Jedd Gyorko has 20 home runs in less than 300 at-bats this season

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

Jose Reyes (NYM – SS, 3B) – Owned in 26.8% of ESPN Leagues
Don’t look now, but Reyes looks to finally have found his sea legs. Reyes has at least one hit in eight of his last 10 games, scoring eight runs over that span. With Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes back, the Mets’ lineup is suddenly looking . . . not abysmal. So, as long as Reyes can continue to get on base, he should be able to score runs at a solid clip. Plus, he missed the first half of the season and recently had a DL stint. In other words, he should be fresh and ready to finish strong.

HOME RUNS

Jedd Gyorko (STL – 1B, 2B, SS, 3B) – Owned in 37% of ESPN Leagues
Five homers in his last 10 games. Twenty homers in just 281 at-bats. A clear path to playing time. What more could fantasy owners want? Gyorko is not without his faults, but, quite frankly, almost everyone who is widely available and can help you in homers at this point has massive faults. Gyorko not only provides a lot of value, but he qualifies pretty much everywhere. He’s an ideal add for any fantasy team.

RBI

Randal Grichuk (STL – OF) – Owned in 23.8% of ESPN Leagues
Let’s stick with the Cardinals and name the other guy who is making the most of his opportunity with, essentially, the entire team on the DL. That is Randal Grichuk. To say Grichuk has been a disappointment this season is an understatement, but he’s back from Triple-A, has an opportunity to play, and has been raking. He’s got 10 RBI over his last 10 games and looks very comfortable at the plate. Mike Matheny has said publicly that Grichuk will play every day, so you can expect, by virtue of his opportunity if nothing else, that he’ll be a solid producer of RBI. Also, watch him play sometime. The dude looks like he is trying to destroy the baseball at every opportunity. There shall be strikeouts, but they shall come with RBI!

AVERAGE/ON BASE PERCENTAGE

Cesar Hernandez (PHI – 2B, 3B, SS) – Owned in 10.1% of ESPN Leagues
I’m surprised Hernandez has never made the cut in this section before, considering he’s my favorite type of empty batting average guy to write about here. Hernandez is batting .296 on the season with a .355 on-base percentage. He’s batting .329 in August with nine walks, and he’s got six multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. In other words, he’s basically the exact guy you need to target if you need batting average or OBP help.

STOLEN BASES

Jose Peraza (CIN – 2B, SS, OF) – Owned in 6.4% of ESPN Leagues
You know the usual names, and strongly consider Keon Broxton here, about whom I wrote last week. But, in an effort to toot my own horn, I’m writing about Jose Peraza this week. Many moons ago, I wrote about how you should pick up Peraza and stash him because he’ll eventually get a shot to play most days and will provide a ton of steals. As his two stolen bases on Tuesday show, the kid is going to run whenever he can. He’s got elite speed and should continue to play in a utility role even after Zack Cozart comes back. He should be a difference-maker in steals, and he will help out in runs and batting average.

PITCHERS

WINS

Ivan Nova (PIT – RP, SP) – Owned in 12.8% of ESPN Leagues
Hi, Ray Searage? This is the Hall of Fame calling. Can you tell us how you manage to fix every single mediocre starter who comes to the Pirates? Thanks. Since joining the Pirates, Nova has a 3.20 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and three wins in four starts. And the Pirates have one of the easiest schedules remaining for any team in the majors. So, Ray Searage + mediocre starter + easy schedule = wins. Done and done.

STRIKEOUTS

Kevin Gausman (BAL – SP, RP) – Owned in 29.7% of ESPN Leagues
I really like Kevin Gausman. I just don’t get Kevin Gausman. Why can’t he put it all together? Why does he pitch so much better at home in a hitter-friendly park than on the road? Does he pronounce his name “Gaw-sman,” “Gawz-man,” or “Gouw-sman”? About the only thing I understand about Gausman is his ability to get strikeouts. And so should you! He’s got 131 Ks in 133 innings. Plus, he’s given up two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. So, he’s a decent addition to your fantasy team if you need pitching help, especially strikeouts. Just figure out how to pronounce his name and tweet me, please.

ERA

Chad Green (NYY – SP, RP) – Owned in 23% of ESPN Leagues
Congratulations, Chad Green. When I write about you in the ERA spot, you have a great start, and your ownership percentage remains below 40%, you get to be a repeat entry. Green followed up his dominant start against the Blue Jays with an excellent start against the Angels – six innings pitched, one earned run, six baserunners and five strikeouts. He looks like he has finally put it all together this year, considering how well he pitched in Triple-A and now in his brief return to the majors. Really, it’s rare to have a guy pitching as well as Green is so widely available this late in the season. But note, his ownership percentage is rising – almost 20% since last week – so add him now.

WHIP

David Phelps (MIA – SP, RP) – Owned in 37.4% of ESPN Leagues
Back-to-back repeat entries. It’s a toss-up between trying to mix it up and giving the best advice I can. So, I’m going with the latter on this one. After being written about here last week, Phelps went out in his next start and allowed four baserunners in six innings. And for those new to fantasy baseball, that’s, you know, a really good WHIP. I realize we’re all skeptical of the whole “reliever turns starter” thing, but there’s this Danny Duffy character that has kind of turned that on its head. Like Duffy, Phelps has been able to keep his velocity as a starter, and the results are there. For WHIP help, for ERA help, for strikeouts help, you can turn to Phelps.

SAVES

Brandon Kintzler (MIN – RP) – Owned in 34.9% of ESPN Leagues
Adam Ottavino. I’m sorry, I just promised last week that I would write about you unless your ownership percentage got over 40%, which it hasn’t. But, since you haven’t gotten a save in the last week and fantasy owners appear to dislike you, let’s focus on another under-owned closer in Brandon Kintzler. Kintzler has been pretty lights out since taking over the job, and he’s yet to allow a run in August. The Twins have been winning more lately, although it hasn’t translated into an abundance of save opportunities. Still, a guy like Kintzler who will help your overall numbers and will get at least a handful of saves over the next several weeks should be owned.

Dan Harris is a correspondent with FantasyPros. For more from Dan, check out his archive or follow him @danharris80.