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Things Are Heating Up
June is now upon us, and we're coming up on halfway through the season. Where does your team stand? Need to replace an injured catcher? Looking for a reliable backup?
RotoBaller has you covered with analysis on three catchers who may be free agents in your league who you can target off the waiver wire in Week 9 of fantasy baseball.
Editor’s Note: for other waiver wire options, check out RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wirepickups list. It’s updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging NL-only options, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.
Waiver Wire Adds for Catchers
Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers – Owned in 85% of Yahoo, 76% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
If you're lucky enough to be part of a league in which somebody dropped Lucroy.... THEN STOP READING AND GO PICK HIM UP IMMEDIATELY. Lucroy has been sidelined since April 20th due to a broken big toe on his left foot, but will be rejoining the Brewers on Monday in St. Louis. He was batting just .133 with a .393 OPS in 12 games before the injury, which may be the reason some fantasy managers felt okay with dropping the star catcher. I'm here to tell inform you that was a mistake on their part though, because he is one of the league's top offensive backstops.
Even though the Brewers have lost eight of their last nine games, and rank in the middle of most offensive categories, they have been able to put up a decent amount of runs. Lucroy should be batting fourth or fifth when he returns, allowing for ample opportunities in the way of runs and RBI. This is a guy who has put up twelve or more bombs in each of the past four seasons, with 60 or more RBI in each of those seasons too. He's one of the league's top offensive catchers and needs to be owned unanimously.
Nick Hundley, Colorado Rockies – Owned in 37% of Yahoo, 15% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Formats, All Tw0-Catcher Leagues
Nick Hundley has had quite an impressive start to the 2015 season for the Rockies. He has only gone hitless in seven games of the 35 games that he has participated in so far this season, including a 13 game hitting streak. He's now racked up five home runs, 17 runs, and 16 RBI on the season. Colorado ranks in the top half of most offensive categories, and even though Hundley hits sixth or seventh in most contests, the opportunities have continued to roll in for him.
Hundley was originally brought in during the offseason as a defensive upgrade over Wilin Rosario, but what’s been surprising is his contribution on offense. He has a slash line of .315/.353/.496 over 79 at bats with a line drive percentage of 27%, which indicates he’s seeing the ball well. What’s even more surprising is that he’s hitting just as well on the road as he is at Coors Field. Hundley currently ranks as the ninth best catcher for fantasy purposes. And while regression is to be expected to a point, he could easily finish the season as a top ten player at the position.
Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates – Owned in 12% of Yahoo, 8% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats, All Tw0-Catcher Leagues
A couple weeks back I wrote about Francisco Cervelli as a stop-gap solution for fantasy owner's in very deep leagues. But he's come on strong for the Pirates as of late, including hitting his first home run of the year this past week. I still maintain that Cervelli is one of the most underrated fantasy catchers in baseball. He’ll hit for solid average but won’t help all that much in counting stats. Nobody would have considered drafting him to start the year, but his numbers are right in line with expectations and career averages.
After his recent hot stretch, Cervelli now has 13 RBI to go with his one home run and 14 runs. The Pirates are in the lower half of all offensive statistics, but batting sixth or seventh the majority of the time doesn’t drastically hurt his chances as far as opportunities go. While he may not be a household name, he won’t kill your teams batting average and will provide the occasional run or RBI. Cervelli is currently the 13th ranked catcher for fantasy purposes, and there's no reason he won't finish the season in the top 12.
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