RADIO
Double digit week! It's already week 10 and this season is just flying by. We're almost approaching the halfway mark of the season for most leagues, and there are still many diamonds to be found in the waiver wire rough. This week I went off the 30 to 50 board and gave out a few recommendations that I couldn't resist. The 10-day DL is making the waiver wire both more difficult and more fruitful this year. It's more difficult because as soon as you think you've found a good one, he could hit the DL, for something as small as cutting himself shaving, but on the other hand, it's fruitful because there's always someone out there ready to exceed expectations when they get a chance at the starting job. Good luck in the first double digit week of the season!
Here are a few guys who can contribute in points leagues, one at each position to consider for the next week. All of these guys have ownership numbers between 30% and 50% so if you're not picking them up, target them in a trade! These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 10. Let's get to it.
Note: All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.
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Points League Waiver Wire Adds - Week 10
C - Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays - 49% owned
As a Toronto Blue Jays fan, I've seen first-hand some of the struggles that Russell Martin has gone through. And as much as it pains me to say it, he will get hot for a bit and then cool off, but when he's on, he's really on. Hitting in a potent offence can do that for you. Before his neck injury late last week, Martin was on a six-game hit streak, and getting tons of chances to drive in runs with Kevin Pillar, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales and Troy Tulowitzki hitting in front of him. Yeah, I like his chances too. Plus, he gets to hit in the always friendly Rogers Centre. As I said above, pick up Martin for a week, it could get rough, but it could really pay off. But don't get too attached, it never lasts.
1B - Ryon Healy, Oakland Athletics - 60% owned
I'm going to cheat a little bit here and pick a guy who has a slightly higher owned percentage than I'm supposed to write about, but seriously? 60 percent? Healy is absolutely mashing the ball, even in the confines of the Oakland Coliseum. He's hitting lower in the lineup than he should be, because if he was just a few spots higher, I think his RBI total would get a nice boost. Healy is still hitting the ball out of the park well enough, with a two multi home run games in his last three. And even when the ball isn't leaving the yard, he's picking up some doubles, which plays well for us in points leagues. He's also got third base eligibility, so he can be used in a few different spots. Yes, his average might not be what it was last year, but Healy is definitely not feeling a sophomore slump. Pick him up because 60% is still criminally under-owned.
2B - Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals - 37% owned
I'm hoping I haven't jumped on the bandwagon too late - Merrifield's 19-game hitting streak ended Monday, but I'm sure he's got more in him, right? Right...? We'll have to wait and find out, but until then, it definitely doesn't hurt to own the guy who owned the longest hitting streak in the MLB this season. What's nice about Merrifield is that he works well in both the points and categories leagues. He's provided some pop already with six homers, he's swiped six bags and he's picked up a few extra bases in the past week or so. The 28-year-old also just slid up the batting order, as he hit leadoff for the first time in just over a month on Monday. He should get some chances to score some extra runs now too. He can contribute anywhere, all the time. Give him a shot.
3B - Josh Harrison, Pittsburgh Pirates - 48% owned
I recommended Harrison a few weeks ago, and his ownership has bounced around, but not really gotten past the 50% threshold that I'd like to see it at. (Plus, that means I wouldn't be able to write about him, because he's just too good!) Harrison is ol' reliable, the guy who just puts some points in your pocket daily, and can outscore your opponents sluggers through his consistency. This year, he's showing off some power, as he's already hit seven home runs, which is almost as many as the previous two seasons combined (8). Harrison's also been relatively healthy this year, which I'm hoping he can keep up, because that means he'll be able to offer up some stolen bases on the side. The Cincinnati native is hoping to earn another All-Star mention like his stellar 2014 season, and he's quietly on his way to doing so.
SS - Freddy Galvis, Philadelphia Phillies - 8% owned
I'm breaking the rules again, but shortstop seems to be the most difficult position out there this year. I've written about a few guys in past weeks who are still hanging out between the 35% and 45% owned mark, but this week I'm going to tell you about a shortstop that I own, and I'll justify it by calling this section the "Valid Value Section". Galvis is only 8% owned but in points leagues is up there with Jonathan Villar and Hernan Perez, and already exceeded players like Trevor Story, Addison Russell, and Troy Tulowitzki, although Tulo was injured. The reason I own Galvis is consistency, and while I complained about the lack of that in week 8, he gave me a bit more of that in week 9, including a two-homer game yesterday. He seems to be back at the bottom of the lineup after getting some chances at the top, but once he gets back into his consistent rhythm, it really doesn't matter where he hits. He likely won't be owned in your points leagues, but he's got the stats to prove it, so snag him now.
OF - Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels - 48% owned
I drafted Kole Calhoun thinking he'd have a huge year, but dropped him before he really started to gain some traction. His walk percentage was up from April to May, and although it's early in June, it's up even more. He should be able to show a little bit more patience at the plate and get on base a bit more often. He had some tough days in May, but he's hit three homers in four June games, so while the average doesn't look too pretty, he's regained some power. He's also hitting in a good spot in a decent lineup with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout behind him. I like Calhoun because of where I was able to get him in a draft, but I like him even more now that he's out on the wire. Grab him and hold him.
SP - Dinelson Lamet, San Diego Padres - 37% owned
After two games with big strikeout numbers, it's hard to ignore a guy like Lamet in points leagues. Since we're chasing points, we're essentially looking for big strikeouts, or decent strikeouts with not a lot of runs given up. Well look no further than Lamet's two starts this week. His first game is at Chase Field in Arizona against a team with the fourth most strikeouts in the league. Then he gets a Kansas City team, who haven't even scored 200 runs as of this writing, and he gets them in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the league. He's got a great slider that has gotten tons of swings and misses, and Lamet should be able to impress this week.
RP - Brad Peacock, Houston Astros - 45% owned
Just as I mentioned with Lamet, we're chasing strikeouts here, and Peacock has shown he can deliver. He's got 47 strikeouts in just 31.1 innings, good for a 13.50 K/9. It's by far since he was in the 9+ range in AAA, but it seems like there's a big reason why it jumped from 5.4 K/9 in 2015 to almost 8 in 2016 to 13.50 so far in 2017. Peacock is throwing his curveball quite a bit less, and has upped the usage of his slider. He's throwing his curveball almost 3% less and his slider almost 5% more. And if you compare the 2015 and 2016 numbers, there's an even bigger disparity. Give Peacock a shot as he's got a "meh" Los Angeles Angels team later this week.
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