Addison Russell (SS, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in deeper leagues.

In one or two years time, you won't be finding the name Addison Russell on these waiver wire blogs. A bat like his is the kind that you almost have to believe will belong to one of the best four or five fantasy shortstops in the game. That's what fantasy owners have to look forward to for Russell's career. Today's version of Russell isn't quite there yet, though.

Having found themselves in first place in the NL Central, the Cubs probably called Russell up a year or so too early in order to bolster the club for a playoff run. This is not to say he hasn't been productive in his own way. For a 21 year old, hitting .260 with four home runs through 33 games is an impressive feat and speaks to just how talented a player Russell is. Still the 35.9% strikeout rate all but excludes him from standard league play. Deeper league owners should give him a closer look, however. As a true five tool player, Russell offers a blend of speed and power that's increasingly hard to find at middle infield. A strong month from him could easily return a .275 batting average with five home runs and 10 stolen bases. Again nothing that should have standard league players chomping at the bit, but that kind of upside can be incredibly valuable in deep leagues. Russell is something of a lottery tickets at this phase of his career, but there are teams that absolutely should be taking that gamble.