Hotmail
Halpin' Hand: The Lower Half
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Rockies (45.5 percent owned)
If I had known before the season that Tulowitzki was Polish for "sophomore jinx," I wouldn't have ranked him fourth or fifth among fantasy shortstops. It took him until September, but Tulo is finally rounding into form with a .297 average, two homers, nine RBI and a .882 OPS in September. For those who need a middle infielder — perhaps if you're the unlucky owner of Carlos Guillen or Mark Ellis — there are far worse options for the season's final week.
Michael Bourn, OF, Astros (27.1 percent owned)
Speaking of whiffs by yours truly, I compared Bourn to Willie Mays Hayes more than once in the spring. My Bourn-love was working out through June, when he had 28 stolen bases. However, Bourn's struggles with injuries coincided with the Astros' realization that he can't hit and has swiped only nine bases since the beginning of July. But six of those nine are this month, which means that Bourn is turning on the jets again. Whooooosh!
Odalis Perez, SP, Nationals (6.2 percent owned)
I honestly can't believe I'm recommending Odalis. But with the mish-mash of available pitchers out there right now, if you've gotta grab someone, it might as well be him. He's allowed three runs in his last 13 1/3 innings, with a Halladayesque 17 strikeouts against just one walk. I don't know if he can keep it up, but all we're asking for is one more game! Come on, Odalis!
(Note: Perez will probably make his final start Friday or Saturday.)
Ryan Shealy, 1B, Royals (3.9 percent owned)
Shealy's 29 years old, so he's not exactly a prospect anymore. But he's a huge guy with some power, and he's got five homers along with 11 RBI over his last 10 games. You want five games worth of potential pop in your fantasy lineup? Shealy's worth a shot.
Sean Gallagher, SP, A's (3.3 percent owned)
Gallagher was the biggest part of the package the A's received in return for Rich Harden, and while he's not exactly an ace-in-the-making, he's not bad. After some struggles — including a 10-run outing that reportedly caused 11 self-inflicted injuries by fantasy owners nationwide — Gallagher has allowed just four runs in his last three starts, with 17 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. As an added bonus, his final start of the season will come against the awful Mariners on Friday, and they've got some local high school players in the lineup at this point.
Joel Hanrahan, RP, Nationals (3.2 percent owned)
I don't mean to be rude, and I know the Nats are terrible, but how the %$#@! is Hanrahan owned in such a small number of leagues around here? He's no K-Rod, but he's averaged just over a save per week since inheriting the closer's role in D.C., and that's pretty standard. If one extra save has the chance to stand between you and fantasy immortality this week, grab Hanrahan.
Joey Devine, RP, A's (1.7 percent owned)
How many times this season have I written, "The A's are going to make Joey Devine the closer any day now?" Twenty? Thirty? I'm still not sure if Devine's officially the closer, but he got a save Sunday, and you never know if he could nab another one this week. I don't care if it took the A's until September 21 to give Devine the chance to close — I'm claiming vindication on this one.
Brandon Wood, 3B/SS, Angels (1.4 percent owned)
So, what's a whiff every three-and-a-half at bats among friends? Thanks to a string of injuries in the Angels' infield, Wood became the team's shortstop for a little while. He'll probably never hit for a high average, but he's got some pop, along with two stolen bases in his last eight games. If you pick Wood up in a keeper league, you could have a 25-homer shortstop on your hands for 2009. Disclaimer: Erick Aybar, Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick all played Monday, so Wood's playing time may be inconsistent this week.
Nyjer Morgan, OF, Pirates (0.3 percent owned)
Following in the grand tradition of fellow column participants Bourn and Brett Gardner, Morgan is a steal-first, ask-questions-later type of player. He had 44 thefts in the minors this season, plus eight more with the Pirates. He's also got a .375 average and 10 runs scored in his last 10 games. Finally, it's a well-known fantasy axiom that it's good luck to pick up a guy named Nyjer whenever you get the chance .
Brett Gardner, OF, Yankees (0.1 percent owned)
OK, so I recommended Gardner in June, and again in August, and if you picked him up at either point you probably think I'm an idiot. Fair enough, but if you need steals this week, Gardner's a solid option. He has four steals since September 13, and with Hideki Matsui done for the season, he could get even steadier playing time. You know the old saying — the third time's the charm, and if it's not, you can always write hate mail to your favorite fantasy columnist.
advertisement
