RADIO
Welcome back to my hitting streamers column for Week 22, taking a look at hitters to add or stream off the waiver wire for this week's scheduled games.
To keep things simple, I pick from players who are 50% owned or less and who play at least seven games in the week. If someone jumps off the page at me as a less than seven game player, I may make an exception, but otherwise, the advantage in a number of games dictates my choices.
Streaming can be a valuable tool, by allowing you to feast on favorable pitching matchups and simply have your hitters play more games than your opponents' hitters. If you have the roster space, streaming a hitter can be useful not only to fill a vacant lineup spot but also to fill in for someone who has five games that week or faces tough matchups. In 5x5 leagues, four of the five hitting categories are counting stats, making the value of extra games significant. Streaming also can allow you to target a specific category of need. This week there is a shallow pool of seven-game streamers, so I have added in a couple six-game options. Let's dive in.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 22
Avisail Garcia (OF, CHW) - 29% owned
Avisail returns to the list for a second straight week, so it is possible he is already on your roster. As noted last week, Avisail was a fantasy surprise last year, posting a .330/18/75/80/5 line. This year, he has been limited to 66 games but has a line of .231/14/33/30/2. He faces decent pitching matchups and is an underrated fantasy asset overall. Stream him with confidence.
Tyler White (1B, HOU) - 15% owned
Tyler White has snuck onto the scene, and he has a spectacular line of .306/8/13/17/0 in just 34 games. He has been starting regularly, as it has been hard to sit him while he is providing that level of production. In 70 games in the minors, he was batting .333 with 13 homers. Last year in the minors, he batted .300 with 25 homers. He has the potential and is worth the gamble.
Josh Reddick (OF, HOU) - 28% owned
Reddick has struggled a bit on the year, pulling the ball more often than he has in the past and producing fewer line drives. Understandably, then, both his BABIP and batting average are lower than they have been. After batting .281 and .314 in the prior two seasons, his average rests at a mere .241 on the year. Not good. However, he is still producing runs and stealing bases, and his homers have actually ticked upwards slightly. He faces serviceable pitching matchups this week and likely will provide well-rounded production. He is worth a play.
Greg Bird (1B, NYY) - 35% owned
Bird has yet again disappointed fantasy owners, posting a .202/11/22/35/0 line in his 72 games this year. However, where one sees disappointment, others see a buying opportunity. Bird is due to have a low average due to his pull-tendencies, but he still should be able to provide power and run production. He faces decent pitching matchups this week and plays all seven of his games at home. This could be the week where he provides production for savvy fantasy owners.
Daniel Palka (1B/OF, CHW) - 4% owned
Palka has not faced many lefties this year, but he has been a great power source against righties. This week, he should face at least five of them in favorable matchups. Against righties this year, he has a homer every sixteen at bats. On the season, he has provided decent run production to go along with the power and has even stolen two bases. Do not sign up for Palka if batting average is important. But if it is power you are after with some run production, he is worth a look.
Steven Souza, Jr. (OF, ARZ) - 23% owned; Nick Ahmed (SS, ARZ) - 14% owned; Ketel Marte (2B/SS, ARZ) - 16% owned
The Diamondbacks' hitters on this list are in an interesting spot this week. They mash left-handed pitching and face a lot of it this week (five starters). However, they have to face tough lefties. It's a gamble, but worth a shot. Souza has historically hit lefties better, and in a small sample this year, he is batting .302 with a .909 OPS against them. Just last year he had 30 homers and 16 steals. He is a good speed/power threat and is my favorite option of the Diamondbacks' trio this week. Ahmed is batting .272 with a homer every 17 at-bats versus lefties this year, and he is my second choice. In his career, he is a .279 hitter with a .786 OPS against lefties. This year, his power seemed to materialize and he steals the occasional base. Marte is batting .300 with six homers and two steals in 150 at-bats against lefties this year. At just 24 years old with some positional flexibility, and the ability to hit for average with the occasional homer and steal, Marte can provide well-rounded production. Like Ahmed, he is a risky start due to the tough lefties they face, but in a shallow streaming week, he is worth a look.
SIX GAME OPTIONS
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr.- (2B/SS/OF, TOR) - 31% owned - In 38 games, the 24-year-old has posted a .322/7/16/22/1 line. He faces favorable matchups this week.
Kevin Pillar (OF, TOR) - 22% owned - Pillar is a good source of stolen bases without hurting you in the other categories. On the year he has a line of .257/10/52/49/13.
