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Daniel Burdeen recommends second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS) who can be valuable waiver wire targets or adds to help fantasy owners for Week 19 of the 2017 MLB season.
It's the stretch run for fantasy leagues and now is the time to dig deep! Plenty of teams are now calling up their prospects, and you'll want to pay attention. Prospects aren't always going to win you a league, but if you hit on the right one, it's like striking gold.
This week, we'll look at a mix of young guys and veterans who are all widely available in Yahoo fantasy leagues. Now is the time to take a chance on any player who can help you out. This means that past performances and pre-draft rankings are well out the window. If a player is hot and you have the roster space or need, then you shouldn't be afraid to jump on that player!
To be eligible for this article, the Yahoo ownership must be 50% or less. As always, feel free to contact me on twitter @D_Burd with any questions.
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Chad Pinder (Oak, 2B/SS/OF): 2% owned
12-team leagues and deeper
Oakland Athletics utility man Chad Pinder is the perfect example of a player who can carry you for a week or two but also disappear for a few weeks afterwards. Pinder has been up and down this season before landing on the disabled list for over a month with a hamstring injury. Since being activated on July 31st, he has not disappointed.
So why would you throw a dart at Pinder? He offers both pop in his bat and position eligibility at second base, shortstop and outfield. On top of that, the Oakland Athletics are looking towards the future, so Pinder will receive playing time. Prior to his injury, Pinder had hit nine home runs in 145 at-bats. Since his return from the DL, he has nine hits in 18 at-bats with one home run. Yes the sample size is small, but it's hard to find a middle infielder with power on the waiver wire, and while Pinder is available, he's worth consideration.
Overall, the young Athletic can be comparable to a poor man's Trevor Story, as he can hit home runs in bunches, but won't win you a batting title with his career .257 batting average.
Amed Rosario (NYM, SS): 37% owned
NL-Only leagues, 10-12 team mixed leagues
Looking to pick up a prospect? Look no further than MLB.com's number two prospect, New York Mets shortstop Amed Rosario.
Rosario was called up last Tuesday and inserted as the team's everyday shortstop. Although he has struggled since his call-up with just four hits over his first 22 at-bats, he is worthy of consideration. Over 393 at-bats in Triple-A, Rosario hit .328 with seven home runs, 58 RBI and 19 stolen bases. The 21-year-old also chipped in with 19 doubles and 7 triples.
The shortstop wasn't ranked the number 2 prospect without justification. With the ability to provide stats across the board and the opportunity to play every day, Rosario deserves to be looked at for those in need of a shortstop. He has mostly been in the number seven spot of the lineup, but if his bat gets hot, he will likely climb to the top of the order. It is worth being patient with Rosario despite his early struggles, as he can eventually pay off. He's only 37% owned in Yahoo leagues, so now is the time to take a shot in the dark.
Steve Pearce (Tor, (1B/2B/OF): 9% owned
12-14 team leagues
Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce has had an extremely hot-and-cold 2017 season. Signed in the off-season to be part of the plan to replace Edwin Encarnacion, Pearce has gotten most of his starts in the outfield. However, that doesn't impact his eligibility at 1B and 2B in Yahoo Leagues.
Over the past month, Pearce he has hit five home runs with 11 runs scored and 13 RBI while hitting .269. The numbers aren't at all bad for a player who is available in 91% of Yahoo leagues. It's always nice to find a player with some thunder to his bat at a rare position, and it doesn't hurt that with an overall batting average of .261 he won't hurt you in that category.
Pearce runs hot and cold, and while he is swinging for the fences it doesn't hurt to give him a flier. You could do much worse than picking up a player at a rare position that has hit eleven home runs in 211 at-bats.
Adam Frazier (Pit, 2B/OF): 5% owned
NL-Only leagues, 12-14 team leagues
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier started the season on fire before cooling down. Now he's hot again. The youngster has five multi-hit games over his last eight starts. Over the past week, he's been hitting in the number two spot. Frazier has shown he belongs in the majors and on fantasy rosters. For the season, he has hit .284 with three home runs and eight stolen bases. He won't provide much power, but he will provide you speed and batting average with the chance to score runs. It also doesn't hurt that he has dual eligibility.
Hernan Perez (Mil, 2B/3B/SS/OF): 29% owned
12-14 team leagues
Speaking of eligibility, take a look at Milwaukee Brewers infielder/outfielder Hernan Perez. The Brewers have had a hard time all year keeping his bat out of the lineup, and he seems to have cemented himself as an everyday player, starting 11 of the team's past 13 games.
Over the past two weeks, Perez has hit .323 with two stolen bases and a .839 OPS. Perez was hot down the stretch last year for the Brew Crew, and it seems to be resurfacing again this summer. Not only can he help your fantasy team, but he can play second base, third base, shortstop and outfield in Yahoo leagues. It never hurts to have a player with many positional options, and when one is hitting as hot as Perez is, he should be snagged.
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