RADIO
Chris Zolli recommends AL 1B Justin Smoak as a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup and add in Week 9 of 2017 for his steady power production.
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
OWNED IN: 47% of Yahoo Leagues
ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak has been written on before, but he just cannot stop hitting. Four homers and nine RBI in the last two weeks alone have brought Smoak up to 11 HR, 30 RBI on the season. He's also scoring plenty, having crossed the plate 12 times in the last 14 days. At age 30, it's unlikely we're seeing any sort of breakout that defies his Major League track record, but he is a former first-round pick and top-25 prospect. His OPS sits at .901 for the season and his 1.096 OPS at home is a very relevant statistic this week, as the Blue Jays play all of their games at Rogers Centre this week.
While Smoak's statistics alone are enough to pick him up, the addition of Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays lineup will see Smoak's statistics improve as well. More opportunties to score runs will see Smoak's RBI and runs total jump upward, as the Blue Jays' offense will get a needed boost. Smoak is not yet at the point where he is a safe option as a starting 1B in all mixed leagues, but he is a suitable option at CI or as a fill in for a player that is injured or out of the lineup.
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