Posted by D.J. Short on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 3:36 pm

As we get towards those crucial weeks in your fantasy season, many are looking for some hidden gems to propel their team to the playoffs or hold off another team for a much-coveted first-round bye. Here’s a six-pack of names to wash down in various formats.

Trent Oeltjen – 0.4% ESPN, 0% Yahoo

Woody Allen famously said: “Half of life is just showing up.” Well, now that Chris Young has been sent down to Triple-A Reno, Trent Oeltjen should finally get a chance to prove himself on the major league level. No worries if you never heard of Oeltjen until he was called up from the minors last week — you are not alone there. Signed by the Twins as a undrafted free agent in 2001, Oeltjen has a .291/.356/.408 line over the course of nine minor league seasons. It was his .300/.358/.505 showing with 10 homers, 61 RBI and 19 stolen bases with Reno this season that finally earned him a call to the bigs. Oeltjen has rewarded their faith, going 8-for-20 with three homers and two stolen bases over his first four games. He’s worth a look in NL-only leagues and even deeper mixed leagues while Justin Upton is on the mend.

Bud Norris – 2.2% ESPN, 7.0 % Yahoo

There’s the obvious reason to like Norris: he tried to order a “Bud” at the age of three, hence the name. But the former sixth round draft pick also put together a heckuva season with Triple-A Round Rock, compiling a 2.63 ERA and a PCL-leading 112 strikeouts in 120 innings, earning a call-up to the majors two weeks ago. Entering the season as the No. 2 prospect in the Astros system by Baseball America, Norris has a 1.69 ERA and .148 BAA over his first three appearances (two starts) with the Astros. While he has 10 walks over his first 16 innings, including nine over his two starts (13 innings), he also has 16 strikeouts. With tentative starts against the Marlins (most strikeouts in the NL) and the Diamondbacks (second most) in the coming weeks, there’s no better time to gamble on the rookie right-hander.

Mike MacDougal – 9.5% ESPN, 26.0% Yahoo

Would you believe he is leading the majors with five saves this month? Cus’ he is. Would you believe that he had to be rested over the weekend because he has worked too much during the Nationals eight-game winning streak? Cus’ he did. Their pen was a well-documented mess earlier this season, but it has been one of the more stable ones over the past 30 days (3.12 ERA – third best in the league), so don’t be shy about picking MacDougal up. It looks like the worst is over in Natstown.

Carlos Gonzalez – 0.8% ESPN, 1.0% Yahoo

Did you know that the Rockies are 25-8 when Gonzalez starts? That includes a 9-1 record since the All-Star break. Could be a fluke, right? Maybe not so much when you consider that Car-Go is hitting .442/.490/.698 in 43 at-bats since the All-Star break. Of course, that’s a pretty small sample size, but it’s worth mentioning that Jim Tracy has granted him starts in three of the last four games, of which he has gone 7-for-15 (.467) with four runs scored. We’re getting a sneak preview of a real double-threat candidate in mixed leagues for 2010, but Gonzalez can contribute in NL-only leagues right now.

Jeff Niemann – 14.4% ESPN, 37% Yahoo

Most expected a Rays’ pitcher would be in the Rookie of the Year conversation this season, just not this former first round pick from Rice. While David Price has been maddeningly inconsistent thus far, the 26-year-old Niemann leads the Rays with 10 wins. He has been the most steady starter on the staff since June, going 6-1 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 11 starts. With 77 strikeouts in 120 1/3 innings (5.74 K/9), he doesn’t blow batters away, but he maintains fine control (2.98 BB/9) and keeps the ball in the yard (0.90 HR/9) — a great combo for a young pitcher. The towering right-hander is a pretty safe pick in mixed leagues going forward.

Travis Snider – 7.6% ESPN, 5.0% Yahoo

Monday’s dumping of Alex Rios only enhances his potential value, but Snider is probably on the fast-track to being called up regardless. He opened the season as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, but struck out 25 times in 99 at-bats, batting only .242 with three homers before being demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 22. Since then, the 21-year-old has hit .320/.417/.653 with 12 bombs and 36 RBI in just 42 games with the 51’s. He’s been especially hot of late, batting .491 with six homers over the past two weeks. Even though he’s not up right now, go ahead and invest in him as a sneaky sleeper down the stretch.

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