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Hey, RotoBallers! It's that time of the week again to check on the waiver wire. We have reached the 1/5th mark of the season, and there are still a little under 130 games left to play. The standings haven't endured any significant changes since last week, other than the recent outbreak of the Dodgers (7-3 in the past 10 games). The Rays 26-6 mark accomplished a feat that hasn't been done since the 1984 Detroit Tigers who went 27-5 through 32 games.
Last week we saw continuous success from my Week 6 selections, and many of them are still available across several leagues. We saw success from Nick Senzel, Yuli Gurriel, Carlos Santana, and Max Kepler. If you were pleased with last week's picks, I encourage you to tune in for Week 7's array of waiver wire suggestions- running from May 8- May 14.
If you haven't been following this series since the season started, each week I identify a handful of hitting streamers for the upcoming week. Whichever player offers the most streaming value for that week is included in the article. If you are down a player that suffered an apparent injury or you simply want to rid of a replacement-worthy player, the waiver wire is the place to be. It's time to select a handful of potential hitting streamers for Week 7!
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What Teams Offer The Most Streaming Value?
8 teams play seven games between Monday, May 8, and Sunday, May 14. Those teams are:
- A's
- Yankees
- Rays
- White Sox
- Royals
- Rangers
- Diamondbacks
- Giants
There aren't an overwhelming amount of favorable matchups for Week 7, but there are definitely ones to take note of. The slumping Mets offense heads to Great American Ballpark to play three games, followed by an encouraging weekend in Nationals Park. The Yankees are privileged to host the hapless A's to kick off the week, which should give them an offensive boost given their barrage of injuries. Finally, the Rangers are set to tee off in Oakland with the fourth-highest OPS (.782) in baseball. Let's check out when these matchups are taking place.
- NYM@ CIN, May 9- 11
- NYM@ WAS, May 12- 15
- TEX@ OAK, May 11- 14
- CWS@ KC, May 8- 11
- TOR@ PHI, May 9- 10
- PHI@ COL, May 12- 14
- MIA@ ARI, May 8- 10
The White Sox have been horrid at the plate this season, and a stint at Kaufmann Stadium could get the offense going (.679 OPS). As previously mentioned, the Mets have quite a favorable week ahead with two moribund pitching staffs to face. The Blue Jays are bound to tee off in Philly unless the Phillies can right their ship on the mound (5.15 ERA). The Marlins haven't been atop the league offensively, but players like the inhuman Luis Arraez, Garrett Cooper, Jorge Soler, and Yuli Gurriel are all poised for big weeks at the plate.
Out of all the aforementioned matchups, there are a few notable players rostered below 50% that deserve to be streamed for Week 7. Jorge Soler, Yuli Gurriel, Daniel Vogelbach, Ezequiel Duran, and Kevin Kiermaier are all viable hitting streamers given their favored matchups. Let's get into it!
Week 7 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers
Victor Robles, Washington Nationals (6% Rostered)
It's reasonable to say that Robles wasn't exactly coveted for his bat up until this season. He's typically a .220 hitter that will maybe cough up a bunch of homers. However, a completely different hitter has emerged this season. Robles is slashing .292/.388/.360 with a 110 wRC+ through 89 ABs. He's been more patient at the plate as demonstrated by his 13.2% K rate and 8.5% walk rate, but he's making consistent contact overall.
The Nationals head to San Francisco early this week to face a middling Giants rotation, followed by a four-game homestand in an intradivision matchup against the Mets. Robles should have no problem holding his own at the plate considering that both of their opponents have struggled to contain offenses. Even though the Mets recently reinstated Verlander, they still possess a 4.48 collective ERA.
Kevin Pillar, Atlanta Braves (0% Rostered)
Pillar has always been commended for his bizarre catches in the outfield, but his bat never caught fire aside from a downcast ballot of MVP votes in 2019. The Braves signed Pillar to a minor $3 million deal over the offseason in hopes of mustering anything tangible in his 34-year-old body. Well, over the past seven games (23 ABs), he is slashing .400/.409/.750 with two home runs. He even launched his third dinger of the year in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.
His season stat line of .274/.303/.468 doesn't exactly reflect his past seven games, but you should certainly drink some Pillar Kool-Aid while he's hot. With an encouraging stint against the Red Sox, followed by a road trip to Toronto, fantasy managers should certainly stream Pillar for Week 7.
Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers (24% Rostered)
After a down year at the plate in 2022, fantasy managers started to question Taylor's ability to hit. Although he offers a chunk of streaming value as a versatile defender, he hit to the tune of a .677 OPS through 118 games last season. His struggles at the plate seemed to carry into the beginning of this season, but he's made some encouraging adjustments recently. Over the past seven games, Taylor is slashing .318/.375/.682 with one homer and five RBI.
On the season, the 32-year-old is tuning a .205/.267/.500 triple slash line, but his recent performance is turning some heads. Given the large proportion of leagues that haven't picked up Taylor, now's the time to invest. Although the Dodgers have two tough pitching matchups against the Brewers and Padres, Taylor typically stacks up well against righties, with both pitching staffs containing mostly righties.
Eddie Rosario, Atlanta Braves (3% Rostered)
Most fans can attest to Rosario's unreplicable performance in the 2021 World Series when he posted a 1.647 OPS. Despite missing the bulk of 2022, Rosario's bat completely tapered off, and his once magical bat was nowhere in sight. Some were suggesting that his bat had been washed out but over the past 15 games, Rosario is hitting .294/.345/.490 with two homers through 51 ABs. Despite his swinging choices on a similar trajectory as last season (25.3% K rate), it's hard to miss his career-high 10.3% barrel rate.
Rosario is the second Braves' outfielder to receive an honorary mention on this list. The 31-year-old is slashing .250/.294/.417 this season, with a .309 wOBA and 90 wRC+. If Rosario can continue to find the barrel and sustain his hot streak, he is a sure-hitting streamer for Week 7 and will take advantage of a scuffling Boston pitching staff.
CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals (23% Rostered)
Abrams was a foreseeable star in the big leagues as a top-10 prospect in baseball, but fantasy managers were turned off by his lackluster rookie season in 2022. He still needs some polishing in a couple of areas, but his bat has drawn some attention over the past seven games. Over that seven-game span, Abrams is slashing .316/.316/.368. Despite an uptick in his strikeout rate (21.9%), his bat has been producing more consistent contact over the past week.
This week's article contains three pairs of teammates, and Abrams/Robles is the second pair mentioned. With a heavy-righty Mets pitching staff (Abrams- .240 AVG vs. righties), followed by an above-average Giants rotation on the tab this week, fantasy managers should expect to see continuous success from Abrams at the plate in Week 7.
Matt Vierling, Detroit Tigers (3% Rostered)
Although he's encountered a recent seven-game slump, Vierling has shown some promising upside at the plate. After signing a sub-$1 million deal with the Tigers, Vierling has made quite an impression over the past 15 games. He's hitting .292/.370/.417 over that span, with one homer and two stolen bases. On the season, he owns an impressive 109 wRC+ with a .353 BAPIP. While the 26-year-old wasn't highly touted for his bat as a prospect, he's shown some potential in recent at-bats.
The Tigers will encounter two tough pitching matchups against the Guardians and Mariners, as Vierling hopes to sustain his recent outbreak over the past 15 games. Detroit has certainly struggled to produce runs this season (115), but Vierling's bat will certainly provide some encouragement if he continues to see success.
Eric Haase, Detroit Tigers (6% Rostered)
Haase has made quite some noise at the plate in recent affairs and it's beginning to become the norm for Haase to create loud contact. On the season he's slashing .277/.341/.398 with a 110 OPS+, but his most recent seven-game stint is even more streaming-worthy. He is hitting .292/.346/.583 over that span, including a two-homer day on Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets. He even launched a solo shot off Max Scherzer.
His patience certainly hasn't improved from last season (27.9% K rate), but the 30-year-old is teeing off against fastballs, which he has struggled to barrel in past years. He is hitting .385 against fastballs this season, which could be the explanation for his breakout at the plate. Although the Tigers will face two top-heavy pitching staffs, Haase is definitely worth streaming for Week 7.
Other Hitter Streamers to Consider
- Edmundo Sosa, 3B/SS- Philadelphia Phillies (2% rostered)
- Jason Delay, C- Pittsburgh Pirates (1% rostered)
- Jesus Aguilar, 1B- Oakland A's (2% rostered)
- Eric Hosmer, 1B- Chicago Cubs (2% rostered)
- Daniel Vogelbach, Util- New York Mets (1% rostered)
- Jon Berti, Util- Miami Marlins (38% rostered)
That's it for Week 7 hitter streamers; come back again next week and thanks for reading!
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