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Lots of teams have clinched or are close to clinching, which means the backups on those teams will get more playing time than usual while the starters get some rest before the grind of the playoffs begins. Similarly, lots of teams have been eliminated from playoff contention or are close to it, which means that younger players will get a little more playing time as teams set their sights on 2017 and beyond. It’s the last week of the season. Let’s get this Deep League Report rolling.

AL-ONLY POSITION PLAYERS

Billy Butler

Billy Butler hit a disappointing .251/.323/.390 with Oakland in 2015 and a similarly underwhelming .276/.331/.403 with Oakland prior to his release. Picked up by the Yankees, he wasn’t expected to play much and wasn’t expected to do much when he played. He has bucked expectations so far with the Bronx Bombers, posting a .281/.417/.619 line with one home run and two doubles over 21 at-bats. That’s a pretty small sample size, but with only a week left in the season, he doesn’t have to stay hot for long to make this run worthwhile for your roto team.

Robinson Chirinos

The Rangers have clinched their division, so they’re probably going to give their starters some extra rest so they’re fresh for the playoffs. That benefits players like Robinson Chirinos, the backups who will play more in the final week while the player ahead of them on the depth chart takes it easy. Chirinos has some power, so he’s a better bet than most of the backup catchers in your league’s free agent pool to put a homer on the board during the final week of the season.

Mason Williams

With the Yankees on the outside of the wild card race looking in, the younger players should get the lion’s share of playing time in the final week as a preview for the 2017 season. That means Mason Williams should get to play more than he has so far, especially with Aaron Judge already shut down for the season. The 25-year-old has very little power and hasn’t stolen many bases this year, but he could rack up a few hits while trying to make his case for a spot on the big league team next season.

Other Options: Tony Kemp, Aaron Hill, Ben Gamel

AL-ONLY PITCHERS

Mike Clevinger

His numbers in the majors this year aren’t horrible, but they’re underwhelming: a 4.65 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 50 1/3 innings. On the plus side, he has struck out nearly a batter per inning and allowed less hits (43) than innings pitched. On the negative side, the 25-year-old has allowed 27 walks, giving him an ugly 4.8 BB/9. He has two starts this week, though, away games in Detroit and Kansas City, so if you need innings and/or a two-start starter, bid aggressively on the well-coiffed righty.

Martin Perez

Among MLB pitchers qualified for the ERA title, Martin Perez has the lowest K/9, a 4.7 mark that’s hard to imagine in the current high-strikeout climate. The 25-year-old is way ahead of the pack, too, with the next closest K/9 being Kendall Graveman’s 5.1. So why should you take a look at him? He has two home starts this week, one against the Brewers and one against the Rays. He doesn’t have much upside, but two starts in the last week matter.

Richard Bleier

He’s pitched well for the Yankees since his recall, putting up a 2.50 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in eighteen innings. Richard Bleier’s peripherals suggest that these numbers aren’t sustainable—his K/9 of 5.0 is low enough to be in Martin Perez territory. His high-80s-into-low-90s fastball velocity doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, either. His 1.5 BB/9 is pretty good, though, and in line with the numbers he posted over the last few leagues in the minors. If you’re looking for someone who won’t put a lot of guys on base this week and don’t care about the low strikeout numbers, bid a dollar on Bleier.

Other Options: Ross Detwiler, Oliver Drake, Evan Scribner, Chris Smith

NL-ONLY POSITION PLAYERS

Charlie Culberson

Like the Rangers, the Dodgers have clinched their division already. Like it does for Robinson Chirinos, that should mean more playing time for Charlie Culberson over the final week of the season while the starters, especially 37-year-old Chase Utley, get some rest before the playoffs begin. The 27-year-old didn’t do much in Triple-A this year, hitting .260/.310/.385 with four home runs and six stolen bases in 285 plate appearances. But with a week left in the season, playing time matters a lot more than true talent level. Bid a buck and hope he helps a little in the counting categories.

Carlos Ruiz

The situation for Carlos Ruiz over the final week of the season is the same as the situation for Charlie Culberson. The Dodgers have clinched, so they’ll be looking to get starting catcher Yasmani Grandal some rest before Game One of their first playoff series. That means more playing time than usual for Chooch. If your second catcher in a two-catcher league won’t play much over the last week, the Panamanian could represent an upgrade.

Austin Hedges

With the Padres playing for next year, Austin Hedges will probably get a lot of playing time over the final week. He certainly earned it, hitting .326/.353/.597 with 21 homers in 334 plate appearances in Triple-A in the admittedly hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. While his lack of plate discipline remains problematic, he makes a good play for next year in keeper leagues, especially since his outstanding defense behind the plate will help him stay in the lineup next year even if his bat goes cold for a while.

Other Options: Anthony Recker, Michael Taylor, Tyler Holt

NL-ONLY PITCHERS

German Marquez

His numbers are fairly pedestrian: a 3.48 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 10.3 innings. His six strikeouts and five walks over those 10.3 innings suggest that those numbers probably won’t get better any time soon. On top of that, he’s a Rockies pitcher, which is rarely an indicator of roto value. Still, he has two starts this week, one on the road against the contending Giants and one at home against the homer-happy Brewers. They aren’t likely to be great innings, but if you need innings and aren’t concerned about the quality of those innings, hold your nose and bid a dollar on the 21-year-old righty.

Luis Avilan

In the final week of the season, it can make a lot of sense to drop a bottom-tier starter and replace them with a middle reliever who is less likely to ruin your rate stats with a disaster start. Luis Avilan wouldn’t be a bad choice for the reliever in that scenario. His 4.6 BB/9 isn’t too good, but his 12.7 K/9 is excellent and he hasn’t allowed a home run in 17 2/3 innings this year. If you’re looking to replace a risky starter with a safer reliever or you need strikeouts from a middle reliever, the 27-year-old lefty should be on your list of options.

Matt Belisle

Like Luis Avilan, Matt Belisle is a good option for owners looking to take some of the volatility out of their rate stats over the final week of the season by ditching disaster-prone starters in favor of safer middle relievers. The 36-year-old veteran has a terrific line this year: a 1.88 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 43 innings with 31 strikeouts and seven walks. His 0.4 HR/9 is well above average and makes him less likely to put up a crooked number than most middle relievers. If you need to play it safe in the final week, the Texan should be towards the top of your list.

Other Options: Neftali Feliz, Josh Smoker, Tim Adleman

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