

Caleb Durbin, Third Baseman (3B), Red Sox

• Rostered in 34.3% of leagues.
• Since working with Aaron Judge’s hitting coach, he’s been awesome:
  • Hitting .325/.400/.613 since June 17
  • 5 stolen bases in that time

Important: More games = more chances for your players to score points. That’s why Rays and Red Sox players are extra valuable this Friday.

Returns on the Horizon (Players Coming Back from Injury)

Many teams say hurt players will be out until the All-Star break. Not all come back right away, but some started practice games before the break and should return this weekend.

Gavin Lux, Outfielder (OF), Rays

• Rostered in 0.5% of leagues.
• Hasn’t played for the Rays yet, but is close after healing a left shoulder problem.
• Also had right shoulder and ankle issues.
• Can play many positions, which the Rays like.

Dane Myers, Outfielder (OF), Cincinnati Reds

• Rostered in 0.5% of leagues.
• Mostly plays against right-handed pitchers, so only useful in NL-only leagues.
• His wRC+ (a number that shows if a hitter is above average) is 105—a bit above average.
• Had 5 steals before getting hurt.

Jakob Junis, Relief Pitcher (RP), Texas Rangers

• Rostered in 3.7% of leagues.
• Got a hip shot in early July; team hoped he’d return after break.
• Before injury: 6 holds, 2 saves, 1 win in last 10 games—he was becoming a bullpen star.

Cole Sands, Relief Pitcher (RP), Minnesota Twins

• Rostered in 0.3% of leagues.
• Out since early May with forearm strain, had a setback, but restarted rehab before break.
• Could return soon and might become the "closer" (the pitcher who finishes games and gets saves) since no one else has claimed the job.

Summary

• Baseball returns Thursday with Mets at Phillies—grab their players early in daily leagues.
• Aaron Nola, J.T. Realmuto, and Jared Young are smart pickups for that game.
• Rays and Red Sox play a Friday double-header, giving them extra games—Caleb Durbin is a great target.
• Several low-owned players (Lux, Myers, Junis, Sands) are about to return from injury and could help your team.

FAQ

What does "rostered" mean?
It means what percentage of fantasy teams have that player on their roster (their team list). Lower % means the player is widely available.

What is a daily league?
It’s a fantasy baseball format where you choose new players every day instead of keeping the same team all week.

Why are double-header games a big deal in fantasy?
Because your players get an extra game to score points, giving you an edge over teams whose players only play once.

What is a "closer" in baseball?
The relief pitcher who comes in at the very end of the game to secure the win and earn a "save" for your fantasy team.