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Jeff Kahntroff analyzes hitter streamers and starts for Week 4. These bats are potential fantasy baseball waiver wire adds to stream for head-to-head leagues.
Welcome back to my hitting streamers column for Week 4, taking a look at hitters to add or stream off the waiver wire for this week's scheduled games.
To keep things simple, I pick from players who are 50% owned or less and who play at least seven games in the week. If someone jumps off the page at me as a less than seven game player, I may make an exception, but otherwise the advantage in number of games dictates my choices. This week the streaming options are worse than usual, but if you need an option, below are the best choices.
With that said, let’s dive right in.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 4
Lucas Duda (1B, KC) - 16% owned
Duda is one of those fantasy players who can provide you sneaky value a few weeks a year. This is likely one of those weeks. Throughout his career, Duda has an .843 OPS versus RHP in over 2,000 at bats. He has hit .251 with a homer every 17.1 at bats against them. This week, he should face six or seven righty starters. Further, the Royals have a doubleheader on Saturday, meaning that Duda should get some bats against the soft part of the bullpen this weekend. Add it all up and you have a hitter who has had success against righties, will face a bunch of them, and will get to the soft spot of the bullpens. That should mean power production for your lineup this week with a stomachable average.
Nick Markakis (OF, ATL) - 27% owned
Markakis is not the exciting player he once was coming up as a prospect through the Orioles' farm system. Rather, now he is a steady, consistent performer. He will not steal you bases, but he will provide a serviceable average with run production and an occasional homer. This year, he is batting behind an emerging Ozzie Albies and on-base machine Freddie Freeman. Further, he will face six righties this week, against whom he has shown significantly more power and a slightly better average. While not exciting, Markakis should provide decent average and run production this week if you are in need, with the possibility of a homer.
Michael Brantley (OF, CLE) - 41% owned
As stated in my week 2 column, the question with Brantley the past couple years has always been the same: can he stay healthy? This year he is looking to be healthy after starting the year on the DL. Through eight games, he has batted .333 with a homer and a steal. That is not surprising, as he has always hit for average and has recently shown some power to go with his stolen base ability. In just over half a season last year, Brantley posted a line of .299/9/47/52/11. And even though he only played 11 games in 2016, in 2014-2015 he hit .310 and .327 with a combined 35 homers and 38 steals. Brantley would be higher on the list if he faced better matchups this week, but is still a worthy option nonetheless. However, he is a player you should hold onto for as long as he is healthy rather than a mere streamer.
Preston Tucker (OF, ATL) - 29% owned
I am hesitant to list Tucker here, but the reason may be different than you think. My reason is that Ronald Acuna seems to be warming up slightly after a slow start to the season, and thus he could be called up soon. If he does, Tucker is likely to lose playing time. But, I am a gambler and I like Tucker's matchups this week. He will face six righties, against whom he has hit better throughout his career. To start the year, he has a career-high 46.3% hard hit rate and a career-high 24.4% line drive rate. If you want to take the risk, he is a worthy gamble. But keep an eye on Acuna heading into Monday's games.
Yonder Alonso (1B, CLE) - 26% owned
Like Brantley, Alonso does not face great matchups this week. Moreover, he is off to what appears to be a slow start. However, that may just be a matter of bad luck. While he is hitting the ball on the ground more often this year, his BABIP has declined by more than expected. He otherwise has the same batted ball profile, and he is continuing to show power. The Indians as a team have not hit well to start the year, but when their bats warm up, that should also lead to increased run production from Alonso. Despite facing not great pitching matchups, Alonso is a decent power source this week who could potentially provide more.
Yolmer Sanchez (2B/3B, CHW) - 6% owned
As I stated two weeks ago, Sanchez put up a yawner of a line last year: .267/12/63/59/8. However, at just 25 years old, he could stand to improve on that line this year. This week, he has eight games against decent pitching matchups. With the doubleheader factored in, there is a good chance that he gets to the meat of the bullpen. While he is unlikely to ever win you a week, he should be able to provide a serviceable average with the possibility of a homer or steal. Factoring in the number of games, he should also be able to provide decent run production. And, if you are looking to fill 2B, 3B, MI, or CI, he can fill any of those roles.
Eduardo Escobar (2B/SS/3B, MIN) - 20% owned
The 29 year-old Escobar posted a .254/21/62/73/5 line in just 129 games last year. This week, he will get a chance to show off that emerging power in Yankee Stadium. Even though he does not face great pitching matchups, they are serviceable and he is surrounded by talent in the lineup. He has the chance to provide you with something in all five categories and play at multiple positions. If you are in need, he is not a bad option.
Others to Monitor
Avisail Garcia (OF, CHW) - 50% owned - After a breakout to start 2017, Garcia is pulling the ball more and putting it on the ground more often. As a result, his BABIP has fallen. Nevertheless, he has eight games this week against decent pitching matchups.
Jason Kipnis (2B/OF, CLE) - 49% owned - Kipnis has started the year slowly like most of Cleveland's hitters. Nevertheless, he is too talented of a player to leave on the wire, even facing tough pitching matchups.
Tim Beckham (2B/3B/SS, BAL) - 22% owned - The former first-overall pick struggles with strikeouts, but he has power and can steal the occasional base. Despite a slow start, he has talent and could be worth a look.
