Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 sleeper hitters for Week 19 include Odubel Herrera, Melky Cabrera and Jesse Winker

Odubel Herrera has found a new gear the last two months and can help with all the hitters playing only five games this week, Scott White says.

By Scott White

Aug 4, 2017 at 7:39 pm ET • 4 min read

Light schedule this week, with four teams playing only five games.

You'll want to be extra discerning with your Braves, Red Sox, Rockies and Rangers, in other words.

Which isn't to say you shouldn't play any of them. The true studs like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon shouldn't sit under any circumstances, and I dare say Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre fit into that category as well.

But anyone else on those four teams who feels less than automatic to begin with might send you in search of a short-term replacement -- one with better matchups.

So who might that include? Here are my favorites owned in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues.

Top 10 sleeper hitters for Week 19

1	Odubel Herrera Philadelphia CF
Since the start of June -- a span of 203 at-bats -- Odubel Herrera has hit .335 with eight homers, 20 doubles and a .939 OPS, and he hasn't let up at all over the past two weeks, batting .404 (21 for 52) with three homers in 15 games. The Phillies' matchups aren't quite as favorable as last week, when they had a series at Coors Field, but the Braves and Mets rotations are both kind of falling apart right now.
2	Chris Davis Baltimore 1B
Believe or not, Chris Davis' ownership has dipped below the 80 percent threshold, which reflects both the depth at first base this year and the depth of his struggles. I'm not saying he's must-start anymore, but when he has the kind of matchups he does this week -- JC Ramirez, Parker Bridwell, Troy Scribner, Jharel Cotton, Paul Blackburn and Daniel Gossett -- you'll still want to take advantage of his power potential.
3	Trey Mancini Baltimore LF
You saw those matchup Davis has, right? Yeah, they're among the best in the majors, so even though Trey Mancini has endured some necessary regression over the past two weeks (he's batting .240 with two home runs in 14 games, which isn't so bad, really), I'll trust in the season-long consistency and expect him to bounce back in a big way this week.
4	Scooter Gennett Cincinnati 2B
Another surprise performer who has fallen on hard times lately, Scooter Gennett has the right matchups for a rebound this week, going against pitchers like Luis Perdomo, Dinelson Lamet, Brent Suter and Matt Garza, and between Miller Park and Great American Ball Park, his power should play up.
5	Melky Cabrera Kansas City RF
The Royals' matchups are a mixed bag this week, but they get a full seven games, including three against the White Sox stripped-down pitching staff. Mostly, I just like that Melky Cabrera has been hitting second or third for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations, and as a high-contact gap hitter, he has a high floor from week to week. He's a compiler, in other words, but in a week when at-bats will be limited for some hitters, you could use one of those.
6	Eugenio Suarez Cincinnati 3B
Even during the leaner times in June and July, Eugenio Suarez remained a disciplined hitter, so he has legitimately grown from a year ago. And now that he's hitting well again, batting .306 (19 for 62) with five homers in his last 17 games, you'll want to take advantage of those same favorable venues and matchups that Scooter Gennett has.
7	Josh Bell Pittsburgh 1B
A regular in this space, Josh Bell is a home run shy of 20 with an above-average walk rate two-thirds of the way through the season ... which is what a "matchups play" looks like at first base in 2017. There's never any shame in starting him, in other words, and seeing as he's hitting .300 (21 for 70) since the All-Star break, you have to like his chances against some of the worst the Tigers and Blue Jays have to offer.
8	Albert Pujols L.A. Angels DH
If it's jarring to see Albert Pujols' name on a sleepers list, understand he's batting .236 with a .675 OPS for the year. But he still knows how to hit home runs, connecting for six in his last 21 games, and has put together a decent four-week stretch in Fantasy. His matchups against Dylan Bundy, Jeremy Hellickson, Chris Tillman, Erasmo Ramirez and Ariel Miranda are pretty enticing, too.
9	Kaleb Cowart L.A. Angels 3B
Yup, those enticing matchups apply for Kaleb Cowart as well, and while the former prospect may not have the track record of Pujols, he has crushed it since coming up from the minors, batting .438 (14 for 32) with four doubles, a triple and a home run. Owned in 6 percent of CBS Sports leagues and eligible at second and third base, he's deserving of your attention this week.
10	Jesse Winker Cincinnati LF
At 12 percent ownership, Jesse Winker is as deep of a sleeper as Cowart -- maybe too deep considering the at-bats could dry up at any moment with Scott Schebler still on the roster. But the 23-year-old homered in two of his first three games as a starter, giving some hope that his long-projected-but-rarely-realized power potential will play up in the majors, and has predictably walked at a high rate. With favorable matchups ahead, he might be worth a roll of the dice.