Fantasy Fallout: Royals' Whit Merrifield Can Help Hamstrung Fowler Owners

Here are the fantasy implications of the Cubs placing OF Dexter Fowler on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury:

Season-Long Fantasy Leagues

While Fowler had cooled off after a blistering April during which he scored 19 runs and knocked in 15, he was still a valuable fantasy contributor in all standard 5x5 leagues. The Cubs are second only to the Red Sox in terms of runs per game, and Fowler ranks among the team leaders in at-bats, runs, hits, batting average and on-base percentage.

Any leadoff man for such a potent offense has immense fantasy value, and in NL-only leagues, the best replacement may be rookie OF Albert Almora Jr., called up in early June after a hamstring injury felled fellow Cubs OF Jorge Soler.

The 22-year-old has acquitted himself well through his first 11 games in Chicago, slashing .346/.370/.500. He's only made four starts, though, being used primarily off the bench.

In mixed leagues, the top option is likely another rookie, Kansas City OF/2B Whit Merrifield. In 27 games, Whitfield is slashing .339/.356/.496, with 21 runs scored, 12 RBIs and four stolen bases. He's assumed the leadoff role for the red-hot Royals, who have won eight of their last nine games. In that stretch, Merrifield has scored nine runs and recorded a hit in all but one outing. He should be available in approximately 70 percent of fantasy leagues.

Daily Fantasy

Inconsistent playing time may make Almora a better DFS option than a season-long one, as he's one of a few potential bargains on the Cubs' roster thanks to the plethora of outfield injuries.

Recently re-acquired Chris Coghlan drew a start in the leadoff spot Sunday against Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon; for his career, the lefty-hitting Coghlan has fared better against right-handed pitching. While he's hitting just .156 with five home runs in a 2016 season mostly spent in Oakland, the former NL Rookie of the Year has managed five hits and five runs scored in his first 15 at-bats with the Cubs.

Coghlan isn't worthy of any kind of season-long pickup, but he makes for a viable budget-priced DFS option depending on his place in the lineup. Fellow reserve OF Matt Szczur has hit as high as second in the order, and is batting .333 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 38 games and 60 at-bats this season.

Waiver Wire Targets

Aside from Merrifield, other realistically-available outfield options include:

• Jon Jay, Padres: As a short-term replacement for Fowler in either NL-only or mixed leagues, Jay is a solid option. He's batting .299 on the season, while reaching base at a .354 clip, with both marks in line with his career norms. He's scored 35 runs in 67 games, but doesn't offer much help on the basepaths, with just two steals.

• Ezequiel Carrera, Blue Jays: The leadoff role should remain Carrera's with Jose Bautista recently placed on the 15-day DL. In 46 games and 95 at-bats, Carrera is reaching base at a nearly .400 clip, and he led off for all three games of Toronto's weekend series with the Orioles.

• Ichiro Suzuki, Marlins: Suitable for desperate owners in NL-only formats, Suzuki doesn't always start, but he's almost always productive when he does. The 42-year-old is batting .354 and has multi-hit games in each of his last five starts, scoring a run in each. He's 20 hits shy of 3,000 for his MLB career, and Suzuki should be penciled into the leadoff spot a few times a week, especially against right-handed pitching.