RADIO
We're headed down the final stretch for the 2017 fantasy baseball season, but it's never too late to improve your team via waiver wire adds. There are plenty of rookies who are hungry to make good impressions in the final weeks. Grabbing the right one might be all you need for that final playoff push.
The corner infield positions traditionally offer power with the potential for high averages, so you may want to target players that can offer an advantage in those categories to bolster your team. In this piece, I'll identify waiver wire targets for first base and third base in week 21 who should be able to contribute in multiple categories, either as replacements or bench depth. These players are owned in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues.
We'll also look at the names mentioned in last week’s post, noting which players have graduated off of the waiver wire (ownership higher than 50%), which are still recommended pickups, and which we are dropping off the list entirely.
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Week 21 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Rhys Hoskins (1B, PHI) 23% owned - There's always plenty of risk when you take on a three-true-outcomes type of player, but the rewards can be plentiful when things break right. Hoskins has made an immediate impression, jacking four homers in his first 10 games with the perpetually rebuilding Phillies. The .212 average isn't helping much, but he's upped it to .304 in the past week alone. Hoskins may simply look like a Tommy Joseph clone on paper, but his upside is greater and he'll be given the keys to first base throughout September.
Mike Napoli (1B, TEX) 28% owned - It's been feast or famine for Napoli all year, but right now he's feasting. The vet has four home runs and 11 RBI in the last seven days. Now that interleague play is done, he'll be back in the lineup each day to provide the power supply in Texas. He's barely cracked the .200 mark for the season and could easily dip below it, but he's a viable streamer for this coming week if he can keep the power going for another week.
Brandon Phillips (2B/3B, ATL) 32% owned - Did you know Phillips now qualifies at third base since sliding over to make room for Ozzie Albies? Did you know he's hit three home runs and driven in six runs while batting .273 over the last 10 days since moving to the hot corner? Not overwhelming, but Phillips is batting second and has scored 10 runs in 10 days, including one in each of the last five games. It never hurts to have a versatile MI/CI option at the back end of your fantasy lineup.
Ryder Jones (1B/3B, SF) 0% owned - There's a reason he's owned nowhere. Jones is slashing .181/.244/.319 with a 3:19 BB:K over 72 at-bats with the Giants this year. While he may not be a viable lineup option in fantasy at the moment, there's reason for optimism. He hit .312 in Triple-A after batting .302 in the Arizona Fall League. As a former second-round pick with a clear path to playing time through September (unless he continues to struggle this badly), he could turn things around and be worth an add in keeper leagues as a $1 bet for the future.
Hold For Now
C.J. Cron (1B, LAA) 19% owned - Maybe the time for his hot streak is up, but it's only been three days since his last homer so it's too soon to cut bait. Cron has mastered the solo home run, but will need to do more in order to maintain fantasy value.
Yangervis Solarte (2B/3B, SD) 18% owned - He went deep on Saturday, but otherwise has done little in recent days. Solarte is a veteran who will be an everyday starter and is unlikely to suffer any extended slumps, so keep the faith for now if you've rostered him.
Cut Bait
Matt Chapman (3B, OAK) 7% owned - Meh. Two homers and five RBI in the last seven days isn't too bad, but it isn't quite enough to offset his .238 average. Then again, I told you what you were getting into with Chapman in the first place. Hoskins and Dom Smith are more exciting prospects that are available in most leagues, which pushes Chapman to cut territory.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds
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