Each week, we’ll look at a handful of different players that fantasy managers should consider in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in bigger leagues where there aren’t as many waiver options. Still, they could occasionally be a useful addition in other, more normal leagues, depending on what options you have at their position.

All squad percentages mentioned in this column are from FantasyPros As of Friday afternoon.

All statistics for 2024 refer to the start of play on Friday.

Adrian Del Castillo – 10%

Much like Jake McCarthy in yesterday’s Fantasy Baseball Category Power Rankings, adding members of the premier Arizona Diamondbacks to your fantasy lineup can only be a positive. McCarthy has certainly been excellent as of late, but Del Castillo has quietly (or maybe not so quietly) established himself as an important part of what the Diamondbacks do at bat.

The catcher has a .361 batting average with a .425 on-base percentage, a 201 wRC+ and a .306 ISO so far for the Diamondbacks. Many of those numbers, especially with a .526 BABIP and the fact that they came in a sample of 40 plate appearances, are on the unsustainable side, that much is true.

However, Castillo has already hit three home runs and stolen a base. By comparison, Gabriel Moreno, who has batted more times as a catcher than any other Diamondbacks player this year, has hit just five home runs in nearly eight times as many at-bats (314).

The key point that makes the 24-year-old quite interesting for fantasy leagues – I assume in conjunction with his superficial performance at the beginning of the season – is the fact that he has already collected five barrels in 22 batted ball events.

Admittedly, a fairly high 35% strikeout rate probably impacts that barrel rate somewhat since there are fewer balls in play, but Del Castillo’s ability to consistently hit with power in a strong Diamondbacks lineup should make him a staple in fantasy lineups.

In addition, we are also at a point in the year where it is not too much time-wise, there is still time left. In other words, unsustainably high BABIP numbers may not have time to fully balance out.

That’s not to say Del Castillo will maintain a BABIP above .500 in a larger sample size for the rest of the season, but as long as he doesn’t fall back down to earth in an extreme way, there’s a lot of fantasy potential here.

David Peralta – 9%

David Peralta, now a former member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, can still be found in the National League West.

The longtime former Diamondback played 133 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year and now plays in San Diego with the Padres.

While Peralta still doesn’t play against left-handed pitchers, he continues to be particularly effective against right-handed pitchers.

And while he mostly bats seventh or eighth in San Diego like Del Castillo, his place in one of the league’s better lineups boosts his fantasy value considerably. Plus, Peralta’s consistent seventh or eighth batting might be less his fault than the fact that San Diego’s lineup is pretty deep, with Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Ha-Seong Kim, Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts, a resurgent Donovan Solano and (when healthy) Fernando Tatis Jr. all available as options.

Still, Peralta has been productive when he’s been on the team. He didn’t make his debut in San Diego until late May, on the 22nd to be exact, but he’s been particularly impactful lately.

Since the beginning of July, he has a .304 batting average with a .350 on-base percentage, a 146 wRC+ and six home runs in 123 at-bats, and owns a 192 wRC+ in August, a stretch that includes multi-hit games in six of his last 14 appearances.

Ramon Laureano – 3%

Atlanta hasn’t had the best time this year in terms of injuries. Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr., Sean Murphy earlier this year, Ozzie Albies, AJ Minter and now Austin Riley.

Because of this, a number of players have taken on larger roles. Whit Merrifield, the recently signed Gio Urshela. Jarred Kelenic. Spencer Schwellenbach.

In some of these cases, such as Schwellenbach, it led to a lot of success and productivity in the fantasy realm.

This also led Atlanta to make a number of additions from outside the organization: Merrifield, Urshela, Jorge Soler and Ramón Laureano.

Laureano probably fits the previous list as well, as he has become a regular in Atlanta’s lineup, largely due to his stellar performance at the plate lately.

The veteran has a .299 batting average with a .347 on-base percentage in 72 at-bats since July 21, with five home runs, one stolen base and a wRC+ of 148. He’s also hit eight barrels and a barrel rate of 17.8%. And while he’s striking out 30.6% of the time, his power production is extremely encouraging.

The outfielder’s place in the lineup has changed during this period, with Laureno always batting somewhere between first or second batter and fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth.

If he could hit further up the National League East club’s lineup despite all of his injuries, it would raise his fantasy ceiling even further after such strong form at the plate.

Because while Atlanta’s lineup has struggled to score points lately (at least compared to what we’re used to), ranking behind 18 teams in number of points scored and 15 teams in wRC+, Atlanta’s lineup still features Soler, Murphy, Matt Olson, and Marcell Ozuna, not to mention Travis d’Arnaud, who has a wRC+ of 149 since early July.

Laureano’s recent power production alone makes him worth including for fantasy purposes, but if he can regularly hit near some combination of the aforementioned hitters higher up the lineup, his roster quota would (and should) increase exponentially.

Add it now before that happens.

Cody Bradford – 28%

Bradford has provided some solid performances for the Rangers lately, and since returning from the injured list he has a 3.97 FIP in 23.2 innings across five appearances (four starts).

In that time, he’s struck out 24 batters and allowed just four walks and four home runs, so this is all mostly good for Bradford as a potential streaming option in deeper leagues.

But it’s the upcoming schedule that really puts Bradford in a position to shine in terms of fantasy.

Here are the 10 teams with the fewest goals in the second half.

And here are the Rangers’ remaining opponents by games played.

In short, without standings: The Rangers play all but eight of their remaining games against teams that rank in the bottom third of the league in runs scored in the second half. Bradford obviously won’t start all of those games, but you’ll want him in your fantasy lineup more often in the closing stages due to the fantasy-friendly nature of his team’s upcoming schedule.

Photo by Adobe Stock | Adapted by Carlos Leano.