X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 12 Outfield Waiver Wire Targets

Sean Scampton recommends outfielders (OF) who are valuable waiver wire targets or adds for Week 12 of the 2018 fantasy baseball season.

Welcome to Week 12, RotoBallers. Over the season, inclusion in the weekly RotoBaller Outfield Waiver Wire Targets roundup almost guarantees a sharp increase in ownership. For example, just a mention on our prestigious column, and Joc Pederson has seen his rate jump by more than 20%. Johnny Field's percentage increased by 100%!! But unfortunately, our powers are not universal, and previous favorites like Harrison Bader have seen theirs drop. I don't have a good explanation for such a travesty, but it's time for a change. Readers, be the change you want to see in the world.

These players might seem unattractive, but each of them brings something unique and valuable to a fantasy roster. Champions don't care about names, just numbers. Wipe the names from your eyes when you evaluate your roster, just look at their production. The players below can fill holes and provide highly valuable depth, and when the season ends and we see what percentage of championship rosters had unheralded, unexpected, unappreciated producers like these gentlemen, don't tell me we didn't try.

So, without further ado, here are the Week 12 Outfield Waiver Wire Targets. Check out the rest of Rotoballer.com for the content you need to win, and don't forget to follow our team of analysts on Twitter. We have the moves you need to make to get that ring. Good luck, RotoBallers.

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

 

Week 12 Outfield Waiver Wire Targets

 Jorge Soler (OF, KC) - 25% owned

I’m writing this after learning that Jorge Soler fractured a bone in his left foot after fouling a ball off of it against the A’s, and I realize that over the last three weeks Soler has struggled to keep up the blistering pace he held through April and much of May. Over said 21 days, Soler’s strikeout rate and walk rate have gone south, leading to a disappointing 0.3 BB/K rate, and his .207/.270/.448 line with just three homers and a single steal have left much to be desired. His stats look far more like the last few years, which saw his stock plummet from talented prospect to likely bust.

However, Soler is still a talented youngster and this might be the ideal time to buy. The 26-year-old is still squaring up on the ball just as he has all season, evidenced by a .241 ISO and otherworldly 55.3% hard hit percentage over that same three week. He needs to work to get his flyball percentage back up, but it appears to both the numbers and the eye that Soler’s recent troubles are the result of some bad luck and a young hitter pressing to maintain success. When the outfielder was succeeding, his approach was far more consistent. Lately, he’s been hacking away a bit. Truth be told, a rest may do him some good, although that’s putting a very shiny silver-lining on the occasion of breaking a bone. If you’re in a deep or dynasty league, consider trading for Soler and stashing him until he returns. If you have an open DL spot, you’ll likely be able to get him for a song and could end up with a very useful power source for the second half of the season.

 

Scott Kingery (OF/SS/2B/3B, PHI) - 22% owned

Since I’m covering for the middle infield column for this week, I’m stealing the 24-year-old Philly for myself since he qualifies in the outfield. Kingery was waaaay overvalued entering the season thanks to a good performance in the spring and the always popular prospect effect. After a good stretch to open the season, Kingery’s value hit a Bitcoin-level fever pitch, one that he could’ve never hoped to live up to. Taken altogether, the last calendar month has been brutal, with just a single home run and stolen base to show for it with a .220/.330/.610 line.

But the last week has been different. In fact, it’s been Kingery’s best week since the start of the season. Over the last 22 plate appearances, the rookie has replicated the home run and steals output with a near even BB/K rate. His .294/.409/.471 is solid for a player of his caliber, although the slugging and ISO of .176 are propped up by the home run. The most important metric here is that his line drive rate is spiking, which leads to more hits and gives Kingery a chance to use his speed to create extra bases.

Truthfully, Kingery’s value is unlikely to provide much pop this season. His power spiked in the minors last year, but it’s still unclear if that power will ever translate, as his hard hit rate of 25.8% this season leaves a lot to be desired. Kingery’s approach is more contact over hit and is better geared to line drives than home runs. He’s a much better asset in dynasty and keeper leagues where owners will have a chance to see if the power ever comes around, but players this season would be better off hoping for .280/.325/.360 type line with a bunch of runs and some steals. If you can add him off the wire, he’s a good mid-ceiling option with positional flexibility.

 

Willie Calhoun (OF/2B, TEX) - 10% owned

So, obviously file Willie Calhoun away in the “guys that you’re not sure when they’re going to help you” category, but it’s high time that Mighty Mouse was mentioned here. The Rangers’ top prospect has really turned in on in recent weeks, hitting .424 over his last 33 at-bats while flashing the huge power that we came into the season expecting to be on display in Arlington. He finally looks like the player that made Texas pull the trigger on trading away Yu Darvish.

With the improvement at the plate, it’s less a question of “if” Calhoun will contribute, and more a matter of “when”. Rangers management has been oddly resistant to giving their stud hitter a shot with the big club, even when it seemed like every player that could play infield in their entire system was hurt at the same time. But we are inching closer and closer to the July “Super Two” mark, meaning that Texas will have successfully delayed Calhoun’s service time long enough that there will be few reasons to keep him with Triple-A. The closer we get to July, the higher his ownership rate will move. If you’re in need of power in the outfield and have a roster spot for a prospect, there are few better suited for the rest of the season than Calhoun.

 

Niko Goodrum (OF/1B, DET) - 6% owned

Another week, another surprisingly good piece of work for Niko. A .267/.294/.600 line is pretty solid for 15 at-bats, but the thing that gets me is the extra base hits. Of his four hits this week, three of them including his homer went for extra bases. In fact, 19 of his 36 hits on the year have gone for extra bases, including the six home runs. The surprising speed that Goodrum brings to the table allows him to get extra value out of the good contact he makes. If you're in a league that tracks total bases or gives extra points for extra bases, Niko is an option whose floor is looking much higher than was previously expected. At this point, there are multiple players that would lose playing time in Detroit before anyone considers taking the 26-year-old out of the lineup.

 

Johnny Field (OF, TB) - 1% owned

The official unofficial mascot of the OF Waiver Wire Column had a pretty ho-hum week again, getting just 14 appearances and producing just a .250/.357/.333 line. But you know what, my man Field made soft contact on exactly 0.00% of the pitches he connected with, so don’t come at me telling me my man isn’t putting in work. I continue to wave the Field flag as someone who should be owned in way more than 1% of leagues. Included in the list of guys I’d prefer Field over for the rest of this season: Rougned Odor, Domingo Santana, and Byron Buxton. Come fight me!

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP