For better or worse, football creates a level of interest that dwarfs that of all other fantasy games. And for this reason, many baseball managers deal with divided attention as their leagues are wrapping up. Those who put NFL news at the forefront of their minds down the stretch will benefit from reading this 2024-themed analysis of the players who finished last season on a high note.

Please note that the statistics below were generated from Sept. 1 to the end of the season.

A torn left labrum shelved O’Hoppe for nearly four months, but he handled a heavy workload after returning Aug. 18 and led all catchers in homers down the stretch. The 24-year-old is the 17th catcher off the board by Yahoo ADP but should be valued as a top-10 option who could crack the top five by flashing his 2023 power skills across a full season. O’Hoppe could use the Angels’ lack of lineup depth to his advantage by earning a premium spot in the order.

After an unremarkable start to his career, Encarnacion-Strand showed in September that he could be the same player with the Reds who tormented pitchers in the minors. Encarnacion-Strand tallied 33 homers between all levels in 2023 after compiling 32 the previous year, and with a full-time role, he could go deep 30 times in his first full MLB season. The Reds have a crowded infield but would be foolish not to promote a 24-year-old with this much potential.

The Royals reaped immediate benefits from an under-the-radar move at the trade deadline to acquire Velázquez from the Cubs. The native Puerto Rican was not much of a slugger early in the minors but ripped 15 round-trippers in 56 games in 2022 and went deep 16 times in 80 games last season before being promoted to the majors Aug. 10. Velázquez has a clear path to serve as the team’s designated hitter, which makes him an interesting late-round fantasy option.