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Elliott Baas analyzes hitter streamers and starts for Week 19. These bats are potential fantasy baseball waiver wire adds to stream for head-to-head leagues.
Welcome to the hitting streamers column for the week of 8/5 through 8/11. Whether you're looking to maximize the number of games played, exploit favorable matchups, or fill in for injured players, streaming hitters can be a fruitful strategy for those willing to put in a little work every week.
Keep in mind that this column highlights players owned in approximately 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues who could present nice streaming options for the upcoming week. This applies to any league but specifically is geared toward head-to-head weekly leagues where matchups are more critical.
If the following names aren't available, don't hesitate to check our famous waiver wire pickups list to find some appealing alternatives. Let's get to it.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 19
Seven Game Weeks: ATL, BOS, CHC, CWS, CLE, DET, KC, MIA, MIN, NYM, NYY, PHI, SF, TOR
Detroit and Miami both have the mythical eight-game week this week due to doubleheaders, which is why both clubs are underlined. While these teams don't have the most appealing lineups, their players are in a good position to produce this week and are widely available.
Stream of the Week
Adam Duvall (OF, ATL): 35% Owned
Duvall is back with a vengeance, hitting .500 with four home runs in 26 PA thus far. He was crushing the ball at Triple-A as well, with 29 home runs and a .323 ISO in 398 PA. The powerful veteran has had his ups and downs throughout his career, but he’s got the profile to thrive in the juiced ball era. The Braves have a seven-game slate this week with relatively weak pitching, as they have three games in Minnesota and four in Miami. Owners should be looking to scoop up Duvall for short-term power wherever available.
Behind the Plate
Jorge Alfaro (C, MIA): 24% Owned
Alfaro may have a nauseating 11.333 K/BB ratio, but the Marlins’ catcher also benefits from the team’s eight-game week around the corner. Of course, Alfaro won’t play all eight games, but he should play five or six games, giving him great volume for a catcher. With his 91 MPH average exit velocity, Alfaro can put a little thump in the ball when he makes contact. He’s one of the best options out there for those in need of a catcher.
Roberto Perez (C, CLE): 18% Owned
Perez has experienced a power breakout this season, yet is owned in fewer than 20% of Yahoo leagues. The Indians take on six righties this week, which is great news for Perez, as he has 12 home runs and a .241 ISO against right-handed pitching this season. Between three games against Texas and four in Minnesota, it’s a neutral pitching slate, but Perez is more of a volume play this week. He should get plenty of chances to produce with the Indians upcoming slate.
At the Corners
Miguel Cabrera (1B, DET): 34% Owned
Cabrera has been pretty quiet this season and looks to be headed towards the twilight of his career. That being said, the future Hall-of-Famer is in a great spot, as the Tigers have a loaded eight-game schedule. It’s a pretty weak pitching slate as well, especially towards the second half of the week, when the Tigers take on a string of bad pitchers. Poor lefties like Ross Detweiler, Danny Duffy, and Mike Montgomery make up the latter part of Detroit’s week, which is perfect for Cabrera. Miggy can still punish southpaws, with a .310 AVG and .888 ISO against left-handed pitchers this season. He’s an under-the-radar streaming option at first base this week.
Brian Anderson (3B/OF, MIA): 12% Owned
Anderson has a career-high .193 ISO, and has already set his career-high in home runs with 16. He’s in a great spot since the Marlins play eight games, and a young, versatile player like Anderson should be in the lineup for most of these games. He also hits second most days for the Marlins, which should boost his volume even higher. Anderson is perhaps the best option at the hot corner this week.
Also Consider: Gio Urshela (3B/SS, NYY): 27% Owned, Brandon Dixon (1B/OF, DET): 1% Owned
Up the Middle
Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, DET): 26% Owned
Goodrum is eligible at every position and plays eight games this week, so what’s not to love? The versatile young infielder has been all over the place production-wise, but he’s proven to have a good amount of power and speed with 10 homers and 12 steals on the year. He also hits second every day for the Tigers, so Goodrum should rack up volume while also being a plug-and-play option across multiple positions in daily lineup leagues.
Luis Arraez (2B, MIN): 5% Owned
Arraez has been on fire since his promotion, hitting .357 with 1.38 BB/K ratio in 160 PA. He’s fallen under-the-radar in a loaded Twins lineup, but Arraez has plenty to offer in a seven-game week. The opposing pitching is relatively strong, as the Twins take on the Braves and Indians, but you will be hard-pressed to find a better source of batting average than Arraez this week.
Also Consider: Scott Kingery (3B/SS/OF, PHI): 45% Owned, Leury Garcia (SS/OF, 18% Owned), Miguel Rojas (1B/2B/3B/SS, MIA): 7%
In the Outfield
Jason Heyward (OF, CHC): 29% Owned
Heyward has kicked off his second half with a bang, hitting .338 with a .835 OPS thus far. He’s also been promoted to the leadoff spot for Chicago, and that lineup spot just got even better with the recent acquisition of Nicholas Castellanos, who hit second in his first game with the Cubs. The Cubs have a seven-game week, starting with three games at home against the Athletics followed by four games in Cincinnati. Heyward is going to be a great source of average and runs in the upcoming week.
Corey Dickerson (OF, PHI): 24% Owned
Dickerson was recently acquired by the Phillies and will be playing every day for his new club. He gets a chance to start off on the right foot as well since Philadelphia has seven games out west this week. Dickerson has hit .316 this season and is hitting .303 since 2018 when he changed his approach and lowered his strikeout rate. He’s one of the safest sources of batting average out there, and should get a healthy boost in power production going from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Dickerson is a nice alternative to Heyward, as the two should provide similar batting average production.
Also Consider: JaCoby Jones (OF, DET): 1% Owned
More Streamers and Head-to-Head League Columns
