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Kyle Bishop suggests five middle infield targets for week 10, second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS), for fantasy baseball owners to consider adding to their rosters in 2018.
Being a fantasy writer, like being a fantasy owner, means being wrong on something of a regular basis. So when you nail one, it’s important to acknowledge (read: gloat about) it. If you heeded last week’s advice and picked up the heretofore scuffling Ian Kinsler, you were rewarded with a week in which he collected 13 hits in 23 at-bats, including three home runs. He also scored and drove in six runs each. Will there be another timely recommendation this week? Perhaps!
Every Sunday until the end of the season, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup.
Let’s get to it. Below are my second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 10.
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Week 10 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Ian Kinsler, 2B, Los Angeles Angels (41% owned)
Despite all his aforementioned success over the past week, Kinsler’s ownership rate remains unchanged. Fantasy owners by and large appear to have not noticed the surge. The worm has turned, folks. Get in on Kinsler while you still can.
Ben Zobrist, 2B/OF, Chicago Cubs (21% owned)
Zobrist entered 2018 coming off his worst full season as a pro, closing in on his 37th birthday, and without an obvious path to a starting role for the Cubs. Suffice it to say that the veteran, underappreciated even during his prime, wasn’t on the fantasy radar for most people. He’s proven that there remains life in his bat, slashing .306/.398/.465 and taking over as primary leadoff man in Chicago. Zobrist likely will only just crack double digits in the HR column and he can’t be expected to contribute steals at this point, but he’s hitting for average and putting up solid run production.
Yairo Munoz, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (7% owned)
The narrative understandably focused on the human-interest angle, but the Cardinals’ trade of Stephen Piscotty to Oakland netted them a pair of middle infield prospects, one of whom was Munoz. The 23-year-old hit over .300 with 13 homers and 22 steals across Double- and Triple-A last year. After a brief run as a bench bat to open the year, Munoz was sent back to the minors only to find himself promoted back to the Show after Paul DeJong suffered a broken hand. The roster is crowded, but Munoz has done his best to prove he deserves a long look as DeJong’s replacement. He’s hit .389/.421/.583 with a pair of homers and a stolen base in the two weeks since being recalled.
Alen Hanson, 2B/OF, San Francisco Giants (7% owned)
Hanson returned from the disabled list on Saturday. Unfortunately for his playing time outlook, so did Joe Panik and the corpse of Hunter Pence. Neither player is a star, however, so the bet here is that the Giants will find a way to get Hanson’s bat into the lineup regularly. Before injuring his hamstring, the 25-year-old had hit .298/.346/.638 with four home runs and three stolen bases in just 14 games.
Jose Iglesias, SS, Detroit Tigers (5% owned)
The overall numbers don’t impress, but Iglesias has hit .303/.367/.449 with a pair of homers and five steals over the past 30 days. Even looking at the entire body of work for 2018, Iglesias’ numbers are pretty similar to those of Jose Peraza, who is owned in nearly eight times as many leagues for…reasons? Any owner with a need for a middle infielder who can steal a bag and hit for a decent average should consider the Tigers’ shortstop.
