August 18, 2016

Kyle Bishop takes a look at which MLB hitters and pitchers you should keep, drop, or trade for during week 20 of the 2016 MLB fantasy baseball season.

Even with the trade deadline having passed in most leagues, this is the most fun time of the year to be a fantasy owner. The stakes are high, and the difference between a championship and heartbreak can be as small as making one transaction at the right time. Lucky for you, RotoBaller has all the tools you’ll need to make these important decisions down the stretch.

After you’ve checked out this week’s buy and sell recommendations, head over to our waiver wire Rankings Wizard tool for more advice and insight.

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Week 20 Buy Candidates

Yasmany Tomas, 3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Despite their recent power barrage, neither Brad Miller nor Mookie Betts lead MLB in home runs since the break. That’d be Tomas, who’s slashing an absurd .317/.343/.752 with 42 R+RBI. The Cuban expat still has less than stellar plate discipline, but he’s made some serious strides as a sophomore in contact quality and elevating the ball. Even after hitting four dingers in his last three games, Tomas remains on the wire in over 40 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

Joe Mauer, 1B, Minnesota Twins

Mauer’s overall numbers aren’t especially impressive, particularly for a first baseman. But he’s another player who has been hot since the start of the second half. He’s looked like vintage Mauer, hitting .324/.420/.529 with 21 runs scored and 16 RBI. Hitting second or third in the Twins lineup depending on the day, Mauer makes up for his modest pop by being a strong boost to batting average and runs. He’s somehow unowned in three-quarters of Yahoo leagues right now.

Dan Straily, SP, Cincinnati Reds

One might look at Straily’s season-long .234 BABIP and his 97.8 (!) LOB% in the second half, and scoff at the prospect of him being a buy. Okay! But it’s worth noting that in 400 career innings, Straily’s BABIP checks in at .255. Not the largest sample in the world, true, but it could indicate suppression skills. He’s also running a 17.0 K-BB% since the break, which is more than double his mark in the first half. Straily is a flyball pitcher who calls a bandbox home, so an improved walk rate would make a big difference in his ratios.

Week 20 Sell Candidates

Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, New York Yankees

Maybe it’s just that I’ve been bearish on him since before the season started, but it’s tough to understand how Ellsbury remains owned in over 75 percent of leagues on all the major platforms. Other than May, he’s posted an OPS of .700 or worse in every month. He’s not hitting for average or power, his run production is middling, and he’s stolen just 17 bases (with just six of those coming since the end of May). About the only positive thing you can say is that he’s managed to avoid the disabled list this season.

Tom Koehler, SP, Miami Marlins

Koehler has been excellent of late. In his last five starts, he has produced a 1.36 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 28 strikeouts against seven walks over 33 innings. This run of success is unlikely to last, since it’s been fueled by an extremely low BABIP and high strand rate despite no tangible changes in skill or approach. Koehler is a 30 year old veteran with middling career numbers, and a good bet to regress to his established career norms going forward.

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