Week seven had its share of good and bad. Below is the best and worst performances of the week.
The five worst performances of week seven.
5. Shane Victorino Right Fielder, Boston Red Sox
The speedy right fielder for the Red Sox has been struggling as of late. In his last five games he has batted .150. In 20 at-bats he has only recorded three hits and looks lost at the plate. The one good sign is that he has only struck out three times. He did not get walked in any of his past five games, so his OBP is the same as his batting average. If you have him on your fantasy team you might want to leave him on your bench until he begins to heat up again.
4. John Buck Catcher, New York Mets
If the Mets didn’t have enough problems already, Buck’s recent hitting slump didn’t help. At one point in the season Buck was the only reliable source of offense for this club. Now? Well, not exactly what he had been doing in the first couple weeks of the season. He is tied for the lead in strikeouts this week, punching in at 11. His batting average over this time is a ratchet .174. If you happened to trade Buck during his hot streak to add more depth to your team, congratulations.
3. Justin Verlander Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
Yes, you read that correctly. Verlander is on the five worst performance list. In his past two starts; which he lost both, he had an ERA of 12.91. This is very strange to look at due to the recent success in Verlander’s career. He only gave up one home run in those two starts but walked seven. His opponent batting average is rough as well, with a .353 tilt. If you have Verlander on your team, start him. Remember this is Justin V. and he will rebound.
2. Danny Espinosa Second Basemen, Washington Nationals
Maybe the worst performance of the week goes to Espinosa. In his past six games, he has struck out 11 times and only recorded two hits in 25 at-bats. His batting average for the week is .080. This is not a good sign as the Nationals' offense has been struggling overall. If you have Espinosa on your team you might want to put him on your bench until he starts performing to his potential.
1. Ike Davis First Basemen, New York Mets
The other offensive threat on the Mets is this guy right here. A lot like Buck, Davis has been struggling to get hits. He is tied for strikeouts with Buck on the week with 11. His batting average is what really catches your eye at .038. The reason it is this low is that he literally can not buy a hit right now. He has one hit in his last 26 at-bats and only has walked once. Considering that this is supposed to be one of the big power hitters has to concern you.
The five best performances of week seven.
5. Jean Segura Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers
Segura led the league in steals on the week with an impressive six. He is also batting .419 over the past seven games with four RBIs and two long balls. He has 13 hits in in 31 at-bats and walked once. Segura has looked like the best fantasy baseball player in all of the league to this point. The Los Angeles Angels have to be kicking themselves over the fact that they traded away this stud and now have relatively gotten nothing in return. If you have Segura keep him in your lineup.
4. Chris Sale Starting Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
The best pitcher on the White Sox is easily Sale, who has been dominating the competition. He won his last two starts and didn’t give up a single run in either of those starts. In his second to last start, he went nine innings and only gave up one hit. He is looking like the best pitcher in the league lately. Start this man at all cost!
3. Billy Butler Designated Hitter, Kansas City Royals
Butler is said to be one of the most reliable DH’s in baseball and he is proving why. In his past six games he has hit for an average of .360 with a league leading ten RBIs. He hit three doubles over the past week and is locked in at the plate. The only bad thing about having a DH on your team is that you only have one spot to put them, which is the utility position. Although, some leagues are different, most don’t have a spot strictly for the designated hitter. Either way, it is worth putting him in your utility spot and you should continue doing so.
2. Raul Ibanez Left Fielder, Seattle Mariners
Ibanez had similar numbers to Butler this week, as he also drove in 10 runs. He hit four home runs in his past five games and has a batting average of .381. He has only struck out five times in 21 at-bats. This guy is a safe bet on any fantasy team and you would be foolish not to start him. Look for Ibanez to continue putting up solid fantasy numbers over the next couple of months.
1. Paul Goldschmidt First Basemen, Arizona Diamondbacks
Everyone was well aware of what Goldschmidt could bring to the table this year and was the buzz of fantasy baseball “sleepers” before the season started. He has not disappointed in the slightest. In fact, in his last six games he has hit three home runs and drove in five men. He has 11 hits in 21 at-bats, giving him a batting average of .524. If you have him on your team, I don’t need to tell you this but I will. Keep him in your lineup, silly rabbit.