2014 Fantasy Baseball: 5 Shrewd Plays For Sept. 4

The switch-hitting Zobrist hasn't had a ton of success against right-handed pitching this season, but with a .341 average vs. southpaws, he makes for a smart play this evening. The Rays will host Mark Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Not only are right-handed batters hitting a lofty .294 against the veteran this year, but Buehrle has posted an ugly 6.27 ERA over his past eight outings.

The Angels shortstop has raised his batting average by 18 points over his past 13 games, posting a ridiculous .468 average. While he hasn't shown much pop over that stretch, he should continue to score plenty of runs while reaching base so often. The Angles could be in for a whole lot of run-scoring this evening as they'll face starter Kyle Gibson, who has allowed five earned runs or more in six of his last 12 starts.

Tillman may not be considered an elite starter, but he pitching like one right now. The right-hander has posted a dazzling 1.33 ERA over his past six outings, and hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 16 starts. He should be able to continue his dominance today vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds' offense ranks a lowly 28th in the league in runs per contest, and the club has now lost 17 of its last 24 games.

The speedy Ellsbury has been absolutely dialed in of late as he's posted an electric .415 average with four HRs over his last 53 at-bats. Look for his bat to continue emitting heat when the Yankees face Boston Red Sox starter Brandon Workman this evening. Though Workman pitched pretty well earlier in the season, he owns a horrid 6.83 ERA over his past eight starts.

Martinez has tormented opposing pitchers all season, but he's making them wet the bed in fear right now with a superb .389 average over his last 19 games. The switch-hitter has also produced five HRs and 18 RBIs over that stretch, and should be in more good times today. The Tigers will face starter Trevor Bauer, and though he''s coming off consecutive strong outings, he had posted a dismal 5.51 ERA over his previous seven starts.