Waiver Wire Pickups For Runs Heading Into Week 6

RotoBaller's Scott McCloy give us his expert analysis about 5 waiver wire sleepers that can be very useful if you are in desperate need of runs.

Waiver Targets to Help Your Team in Runs

Finding specific category help on the waiver wire can be hard tough, but I’m here to help you find those stats to give you a bump in specific categories.  Today, I’m going to take a look at runs.  Runs can come sporadically, as they depend on how well the team is hitting as a whole and which hot hitters are driving in those runs.  Look for a team that is scoring a ton of runs and has many different guys contributing, like the Chicago White Sox.  Also look for players that have a decent OBP-- it doesn’t matter how they get on, as long as they are on for the run-producers behind them. Here are five players that might help in the short term; each recommendation is currently owned in fewer than 50% of leagues.

Carlos Ruiz, PHI (Yahoo 31%, ESPN 36%)

Total Runs: 18, 9 in last 14 days

412 OBP, .296 AVG, 13/10 BB/K

After a suspension derailed his 2013 season, Ruiz seems to be hitting better this year.  He gets on base and has seen time in the two-hole of the Philadelphia lineup.  If he is available and you need catching help, get him and benefit from the run-scoring opportunities he will enjoy near the top of that lineup.

Dayan Viciedo, CWS (Yahoo 24%, ESPN 49%)

Total Runs: 12, 9 in last 14 days

.413 OBP, .354 AVG, 9/13 BB/K

Benefitting from Avisail Garcia’s injury, Viciedo has been on fire the last two weeks.  He's another player scoring runs in bunches on the South Side; grab him now, as he seems finally to be closing in on his potential and won't last long on the wire at his current level of production.

Nick Markakis, BAL  (Yahoo 35%, ESPN 43%)

Total Runs: 12, 8 in last 14 days

.360 OBP, .300 AVG, 10/10 BB/K

Markakis has moved to the #3 spot with Chris Davis going to the DL, but I don’t think this will affect him that much since he still has Jones and Wieters hitting behind him.  Markakis just needs to stay healthy and if he does, he can be a real value pickup for fantasy owners in 2014.

Alcides Escobar, KC (Yahoo 32%, ESPN 39%)

Total Runs: 12, 11 in last 14 days

.352 OBP, .296 AVG, 6/15 BB/K

Escobar is on a career-high pace for scoring runs in the Royals lineup.   His OBP is pretty high even with a low walk rate.  Escobar is tied for 10th among all shortstops in runs-- if you need middle infield help, you could certainly do much worse.

Marcus Semien, CWS (Yahoo-12% ESPN-10%)

Total Runs: 18, 9 in last 14 days

.293 OBP, .230 AVG, 15/12 BB/K

His OBP and AVG don’t show how important Semien has been to the White Sox lineup.  He is scoring a lot of runs for the team that is producing the most runs.  Ride him now, and worry about how he fits in the lineup with a healthy Conor Gillaspie when you need to.

Plug one of these guys in your lineup if you're in need of runs and work your way up the ladder to first little by little.