Extra Innings

A Young Ranger and Veteran Pirate Becoming Valuable Fantasy Players Down the Stretch

Week 24 of fantasy baseball and it is getting interesting as the season is coming to an end. There is still time for owners to get back into the race, yet it is running out. These are my picks down the stretch that could bolster your team.

Kason Gabbard, Texas Rangers:

Coming over to the Rangers from the Boston Red Sox, he has not disappointed. Acquire in the trade that sent Eric Gagne to bean town, Gabbard has continued his success. His is 6-1 with a 4.01 ERA. He has pitched even better since the All-Star break.

He is 5-1 with a 3.79 ERA. He has held his opponents to a .221 batting average and has a WHIP of 1.25. Prior to his last start against the Angels in his last 3 games he has only surrendered 7 earn runs.

Fantasy owners need to be aware of is affectiveness at home this year. He is 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA. Even though his bullpen is suspect he can still post solid numbers for any fantasy team. Pick him up as a replacement when he is facing a weak opponent.

Adam LaRoche Pittsburgh Pirates:

Early on this season LaRoche was a huge disappoint for Pittsburgh and fantasy owners. He finished April batting .133 with only 3 home runs and 11 RBI’s. He finished before the All-Star break with only 13 home runs with 51 RBI’s and a merger batting average of .239. Since the All-Star break his fortunes have changed dramatically.

Since July he is batting .321 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI’s. He has a SLUG% of .526 and an OBP of .377 since the All-Star break. He has emerged once again as a valuable commodity in fantasy baseball. In August, he finished the month batting .348 with 6 home runs and 23 RBI’s. Grab him while he is hot and ride him for the rest of the season.

If you like the information of my column you can find my other column at www.fantasyfootballmaniaxs.com. My weekly column is headline Dark horses. I preview weekly sleeper picks for fantasy football. Do not forget to look at my column before setting your team. Thanks once again for all the support it is much appreciated.

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