RADIO
Unlucky number 13, or maybe for those of you sifting through the waiver wire, lucky number 13. At this rate, your league landscape should be coming into clarity and where you stand will help you determine what you need. If you're in a FAAB league, what percentage of your budget should you be using? Or should you burn that number one waiver priority? At this point in the year, if you haven't used it already, burn it and your FAAB money because this is where the greatest tests come.
This week we're also mixing it up a bit, and diving deeper than usual, so 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 1% and 55% so if you're not picking them up, target them in a trade! These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 13. 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 13
C - Mike Zunino, Seattle Mariners - 54% owned
His ownership number is already a little high, but with a June like his, it's hard not to recommend Mike Zunino. Since June 1, Zunino has hit nine of his ten home runs, and driven in 30 RBI. He's also hitting .329 and that's including the 30 strikeouts he's already racked up. He's going to have that happen, where he strikes out in bunches, but the upside and the power, which he's always demonstrated, makes him worth the pickup. He is also getting a bit lucky, seeing as most of his fly balls are leaving the park, but in points leagues, we'll take a night of 10+ every few days to balance out some of the minuses.
1B - Mitch Moreland, Boston Red Sox - 18% owned
As the cleanup hitter on a division-leading baseball team, you'd think that the 18% ownership would be much higher. Moreland is now a top-100 player in my primary league, and with home runs in the past three games, Moreland is demonstrating he's a force to be reckoned with . In fact 10 of his 11 homers on the year have come in the last 32 games and 25 of his 39 RBI have come in the same timeframe. I'm surprised his ownership sits so low considering the pedigree of players hitting around him. That's no knock on Moreland himself, but he has the opportunity, so scoop him up immediately.
2B - Scooter Gennett, Cincinnati Reds - 38% owned
Remember that four home run game that Scooter Gennett had in early June? Well I would bet that half of his current ownership came following that game, but the notice he's gotten is still well deserved. Gennett has kept it rolling, and is on his way to smash previous bests. He's only four home runs and 17 RBIs shy of breaking his personal bests and we still have over half a season to go. Points league managers will like that Gennett does a bit of everything. He hits at the top of a relatively strong lineup, in a very friendly hitter's park, and stays consistent with his .308 average, as well as the power that he's shown at the plate this year. Gennett has reached safely in his last eight games, with three doubles, three home runs and a ton of runs. Grab the 27-year-old and hold him because he's not stopping now.
3B - Matt Davidson, Chicago White Sox - 27% owned
If you get punished for strikeouts, there will be games where you lose points because of Matt Davidson, but there will also be week-winning games that make it all worthwhile. The rookie has already connected for 17 home runs and 38 RBIs, hitting a respectable .260 in the six spot. The respectable average comes due to a streak where Davidson hit almost .400 for a span of more than 10 games, but realistically, we don't care about the average, we want the power. Davidson's seems to be legit, and while U.S. Cellular is a good place for him to hit, so are all the ballparks in the division, as no park in the AL Central ranks below 16th friendliest for hitters, according to an ESPN study.
SS - Eric Sogard, Milwaukee Brewers - 10% owned
With 2016 fantasy MVP Jonathan Villar on the DL with a strained back, the Brewers turned to Eric Sogard, who is performing like a fantasy MVP of his own in 2017. In the leadoff spot, Sogard is a dream for category leagues where he's hitting an otherworldly .353. What points leagues owners want to hear is that he's already mashed 12 doubles and scored 23 runs, in a mere 38 games. Sogard is worth grabbing for a short period of time, but is also worth monitoring because of his production to date. Even when Villar comes back, Sogard may force the hand of the Brewers and demand some playing time.
OF - Melky Cabrera, Chicago White Sox - 42% owned
With his red-hot June, Melky Cabrera has pushed himself into the top 100 players in my primary points league. Cabrera hits near the top of a decent Chicago White Sox lineup, that ranks in the top 10 in average, and some of that is definitely because of the 32-year-old. Combine his .311 average (consistency) in June, with his six long balls and 18 RBI in May (power) and Cabrera is actually contributing across the board in points leagues. He obviously won't run and won't hit triples, but his power is enough to put some fly balls over the fence, hit a couple into the gap for doubles, but his biggest value is getting on base and having others bring him home to score.
SP - Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox - 45% owned
The 24-year-old southpaw Rodon was well drafted this March and April, even though owners were aware that he wouldn't be in the White Sox rotation for Opening Day. What they weren't aware of is how long he'd take to recover. I personally could only hold on so long before dropping him at the end of April when the "Great DL Depression" hit, but it's finally time for him to make his season debut. His first test won't be an easy one as it comes against a very good New York Yankees team, but as a lefty, he should get a bump in confidence against the Bronx Bombers, who are very average against southpaws. The key to Rodon's success will be his nasty slider, if he can make sure he can raise the 38.9% zone rate it currently has.
RP - Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies - 25% owned
Although he's not closing out games yet, Pat Neshek figures to be either setting up or picking up saves for a contender at some point in the next month. With a sparkling 0.59 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 30.2 innings, Neshek is a prime candidate to be traded to the Washington Nationals. With the Nationals winning, but going through what seems to be a revolving door at the closer position, Neshek provides stability and experience. The 36-year-old has pitched in a few postseasons before, and with the Nationals looking to make a berth, there's no one better than Neshek to help them do it. Pick him up now and you should be able to get a month or two worth of save opportunities on an excellent team.
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