Yangervis Solarte has been on fire for the Padres

Here is this week’s category analysis, providing you with a list of players that could help impact a particular category in a standard 5×5 scoring system.

Each week we’ll have an updated list of players, so make sure to check it out.

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HITTERS

Runs

Chase Utley (LAD – 2B) – Owned in 26% of ESPN Leagues
Utley’s ownership percentage increased roughly 7% from the last time I wrote about him two weeks ago. If you were not one of the people who picked him up, you should have been. Over the last 15 days, Utley has scored 11 runs and is batted .280/.339/.440. He had nine RBI over the last seven days as well. Utley continues to be impressive for the Dodgers this season, and he can help your lineup out as well.

Home Runs

Adam Duvall (CIN – OF) – Owned in 43% of ESPN Leagues
Duvall is an all-or-nothing hitter, but if you need HR in your lineup, sometimes you have to sacrifice AVG and OBP. Duvall has six HR over the last 15 days, but he is only batting .212 over that span. He does, however, have a .577 slugging percentage. If you need to add to your HR total, Duvall is your guy.

RBI

Alexei Ramirez (SD – SS) – Owned in 6% of ESPN Leagues
Besides having seven RBI the last seven days, Ramirez is also batting .364/.364/.818 over that stretch. He has hit safely in seven out of his last eight games and would be a welcome addition to your roster. The fact that he plays SS doesn’t hurt either.

Average/On Base Percentage

Yangervis Solarte (SD – 1B, 2B, 3B) – Owned in 12% of ESPN Leagues
Solarte batted .429/.478/.810 over the last seven days and has been solid for the Padres all season. Although he only has three HR and 13 RBI, if you need a solid bench player, that qualifies at multiple infield positions, Solarte can probably be snagged for cheap.

Stolen Bases

Howie Kendrick (LAD – 1B, 2B, 3B, OF) – Owned in 16% of ESPN Leagues
Kendrick is only batting .224/.266/.299 this year, but he does have four stolen bases. When he does get on base, the 10-year veteran has shown a propensity to steal bases. First-year manager Dave Roberts has shown he likes to play “small ball” at times, which only helps Kendrick’s chances of stealing more bases. He qualifies at multiple positions, so you can stick him in when you have an open roster spot and hope for the best.

PITCHERS

Wins

Colby Lewis (TEX – SP) – Owned in 42% of ESPN Leagues
Lewis is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.11 WHIP this year. Although he is not a strikeout pitcher by any means (47 Ks in 70 IP), he has good control and goes deep enough in games to qualify for a win. Lewis has won three starts in a row and the Rangers are 7-4 in games in which he has started for them this year.

Strikeouts

Jeremy Hellickson (PHI – SP) – Owned in 23% of ESPN Leagues
Hellickson now has 65 Ks in 64 IP to go along with a 3.68 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has the second most strikeouts of any starting pitcher widely available in free agency on ESPN. Hellickson has had at least five strikeouts in eight out of 11 of his starts this year.

Earned Run Average

Brad Brach (BAL – RP) – Owned in 9% of ESPN Leagues
Brach allowed just one ER in 12 IP in the entire month of May. He has a 0.94 ERA, and a solid 0.94 WHIP as well, in 29 IP. He has 31 SO and only eight BB.  With Darren O’Day and Zach Britton in the Orioles’ bullpen as well, they and Brach make up one of the best units in the AL.

WHIP

David Phelps (MIA – SP, RP) – Owned in 11% of ESPN Leagues
Phelps has been excellent for the Marlins this year. He has allowed 21 H and struck out 39 batters, allowing just 10 BB, in 31 IP. He qualifies at SP, so you won’t have to clog up a RP spot when you use him. You can use him when another starter is off.

Saves

Sean Doolittle (OAK – RP) – Owned in 28% of ESPN Leagues
If you have not picked up Doolittle and he’s still available in your league, go and do so. Since taking over the closer role, he’s three for four in save opportunities and has a 2.78 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Saves are always hard to come by in free agency and he won’t last around much longer.

AJ Stone is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from AJ, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @ajstone18.