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Waiver Wire Points Leagues - Week 5

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.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

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.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Daniel Gafford

Aggravates Right-Ankle Injury on Wednesday
Collin Sexton

Injured in Loss to Knicks
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Suffers Calf Injury on Wednesday Night
Kyren Williams

Expected to Play in Week 14
Davante Adams

Expected to Play Despite Missing Wednesday's Practice
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Woody Marks

Texans Say Woody Marks Will be Fine
Rasmus Ristolainen

to Miss at Least One More Week
Drew Doughty

Logs Full Practice Wednesday
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Jeff Skinner

Remains Sidelined Wednesday
Petr Mrazek

Out 2-3 Weeks
Pelle Larsson

Set to Suit Up Versus Dallas
Tyler Seguin

Likely Done for the Season
P.J. Washington

Ruled Out Against Miami
Neal Pionk

Returns to Jets Lineup
Jalen Smith

to Miss Third Straight Game
Duncan Robinson

Sidelined Again Wednesday
J.J. McCarthy

Practices in Full, on Track to Return in Week 14
Daniel Gafford

Set To Play Against Heat
Tre Jones

Ruled Out for Wednesday's Game
LaMelo Ball

Good to Go on Wednesday
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Steven Adams

Cleared To Play Against Kings
Deni Avdija

is Available to Play on Wednesday
Kevin Porter Jr.

Available on Wednesday
Bobby Portis

Available to Play on Wednesday
Lonzo Ball

Upgraded To Available Against Portland
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Cleared for Wednesday's Game
Jamal Murray

Cleared To Play Against Indiana
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Available on Wednesday Night
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Ruled Out on Thursday Due to a Personal Matter
Norman Powell

Sidelined Versus Mavericks
Mark Andrews

Agrees to Three-Year Extension With Ravens
Devin Booker

Out at Least One Week
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Officially Questionable for Thursday Night
Omarion Hampton

"on Track and Looking Good" for Week 14
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
Joey Bosa

Week-to-Week With Hamstring Injury
Bryce Young

Panthers Expected to Pick Up Bryce Young's Fifth-Year Option
Deshaun Watson

Browns Opening Practice Window for Deshaun Watson
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
Aaron Rodgers

Appears to be Healthier Heading into Week 14
Jalen McMillan

Expected to Have his 21-day Practice Window Opened
Mike Evans

' Practice Window Opened, Returning to Practice on Wednesday
Alexander Wennberg

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Michael Callahan

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Michael Rasmussen

Makes Early Exit Tuesday
Scott Wedgewood

Exits Early With Back Problem
Evander Kane

Expected to Be Fine After Skate Cut
Tyler Seguin

Injured Versus Rangers
Sean Monahan

Expected to Play Thursday
Nathan Walker

Out for Eight Weeks
Lian Bichsel

to Sit Out 6-8 Weeks
Viktor Arvidsson

Activated From Injured Reserve
Warren Foegele

Remains Out Tuesday
Valeri Nichushkin

Available After Eight-Game Absence
Gabriel Landeskog

Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog Cleared for Tuesday
Tyson Foerster

to Miss 2-3 Months
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Says he's Fine After Suffering Hip Contusion
Omarion Hampton

Likely to Return in Week 14
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers "Hopeful" Brandon Aiyuk Will Play in 2025
Brayden Point

Without Timetable for Return
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Carted Off With Hip Injury on Monday Night
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach
Davante Adams

Not Dealing With a Serious Injury
Kyler Murray

Surgery Not on the Table for Kyler Murray
Marvin Harrison Jr.

in Danger of Missing Week 14?
CFB

Kalani Sitake the Top Target for Penn State Coaching Job
Justin Herbert

Having Hand Surgery on Monday
CFB

Josh Heupel Says He's Not a Candidate for Penn State Head Coach Job
CFB

Will Stein, Brian Hartline the Top Candidates for Kentucky Job?
CFB

Nebraska Fires Defensive Coordinator John Butler After One Season
CFB

UCLA Expected to Hire Bob Chesney as Next Head Coach
CFB

Lane Kiffin to Make $13 Million Salary, Ties Kirby Smart
CFB

Buster Faulkner, Joey Halzle Candidates for Florida Offensive Coordinator Job?
CFB

Kentucky Officially Fires Mark Stoops
CFB

Lane Kiffin to be Introduced as LSU's Next Head Coach on Monday
CFB

Florida Poised to Land Jon Sumrall as Next Head Coach
CFB

Alex Golesh Taking Over Auburn Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Arkansas Expected to Hire Ryan Silverfield as Next Head Coach
Zack Wheeler

Likely to Return in May
Ryan Helsley

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Orioles

RANKINGS

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RANKINGS
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