Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season is complete and there were many great individual performances this week that helped propel head-to-head league owners to wins. From the best in the game to some surprise fantasy contributors, here's a review of the top 10 fantasy baseball players from May 21 to May 27*.
10*. SS Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
Week 8 statistics*: 9/24 H/AB, 7 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, .375 AVG
Despite playing on the road at the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds in Week 8, Tulowitzki had his best week of the season. Tulowitzki has historically played well at the Great American Ball Park (.397 batting average) and had no problem racking up statistics at the Marlins' new home.
9. 1B Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
Week 8 statistics: 10/23 H/AB, 6 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, .435 AVG
Inconsistent for most of the season, Teixeira was able to raise his batting average almost 30 points with a strong effort on the road against the Oakland Athletics. In the three-game series against the Athletics, Teixeira went 8-for-14, hit three home runs, and recorded eight of his now 29 RBIs on the season.
8. OF Jeff Francoeur, Kansas City Royals
Week 8 statistics: 11/25 H/AB, 5 R, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, .440 AVG
Like Teixeira, Francoeur was slumping early on this season and found success against two teams he has had success against throughout his career. Against the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, Francoeur is a .299 hitter with eigh home runs and 27 RBIs in 47 career games.
7. SP Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals
Week 8 statistics: 13.0 IP, 2 W, 0 SV, 19 K, 1.38 ERA, 0.77 WHIP
Arguably the best starting pitcher in the National League this season, Gonzalez has won his last five appearances and has averaged 7.9 strikeouts a start.
6. OF Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox
Week 8 statistics: 8/24 H/AB, 8 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, .333 AVG
Currently in the midst of what appears to be a bounce back season, Rios continued his success in strong outings against the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. A solid power and speed option, Rios is a good No. 3 fantasy outfielder despite his inconsistent stretches of play.
5. SP C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels
Week 8 statistics: 14.0 IP, 2 W, 0 SV, 12 K, 0.64 ERA, 0.50 WHIP
A two-start pitcher in Week 8, Wilson had no trouble against division foes and allowed only three hits in 14 innings of work. Despite picking up a blister on his throwing hand in his last start, Wilson should not be at risk to miss his next start against the Texas Rangers.
4. OF Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
Week 8 statistics: 10/27 H/AB, 8 R, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB, .370 AVG
From his booming home run shots to his overall production as the Marlins cleanup hitter, Stanton was a clear threat against the Rockies and San Francisco Giants with his bat.
3. SP R.A. Dickey, New York Mets
Week 8 statistics: 14.1 IP, 2 W, 0 SV, 21 K, 0.63 ERA, 0.63 WHIP
With two weak Week 8 opponents in the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, Dickey dominated with his knuckleball and racked up an incredibly high number of strikeouts. With a solid ERA, seven wins on the season, and few All-star-caliber players on the roster, Dickey is having a top-notch season and could be rewarded for his numbers at the All-Star Break.
2. 1B Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
Week 8 statistics: 14/24 H/AB, 10 R, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB, .583 AVG
Konerko highlighted a season of great hitting with his 400th career home run on Sunday against Ubaldo Jimenez and the Cleveland Indians. Hitting nearly .400 for the season at the end of May with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 31 runs scored, Konerko is the early favorite for fantasy baseball's best draft value.
1. OF Melky Cabrera, San Francisco Giants
Week 8 statistics: 14/31 H/AB, 12 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 SB, .452 AVG
From a four-hit, three-run performance against the Marlins on May 27 to four RBIs and three runs scored on May 24, Cabrera contributes on a daily basis in a variety of ways. Leading the majors with 73 hits on the season, Cabrera is one of the few reliable bats found on the Giants roster and is a great fantasy asset for runs, stolen bases, and batting average.
Honorable mentions (ranked 11-15 in order): St. Louis Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright, Chicago White Sox OF Dayan Viciedo, Los Angeles Angeles 1B Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels SP Dan Haren, Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips
*Rankings according to Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball rankings in default scoring leagues (head-to-head, 5x5 scoring). Statistics gathered from games on Monday, May 21 to Sunday, May 27. H/AB: Hits/At Bats, R: Runs Scored, HR: Home Runs, RBI: Runs Batted In, SB: Stolen Bases, AVG: Batting Average, IP: Innings Pitched, W: Wins, SV: Saves, K: Strikeouts, ERA: Earned Run Average, WHIP: Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched.
Sources:
Troy Tulowitzki Career Split Stats, Yahoo! Sports
Mark Teixeira Game Log, Yahoo! Sports
Jeff Francoeur Career Split Stats, Yahoo! Sports
Gio Gonzalez Game Log, Yahoo! Sports
C.J. Wilson Game Log, Yahoo! Sports
R.A. Dickey Game Log, Yahoo! Sports
Paul Konerko News & Notes, Yahoo! Sports
Melky Cabrera Game Log, Yahoo! Sports
MLB - Sortable Stats: Batting League Leaders - Hits, Yahoo! Sports
Who's Hot, Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball
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Austin Chang is a lifelong baseball fan, San Francisco Giants supporter, and fantasy baseball player since 2005 who has been a Top 3 finisher in 70% of the leagues he has played in. Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.
