Astros in Fantasy: Best and Worst Performances – Week 18

Which Houston Astros players had the biggest positive and negative impacts in fantasy baseball in Week 18?

It’s been an up-and-down couple of weeks for the Astros, and the fantasy numbers reflect that. Good pitching performances aren’t as plentiful as fantasy owners would like, and some key players are on the DL. One more was added to that list, as Evan Gattis is dealing with a concussion.

The loss of Nori Aoki via trade does open up opportunities for Derek Fisher, so grab him if he’s available. New acquisition Francisco Liriano has little to no fantasy value, however, so don’t waste a roster spot on him at this point. Here are the best and worst of the week.

Best Hitter: Alex Bregman

Bregman has been hot since the All-Star break, and this week was his best yet. He hit safely in all seven games, hitting .385 with two homers, nine RBIs, three stolen bases and seven runs scored. He’s riding a nine-game hitting streak and should be owned and started in all leagues right now.

Best Pitcher: Charlie Morton

Morton’s been on a nice run his past three starts, two of which came this week. He tossed six innings of two-hit, two-run ball against the Rays and followed it up with seven innings of three-run ball against Toronto. He’s been the team’s most consistent starter the past two weeks and is worth having on your roster if he’s available.

Worst Hitter: Evan Gattis

Prior to hitting the DL, Gattis had gone 2-for-14 at the plate this week. It’s tough to tell how long a concussion will keep a player out, but monitor the situation if you own him. Gattis should be back to his old self before too long, so there’s no need to panic.

Next: Astros: Charlie Morton is pitching like a playoff pitcher

Worst Pitcher: Francisco Liriano

His Astros debut certainly could have gone better. In his first two appearances, Liriano has taken the loss each time. He’s allowed two hits, two walks and two runs in just one total inning. Even if he becomes successful in his new role, his fantasy value is nonexistent. Don’t waste a spot on him.

***Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference***