Upside chasers, beware.

The Colorado Rockies, according to the Denver Post, appear to be ready and willing to give utility man Eric Young Jr. everyday playing time. Young is a speedster who could both wake up the Rockies’ veteran lineup and create a spark for fantasy teams still in the hunt for league titles.

Young, a stolen base machine in the minors, held his own during a stint in Colorado earlier this season, then got recalled over the weekend. He’s made two straight starts — one at second base, one in left field — as the Rockies’ leadoff hitter and gone 2 for 9 with 2 runs and a stolen base. In 15 games this season, Young is hitting .244 with 5 steals (in 6 attempts), 5 walks and 4 strikeouts. Read more »

When he’s healthy, Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau offers a combination of batting title potential, power and run production. He’s a perennial American League MVP candidate and a unique contributor in fantasy baseball.

But, the trouble over the last two seasons has been, how often can fantasy owners truly count on Morneau to be in their lineups? Read more »

As a late follow-up to our previous list of top National League hitters, here’s another arbitrary list of hitters, this time from the American League. Some nice surprises dot the rankings, including Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Jose Bautista and Chicago White Sox outfielder Alex Rios, both of whom are having surprising career seasons.

Check out who else made the cut. Read more »

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is 40 years old and the definition of a three-out pitcher. He strikes out, relatively speaking, few hitters, and he rarely picks up cheap wins. So, why is he the No. 1 closer in this week’s rankings? Well, because he’s the only stopper, in our estimation, with zero questions to answer.

Jonathan Broxton is in the midst of an unsettling season. Jonathan Papelbon’s strikeout and walk rates are heading in the wrong direction. Joakim Soria pitches for a cellar dweller. Rafael Soriano’s health can never be trusted. Heath Bell puts too many runners on base. Carlos Marmol has more walks than any other closer in baseball. And so on.

Meanwhile, Rivera keeps churning out off-the-charts ratios and competitive saves totals. And now, as the season winds down, he historically gets even better. He’s the most trustworthy stopper in baseball, fantasy or reality, which makes him the rightful No. 1 closer in fantasy. Here’s how the rest of the rankings shake out.
** Statistics through Aug. 9 games Read more »

The Oakland A’s promoted first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter, a 6-foot-5, slugging behemoth who has clubbed minor league pitching for the last six seasons. Carter, 23, has the reputation as an all-or-nothing slugger, but should hold his own in the batting average department and blossom into a consistent 30-plus homer producer. Read more »

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is fighting to put a horrendous, confusing, injury-marred first four months of the season behind him.

The speedy Boston Red Sox outfielder has dealt with a rib injury for nearly the entire season, a nagging wound suffered on April 11 that didn’t get a correct diagnosis immediately, according to ESPNBoston.com.

So, nearly 100 games later, Ellsbury is still trying to make an impact, both for the Red Sox and the many fantasy owners who made a sizable invest in him. For the first time this season, Ellsbury, batting ninth in the order against the Yankees, did just that. Read more »

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider is back and, we’re guessing, better than ever.

Snider, 21, was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a wrist injury in mid-May, then spent 20 games in obscurity at Double-A New Hampshire. He performed in the minors, but disappeared for long enough to become a forgotten man in fantasy. Read more »

Houston Astros third baseman Chris Johnson is tearing the cover off the ball, and you came here to find out if he’s for real. Am I right? Well, I don’t want to burst your bubble, but I see this hot streak coming to a sudden halt very, very soon. Why, you ask? Read on to find out. Read more »

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez hasn’t just stumbled on his path to career home run No. 600.

Rodriguez hasn’t been his usual, powerful self all season, starting with the home runs and including a career-low .471 slugging percentage. He’s productive, but isn’t the roto star we’ve all come to know. Read more »

Absolutely, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay’s hot start is impossible to sustain.

He’s hitting a robust .378 and, with Ryan Ludwick being dealt to the San Diego Padres, gets additional opportunities to crack the Cardinals’ starting lineup. That added exposure, according to Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will lead to an ‘inevitable collapse’ in Jay’s production. Read more »