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Hey there RotoBallers. Apologies for the lack of article last week, but we're back in full force for Week 4. Hopefully your first month of fantasy baseball is going well, because I know I'm still waiting for my players' bats to wake up. Whether you're mulling over replacements or trying to improve an already successful squad, I have some diamonds in the rough for you to look for.
In Digging Deeper our goal is to serve the fantasy players who don't get mainstream love. The target percentage for players discussed in this article will be 15% owned or less in Yahoo! leagues. Obviously, that means these players will fail to meet their upside more often than not, but if a few deep waiver adds can breakout throughout the season, you'll be in a good place to win a fantasy league.
Because we'll be covering more players, and because a lot of these players are shots in the dark, our analysis will be shorter and to the point. Feel free to find me on Twitter (@BellRoto) with any questions or comments you may have. Let's do this.
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Digging Deeper: Week 4 Picks
Scott Schebler (OF, CIN) - 13% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Scott Schebler is back from an early-season DL stint, and while he hasn't created any fireworks with his powerful bat yet, his ownership is too low for what we know he CAN do. Early sample size notes that he's hitting the ball almost as hard as he did during his 30-homer 2017 season, and he's hitting more fly balls early on too. Buy in before he (and the weather) gets hot.
Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET) - 10% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
The Tigers believe in Jeimer Candelario's offensive skillset, and they're proving it by batting him second in the lineup ahead of Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos every game. While the weather and Detroit's lineup have been really cold thus far, Candelario has shown some encouraging signs, including 11 hits and two home runs in his past six games. As the weather warms, his power will play much better at Comerica Park. He's a great, high-upside bet to invest in in your deeper leagues.
Howie Kendrick (2B/OF, WAS) - 8% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
We'll keep this one short and simple. We know Daniel Murphy is coming back pretty soon (or so we think). However, until then, Howie Kendrick will continue hitting second in a great offense. He provides plenty of power and run production upside at second base. Use him until he stops getting regular at-bats.
Yan Gomes (C, CLE) - 6% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
I've been a pretty big Yan Gomes truther for his entire major league career, but even I was ready to give up on him at the beginning of this season. He's shown a little life recently though, as he's in the midst of a six-game hitting streak with a home run thrown in. He came out of the gate as a great young hitter, and if he shows signs of getting health and reverting back to that form, he could be a great value at backstop, especially in two-catcher leagues.
Mitch Moreland (1B, BOS) - 5% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Speaking of hot hitters, here's another one for ya. Outside of a pinch-hit walk appearance, Mitch Moreland has a eight-game hitting streak with three multiple-hit outings and two homers in that span. He won't play against lefties, but if you have the bench space and flexibility to platoon him on your squad, he's someone that needs to be owned and used against right-handed pitchers.
Chris Stratton (SP, SF) - 16% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
This is another player I was on heavily to start the year, but again I may have let a rough start scare me too early. In his last three outings against the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks, Chris Stratton has struck out 15 batters through 19 innings while allowing just three earned runs. He gets the boost of a pitcher-friendly home ballpark, and that's enough for me to use him in good matchups while we wait to see how he progresses this season.
A.J. Minter (RP, ATL) - 14% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
I truthfully don't know much about this young set-up pitcher, but I do know a couple of things. For one, the Braves are all about the youth movement right now. Arodys Vizcaino has had a bumpy start to the year, and A.J. Minter has been absolutely lights out, using a nasty fastball/cutter combination to his advantage. He needs continued struggles from Vizcaino to have a chance at saves, and the command has been suspect at times, but this is one of the best speculative closer adds you'll find, especially in dynasty leagues.
Francisco Liriano (SP, DET) - 13% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Yeah, I know. I've seen this movie before too. You invest in Francisco Liriano, then the next really good matchup he goes out there and walks 13 batters and throws 103 pitches in 1.2 innings. OK, yes, I'm scarred (and exaggerating) from his time as a Pirates pitcher. Anyway, Liriano is in a really pitcher-friendly park, and while the walk issues will never go away, the nasty movement on his pitches will remain. There are worse shots to take if you need strikeouts and upside for your fantasy staff.
Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 4% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
I'm not typically one to invest in Colorado starting pitchers, but Tyler Anderson has been impressive both to the eye and with his numbers so far this season. He just went six innings while strking out six and allowing two runs hosting the Cubs on Saturday, and he gets a perfect matchup on the road against the Marlins on Friday. Anderson is a great speculative add, if only for a few days, and he's available virtually everywhere.
Matt Wisler (SP, ATL) - 1% owned in Yahoo! Leagues
Here's your "Mike Fiers" pitcher recommendation of the week; sponsored by Really Bad Pitchers Anonymous.
To be fair, I don't know if Matt Wisler is good or bad quite yet, and he looked fantastic with a devastating breaking ball in his recent season debut against the Mets in a hitter-friendly park. His 6.21 xFIP in the majors last season suggests the walls are going to cave in sooner rather than later, but what's the worst that could happen in Cincinnati on Tuesday night, right? OK, maybe don't start him this week, but if you're super, super desperate, he might be worth an add.
