Happy Friday, everyone! The Fantasy Baseball season is winding down and we're nearing playoff baseball -- the lead up to the main event. On Thursday, we saw one of the best young pitchers in baseball -- the ADP SP2 back in the spring -- get back on track. So let's start there for sure. Corbin Burnes gave up five runs and lasted just 5 2/3 innings in his last outing before Thursday, and five runs in six innings in his outing before that.
On Thursday, Burnes put it all behind him and looked more like the Cy Young version of himself that you'll need to win you your Fantasy playoff matchups. Burnes struck out 14, and this came against the Giants lineup. He totaled eight dominant innings and allowed just one run and three hits. Burnes' 14 strikeouts were his season high and one shy of his all-time single game record.
We'll dive into more of the takeaways from Thursday's action, but first make sure you're all caught up with what's going on over at CBSSports.com/Fantasy. Scott White's waiver wire profiled some interesting players you'll want to consider adding to your rosters for the final stretch run.
Scott first found help at arguably the scarcest position in Fantasy Baseball where plenty of teams right now need help at 3B with Josh Jung: "Who among us couldn't use a little help at third base, right? It's been the position of greatest need this year and looked like it would be from the earliest days of draft prep season. Jung was a player I intended to target late in every draft as a potential ace in the hole at the position, but then he tore the labrum in his left shoulder. At long last, he's coming up to fill the role the Rangers intended for him all along, having spent the past month proving his health at Triple-A. A recent slump has brought his numbers down to size, but he was on fire before then. He also hit .326 with a .990 OPS between Double- and Triple-A last year. He's a disciplined hitter who profiles just as much for average as power and could be an impact contributor down the stretch."
Scott also thinks it's time to take the plunge on Joey Meneses: "Meneses keeps cleaning up all of our messes -- those who've chosen to invest him in, anyway -- with multi-hit game after multi-hit game. He singled three times Monday, then doubled twice Tuesday. He went only 1 for 5 Wednesday, but that's been more the exception than the rule for a guy who's hitting .339 with a .935 OPS so far. I'd be skeptical of a 30-year-old rookie, too -- and remain so for Meneses -- but there's no need to overthink this. What other outfield-eligible players are producing on the waiver wire right now? It's been a position of need all year. Meneses is making consistently hard contact and striking out at only a 20 percent rate. His expected stats, as measured by Statcast, are nearly as strong as his actual ones. It's time to take the plunge."
Hakuna Moncada
Yoan Moncada is on a tear, has the prospect pedigree and draft capital behind him and might still be on your waiver wire after he went 5 for 5 with two homers, three runs and five RBI on Thursday. He now has a .837 OPS vs. left-handed pitchers despite struggling in a stark contrast vs. righties. He's 49% rostered with six games next week, and if you match him up against lefties, it's worth grabbing him to start in those matchups -- at the scarcest position in Fantasy -- if you need help at third. We broke down Moncada and much more on the FBT Podcast.
The White Sox mashed for 14 runs
Elvis Andrus hit his 12th homer and he has batted .291 with four homers and a steal since joining the White Sox. He's 18% rostered.
Romy Gonzalez hit his second homer and collected four hits. He has started eight of the last nine games and is batting .345. He's more of a deep league watch list kind of player.
Eloy Jimenez homered on Thursday and has now collected three homers in his past six games.
Other waiver wire hitters
- Kyle Farmer keeps on hitting. Two more hits on Thursday and his 10th homer to bring his last 26 games total to four homers, 13 runs and 12 RBI, and this comes with a sparkling .303 batting average. He's 41% rostered.
- CJ Abrams excited us when he was up early in April, but it took him some time and he may not finally be getting into a groove. He collected two hits, a double, two runs and an RBI on Thursday. He's now batting .355 with nine RBI over his last nine games. He's 35% rostered.
- Brendan Donovan gets on base. Three hits, two walks, and two runs was his Thursday stat line. He has a .358 batting average with 15 runs over his past 18 games and is 44% rostered.
- Don't look now, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa just stole his 18th bag on Thursday to go along with two hits. He's batting .360 with two homers and three steals over his past seven games and is just 32% rostered. I like this add.
Who's hot
It's time to celebrate a true breakout season -- in the truest sense -- for a player who has been hot and stays red hot. Dylan Cease threw another six shutout innings on Thursday and struck out nine. He allowed three hits, two walks and induced 15 swinging strikes. Cease brings his ERA to 2.06, and that's not a typo. He has 206 strikeouts in 162 innings -- not a typo either. This is true SP1 material.
Fantasy news, injuries and notes
For a complete recap of every injury, update and more, make sure you're locked into the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast where Frank, Scott and Chris dive deep into every player note. For the CliffsNotes version, we'll recap the biggest news and notes you need to know right here:
- Zack Wheeler played catch Thursday for the second time. He's expected to do the same Friday. If he responds well, it's possible he could return next week without a rehab assignment.
- Freddy Peralta left Thursday's start with a possible injury.
- Willson Contreras' MRI on his ankle came back clean. He's expected to rest for a few days before resuming baseball activities.
- Wander Franco will meet the Rays in New York and could be activated as early as Friday.
- Juan Soto said he will "definitely" be ready to play Friday against the Dodgers.
- Giancarlo Stanton has now missed three straight with that foot injury. The team is unsure if he'll play on Friday.
- Speaking of the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu was placed on the IL with toe inflammation, retroactive to Sept. 5.
- Ouch! Keibert Ruiz exited Thursday's game after getting hit in the groin by a foul ball.
- Bailey Ober will continue his rehab at Triple-A and make another start this Sunday. He's 20% rostered for those in deeper leagues.
- Twins pitching prospect Louie Varland (who we spoke about yesterday) was sent back to Triple-A Thursday.
