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Matthew Stamper recommends some waiver wire adds at each position for fantasy baseball owners in points leagues. These players could be sleepers for 2017.
May is finally here and just like the weather, we can only hope that some bats heat up too! After the first month, we definitely have a better feel of the players on our rosters we absolutely do not want to cut, and some of the "on the bubble" guys. Points leagues are nice because we're literally chasing the points from week to week, so maybe I can encourage you to drop some bubble guys for some extra points in Week 5.
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 5. 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 5
C - Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres - 35% owned
He might be striking out at almost a 30% rate, but when he makes contact, Austin Hedges makes really good contact. The average is starting to come around, but his 25% HR/FB ratio, especially when he hits in a place like Petco is a good sign. Hedges has already hit six home runs this year and continues to drive in runs in the lower half of the lineup. Especially at catcher where it's not always easy to find big points and lots of power, Hedges is a must-grab. He might be someone who could seriously cool off, but it's worth those cool times to have him while he's hot.
1B - Mitch Moreland, Boston Red Sox - 26% owned
He hits in the Boston Red Sox lineup. That's all. Well, not exactly, seeing as the Red Sox rank at the bottom of the league in homers with 14, and 29th in the league with only 87 runs. Good news is that they're at in the top five in league average and hits, they're just leaving tons of men on base. For a guy who hits in the middle of a potentially potent lineup, Moreland is severely under-owned. With guys like Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, or some combination of those guys hitting before Moreland, it's only a matter of time before Moreland picks it up. And he hasn't even been that bad to this point.
2B - Hernan Perez, Milwaukee Brewers - 36% owned
He may not play every day, but he's well on his way there, and his upside is far greater than those few days he sits out. Perez has hit up and down the lineup, anywhere from fourth, through to seventh, and he's got speed to burn. He's already hit two three-baggers and while he's not on his way to steal the 34 bases he did last year, it's mainly due to the power and consistency he's providing in the middle of the lineup. I'll take the consistency and power considering we're not talking about category leagues. Steals are a nice touch, but they only provide a few points here and there. Pick up Perez as soon as you can, because he'll provide shortstop eligibility in Yahoo leagues soon, in case you have a Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Peraza or Xander Bogaerts, who just haven't gotten off to the starts we wanted.
3B - Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox - 43% owned
This will probably end up being the last call on baseball's number one prospect. The 21-year-old has been highly touted for a while now, and he was probably drafted in a number of leagues where teams have an N/A spot. Assuming the White Sox don't keep up their above .500 play for the rest of the year, we could see Moncada in July, but even half a season will be well worth the wait. Moncada is a serious contributor in every category, but temper expectations a little bit for the MLB. Moncada has already struck out 29 times in 20 games, so his average may not stay when he has to face professional pitching. He'll still be worth the wait if you can hold him until then in an N/A spot, otherwise, with the amount of injuries this year, some teams won't be able to afford so many inactive spots.
SS - Taylor Motter, Seattle Mariners - 34% owned
After losing a waiver wire, and sleeper hero, Mitch Haniger, the Mariners offer up another season-saver in Taylor Motter. Motter has the positional versatility to play both shortstop and the outfield, arguably two of the most shallow positions this year, due to injury. Hopefully his strikeout percentage drops back to some of his more minor league numbers as he's sitting around the 25% rate at the moment, but last year he was around 20% and in the minors even less than that. He jumped out to a hot start, and has started to cool off a bit, but now that Haniger is injured, he'll have plenty of playing time.
OF - Michael Conforto, New York Mets - 48% owned
Another player who will benefit from injury is 24-year-old Michael Conforto. With Yoenis Cespedes and Conforto's competition Brandon Nimmo out for a while, the Mets have no choice but to play him. Even without the injuries, manager Terry Collins would have to play Conforto with the way he's hitting. In the leadoff spot, Conforto has thrived, hitting .355 there with five of his six home runs. His strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is up, so he's definitely seeing the ball better after his demotion last year. Conforto had a very similar start in April of 2016 and then flew off the handle in May. I think he's finally coming around, and although he may have a little luck on his side, I don't think it'll run out any time soon.
SP - Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians - 35% owned
I like Trevor Bauer as this week's double-start pitcher because he gets Detroit at Comerica, and Kansas City at Kauffman. Detroit has struck out nearly 200 times, which goes well with Bauer's 10.96 K/9 and 2.74 BB/9. Bauer is quite a few more fastballs which is allowing him to stay ahead of hitters, or at least not get so far behind. Plus, on his weekend start, Bauer gets a bad team in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. What more can you ask for? Bauer is finally shaping up to be a more productive fantasy pitcher, especially in points leagues where he's racking up strikeouts.
RP - Bud Norris, Los Angeles Angels - 48% owned
Yes, we're talking about that Bud Norris. Norris is now the de facto closer in Los Angeles since Cam Bedrosian and Huston Street have both hit the DL. The Angels traded for veteran David Hernandez, but Norris has still been the ninth inning man, earning five saves in nine days. He's doing the job for now and with all the injuries plaguing the MLB, you might as well grab him. The Angels have been winning and someone needs to close out those games. Pick up Norris until he coughs it up, like it seems so many closers have done so far this year.
