Fantasy talk: Players to Buy low and to Sell High

Buy low:


Anthony Rizzo- Rizzo is raking in Triple-A and Bryan LaHair could be gone soon. Once LaHair gets traded, Rizzo will become the everyday first baseman for the Cubbies and will see a real good amount of playing time. I'd say do not pick up Rizzo yet but if you see LaHair getting moved within the next few days or weeks, I'd jump on the waiver wire and immediately pick up Rizzo.

Wil Myers- This might be a little too early, but Myer is having a great season in Triple-A. This is kind of the same scenario as Rizzo, because Myers is blocked behind Jeff Francoeur in the depth chart. The Royals may trade Francoeur this year so if he does in fact get traded, Myers will most likely get called up too replace him. Just like Rizzo, I wouldn't pick him up just yet but he might get a lot of playing time soon at the major league level so his name is definitely worth mentioning.

Glen Perkins- Perkins' name has always been mentioned every time the Twins threaten to demote Matt Capps from the closers position. Capps isn't having an awful year but the Twins are probably going to trade him because they are not contending. Perkins has a good ERA of 3.03 and there is a high chance that he is probably not owned in your league. If Capps gets traded, Minnesota will probably look at Perkins to man the closing duties. Keep an eye on Perkins because he has had some trouble staying healthy in the past.

Justin Upton- I'm sorry I'm not sold on Upton being a fantasy bust yet. He is hitting .258 with 6 home runs and I am really confident that he is going to heat up. You could probably get Upton for a really cheap price right now so I'd definitely consider getting him.

Tom Wilhelmsen- Wilhelmsen has taken Brandon League's closing job in Seattle and has been very reliable for the M's. He's definitely an option for those out there who are looking for bullpen help and a few saves here and there. As of now it appears that he is going to keep his closer job but I'd definitely monitor his performances carefully.

Sell High:

Trevor Plouffe- Plouffe has been very hot lately, hitting over .380 with 9 home runs in June. The potential has always been there for Plouffe but not his power numbers. His batting average didn't even reach the Mendoza line in April, March and May and he is definitely expected to go downhill very soon.

Jim Thome- Not too many owners own Thome, but if you own him I'd suggest you get rid of him immediately. He got a lot of bats as a designated hitter during inter league play and took advantage of it, hitting .364 with 3 home runs. But Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel has told reporters that Thome will go back to the pinch-hitting role once the inter-league match ups end. I'd try to shop Thome right now because in a few days he will provide nothing to your team.

Phil Hughes- Phil Hughes has been awfully inconsistent throughout his entire career, and many people think that his reason string of good starts have showed that he is going to be more consistent as a player now. Hughes has claimed that he has found his problems and fixed them, but I don't buy that. He is going through a hot stretch right now but is still the same Phil Hughes. He's allowed 15 home runs in 13 games, and that is his worst rate ever. Sell him now while his value is high.

Daniel Nava- Nava has seen a lot of playing time in the Red Sox outfield lately due to several injuries. Throughout his career he has really been known as a Quadruple-A, a guy who can hit very well in Triple-A but not so much in the big leagues. He has hit well this year and I'm sure most of you jumped the gun to get him. If you have him, I'd say either trade him or drop him because he is probably going to cool down soon. Even if he doesn't cool down, he is probably going to be benched because a lot of players will be coming off of the DL shortly.

Justin Masterson- Yes, I know he is fresh off of a complete game shutout and has looked good in his last few starts. That is why you have to deal him now while his value his high. He is a very streaky player and tends to fade down the stretch.