Astros in Fantasy: Fantasy Players of the Week- 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.

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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

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