The midpoint of Memorial Day weekend offers the typically packed Sunday slate, with the luxury of having several solid arm options for those in need of a last-minute pitching boost. For bats, the best bets include an eclectic mix of veterans and youngsters.
Good luck to those in head-to-head leagues as well as everyone else looking to pad their category totals. Here's Sunday's journey around the diamond, with everyone on this list available in at least half of ESPN leagues. Well -- spoiler alert -- almost everyone.
Pitching
Julio Teheran (R), rostered in 44 percent of ESPN leagues, Atlanta Braves at St. Louis Cardinals: Teheran is one of those players who has either burned you or you've never had him on your team. Granted, the opposing lineups he has faced lately are second-tier, but he's amassed a 0.79 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over his last four starts, all without allowing a homer. Left-handed batters are Teheran's kryptonite, especially power hitters, but the majority of the Redbirds' pop comes from the right side.
Andrew Heaney (L), 40 percent, Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers: Heaney is finally set to make his 2019 debut after missing nearly two months with a sore elbow. The lefty fanned 10 with just one walk in 4 ⅓ innings for Triple-A Salt Lake in his last rehab start. The Rangers are a nice draw, especially in Anaheim, as they're mid-pack in terms of production versus lefties while toting the second-highest strikeout rate in that scenario.
Spencer Turnbull (R), 29 percent, Detroit Tigers at New York Mets: One of the goals of a rebuilding team is unearthing and developing homegrown talent. To that end, Turnbull has been a welcome sight so far, fanning more than a hitter an inning while doing a solid job keeping the ball in the yard. He catches the Mets at an opportune time, as the already-struggling offense is without Robinson Cano, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil, setting the way-back machine to roll out Carlos Gomez, Matt Kemp and Rajai Davis in their outfield.
Brett Anderson (L), 8 percent, Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners: Anderson hurt his neck in his last start, but an extra day's rest has him ready for Sunday's turn. The Mariners got to Anderson for three homers earlier in the month, but that was in Seattle. Anderson should fare better at home, facing a lineup fanning 27 percent of the time with a lefty on the hill.
Bullpen: Sunday lines up to be a bullpen game for the Tampa Bay Rays, with Jalen Beeks likely working the middle innings. As tough as it is to keep track of the likely openers and primary pitchers, it's even harder to get a handle on how Kevin Cash deploys his late-inning relievers. Jose Alvarado and Diego Castillo each have five saves, with Emilio Pagan logging three. Of the trio, Castillo is the preferred option, especially in leagues scoring holds.
Hitting
Catcher -- Jorge Alfaro (R), 29 percent, Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals (RHP Erick Fedde): This is the rare instance in which it's worth considering normally ignored Marlins bats, as the Fish have a good chance of taking Fedde to school. Alfaro is the most rostered Marlin but is still widely available. Bryan Holaday got the call behind the dish on Saturday, all but assuring Alfaro will be back in Sunday's lineup.
First Base -- Matt Olson (L), 58 percent, Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners (RHP Mike Leake): Hey, I made the rule, I can bend it. Yes, Olson exceeds the 50 percent cutoff, but not by much and he's cracked five homers the past two weeks.
Second Base -- Cavan Biggio (L), 1 percent, Toronto Blue Jays vs. San Diego Padres (RHP Chris Paddack): The prospect parade continues as the Blue Jays have advanced their second of three second-generation infielders, with Bo Bichette still to come. Biggio compiled impressive counting stats with a discerning eye in his trek through Toronto's system, albeit it with a low average. However, he was hitting .319 for Triple-A Buffalo at the time of his recall. Assuming Biggio maintains his excellent walk rate, he can get away with a lower average, as he possesses 20-homer/20-steals upside. If his hit tool continues to develop, we're looking at a five-category contributor, not unlike his father, Hall of Famer Craig Biggio.
Third Base -- Marwin Gonzalez (S), 46 percent, Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox (RHP Dylan Covey): With Miguel Sano back, the Twins are finding ways to keep Gonzalez's bat in their loaded lineup, along with that of the surprising Luis Arraez. Truth be told, it doesn't matter which is in the lineup; both are solid choices with Covey on the hill.
Shortstop -- Aledmys Diaz (R), 7 percent, Houston Astros vs. Boston Red Sox (LHP Eduardo Rodriguez): Diaz continues to fill in for Jose Altuve at second base. Check the lineup, as there's a chance Altuve returns, but if he doesn't, then Diaz is in a good spot to produce while facing the still-inconsistent Rodriguez. After five straight outings without allowing a long ball, Rodriguez saw three Blue Jays' swings clear the fence his last time out.
Corner Infield -- Kevin Cron (R), under 1 percent, Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (RHP Shaun Anderson): Cron was absolutely crushing Pacific Coast League pitching, slashing .339/.437/.800 for Triple-A Reno. When your slugging percentage resembles many players' OPS, it's time for The Show. It remains to be seen how playing time will be distributed, especially when Jake Lamb returns. With Wilmer Flores out, it's possible Eduardo Escobar moves off the hot corner for Lamb, leaving first base to Cron and Christian Walker. Walker's pixie dust is running short, giving Cron a chance to earn significant playing time.
Middle Infield -- Brendan Rodgers (R), 17 percent, Colorado Rockies vs. Baltimore Orioles (RHP David Hess): Though Rodgers' early defense and baserunning are sketchy, his bat has been productive, albeit while fanning nine times with no walks in his first 21 trips to the dish. If Rodgers gets the day off, Ryan McMahon is the likely replacement, with both, along with Raimel Tapia, in play facing one of the weakest arms on the slate.
Outfield -- Clint Frazier (R), 26 percent, New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals (LHP Danny Duffy): With three homers this past week, Frazier is doing his part to make up for missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Outfield -- Keon Broxton (R), 1 percent, Baltimore Orioles at Colorado Rockies (RHP German Marquez): Facing Marquez isn't the ideal matchup; consider this more a reminder Broxton has been acquired by Baltimore and should be given a long look as the Orioles search for any help they can find to compete with the strong AL East. That said, Marquez has struggled at home, posting a 5.34 ERA and 1.67 WHIP at altitude.
Outfield -- Josh Naylor (L), under 1 percent, San Diego Padres at Toronto Blue Jays (RHP Marcus Stroman): Add Naylor to the list of prospects making their debut in recent weeks, though his visit to the majors could be short-lived as he's filling the designated hitter role with the Padres visiting Toronto and the Bronx. Upon his selection, Naylor had posted a .916 OPS for Triple-A El Paso. If he's productive, he could stick around and challenge Hunter Renfroe for playing time.