Fantasy baseball players have been flocking to pick up some of the more unknown rising stars in the game this week, but perhaps players should also keep tabs on a couple of veterans: Chris Sale and Javier Baez. The two former stars have been trending in the wrong direction for some time now, but each put up performances this week that warrant some fantasy baseball and DFS attention.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Chris Sale & Javier Baez Have Value Again
Chris Sale Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Sale is owned in about half of ESPN leagues, an amount that increased after a quality start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. The left-hander went 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out 10 batters while walking just one.
It wasn’t necessarily the fine stat line that should have fans excited about Sale, but rather how good his stuff looked. Sale plowed through the Phillies’ order while constantly hitting the upper-90s with his fastball and showing impressive command.
Sale is 3-2 with a brutal 6.37 ERA but there is reason to believe he can put significantly drop that ERA down if he can continue to showcase the swing-and-miss stuff fans were treated to on Friday night. Sale will take the ball next against the struggling St. Louis Cardinals at home next Friday, and fantasy baseball owners and DFS players should feel comfortable that he can build on the near-vintage performance.
Javier Baez Fantasy Baseball Outlook
It has been a long fall from grace for Javier Baez ever since he joined the Detroit Tigers prior to last season. The shortstop continued to struggle mightily to begin the season, but there is reason to believe he could finally be embarking on one of those hot streaks we grew accustomed to seeing when he was a member of the Chicago Cubs.
Baez finally hit his first home run of the season this week and followed it up by hitting two more. He has hits in four of his past five games, improving his slash line to .260/.322/.394 on the season. Baez is owned in just 16.4% of fantasy baseball leagues and could be a good buy-low option for players with a need for a middle infielder.
The Tigers’ rebuilding status means Baez will remain in the lineup through the Summer, barring injury. He should have a good opportunity to build on his recent stretch and become a productive run-producer once again.
Both Chris Sale and Javier Baez have likely already played their best baseball, but the recent surge from both players shows they still have something to offer fantasy and DFS players.
Players looking for the best daily fantasy projections should be sure to check out Stokastic’s projections!
