If you haven't noticed -- and it's easy to overlook given his 2-1 record during that stretch -- Wade Miley has been a vastly improved pitcher over his last nine starts, compiling a 3.39 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

The strikeouts are especially notable considering even at his best as a rookie in 2012, he didn't contribute so many of them. But that rate isn't just the product of a fluky start or two. He recorded at least eight strikeouts in six of those nine starts.

So what's changed? It's hard to tell from the data. Maybe he's just making better use of this slider, which has always been a good swing-and-miss pitch for him. Whatever the reason, it's been going on long enough that I'm willing to entertain its validity, especially since Miley has been a relevant mixed-league contributor in the past.

I'm not saying he's must-own, but if you need another pitcher given the shortage of options for Fantasy Week 16 (July 18-20), he might be worth a flier.