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 14 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

Jim Turvey recommends second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS) who can be valuable waiver wire targets or adds to help fantasy owners for Week 14 of the 2017 MLB season.

Welcome to week 14 of the fantasy baseball season. We’re continuing our mission to find you the best and brightest players with second base and shortstop eligibility. As noted last week, the own percentage of players are beginning to settle in, so this list may begin to have a bit less turnover, allowing us to go back and focus on a few of the names we wrote about in-depth earlier this season.

This week we’ll focus primarily on three new names because of two names in the Graduated section and one in the Cut Bait section. As always, we’ll give updates on the returning names.

Friendly reminder, we are using Yahoo ownership percentages and position eligibility. On to the middle of the infield!

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

 

Week 14 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets

Logan Forsythe (LAD, 2B/3B): 33% owned

Forsythe has not been nearly the player in 2017 that the Dodgers were hoping for when they traded away Jose De Leon for him this offseason. He is hitting just .245 with only two home runs and has missed time to injury as well. However, he may be starting to show signs of the player he was last season when he hit 20 homers with a .264 average. In the past week, Forsythe had 10 hits and eight runs scored. His runs are always going to be a strong point, as he is sporting an impressive 14.6 percent walk rate this season. His 26.1 percent line drive rate means his average should show some signs of improvement soon, and given that his HR/FB rate is barely a third of last season, he may start to bump into a few long balls as well. His ownership is probably too high for what he has actually done in 2017, but in terms of projecting forward, it looks around right.

Asdrubal Cabrera (NYM, 2B/SS): 18% owned

After a few weeks off the list due to injury and ineffectiveness, we welcome back a familiar face in Mr. Cabrera. Those who have read in the past know that I am a big fan when he is healthy, and after the past week, Cabrera appears to be just that. The injury Cabrera suffered was a wrist injury which is always a power red flag, but he hit two homers last week, bringing him to eight on the season. He is sporting a wRC+ of 106 on the season, and he can contribute at least a bit in all five categories, as his three steals and .260 BA are decent for the middle infield position. Cabrera is still walking at a better rate than any previous season and striking out less, and with him back to health, he’s once again a recommended pickup.

Whit Merrifield (KC, 2B/OF): 18% owned

After falling off the list last week, Merrifield makes a quick return. I still don’t love the rather low ceiling for Merrifield, but if he can start stealing bases with the reckless abandon he did last week (four steals before Monday’s outing), his ceiling is certainly a bit higher. With Merrifield, the floor is high, as he has a strong approach at the plate, and should always be around .280 with the BA. With the Royals offense heating up a bit of late, that should mean a decent RuBIn (runs+RBI) output, despite a low walk rate (5.0 BB%). Merrifield has been caught stealing just once in 12 attempts, so he may well take off more often in the upcoming weeks. If he is indeed able to do so he should start to be on the radar of 12-teamers with middle infield struggles.

 

Graduated

Scooter Gennett (Cin, 2B/3B/OF): 58% owned

Gennett is almost certainly owned in too many leagues, and that is almost certainly due to his four-homer game a few weeks ago. Outside of that game, he’s been just decent rather than the beast that his Past Month stats look because of that big game. This next guy, for instance, should be owned in way more leagues than Gennett.

Ian Happ (CHC, 2B/OF): 41% owned

We guessed Happ might move into the graduated category last week, and he did indeed, thanks to an eight-hit, two-homer week for the Cubs. He added a steal and got 29 at bats, as there is a ton to like with the Cubs youngster right now.

 

Keep Adding

Orlando Arcia (Mil, SS): 22% owned

Get him while you can. We had Arcia on this list last week, and hopefully you scooped him up because he may not be available much longer (he went up seven percent in ownership in just a few Monday night hours). He hit .565 last week with three bombs. The youngster may just be putting it all together.

Jed Lowrie (Oak, 2B): 21% owned

Lowrie drops behind Arcia only because of Arcia's crazy week and the potential that the young Brewers shortstop possesses. Lowrie is playing right around his ceiling right now, with a wRC+ that is as high as it has been since 2010.

Brandon Phillips (Atl, 2B): 35% owned

Phillips saw his ownership increase once again despite a rather slow week in which he had just four hits, two runs and an RBI. He still has the nice HR/SB combo, to go along with a plus BA. As long as the 36-year-old stays healthy, he’s a reliable source for fantasy goodness.

Joe Panik (SF, 2B): 13% owned

Panik is starting to find that classic productive level for the Giants, as he had another strong Panik week, collecting eight hits and six runs, adding three RBI and a steal for good measure. This is the type of production you hope for from the Giants two-bagger.

Eduardo Escobar (Min, 3B/SS): 7% owned

Escobar continues to be a solid AL-only option who has the potential to blow up into a lot more thanks to an awesome 24.2 percent line drive rate and surprising 42.2 percent fly ball rate. His 31.7 percent hard hit ball rate shows he can put a little pop into his hits as well, and he is a great add in deeper leagues right now.

 

Last Chance

Howie Kendrick (Phi, 1B/2B/3B/OF): 15% owned

Kendrick landed himself on the DL with a strained left hamstring, and it’s unknown right now as to how long he’ll be out. In deeper leagues, his .349 BA and eight steals means you should hold onto him until you hear more about this injury, at least. If he’s out for a while, there’s enough middle infield depth that you should be able to find a solid replacement.

 

Cut Bait

Adam Frazier (Pit, 2B/OF): 8% owned/Jordy Mercer (Pit, SS): 6% owned

These two finally make it to the cut list, as they combined for five hits over the past week, and are really only on your radar in the deepest of leagues. The ceilings for both is extremely low, so it’s not worth keeping them around while they have any sorts of struggles.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF