RADIO
Week 16 is a doozy, spanning 10 days, making many pitchers "two-start" guys and keeping us on our feet right after the All-Star break. If you're like me, the All-Star break was long and the desire to check my lineups hit every day. While I may not have had players playing games, I was still making moves because of other owners dropping players who were "not active" or slumping going into the break. I was able to snag New York Yankees pitcher Jordan Montgomery because of the former reason, and now it looks like he could be the ace (due to lack of better options) of the team.
This week we're back to our shallow and deep points leagues waiver targets, looking at anyone and everyone between 1% and 55%. So here are a few guys who can contribute in points leagues, one at each position to consider for the next week, and possibly beyond. These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 16. 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 16
C - Wilson Ramos, Tampa Bay Rays - 42% owned
I vouched for Ramos earlier this year, before he was ready to come back from his injury, and although he's experiencing some soreness of late, he should be back and ready to contribute in a few days. The batting average won't do much, but his ability to crush the ball will help in points leagues. The 29-year-old already has three home runs in 10 games (42 plate appearances) and while I don't think the batting average will be at .307 like last year, he's an easy bet for .260ish, with 12 home runs, and maybe more. Grab Ramos if you're in need of a catcher, because most owners probably do too.
1B - Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates - 37% owned
When drafting this year, I was big on Bell. I only got to grab him in one of my three leagues, but I'm sure glad I did, because he contributes everywhere. I'd love to see a little bit more speed on the base paths, but I'll take what I can get from him. He's already hit 17 home runs, as well as 17 doubles, making him a virtual lock for 25/25. Those are huge points that I'd love in points leagues. The fact that he has a bit of speed and can potentially mix in a triple and a stolen base here and there is exciting too. His walk rate is down and his strikeout percentage is up, but the average hasn't dipped down too far to make the power not worth it like Joey Gallo. Grab Bell and hold him, or trade him to me, because I'd love some more shares.
2B - Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals - 47% owned
Here's a guy that I'd recommend to hold in category leagues, but in points leagues, I'm just going to mention for the short term. Going into the All-Star break, DeJong clubbed three homers in his last three games, also adding four doubles. Those are some sweet points, but since coming out of the break, he's contributed a double and a homer in his last four games. He was clearly riding momentum, and here's hoping in points leagues that he can continue to show some power for points. Besides that DeJong will definitely be one of those consistent contributors, as he's hitting .299 with an .899 OPS. Not bad for categories, but in points leagues, we're chasing power. Give him two weeks to prove he's got more in him, but cut bait if you only see the small contributions.
3B - Nicholas Castellanos, Detroit Tigers - 33% owned
Castellanos is another guy who I was high on before the season, and while he's been up and down for most of the season, when he's up, it's very worthwhile. In most points leagues, he should be in the top 120, depending on your scoring settings. Since coming out of the break, he's hit two home runs, and while the lack of extra base hits in his last 10 games or so is concerning, don't forget that he's already ripped six triples this year, and is coming in close on 20 doubles. He's also closing in on passing his runs total from 2016, because of his movement throughout the Tigers lineup, hitting anywhere from second to seventh. Castellanos is a nice add because of the amount he can contribute to virtually any lineup.
SS - Jose Peraza, Cincinnati Reds - 51% owned
I'm still a little weary on a guy like Peraza; I actually drafted him, but got fed up with the cold start, before he kind of got going in May. It's obvious there's not a whole lot of power, and despite points leagues usually chasing power, Peraza is still an interesting play in points leagues. The 23-year-old is obviously still young, and definitely capable of putting together a stronger season. There's lots of promise in him getting opportunities to hit at the top and second in the order, as well as being a threat to steal a base every time he gets on (although, it's been a while). Recently, he's been doing a better job of getting on as his K% from June to July is dropping and his batting average is slowly rising. I'd say give him a few weeks to see if he can maintain some consistency.
OF - Carlos Beltran, Houston Astros - 31% owned
I'm putting the 40-year-old veteran on the list for one reason: the Houston Astros. Beltran continues to DH for the Astros even though his strikeout rate is at one of the highest of his career, and his batting average is on the other side of the spectrum. However, it is hard to deny the opportunities that Beltran has with the likes of George Springer, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel, Marwin Gonzalez and Josh Reddick hitting around him. Most of his opportunities have come hitting in the fifth slot, where he's posted half of his home run total. I don't want to tell you to hang onto Beltran forever, but the upside is there. This is a guy who hit 29 homers last year, so stick with him, and you should see some RBIs and runs at least.
SP - Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals - 42% owned
Yes, some of the underlying numbers suggest Ian Kennedy is not the best recommendation here, but in points leagues, some of those stats matter a little bit less. Diving into some of the numbers though, his line drive percentage is down from last year and his ground ball percentage is up. The only ugly one is his fly ball percentage which increased drastically from his move from San Diego to Kansas City. The fact is though, is that Kennedy has struck out at least five in his last four starts, not allowing more than three runs in any of those games. He's also kept the walks down, which definitely help, it's just the home runs that keep getting hit. In points leagues though, take the strikeouts, and the wins, since Kansas City seems to being doing that, and hope for another quality start from Kennedy when he takes on the White Sox later this week.
RP - Ryan Madson/Sean Doolittle, Washington Nationals - 51% owned and 27% owned respectively
The Washington Nationals have exhausted many options with their bullpens in years past, and 2017 is no exception. Dusty Baker has already hinted that either one of, or both, Madson and Doolittle could see time closing in Washington, seeing as they've both been pretty good this year in Oakland. The lack of save opportunities in Oakland is what have kept their save and hold numbers down, but both are pitching to ERAs under 3.50, with Madson's just above 2! The fact that Madson is a righty, and Doolittle is a lefty means they could both see time, depending on the matchups, but if you only have space for one, I'd bargain that Madson is the safer bet.
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