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The roster changes continue and fantasy values will keep fluctuating. Now is the time to focus on speculative adds for players who may see increased roles or move to a better situation.
The corner infield positions traditionally offer power with the potential for high averages, so you may want to target players that can offer an advantage in those categories to bolster your team. In this piece, I'll identify waiver wire targets for first base and third base in week 19 who should be able to contribute in multiple categories, either as replacements or bench depth. These players are owned in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues.
We'll also look at the names mentioned in last week’s post, noting which players have graduated off of the waiver wire (ownership higher than 50%), which are still recommended pickups, and which we are dropping off the list entirely.
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Week 19 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Howie Kendrick (1B/2B/3B/OF, WAS) 21% owned
Kendrick resurfaces again, this time in Washington. He was providing nice value early on in Philadelphia before predictably getting injured again. He finds himself in a much more favorable spot and should score a lot more runs if he sticks at the No. 2 spot in the lineup, ahead of Bryce Harper.
All told, Kendrick is batting .356 on the season with nine steals, 20 runs, and 18 RBI in 46 games. He's a jack-of-all-trades that can fit on any fantasy roster as a utility player, even if he lacks power for the corner infield spots.
Dominic Smith (1B, NYM) 11% owned
Speculate much? Smith is still in Triple-A Las Vegas, but it's almost a foregone conclusion he'll be up with the club in the coming weeks, just like fellow prospect Amed Rosario. Don't take my word for it. GM Sandy Alderson recently said, "I think it's important for guys like Rosario and Smith to get more than just playing time in September."
Smith is slashing .340/.392/.534 with 16 home runs and 72 RBI in the minors. Of course, Citi Field isn't nearly the hitters paradise that Las Vegas is, but Smith is legit and certainly worth an add when he is brought up. Let's just hope when Alderson says he'll be up in August, he doesn't mean August 30th.
Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET) 1% owned
Another big prospect who is definitely getting the call, Candelario isn't necessarily guaranteed playing time right away. The Tigers will try out their new toy, acquired from the Cubs in the Justin Wilson deal, for a brief time while Jose Iglesias is out for the next few days.
Candelario failed to impress earlier in his MLB debut, hitting .152 over 33 at-bats. He has shown pop in the minors, hitting 13 HR and driving in 53 runs in 86 games at Triple-A. There's always the chance that he rakes right away and pushes for playing time, but he's more of a deep keeper league hold than anything.
Graduated
Rafael Devers (3B, BOS) 58% owned - Yeah, you might want to hold on him a little longer. Possibly forever, if that's possible. If you missed out on Devers, you are surely kicking yourself real hard, but at 20 years old it was impossible to know he would immediately be the next Ted Williams. That said, if you're in a position of need elsewhere and you do own Devers, his value and hype is probably at its peak now. It wouldn't be crazy to flip him for another player or two if it helps you in a playoff run.
Hold For Now
Gerardo Parra (1B/OF) 47% owned - David Dahl and Ian Desmond are still hurt (surprise, surprise) so Parra should stick in the lineup as long as he's hitting. He is doing just that, with a .346 average and six RBI in the past week. If you can live without much power at 1B, Parra will give you some nice consistent production.
Cut Bait
Yonder Alonso (1B, SEA) 49% owned
On Sunday, Alonso was moved to Seattle, proving that change is inevitable in spite of deadlines. It would have behooved him to move to New York instead, but he does get an upgrade in surrounding talent by leaving Oakland. Unfortunately for his fantasy stock, he'll join ex-Hurricane teammate Danny Valencia in a timeshare at first base.
That could conceivably change if Valencia takes over outfield or DH duties for an injured player, or if Alonso can hit lefties better. You may want to wait and see how he's used before cutting bait on him and declaring his first half a fluke, but if you don't have time to wait or play in a head-to-head league, he isn't a must-hold any longer.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds
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