Whether it’s because of an injury or poor performance, there are always opportunities to stream players off the waiver wire. The best players to stream are those who are under-owned and face appealing match-ups for the upcoming week.

Here are five players who are available in more than half of Fleaflicker leagues and have attractive match-ups during the sixth week of the season.

Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. Prefer using your phone? Our free waiver wire app is available for download in the Apple & Android Stores.

 

Top Hitter Streamers for Week 6

Jake Lamb (ARI, 3B)- 17% Fleaflicker

Lamb has held down the hot corner for the Diamondbacks so far this year. He has hit .279/.370/.500 with three home runs and two stolen bases in 86 AB. While he has sat a few games recently in favor in Brandon Drury as Arizona has faced a flurry of lefties, he should find his way back into the lineup on a consistent basis this upcoming week.

The Diamondbacks take a trip to Colorado to face Tyler Chatwood (7.20 ERA at home), Chris Rusin (5.11 career ERA) and Chad Bettis (5.00 career ERA). Then, they return home for a four-game series with the Giants. After Johnny Cueto and and Jeff Samardzija, they draw Jake Peavy (9.00 ERA) and Matt Cain (7.84). While Cueto and Samardzija are two very good pitchers, avoiding Madison Bumgarner is always a win. Outside of Rusin, Lamb will get to face six righties, against whom he has hit .271/.333/.415 with 10 HR and 48 RBI over 562 AB. Expect Lamb to make the most out of this opportunity by turning in some big performances.

Pedro Alvarez (BAL, 1B/DH)- 45% Fleaflicker

Alvarez is currently sporting a .196/.303/.321 slash line, but that is largely due to his horrid showing against left-handed pitchers (1-for-9). He has just one home run on the season, but he smacked 27 in 437 AB last year, and is playing his home games in a park that welcomes left-handed power, so the power stroke should return soon.

Alvarez plays just about every game against right-handers. From 2013 to 2015, he hit .245/.320/.487 with 73 HR in 1,118 AB against them. Luckily, the O’s face seven righties in Week 6. Of those seven pitchers, Jose Berrios and Michael Fulmer are rookies, Phil Hughes, Mike Pelfrey, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez are veterans with a 5.00+ ERA, and Ricky Nolasco owns a 5.85 ERA at home.

With a full week of playing time — something Alvarez hasn’t had all season — the 29-year-old slugger could finally get into a rhythm and start driving balls over the fence.

Javier Baez (CHC, 2B/SS/3B)- 15% Fleaflicker

The Cubs are rolling right now. They have scored the most runs in baseball and allowed the fewest. Part of what makes their offense so great is the depth they have at just about every position. With Kyle Schwarber and Miguel Montero hurt and several starters struggling, Baez, Tommy La Stella, David Ross and Matt Szczur have all stepped up. Baez in particular has contributed in a major way, slashing .311/.340/.444 through 45 AB and filling in at five different positions on the diamond.

The Cubs continue their 10-game homestand with three against the Padres and three against the Pirates. On the bump for these teams will be rookies Cesar Vargas and Colin Rea; Drew Pomeranz, who has struggled as a starter in the past; mediocre veterans Jeff Locke and Jon Niese; and Gerrit Cole, who is coming off his worst outing of the year. If you take away Cole, who is a tough draw for all hitters, three of the five starters are left-handed.

Baez is 12-for-28 against lefties since the start of the 2015 season, and should add to that stat line over the next few games.

Asdrubal Cabrera (NYM, SS)- 15% Fleaflicker

Through 27 games, Cabrera is tied for second in hits among Mets players, despite spending most of his time batting seventh. Terry Collins’ club is in the middle of a 17-game stretch without a day off, which means David Wright could be out of the lineup at least once this upcoming week. Cabrera, who would likely take over the two hole, has hit .348/.423/.522 over 23 AB in that spot this year.

The Mets start the week off with four games against a tough Dodgers team, but they do avoid Clayton Kershaw. Scott Kazmir, Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling still make for a tough series, but facing the Dodgers is much less daunting when you don’t have to worry about the three-time Cy Young Award winner. To finish the week, Cabrera and company head to Coors Field, where they should have no trouble compiling runs against Jon Gray, Eddie Butler and Tyler Chatwood.

All seven of these games will be played on the road, and Cabrera owns a .362/.392/.457 slash line away from Citi Field this year. In this group of pitchers, there is a mix of lefties and righties, but as a switch hitter, Cabrera should have no problem putting together yet another strong week.

Chris Iannetta (SEA, C)- 9% Fleaflicker

Catchers are dropping like flies. Montero, Kyle Schwarber, Robinson Chirinos, Travis d’Arnaud, Devin Mesoraco, Nick Hundley. For fantasy owners trying to replace any of the aforementioned players, Iannetta is a solid option.

He has bounced back from a poor showing in 2015 by slashing .239/.341/.352 with two home runs in 71 AB. He has always held solid value in OBP leagues, and while his career batting average is a bit repulsive, he has excelled against left-handed pitching— .408 OBP vs. LHP since the start of the 2013 season.

The Mariners play six games this week in their home stadium of Safeco Field, which ranks as one of the top three hitter’s parks this year. Opposing the Mariners’ hitters will be Drew Smyly, Chris Archer, Nick Tropeano, Hector Santiago and two other pitchers who have yet to be determined. Both Smyly and Santiago are left-handed, and the unknown pitcher for the Rays could possibly be Blake Snell, also a lefty. With several southpaws awaiting him, Iannetta provides compelling value as a streamer this week.

 

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