After going over potential starters to end the season last week, I’m going to dive into some available hitters (<50% rostered in the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship) who could contribute as the season winds down. 

I considered several criteria to put this list together. During this last week, non-contending teams or teams which have already clinched a playoff spot will rest their regulars and let bench bats play. Additionally, certain parks (Colorado and West Sacramento) can be attacked. (The Reds are on the road). Next, platoons and long schedules were examined (with no luck). Finally, some backup catcher options are added. Fantasy teams won’t need as many pitchers, so they can afford to roster backup catchers.

Here are the players grouped into the various categories, with the player I’d prefer on the top of that list. 

American League Playoff Hunt (Rangers, Astros, Guardians, White Sox, and Blue Jays)

Josh Jung (40%): Jung is off the IL and hasn’t missed a beat with a .889 OPS and just an 11 percent strikeout rate. Obvious add. 

Brett Bateman (40%): If all teams were active, Bateman’s rostership rate would be higher. He’s hit leadoff in 18 straight games with a .333 average, two homers and three steals. The 24-year-old might be harnessing some newfound power, with homers in back-to-back games last week.

Andrew Benintendi (17%): The White Sox are scheduled to face righties in five of their last six games, with three on the weekend for those with mid-week lineup changes. 

Arizona at Colorado 

Kyle Karros (49%): Karros just made the rostership cutoff because fantasy managers are likely adding him for seven home starts this week. A nice balanced profile with speed (five steals), power (12 homers), and on-base skills (.355 OBP). 

Adael Amador (21%): He’s been great (.906 OPS, 67 plate appearances) since being promoted. He’s hit four homers in 67 trips to the plate. He has a career-high 89 percent contact rate. He only has to keep the production going another week.  

Lars Nootbaar (46%): All the relevant Diamondbacks are rostered, with Nootbaar just slipping in under the cutoff. He’s been a disappointment with just seven homers and two steals in 301 plate appearances. One item holding him back is that he only faces righties, with five on the schedule this week. He is scheduled to face two in Colorado and three in San Diego. I don’t want to start him, but he could be an injury replacement. 

Angels and Astros at Athletics 

Vaughn Grissom (35%): Of the players listed here, Grissom is by far the best. And he’s not that good, with 11 homers in 431 plate appearances. His best trait is that he qualifies at three different positions (1B/2B/3B).

Denzer Guzman (3%): Started eight straight games against both righties and lefties. He hit .297/.316/.405 in September. No difference-making skills, but could be a nice volume play to end the season. 

Carlos Cortes (27%): The strong-side platoon bat is scheduled to face five righties this week. In the first half (.788 OPS), he was an auto stream, but his production has plummeted in the second half, as he has a .572 OPS since the break with just three home runs. 

Donovan Walton (0%): The 32-year-old journeyman has been strangely productive with seven homers and a .263 average in 240 Pplate appearances. Like Cores, he only faces righties, so his playing time will be limited.  

Platoon Situations 

None. Not a single team is scheduled to face six or more righties next week, according to our starting pitcher grid. 

Seven-Game Week 

None. It’s all six-game weeks…for now.

Catchers

Leo Bernal (38%): Bernal should have been added by some team in all leagues. He’s starting every game and hitting in the middle of the lineup and has three homers and a .295 average in 65 plate appearances. Add away as a starter or backup. 

Luis Campusano (32%): Another solid option with “only” eight homers in 228 plate appearances. He’s also providing some batting average help with a .273 average. And he’s stealing some DH at-bats, with 13 starts in the last 14 games. 

Rafael Flores Jr. (32%): The only knock on Flores compared to Bernal is that Flores sits every fifth day or so. Flores has nine homers in 135 plate appearances — that’s a 40-homer pace — and a .274 average. 

After going over potential starters to end the season last week, I’m going to dive into some available hitters (<50% rostered in the NFBC RotoWire Online Championship) who could contribute as the season winds down. 

I considered several criteria to put this list together. During this last week, non-contending teams or teams which have already clinched a playoff spot will rest their regulars and let bench bats play. Additionally, certain parks (Colorado and West Sacramento) can be attacked. (The Reds are on the road). Next, platoons and long schedules were examined (with no luck). Finally, some backup catcher options are added. Fantasy teams won’t need as many pitchers, so they can afford to roster backup catchers.

Here are the players grouped into the various categories, with the player I’d prefer on the top of that list. 

American League Playoff Hunt (Rangers, Astros, Guardians, White Sox, and Blue Jays)

Josh Jung (40%): Jung is off the IL and hasn’t missed a beat with a .889 OPS and just an 11 percent strikeout rate. Obvious add. 

Brett Bateman (40%): If all teams were active, Bateman’s rostership rate would be higher. He’s hit leadoff in 18 straight games with a .333 average, two homers and three steals. The 24-year-old might be harnessing some newfound power, with homers in back-to-back games last week.

Andrew Benintendi (17%): The White Sox are scheduled to face righties in five of their last six games, with three on the weekend for those with mid-week lineup changes. 

Arizona at Colorado 

Kyle Karros (49%): Karros just made the rostership cutoff because fantasy managers are likely adding him for seven home starts this week. A nice balanced profile with speed (five steals), power (12 homers), and on-base skills (.355 OBP). 

Adael Amador (21%): He’s been great (.906 OPS, 67 plate appearances) since being promoted. He’s hit four homers in 67 trips to the plate. He has a career-high 89 percent contact rate. He only has to keep the production going another week.  

Lars Nootbaar (46%): All the relevant Diamondbacks are rostered, with Nootbaar just slipping in under the cutoff. He’s been a disappointment with just seven homers and two steals in 301 plate appearances. One item holding him back is that he only faces righties, with five on the schedule this week. He is scheduled to face two in Colorado and three in San Diego. I don’t want to start him, but he could be an injury replacement. 

Angels and Astros at Athletics 

Vaughn Grissom (35%): Of the players listed here, Grissom is by far the best. And he’s not that good, with 11 homers in 431 plate appearances. His best trait is that he qualifies at three different positions (1B/2B/3B).

Denzer Guzman (3%): Started eight straight games against both righties and lefties. He hit .297/.316/.405 in September. No difference-making skills, but could be a nice volume play to end the season. 

Carlos Cortes (27%): The strong-side platoon bat is scheduled to face five righties this week. In the first half (.788 OPS), he was an auto stream, but his production has plummeted in the second half, as he has a .572 OPS since the break with just three home runs. 

Donovan Walton (0%): The 32-year-old journeyman has been strangely productive with seven homers and a .263 average in 240 Pplate appearances. Like Cores, he only faces righties, so his playing time will be limited.  

Platoon Situations 

None. Not a single team is scheduled to face six or more righties next week, according to our starting pitcher grid. 

Seven-Game Week 

None. It’s all six-game weeks…for now.

Catchers

Leo Bernal (38%): Bernal should have been added by some team in all leagues. He’s starting every game and hitting in the middle of the lineup and has three homers and a .295 average in 65 plate appearances. Add away as a starter or backup. 

Luis Campusano (32%): Another solid option with “only” eight homers in 228 plate appearances. He’s also providing some batting average help with a .273 average. And he’s stealing some DH at-bats, with 13 starts in the last 14 games. 

Rafael Flores Jr. (32%): The only knock on Flores compared to Bernal is that Flores sits every fifth day or so. Flores has nine homers in 135 plate appearances — that’s a 40-homer pace — and a .274 average.Â