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This point of the season is a rough one for reinforcements on the waiver wire. Pretty much everyone is still trying to win, and with early breakouts long since snapped up and injuries taking their toll as usual, it can be tough to find help that doesn't require a trade partner.
Tough - but not impossible. As always, we're here to help.
As a reminder, our focus is on players who are below 50% owned in Yahoo leagues, and standard 5x5 scoring. Your mileage may vary, in terms of availability or league settings. Using that cutoff point for ownership rate, however, these are your corner infield waiver wire targets and adds for Week 11 of the 2019 fantasy baseball season.
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Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Renato Nunez (1B/3B, BAL) — 46% Owned
I've resisted including Nunez in this space until now because I just didn't buy the breakout, at least not enough to allay my discomfort with his middling plate discipline. The concerns over the latter remain valid, but with 16 home runs in 245 plate appearances and an array of sparkly contact quality metrics, it's time to give the man his due. 10 of those bombs have come in the past 30 days.
Marwin Gonzalez (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — 39% Owned
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli remained patient with Gonzalez during a slow start, and that's paid off in recent weeks for Minnesota - and any fantasy owners who followed suit. The versatile veteran is slashing .305/.371/.547 with five homers in the last month, which evokes his 2017 peak. It would be unrealistic to anticipate him maintaining that pace over the full balance of the season, but his positional flexibility means he doesn't have to in order to justify a spot on your roster.
Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, DET) — 35% Owned
Maybe you'd prefer the AL Central's other Swiss Army knife? He's been one of the most popular recent adds in the Yahoo universe, with his ownership rate essentially doubling over the course of the weekend. He won't hit for average, but Goodrum had 16 HR and 12 SB in fewer than 500 plate appearances last season and has a realistic shot at 20/20 this time around given his current pace. Throw in the prospect of 90 runs thanks to his role as leadoff man, and it's not hard to understand why owners are snapping him up.
Travis Shaw (1B/2B/3B, MIL) — 34% Owned
Shaw has been putrid this season, and if he continues to scuffle post-IL stint, it isn't tough to imagine the Brewers simply bringing Keston Hiura back up and throwing Shaw into a platoon or utility role. If the wrist strain he suffered earlier this year isn't still bothering him, we're talking about a guy who hit more than 30 homers in each of the previous two seasons. It's a risk worth taking.
Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Jake Lamb (1B/3B, ARI) — 15% Owned
For a while there, it seemed likely that Christian Walker would remain the starter at first base even when Lamb returns from the injured list. With Walker having cooled significantly over the last month, he'll probably go back to the short side of a platoon. Lamb has been plagued by injury in the last two seasons, but in 2016-17 he averaged 85 R, 30 HR, 98 RBI, and 6 SB. He began a rehab assignment on Saturday, so if you're interested in picking him up, now may be the best time to move.
David Bote (2B/3B, CHC) — 7% Owned
Bote has playing time concerns, but if Addison Russell's hand injury ends up requiring a trip to the IL, that would leave Bote with the regular role at second base. The 26-year-old has quietly hit .272/.352/.475 for the Cubs, with seven homers in 179 plate appearances. Compared to his rookie season a year ago, he's both making more contact and hitting more balls in the air.
For Your Radar
Colin Moran (3B, PIT) — 8% Owned
Moran has taken full advantage of the opening created by Jung Ho Kang's injury, hitting .306/.358/.541 with six homers and 35 R+BI over the past month, including three homers in his last five games. Though Kang just returned to action, he performed poorly enough prior to his IL stint that Moran should still be fairly secure as the starter at the hot corner for Pittsburgh.
Mark Canha (1B/OF, OAK) — 3% Owned
Speaking of dudes who had a good May, peep Canha's numbers: .260/.351/.720 with seven home runs in just 57 plate appearances (he missed the first two weeks of the month with injury). Overall, he's hitting .241/.368/.556 this year, and going back to the start of last season he's hit 27 HR in 544 plate appearances. With his walk rate and fly ball rate both way up this year, the 30-year-old may just need consistent playing time to be a legitimate fantasy asset.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers
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