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Kyle Bishop suggests five middle infield targets for week 11, second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS), for fantasy baseball owners to consider adding to their rosters in 2018.
Lately, it seems like every day another fantasy-relevant player suffers an injury. In terms of middle-infield eligible players, Andrelton Simmons hit the disabled list this week with a sprained ankle. Carlos Correa may avoid a trip to the DL, but he still missed half the week with soreness in his side. Given the general deluge of injuries, positional flexibility takes on added importance. To that end, all five players we’ll discuss today offer at least one non-MI position of eligibility.
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 your second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 11.
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Week 11 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Jonathan Villar, 2B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers (44% owned)
Villar, of course, was one of the 2017 season’s biggest disappointments. A year after hitting 19 home runs and pacing the league with 62 stolen bases, his totals in those categories dropped to 11 and 23, respectively. His batting average and run production similarly cratered. As a result, he entered this season with minimal fantasy hype and an unsettled role on the crowded Brewers roster. While Villar still isn’t running nearly as much as he did during his breakout season, he’s still chipped in eight steals, and three of his five home runs on the season have come in his last nine games.
Jason Kipnis, 2B/OF, Cleveland Indians (34% owned)
Rather than feature Ian Kinsler here for the third straight week (though he’s still under 50% owned and has homered in three straight games – what are y’all waiting for?), let’s highlight another veteran showing signs of a turnaround after an abjectly awful start. Over the last two weeks, Kipnis has hit .313/.353/.563 with three homers and a pair of stolen bases. While that hasn’t been enough for him to reclaim the #2 spot in the Cleveland order, the Tribe’s offense is high-powered enough to keep his run production respectable even in the lower half of the lineup.
Derek Dietrich, 1B/2B/3B/OF, Miami Marlins (29% owned)
After years of intermittent fantasy utility as a super sub, Dietrich is playing every day and putting up respectable numbers in the process. The 28-year-old has hit .288/.339/.465 with eight homers and decent run production. Five of those long balls have come since May 22, and he’s logged multiple hits in five of his last eight games as well.
Jurickson Profar, SS/OF, Texas Rangers (28% owned)
While it may seem like Profar has been around forever, the former top prospect is still just 25 years old and may finally have reached useful fantasy asset status. He’s hitting a modest .241/.318/.448, but has six home runs and four stolen bases to his credit, along with 62 R+RBI in 60 games. Profar has found his way into consistent at-bats in the middle of the Texas lineup and deserves mixed-league consideration for as long as that remains the case.
Daniel Robertson, 2B/3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays (19% owned)
Whether it’s the lack of pedigree or the somewhat anonymous team for which he plies his trade, Robertson remains fairly underappreciated in fantasy circles. He’s produced an .822 OPS and seven homers, and has recently been getting some looks in the leadoff spot. Robertson won’t win you a title by himself, but he’s eligible at three infield positions, making him an attractive injury replacement at worst.
