What's up readers. Below are my top MLB hitter streamer options for Week 21 of fantasy baseball. All players listed here are 50% owned or less in Fleaflicker leagues and play seven games this week.

Streaming hitters is a great way to increase production and fantasy stats off the waiver wire for your head-to-head matchups. It can also help to mitigate the damage done by underperformers. Check back weekly for my favorite hitter streamers for the upcoming week.

Editor’s Note: RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.

 

Top Hitter Streamers for Week 21

1. Aramis Ramirez 3B, Pirates

(4 @ MIA, 3 vs COL) – 41% owned

A-Ram hadn't done a whole lot to earn our faith before last week, batting just .217 in 69 AB for Pittsburgh. Fast forward to the present and he's starting to earn our trust. He put together a .321 average over the last week with a HR and 8 RBI. That's good enough to rank in the top 100 for Yahoo last week and boost his overall AVG to .253 with the Buccos.

He starts the week off with four away at Marlins Park, a stadium Ramirez holds a .306 AVG in over 28 games. The pitching matchups are friendly (Koehler, Hand, Flores, Nicolino). He follows that up with a three-game series vs Colorado, a team that has an MLB-worst 5.14 team ERA. The only matchup that bugs me is Jorge De La Rosa considering Ramirez's struggles vs LHP in 2015 (which goes against his career numbers). Regardless, if you need a bat for week 21, Aramis is a solid choice.

 

2. Chris Colabello, 1B/OF, Blue Jays

(3 @ TEX, 3 vs DET) – 30% owned

But Max, he isn't playing in 7 games this week! Well guess what? My article, my rules! With Toronto now lined up to face three LHP (Holland, Perez, Boyd) I except Colabello to find his way back into the lineup after sitting three games last week. Keep in mind two of those were at an NL park, eliminating the DH spot. There were concerns with Colabello fading as the season went on, but he's responded by  batting .354 over his last 47 AB. If you're looking for a power boost, he's my favorite choice.

 

3. Stephen Piscotty, OF, Cardinals

(4 @ ARI, 3 @ SF) – 12% owned

This ownership level makes no sense considering the lack of depth in the St. Louis outfield. He's batting .320 over 97 AB, and he's hitting second for the club with the best record in baseball. The road numbers are a concern (.200 over 35 AB), but that's a fairly small sample size. One of the concerns with Piscotty when he was called up was whether he could hit for power. He's responded to that inquiry by knocking two HR this week (should have been three) while throwing in a SB for good measure. He's mashed LHP so far (.429 over 28 AB), and he faces two LHP (Ray, Corbin) on the road to start week 21. Either the road AVG or the LHP AVG has to give this week, and I'm gambling that he improves the former.

 

4. Nick Castellanos 3B, Tigers

(1 @ CIN, 3 vs LAA, 3 @ TOR) 18% owned

In week 20, Castellanos showed everyone the potential that Tigers fans are dying to see on a regular basis. He batted .368 (7-for-19) with 2 HR and 9 RBI, including becoming only the third player this year (Denard Span, Jackie Bradley Jr.) to record four extra-base hits in a game this season. One of the main concerns with Castellanos is the L/R split. Take a look below.

No shocker here, Castellanos huge day came at the expense of LHP. He does have two on the schedule this week (Hector Santiago, Mark Buehrle) and neither has performed well lately, putting Castellanos in a spot to do some real damage. Castellanos isn't a good road hitter either, but Cincinatti and Toronto rank first and third respectively in HR per AB. Combine that with a .400 AVG (4-for-10) at Rogers Centre, and I have hope that this weekend will be a boon.

 

5. Michael Conforto, OF, Mets

(4 @ PHI, 3 vs BOS) – 5% owned

Conforto hasn't contributed too much to the Year of the Rookie, but most pundits expected him to struggle making the jump from Double-A. He's currently hitting .224/.333/.448 with 3 HR and 11 RBI as part of a platoon in LF. He's only had 5 AB vs LHP to this point. Good news for Conforto and rummaging fantasy owners is this week should be filled with playing time. The Mets currently have five RHP lined up (Williams, Eickhoff, Harang, Wright, Kelly). Combine that with Conforto's .805 OPS vs RHP and we have a recipe for success. With him available in 95% of leagues, it's likely this pick will help anyone out there.

 

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