Strategy for the short and long term, courtesy of KFFL.com:  As a pro, Shelby Miller had never made an appearance in relief until his major league debut on Wednesday. The right-hander pitched two stanzas following the exit of starter Adam Wainwright. He yielded one hit and fanned four.  Fantasy owners will hesitate to pick up the 21-year-old phenom because of his fantasy-unfriendly function and his 4.74 ERA at Class-AAA Memphis. The 2012 campaign was one of tremendous growth in a number of ways for Miller, however, and St. Louis is open to using him in a role that would help Roto managers if he continues to impress.  The organization forced Miller to learn a great deal about pitching after his All-Star break; since that marker, he went 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA, a 10.62 K/9 and a 1.06 BB/9. The Cards won't rule out a starting appearance and would consider using him into late-innings situations, too.  It's highly unlikely that Miller closes (a la Waino in 2006) but if the Cards fall in his favor, he'll get a chance to start. In the meantime, his dominant stuff makes him an asset in deep leagues. -Nicholas Minnix  Chris Young's quadriceps injury might at least limit his playing time as the Arizona Diamondbacks play out the 2012 string. Calling up Adam Eaton gives them a reason to avoid pushing Young to return. Eaton's notable throwing arm makes him an easy substitution on the defensive side.  The 23-year-old will at least serve as a spell option for the D'backs' starting outfielders, if not fill in for Young. Many scouts and analysts project that's Eaton's long-term role, but fantasy players shouldn't ignore the short-term benefits. Increased playing time could allow the scrappy lefty bat to tap into his alluring farm thievery history. The 5-foot-8, 184-pounder took 38 bags in 562 plate appearances for Class AAA Reno this year while batting .381.  Eaton's .432 BABIP there warrants some skepticism, but he fits the mold of someone who can continue high in-play success. He puts the ball on the ground frequently, accentuating the impact of his swiftness on his plate game. His power won't develop anytime soon, but Chase Field aids lumber, and if he settles in at leadoff, his three-category profile could aid deep mixers seeking outfield speed. -Tim Heaney  It's getting late in the game, so any little pitching push will be appreciated. Alex Cobb can give you just that, even if the Rays are planning on shutting him down after three or four more starts. Cobb threw only 52 2/3 frames last year, and skipper Joe Maddon will closely monitor his innings moving forward - he's at 113 2/3.  Shoulder pain has sidelined Jeff Niemann again, and though there is a chance he could return, it's looking more and more like he won't make it back, giving Cobb the opportunity to stick in the rotation.  Even if it's just for a handful of starts, Cobb, 24, can be an asset. In his last seven starts, he's 5-0 with a 3.25 ERA and 35 strikeouts against just seven walks. That also included a blowup in Anaheim where he allowed eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.  He's fanning 6.65 per nine this year, and it's encouraging to see him work out some command issues that plagued him in the minors. A ground-ball rate approaching 60% is further evidence that he can bolster the back end of your mixed league rotation in these last few weeks. -Keith Hernandez  Tim Heaney, Keith Hernandez and Nicholas Minnix team up to power KFFL.com's FREE fantasy baseball content, which is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Impressive raw talent and eye-popping numbers helped get pitcher Shelby Miller and outfielder Adam Eaton to the majors. Can they give fantasy teams a boost?