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Max Petrie brings you the best deep MLB sleepers and picks for Week 16 of the 2017 Fantasy Baseball Season.
Welcome to the second half. The All-Star Break serves as a breather for the players, but for fantasy owners it's a reflective period to assess your lineup and make the necessary adjustments to compete for a playoff run. This article is a great opportunity to find those hidden gems, and me along with my colleague Tom will be here the whole second half to get you into contention.
Yes, the reports are true and my colleague Tom Bellucco has overtaken my lead in the Rotoballer Experts League. The good news is we have a full half of baseball to play, and key waiver wire finds will be the difference in winning and losing. Lucky for you all, I am going to share those players with everyone (look away, Tom!).
Because I'll be covering more players, my analysis will be shorter and to the point. Feel free to find me on Twitter @Max_Petrie and ask me to explain more personally. I'll be happy to do so, and I will even contort the waiver pick-up to your own team and situation. Start the second half strong!
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Digging Deeper: Week 16 Picks
Jason Heyward (OF, CHC) - 15% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twenty times, I deserve to be punished. But darn it does J-Hey look good fresh off the DL. Heyward is hitting .375 with five runs, one home run, six RBI, and a steal in 16 at-bats post All-Star break. Heyward has always had the tools to be a superstar, but at age 27 he's never put it together consistently on the offensive side of the plate. The Cubs are due for a run, and coach Joe Maddon is one to roll with the hot hand. At 85% ownership, it's a free seven-day trial.
Jose Reyes (3B/SS, NYM) - 23% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Once the brunt of the New York media to get lost, Reyes has been one the key offensives pieces trying to keep the Mets relevant in the Wild Card race. Reyes is hitting .371 with three home runs and a steal in his last 35 at-bats and is one home run away from the 10/10 club. That would make him the 11th member of the group, rare territory for a player available in 77% of leagues. Forget your perception on Reyes and give him an add.
Gerardo Parra (OF, COL) - 16% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
The Diamondbacks made a splash Tuesday adding J.D. Martinez, and many think Colorado needs to counter. I think they just need to play Gerardo Parra. Parra is hitting .346 this year including .483 in his last 29 at-bats, along with nine runs, two home runs, and 11 RBI. Given Carlos Gonzalez's struggles and Ian Desmond having issues staying healthy, the Rockies should be using Parra every day. He's been in the lineup nine straight games, and look for that trend to continue going forward.
Alex Claudio (RP, TEX) - 21% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
All aboard the closer carousal. This week takes us to Texas, a team that has massively under-performed in 2017. The bullpen has been a major culprit, with Sam Dyson going from 40+ saves to DFA. The latest contestant has been Alex Claudio, and he has passed the test flawlessly. In three appearances since the All-Star break he has allowed nothing and picked up two saves. Safe to say he has grasped the closer role and needs to be added in all formats.
Brent Suter (SP, MIL) - 23% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
If the Brewers plan to make their first half run a reality, they need the rotation to pick up the slack lost from Chase Anderson (oblique). One promising piece is Suter, who started the year in the bullpen. Since moving to the rotation he has been fantastic -- in his last 20 innings, he has 20 strikeouts with a 1.80 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Given his youth, it's unlikely he gets stretched out past 100 pitches (see his Monday start versus Pittsburgh). But he's still an excellent rotation piece available in the majority of leagues.
Brett Cecil (RP, STL) - 12% owned in Yahoo Leagues
It's not often you can find two closers in this piece with neither team being involved in a July trade. The Cardinals have demoted Seung Hwan Oh and are using Cecil and Trevor Rosenthal in closing situations going forward. Cecil failed his first test, blowing a save on Monday, only to get the ball to close out Tuesday's outing. He didn't start the ninth on Tuesday, but it's worth noting Mike Matheny wasn't shy to go back to the well. Cecil is a riskier closer play, but teams that are saves-needy should invest.
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