Whether you're in need of an injury fill-in or just a hot-hand play, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in no more than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any estimation, but they're the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
All information is up to date as of Sunday afternoon.
Sleeper hitters for Week 27 (Sept. 23-29)
Pete Crow-Armstrong has proven himself to be a steady enough contributor for the Cubs over the past two months that he doesn't need sparkling matchups to be an advisable play in Fantasy. Still, he has decent enough ones this week, particularly when you consider that there's only one lefty.
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Now that he's gotten settled with the Dodgers, Tommy Edman looks as good as he ever has, which is saying something given that he was generally regarded as a must-start player with the Cardinals. If his recent home run barrage isn't reason enough to start him, note that he closes out the season with three games at Coors Field.
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Since returning from a lengthy IL stint for a back injury, Kerry Carpenter has hit .301 with nine homers and an OPS around .950 in 32 games. He's had a pivotal role in helping the Tigers surge into playoff contention, and this week, he's scheduled to face nothing but righties, thus ensuring that he stays in the lineup.
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I've mentioned that the Tigers have nothing but righties on the schedule, and to be clear, it's mostly vulnerable righties like Zack Littell, Chris Flexen, Sean Burke, and Jonathan Cannon. More than anything, though, Meadows is here because he's been nothing short of terrific since returning from the minors, batting .287 (47 for 164) with five homers and five steals in 41 games.
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I actually don't like Jorge Soler's matchups at all, but he seems to have caught fire with the Braves' season coming down to the wire. With as hard as he hits the ball, he could make a considerable impact even with suboptimal matchups.
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It's so easy to default to Michael Toglia here whenever the Rockies have favorable matchups since he's easily the most exciting of their hitters not yet rostered in 80 percent of leagues. It's true his numbers are better on the road, and it's also true that what makes the Rockies matchups so favorable this week is a full slate of home games. But in the long run, as the sample increases to infinity, you can always trust that a Rockies hitter's numbers will be better at home.
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Andrew Vaughn's 2024 has gone about like the rest of the White Sox's has, but he's at least ending the year on a high note, entering Sunday's game batting .333 (20 for 60) with four homers in his past 15 games. He'll take that good work into a week in which he's scheduled to face four left-handers, which is notable because he's batting nearly 45 points higher with an OPS nearly 100 points higher against lefties than righties this year.
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Carlos Santana has cooled off a little after a hot start to September, but he remains an integral part of a sturdy Twins lineup that happens to have the fifth-best hitter matchups this week, featuring some of the biggest squishes the Marlins and Orioles have to offer like Ryan Weathers, Valente Bellozo, Cade Povich and Albert Suarez.
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When you hear that the Rockies are scheduled for a full week at Coors Field, the first place your mind should go is to Brendan Rodgers, who's been a .328 hitter with an .884 OPS there this year (vs. .210 and .561 on the road). He has been sitting occasionally for Aaron Schunk, however, which is why he's not higher on this list.
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Spencer Horwitz has gone fairly quiet since homering three times during a two-game stretch earlier this month, but he's maintaining a batting average around .275 and generally playing every day. The Blue Jays have the third-best hitter matchups this week -- going against pitchers like Brayan Bello, Richard Fitts, Adam Oller and Darren McCaughan -- which gives Horwitz a good chance to finish the year on a high note.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 27
1. Cardinals @COL3, @SF3
2. Phillies CHC3, @WAS3
3. Blue Jays BOS3, MIA3
4. Rockies STL3, LAD3
5. Twins MIA3, BAL3
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Worst hitter matchups for Week 27
1. Nationals KC3, PHI3
2. Orioles @NYY3, @MIN3
3. Athletics TEX3, @SEA3
4. Yankees BAL3, PIT3
5. Astros SEA3, @CLE3