Astros in Fantasy: Fantasy Players of the Week- Week 16

1 of 3

A Look at Fantasy Baseball Through the Lens’ of an Astros Fan

Jul 17, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh (31) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at Safeco Field. Houston defeated Seattle, 8-1. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Here is how I did in Week 15:

Week 15 Hitter:

A.J. Reed– 1/3 H/AB, 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, .333 BA

Limited to a platoon role on the Astros active roster, this weekend may have been the beginning of the end for Reed’s 2016.

All four of his at-bats this weekend came against right-handed pitching, getting a single in his third at-bat Saturday against the young right-handed set-up man Edwin Diaz. He also walked in a pinch-hit opportunity on Sunday afternoon against veteran right-hander Joaquin Benoit.

With the inevitable call-up of both Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel, both corner positions, with Bregman at third and Luis Valbuena at first, and the designated hitter position, Gurriel, will be filled. Reed will either continue to platoon on the major league roster or go back to Triple-A Fresno to hone in on his offensive game, especially against left-handed pitchers.

There is no question if Reed will be the starting first baseman on Opening Day in 2017. That is when fantasy owners should take a serious look at him, though. Until then, Reed should spend the rest of August, before September call-ups, working to meet the expectations the Astros and fantasy owners have of him.

Week 15 Pitcher:

Collin McHugh– 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 1 W, 0.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP

McHugh started the second half of 2016 in dominant form.

In a start that is very similar to a start by his Astros rotation counterpart Lance McCullers, McHugh threw six shutout innings, giving up four hits and four walks while striking out 10. He helped lead the Astros to an 8-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. This was the start McHugh was looking for to start the second half after posting a 3.11 ERA post All-Star break last season.

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

Going into the All-Star break, McHugh was just as dominant, posting a 3.07 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in his last seven starts. He has also had his strikeout pitch working in those seven starts striking out 43 in those 41 innings.

However, in those seven starts, McHugh only recorded three decisions. He had a record of one win and two losses in those starts.

If the Astros give him run support like they did Sunday afternoon, McHugh is looking to have a fantastic second half. Pick up McHugh while you can.

Next: Now on to Week 16

Week 16 Hitter:

Carlos Correa (Owned in 99.2% of ESPN Fantasy leagues)

Jul 17, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) greets center fielder Carlos Gomez (30) following a grand slam home run by Gomez during the seventh inning at Safeco Field. Houston defeated Seattle, 8-1. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

After watching Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor and Eduardo Perez taking reps at shortstop for the American League All-Star team, Correa has something to prove in the second half of the season.

As I wrote about in my Astros in Fantasy: First Half Recap, Correa had a little bit of a slow start to 2016. Going into the All-Star break, Correa was only hitting .260 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs. With the expectation of leading the Astros and fantasy teams alike to glory, those numbers were underwhelming.

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

However, Correa is off to a good start to his second half. In his three games against the Mariners this weekend, Correa had three hits, including two doubles, in 10 at bats. He also scored twice and drove in two.

Correa loves to hit behind All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve in the Astros lineup. As opposed to a .249 batting average and a .744 OPS batting third, Correa is hitting .283 with a .945 OPS in the cleanup spot. Also, he has six home runs and 25 RBIs in only 99 at bats.

The Astros are going to need that bat this week when they take on two division rivals. However, Correa has been successful against both the Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.

In his 38 at-bats against the A’s this season, Correa is hitting .263 with a .891 OPS. He also has five extra-base hits, including a home run, and seven RBIs. Against the A’s starters that have been announced for this series, Kendall Graveman, and Daniel Mengden, Correa has three hits in his eight at-bats including a home run and four RBIs.

Correa’s numbers against the Angles are even more impressive. In his 31 at-bats, he is hitting .387 with a 1.380 OPS against them. He has nine extra-base hits, including four home runs, and 18 RBIs.

The Astros would love for Correa to continue being a factor in the four-hole against these division rivals. If he puts up numbers similar to what he has done against the Angels and A’s this season, fantasy owners should be ready for a great week from the Astros shortstop.

Next: Week 16 Pitcher

Week 16 Pitcher:

Dallas Keuchel (Owned in 94% of ESPN Fantasy leagues)

Jul 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) delivers a pitch during the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

After a rough start to his 2016, the 2015 AL Cy Young award winner has gone under the radar a bit in these last couple of weeks for fantasy owners.

In his last 32.1 innings pitched, Keuchel has a 3-0 record while only given up ten earned runs on 30 hits and eight walks. With his 1.18 WHIP, Keuchel also has struck out 23 batters.

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

Keuchel looks to continue that success Tuesday against the last-place Oakland A’s. In his last start before the All-Star break, Keuchel had success against this A’s team, throwing seven innings of one-run ball, giving up four hits, walking two and striking out five in the Astros’ 2-1 win.

A couple of hitters on this A’s team has Keuchel’s number, though. Coco Crisp, Marcus Semien and Jake Smolinski each have a batting average over .295 against him, limit ten at-bats. However, the one guy to watch out for is a former Astro. Jed Lowrie, the A’s shortstop, is hitting .346 and has driven in three in 26 at bats against Keuchel.

Next: Astros Hack-Gate Update: Chris Correa Receives his Sentence

With a ground ball percentage creeping up to 57.4% after his last start, Keuchel seems to be coming back to his ace-like self. And with fantasy owners who drafted Keuchel as high as the first five rounds of their draft that should be music to their ears. Look for him to have a solid start Tuesday.

***Stats provided by MLB.com and FanGraphs***

Home / Astros News

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

Schedule