The Octobomb

If you haven’t picked up Josh Willingham yet, you have about 30 second left. Last week, you could hear the buzz in fantasy circles as he regained his form with hits in 7 of his last 18 at-bats. Maybe you weren’t convinced. After all, he does play for the Washington Nationals. So perhaps his eight-RBI performance, courtesy of two grand slams, makes you a believer. I’ll pause while you claim him.

There are always a few players like him every year, especially in the outfield, who are deserving of good fantasy team homes, and Willingham definitely falls into this category. Currently, he boasts a .298 average, but with only 39 RBI. Keep in mind he platooned much of April and May, even part of June. And in fantasy, you know that it’s not about what you’ve done, but what you’ll do.

Willingham joins other respectable players who are ignored. Just look on his bench.

Starting pitcher John Lannan has surrendered only three runs in his last 23.2 innings, yet Yahoo shows that he’s owned in only 36 percent of its leagues. And if you look at the transaction trends, just as many people are dropping him as they are claiming him – 996 adds vs. 995 drops recently. I don’t get it.

Nyjer Morgan is hardly a sleeper, but he is owned in only 75 percent of Yahoo leagues; shocking considering his production. While his average dropped as low as .252 on June 19, he stands now at .303 with 55 runs and 30 stolen bases, 12 of those in July.

Outside of the Nationals, here are a few other considerations:

Tommy Hunter – In 30.2 innings, the Rangers starting pitcher has surrendered only five runs for a 1.46 ERA, with three wins over his past four starts. Taken in only 32 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Scott Feldman – Another Rangers pitcher who’s commanding respect. Feldman has four wins in his last five starts, posting a 2.51 ERA during that stretch. Owned in only 55 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Erick Aybar – Spent much of the season hovering around .270-.280, but his recent surge has boosted his average to .316. In July, he’s one of the hottest players with a .507 average (35 for 69), 14 runs and 16 RBI. Owned in only 37 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Have a question? E-mail Erin at erskelley@yahoo.com