Studs
Mitch Moreland, TEX: 11-for-28 (.393), 6 HR, 10 RBI
This doesn't appear to be sustainable, but Moreland is having a career year thanks in large part to his play as of late. He fell off the fantasy radar after hitting just two homers in 167 at-bats last season, but he's up to a .305 average and 14 HR already. The power is mainly what we're after here, as the average (.259 career hitter) should be falling soon enough. Moreland is owned in only 22.8 percent of leagues.
Cesar Hernandez, PHI: 10-for-23 (.435), 6 SB
Where did he come from? Hernandez was a .220 hitter with only three stolen bases prior to June 17th, but he's been unreal ever since. Hernandez has raised his average .56 points over the last two weeks of play, and the stolen bases were big in DFS leagues. Hernandez's shortstop eligibility puts him on the radar, but this could definitely be a one-time appearance on the studs list.
Mike Montgomery, SEA: 18 IP, 0 ER, 2 CG, 2 W, 17 K
Montgomery is a former first-round pick and has long been a highly regarded prospect, but his debut was relatively quiet, especially since there have been other rookies enjoying success on the mound this season. A good way to get attention, though, is to throw back-to-back complete game shutouts. Montgomery was a decent strikeout pitcher in the minors, but it's his efficiency and ability to get deep into games that should have fantasy players on alert. He's owned in just 25.9 percent of FOX Sports leagues.
Nolan Arenado, COL: 9-for-27 (.333), 5 HR, 10 RBI
If he can stay healthy, Arenado could easily push for 40 homers this season. He's already at 24 in just 75 games, and the elevation at Coors Field never hurt anyone's totals. The interesting thing about Arenado, however, is he's done the majority of his damage away from Coors, as 15 of his homers have come on the road. Todd Frazier and Josh Donaldson have gotten more of the headlines, but Arenado has been every bit as good.
Honorable mention: J.D. Martinez (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Zack Greinke (LAD), Ryan Braun (MIL), Buster Posey (SFG), Brett Gardner (NYY)
Duds
Mark Trumbo, SEA: 1-for-19 (.053)
The move from a hitter's park in Arizona to a pitcher's park in Seattle hasn't been kind to Trumbo. The slugger has just one HR in 73 at-bats with the Mariners. Trumbo's power had been fairly consistent up until this season (29-32-34 HR the last three years), but he's not getting on base or hitting for average even with the power stoppage. He's owned in 61 percent of FOX Sports leagues, and that number should start falling in a serious way.
Michael Cuddyer, NYM: 2-for-17 (.118)
Whenever you think he's just about ready to turn it around, Cuddyer goes on another cold streak. The most troubling thing about this season for Cuddyer is his failure to get on base at a decent clip. On his career he's a .344 OBP guy, but this season he's down to .297. Some natural regression was expected after he left Coors Field, but this has been really bad. Cuddyer will be out the next few days with a knee injury, which seems like a good excuse for his remaining owners in mixed leagues to cut bait.
Steven Souza, TB: 0-for-19 (.000)
Souza's combination of power and speed is intriguing, and he's usually batting near the top of the order for the Rays. There's a good fantasy player in here somewhere, but Souza's inability to create contact lately is a little disappointing. Souza hit just .172 in the month of June, and until he turns it around, you can leave him on the waiver wire.
Alexei Ramirez, CWS: 1-for-18 (.056)
Believe it or not, Ramirez is owned in nearly half of FOX Sports leagues. That means there are a lot of cranky owners out there, as Ramirez is hitting just .212 with 2 HR on the season. Given how bad the White Sox offense has been this season and what looks to be a decline of power in Ramirez's bat, it might be time to start looking elsewhere.
Dishonorable mention: Addison Russell (CHC), Jason Castro (HOU)
