Rocket Sports’ Fantasy 500

Our weekly look at some movers, shakers and difference-makers in the world of fantasy baseball.

Note: all stats current as of close of play on August 13, 2015. Position designations are determined by Yahoo eligibility rules; check your league settings for eligibility requirements.

There are plenty of movers and shakers to talk about this week; grabbing the hot hands off the waiver wire before it becomes fashionable to do so is what separates the good fantasy players from the great ones, and we both know which group you belong in, don’t we? Read on.

Hitters:

Jonathan Schoop, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles: The 23-year-old Schoop swings at just about everything that reaches home plate on the fly (five walks in 137 plate appearances this season), but lately he’s been mashing those pitches with such regularity it’s hard for his fantasy owners to care. Schoop is batting .395 and slugging .579 this month, and he has smacked eight homers and plated 22 RBI in 40 games this season. Schoop’s plus power could make him a valuable fantasy asset as the season winds down.

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) is congratulated by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (13) after Kiermaier hit a 2-run home run during the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Tropicana Field. (photo Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports)

Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays: Cabrera has been absolutely killing the ball since returning from the disabled list July 28, batting .480 with seven doubles, two homers and six RBI in 13 games. Cabrera is a .267 career hitter with decent pop for a middle infielder, and he’s worth a look in mixed fantasy leagues while he’s on this kind of tear.

David Peralta, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks:  Peralta leads all qualifying hitters with a .413 batting average since the break, and he has plated 12 RBI in 11 games this month. Peralta rarely walks, and he’s bound to cool off sometime, but enjoy a ride on this bandwagon while it’s rolling at this pace. Peralta is dealing with a tight quad muscle, but he’s expected back in the lineup on August 14.

Pitchers:

RA Dickey (EDDIE MICHELS PHOTO)

R.A. Dickey, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: The veteran knuckleballer has awakened the echoes over the past couple of months, lowering his ERA from its high-water mark of 5.77 back on May 26 to his current number of 3.96. He has gone 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA and 0.92 WHIP since the All-Star break, and he figures to continue to receive plenty of run support from Toronto’s powerhouse lineup. Dickey is owned in less than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues; consider bringing him aboard if he’s available in your group.

Marco Estrada (EDDIE MICHELS PHOTO)

Marco Estrada, RP/SP, Toronto Blue Jays: Estrada has fashioned a tidy 4-1 record, 2.35 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in five second-half starts, and he is 9-3 with one no-decision in his last 13 outings. Estrada should benefit from pitching in front of Toronto’s potent offense the rest of the way, but he is currently owned in less than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Chris Bassitt, RP/SP, Oakland Athletics: Bassitt has been outstanding since moving permanently to the rotation back in June, and he has logged a solid 2.03 ERA and 0.90 WHIP while fanning 27 batters in 26.2 innings since the break. Daily players take note: Bassitt owns a 1.91 ERA and has held opponents to a .184 average in the spacious confines of the Oakland Coliseum. He probably won’t receive much run support, but Bassitt is a good option for deeper mixed league while he’s pitching this well.

That’ll do it for this week; good luck in your fantasy leagues and we’ll talk again soon.