RADIO
Someone told me you're looking to add power to your fantasy roster. Who isn't? Problem is, adding power off the waiver wire can be tricky sometimes, especially in deeper leagues like NL-Only and AL-Only formats. But I have good news for you. I've found four guys you may be able to add today in many fantasy leagues, or you can target on the cheap in trades. These sluggers may be sleepers for your team, and can boost your stats in the HR and RBI categories. Here they are.
All % owned numbers are for Yahoo! leagues as of May 28.
Home Run & RBI Targets for Fantasy Baseball
Mark Reynolds (1B, 3B)
24% owned, 12 HR, 25 RBI
At this point, Reynolds' story is well-documented: big power, lots of strikeouts. Reynolds has always subscribed to the "swing hard in case you hit it" philosophy of hitting. It's been five years since Reynolds hit 44 jacks for the D'Backs, and those gaudy numbers are never coming back, but he is still capable of putting up 25 or more deep balls in a season. If he continues at his current rate, he could go over 30 for the first time since 2011. Don't expect Reynolds to help you out in too many other ways, as he has never hit for much average or OBP, but if you're after raw power (not to mention multiple-position eligibility), then Reynolds may be an attractive piece for your fantasy puzzle.
Marcell Ozuna (OF)
38% owned, 9 HR, 31 RBI
Ozuna is a talented young outfielder for the Miami Marlins who seems to be developing quickly into a fine big-league player. He hit just 3 HR in 70 games last year for the Fish, but has tripled that HR total in only 50 games this season while driving in a significant number of runs.
His slash line is rather pedestrian (.261/.306/.439) and certainly isn't helped by his high strikeout rate, but those growing pains are to be expected from youngsters. Still, with an above-average ISO power rating of .178 I expect to see Ozuna continue to drive the ball for the remainder of the season.
David Murphy (OF)
29% owned, 5 HR, 31 RBI
Although not a player we may expect to pop up in conversations about power numbers, David Murphy has been driving in runs with regularity this year for Cleveland. At age 32, Murphy is putting up numbers we haven't seen since his rookie season in 2008, when he hit 15 HR with 75 RBI. Neither of these numbers are astounding, but if they were then Murphy probably wouldn't be on the waiver wire in the first place. He also doesn't typically strikeout a whole lot, so if you're looking to sneak some RBI into your OF, then Murphy may be worth considering.
Colby Rasmus (OF)
29% owned, 9 HR, 19 RBI
Rasmus is currently on the 15 Day DL, but reports say that he did some running and fielding on Monday. The scrappy outfielder has hit 22 and 23 home runs in each of his last two seasons, and his current HR totals indicate that he's headed that way again this year. Rasmus saw career-high RBI totals in 2012 when he racked up 75 in 151 games. He drove in 66 last season in 118 games. This season, he will probably appear in somewhere around 130 games, so there is no reason to believe he won't continue to produce similar numbers. His weak slash line (.222/.266/.489) isn't too enticing, and Rasmus isn't exactly known for his durability, but I would still consider grabbing him now and putting him on your DL. If he stays healthy for the rest of the season, it could be one of the better waiver-wire pickups you make all year.
So, there you have it. Get out there, get some dingers, and boost your fantasy stats. Best of luck to all you RotoBallers out there!
