July 4, 2017

Ben Ruppert recommends some top H2H points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 14. These are fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for points league formats.

Points leagues are a different beast compared to rotisserie leagues, as you are looking for someone who can fill the whole stat sheet, and when you can find some of those guys on the wire, they are golden.

Here are a few guys who can contribute in deep points leagues, one at each position to consider for the next week. These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 14. 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 14

C - Tyler Flowers, Atlanta Braves - 25% owned

The Tyler Flowers offensive brigade is still running at full force this season. He is slashing .333/.430/.480 for the Braves this season, and isn’t slowing down much hitting .290/.371/.500 during June. He has driven in more runs and scored more runs this month compared to May and April with 10 and 15 respectively. His BABIP began to stabilize this month at .333, but for the season is still at .408. The big jump in his average and OBP numbers started last season, and has showed no signs of slowing this year. You’ll need to look past his career .242/.315/.393 batting line; he’s a different hitter this season and deserves to be added in two-catcher formats and deeper leagues.

1B - Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates - 29% owned

Josh Bell isn’t who we thought he was going to be this season for the Pirates. After hitting .273/.368/.406 with three home runs and more walks than strikeouts during his cup of tea in the majors last season, many thought he would be a high-average, low-power type of first baseman. However, this has been far from the case in 2017. He is hitting only .232/.317/.467, but has 15 HR and 35 RBI through 78 games. His strikeout rate is up to 19.8% (12.5% in 2016), but his ISO has risen from .133 to .236 this season. The biggest difference is his pull and opposite field rates; they have switched from last season. Bell went from being push heavy to pull heavy at the plate, which has cost him some patience at the plate but added more power to his game. Bell is worth an add if you’re searching for a hitter with upside and power.

2B - Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants - 11% owned

Joe Panik is proving once again to be a low-upside, yet solid back-end option at the second base position. He is having a bounce-back 2017 season after hitting only .239/.315/.379 during an injury-laden 2016. This season he is hitting .273/.338/.401, but has really gotten things going in the month of June. Over the past 30 days he has hit .341/.404/.506 with three HR, 13 runs scored, and 11 RBI. He hit over .300 in 2014 and 2015, making him the perfect option for anyone who needs an average boost. His career-high in games played is only 127, so durability remains a question for Panik. Good news is that he’s healthy and producing now, and looks to be back to pre-2016 form.

3B - Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals - 3% owned

Paul DeJong may not carry much season long value with him, but while he’s playing in place of Kolten Wong he is worth a look in fantasy circles. From June 15 on, DeJong has hit .314/.321/.588 with four HR and 10 RBI. He proved in the minors he can hit for some power, so his .217 ISO has been a nice boost for the Cardinals so far. He is a nice short-term fantasy addition, but he has two things working against him long-term: 1) Kolten Wong’s inevitable return, and 2) his walk and strikeout rates. DeJong has a 1.1% BB% (one walk this season over 92 at-bats), to go along with a 30.9% K%. When someone walks little and strikes out as much as he is, it can lead to some extremely hot and cold stretches. Add him now whiles he’s hitting, but don’t be afraid to cut ties.

SS - Asdrubal Cabrera, New York Mets - 15% owned

It seems like Asdrubal Cabrera has been on the fantasy radar for forever, but he’s only 31-years old and has plenty of good baseball left in the tank. This season he is hitting .269/.348/.426 with seven HR and 33 runs scored in 54 games played. He is pacing towards another solid yet unspectacular season, right in line with his career averages. This season however, he got off to an extremely slow start which has bogged down his stats some. Since May 1, he has hit .290/.387/.505, and an 11.3% BB% and a 12.9% K%. He isn’t going to be a great source of runs and RBI, but especially in a points league if you can hit for a good average, get on base, and limit strikeouts you can be valuable asset. Cabrera has checked all three of those boxes this season. As long as he remains healthy, he can be a viable SS option in 12+ team leagues.

OF - Josh Reddick, Houston Astros - 22% owned

Josh Reddick has to be very pleased with his production in his first season with the Houston Astros. Over 66 games, he is hitting .305/.358/.498 with eight long balls, 46 runs scored, and 31 RBI. He’s even shipped in with six steals, putting him on pace to eclipse his career-high 11 (2012 with the Oakland Athletics). During the month of June he has been exceptionally hot at the dish, slashing .385/.414/.615 with two HR, 16 runs scored, and four steals. He has routinely hit second in a loaded Astros lineup, while playing left and right field. As long as he’s getting consistent at-bats and remains healthy, there is no reason the former 30-HR hitter can’t have a solid first season in Houston. He may not hit .300 the rest of the year, but a line near .280/.350/.440 doesn’t seem out of the question.

SP- Sean Newcomb, Atlanta Braves - 33% owned

When coming up through the Angels system, Sean Newcomb was viewed as a flame throwing lefty with solid stuff, but lacked control. He was able to miss plenty of bats, but he also missed the strike zone too often. Since being called up to the majors something clicked for him, because so far the walks have been a non-issue. Through four starts he holds a 21.4% K% and an 8.2% BB%, with a sparkling 1.48 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. His FIP/xFIP of 2.93/3.94 show he’s gotten a little lucky with his results, but his current BB% would be a career-low for him if he can maintain that rate. His solid curveball and slider have held hitters to a .200 batting average against, and he has a 10.8% swinging strike rate. His stuff is legit, it’s all a matter of whether or not he can maintain his BB%. He should be added in all points leagues and will have playing time; the Braves designated Bartolo Colon for assignment, ensuring Newcomb is here to stay.

RP - Sean Doolittle, Oakland Athletics - 25% owned

Sean Doolittle has been stellar in the Oakland Athletics bullpen this season. Through 14 2/3 innings pitched (16 appearances) he holds a 1.84 ERA and 0.48 WHIP, Those stats are backed up by an excellent FIP/xFIP of 2.12/1.93. He has held hitters to a .118 BAA, and most impressively of all are his walk and strikeout rates. His K% currently sits at 42.3%, with his BB% sitting at 1.9% for a 40.4% K-BB%. He has done all of his while limiting his hard contact % to 10.3%. Doolittle has been nothing short of dominant in that bullpen, and should be picked up immediately for his excellent ratio’s alone. The A’s closer, Santiago Casilla, has been shaky all season long. If he can prove that he’s back to full health and can be reliable, there’s no reason he can’t overtake Casilla and close like he did in 2014.

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