Fantasy Baseball Tonight 7/27

Jeff Francoeur hit his third home run as a Met, and he continues to be the offensive force the Mets have so badly needed all year long. He has 13 RBI since coming over from Atlanta and MIGHT be worth a spot on your roster. I would feel much more comfortable if he was either a fourth outfielder or some bench insurance, but in larger leagues he could be in your lineup. I really don't see this continuing, but he should be an integral parts of the Mets offense while their stars are hurt. In fact, he could be even better when the Mets' hitters are healthy, as he would be surrounded by better hitters.

When Julio Lugo was traded to the Cardinals, I wasn't sure that he would get enough playing time to warrant fantasy consideration. Since coming over, Lugo has nine hits in four games and has started each day. If you are in dire need of middle infield help, I would give him a chance. He had some pretty decent steal numbers in Boston when he was healthy.

Ryan Garko has been traded to the San Francisco Giants for a low level minor leaguer. He had finally started to get hot and the Indians were playing him in the outfield to get his bat into the lineup, but now he should have no problem playing everyday. The Giants have tried lots of guys at first, but Garko should see the lion's share of starts there. NL-only leagues or teams in need of some pop could possibly try Garko.

Kelly Shoppach could be the number one beneficiary of this trade. With Garko out of the mix, that could have the Tribe moving Victor Martinez to first base more often, which would get Shoppach in the game more. He hit 21 home runs in limited at bats last year when Martinez was injured, so he could be a nice addition down the stretch. He only hit .261 over that time, so you have to be patient with his batting average. Shoppach started tonight, keep an eye out to see how much he plays in the next couple days.

Alex Gordon has started to hit a little bit. Gordon had two hits on Monday and now has hit safely in five straight games, and he has driven in two runs over that span. I wouldn't run out and grab him right now, but the guy was an elite prospect, so if he starts to hit some more, he could be worth adding. Definitely monitor Gordon in the near future.

Michael Saunders was called up a couple of days ago by the Seattle Mariners and has been installed as the everyday left fielder. He was ranked as the second best prospect in the Mariners organization by Baseball America coming into the season, and in 64 games at AAA he was hitting .310 with 13 HRs and 32 RBI. He will also bring you a decent amount of speed and could steal 15-20 bases in a full season. In his first two games for Seattle he is 2/8 with an RBI. He seems to be flying under the radar so far, but keep an eye on him over the next couple of days to see if he can help you.

Jonny Gomes hit two home runs on Monday, and now has five in the last seven days. So, is he someone you can expect to continue to do this? In a short answer, no. Gomes has shown power in small bursts throughout his career, but he has never been a consistent enough hitter to either stay in a lineup or even in the major leagues. This is short lived, don't buy into it.

Homer Bailey pitched fairly well, but I urge you to temper your excitement. Just remember that it was against the Padres. Second, his last two starts were nightmares, so he hasn't been anything near consistent. Unless you are in an NL-only, or a 16 team league, I would just leave Bailey in free agency, it is likely where he belongs.

Nyjer Morgan reached the 30 steal plateau this season. He has been a great surprise, as his batting average is above .300 as well. He doesn't drive in many runs, but he is at least a two category guy, and if he is helping you in steals he isn't someone I would sell high on, I think he will get close to 45 for the year.

I will be joining Steve Gardner at usatoday.com for the third installment of the Fantasy Roundtable on Tuesday 7/29 at 12pm EST. This one will focus on the trade dealine, but any topic in fantasy can be discussed. It will be featuring a more user friendly chat format, and should be smoother than our previous attempts. You can join us here, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the chat.