Welcome to our last week of regular season coverage before we move on to recapping the year. I hope the final two weeks go smoothly and we close out a strong season together.

Three Up:

1. Boston Red Sox Starting Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez — It has been a tale of two seasons for the left-hander, as he had a 4.65 ERA in the first half and has a 2.40 ERA in the second half. Rodriguez has always had talent and has flashed upside throughout, but it would seem that he would have one bad inning or fail to pitch deep into games, which would leave his ERA inflated. The lefty is putting it all together now. He’s pitching deeper into games, not allowing a lot of runs and still racking up the strikeouts. If this is a sign of things to come, the 26-year-old could be a strong middle-of-the-rotation option in 2020.

2. Chicago Cubs Third Baseman Kris Bryant — I feel like there’s still another level for Bryant, but he continues to be a solid fantasy performer. This past week, the third baseman hit .500 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Bryant is batting .288 with 31 home runs and 77 RBIs for the season which is a strong year, but there’s definitely more in the tank for the 27-year-old.

3. Houston Astros Outfielder George Springer — Speaking of players taking their game to another level, Springer has done just that this season. He has a career high in home runs with 35 yet will fail to play in 140 games this season. Springer would be in the American League Most Valuable Player conversation if he didn’t miss time with an injury, but it’s great seeing him put together a season during which he’s helping in all five categories. For the season, Springer is batting .294 with those 35 home runs, 89 RBIs and 88 runs scored.

Three Down:

1. New York Mets First Baseman Pete Alonso — It’s been a monster rookie season for Alonso, as he has hit 47 home runs at the young age of 24. However, it was a rough week for the first baseman, as Alonso collected only two hits and struck out 10 times. I’m not willing to say Alonso has finally hit a wall, so hopefully he gets back on track for the final couple of weeks of the season.

2. Chicago Cubs Starting Pitcher Jose Quintana — The left-hander was on a strong roll August, as his ERA dipped below 4.00. However, it’s been a struggle in September, as he has allowed at least four earned runs in three straight starts and has failed to pitch four innings in his last two. This is another pitcher that flashes dominance, but can’t find the consistency that would make him one of the top fantasy pitchers.

3. Oakland Athletics Third Baseman Matt Chapman — It’s been a rough September for Chapman, as he is batting .133 with 20 strikeouts with still two more weeks to play. Chapman is having a strong season (he has hit 34 home runs with 85 RBIs), but this rough September is taking a hit to his fantasy production.

Phil Backert

See all posts by Phil Backert. Follow Phil Backert on Twitter at @PhilBackert