Sleeper hitters for Week 22 (Aug. 17-23)
Rarely have the Rockies gotten a full week at their hitter-friendly home, but that's the case in Week 22, which should be good news for all of their hitters. Unfortunately, the four lefties on tap ruin it for some, but not Cole Carrigg, who's so far batting .354 at Coors Field and .321 against lefties.
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After a miserable first three months, Steven Kwan has come around and then some since the start of July, batting .387 (46 for 119) in 34 games. The Guardians' top-ranked hitter schedule, which includes three games at Coors Field, makes him an easy call in all formats this week.
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Chandler Simpson has begun to hit like he did in the minors, batting .386 (61 for 158) over his past 42 games. There's no power, of course, but as long as your league doesn't cheapen the value of steals (he has 19 during this 42-game stretch), he's a must right now.
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Like Cole Carrigg, Willi Castro is a switch-hitter, so this week's lefty surplus isn't a problem for him. Of greater import is that he'll be playing all six of his games at a venue where he's batting .311 with an .840 OPS, and he's also been hot in general, batting .326 (15 for 46) with four homers and a steal in his past 13 games.
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Josh Bell is having a solid year overall for the Twins -- the kind that's deserving of better than a 39 percent roster rate -- and has been particularly productive in August, batting .349 (15 for 43) with three home runs. The Twins' matchups this week aren't especially good or bad, so you should consider Bell to be more of a hot-hand play.
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Zack Gelof has come back from a month-long absence for a knee laceration, performing just as well as he did before it, going 5 for 12 with two homers and a double. The power/speed combo from a triple-eligible player is particularly handy, and the Athletics do have some pretty nice matchups this week with seven games against the Royals and Astros pitching staffs. Then again, all seven of their games on the road, which doesn't favor Gelof, knocking him down a few spots on this list.
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Nolan Arenado didn't seem to have much left in the tank coming into this season but has been a surprisingly good source of power at a weak third base position. His past 36 games have seen him hit .262 (33 for 126) with 10 homers and a .905 OPS, and closing out Week 22 against pitchers like Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder and Andrew Abbott should help to pad those numbers.
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The Diamondbacks' schedule this week is a lefty masher's dream, featuring five such pitchers over a six-game slate. Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt is batting 60 points higher against lefties than righties (.326 vs .265) and overall has performed much better since returning from the minors in mid-July, batting .314 (22 for 70) with two homers.
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Abimelec Ortiz is the player the Nationals called up to replace Luis Garcia at first base, and there's no denying the 24-year-old's power. He homered 18 times in 85 games at Triple-A this year and is already up to four in 11 games in the majors. His biggest issue is that he doesn't play against lefties and shouldn't, judging by his minor league splits, but the Nationals don't have a single one of those on the schedule this week.
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Angel Martinez has been working his way back into everyday duty since returning from a fractured foot, and his performance so far in August certainly helps his cause. He's batting .412 (14 for 35) with a homer and five doubles in 10 games. He's playable at second base and outfield in Fantasy and is worth a look with such a favorable hitter slate this week, which includes a series at Coors Field.
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