April 14, 2017

Ben Ruppert recommends some waiver wire adds at each position for deep points leagues. These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 2.

Points leagues are a different beast compared to rotisserie leagues, because you're looking for someone who can fill the whole stat sheet, and when you can find some of those guys on the wire, they're 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 deep points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 2. Let's get to it.

Note: All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

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Points League Deep Waiver Wire Adds - Week 2

C – James McCann, Detroit Tigers – 13% owned

James McCann has taken a different approach at the plate this season, something that is reflective in his early results. Through his first 24 plate appearances, he has hit three home runs after hitting 12 over 373 plate appearances last season. McCann has been more aggressive at the plate and has not been swinging and missing nearly as much. His walk rate sits at 16.7 percent, with a strikeout rate at only 4.2 percent. While those numbers are bound to regress to the mean, it doesn’t mean McCann can’t or won’t improve on last year’s numbers. A catcher who can hit .250-.260 with 15-20 HR can be an asset in deeper points leagues. Grab him while he’s hot if you lost Buster Posey this week.

1B – Lucas Duda, New York Mets – 12% owned

Heading into last season, Lucas Duda was fresh off of a 27-HR season, with an ISO of .242. He was drafted to be a big power first baseman, but between injuries and poor play he was never able to put everything together. This season he is back and healthy, and can bring power to your lineups once again. Through 32 plate appearances he has three HR and six RBI, while slashing .286/.375/.679. He continues to struggle against lefties and may get benched for Wilmer Flores from time to time, but if he continues this power stroke he will earn his full-time role back. The strikeouts will hurt in points leagues, but his power will off-set the negatives.

2B – Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics – 4% owned

Two straight injury-plagued seasons have left Jed Lowrie as an afterthought in fantasy, but it wasn’t too long ago he was a viable middle infield option in deeper leagues. In 2012 and 2013, Lowrie hit a combined 31 HR with a solid OBP and good strikeout and walk rates. From 2014 to 2016 however, Lowrie dealt with various injuries and bounced around from team to team. He is entering his second season in Oakland, and looks good at the plate. He is hitting .290/.378/.484 with a HR and five RBI, and has recently been moved up to third in the order. Lowrie has hit .290 in his career before, so what he is doing now is not unsustainable. As long as he’s healthy and hitting in a prime spot in the lineup, he is an excellent deep-league pickup.

3B - Martin Prado, Miami Marlins - 8% owned 

Martin Prado opened the season on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, and will minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday. His return will push Derek Dietrich to the bench, who has not done much at the plate so far. Prado is a solid option in points leagues; he does not hit for big power, but is a career .293/.342/.424 hitter with a minuscule 11.0 percent strikeout rate. Last season he hit .305/.359/.417 with 145 runs plus RBI. Once he gets his timing back down at the plate after his rehab assignment, he can be a solid fill-in player or someone to round out a solid lineup. At only 8 percent owned, he can be had extremely cheaply for an everyday contributor.

SS – Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds – 8% owned

Cozart returned to the lineup on Wednesday after dealing with a sore wrist, which caused him to miss the previous two games. Outside of the minor injury, Cozart has been excellent this season hitting .417/.464/.667 over 28 plate appearances.  He dealt with minor issues last season, and still had a career-year offensively with 16 HR in only 121 games. His walk rate is currently at a career-high 10.7 percent, which is just a tad higher than his 7.3 percent rate last season. If he can maintain his increased walk rate, while staying healthy for the majority of the season, Cozart could push 20 HR with decent average and OBP. Health is the biggest question for the shortstop; his ability as a hitter is all there.

OF – Shin-soo Choo, Texas Rangers – 12% owned

Choo doesn’t give you the speed he once offered, but he can be a solid points league option when healthy. Last season Choo dealt with various injuries and played in only 48 games, but the prior four seasons he averaged 145 games played. He is career .280/.381/.451 hitter, with a 12% walk rate. He may not be able to steal 20 bags, but he is more than capable of maintaining an OBP of around .350 which is extremely useful in formats that value that statistic. Choo hit second in the potent Rangers lineup on Thursday and went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and now has hits in four of his last five games.

SP – Wily Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers – 8% owned

Finding valuable starting pitching deep in points leagues is imperative to building a successful squad. Peralta has started the year off nice for Milwaukee, with two wins in his first two starts. After shutting out the Rockies over five innings in his first start, he held an offensive-minded Blue Jays lineup in check over six innings. His current 2.45 ERA is supported by a 2.17/3.45 FIP/xFIP, and his 9.82 K/9 is a career high. He is walking too many hitters still (four walks in his last outing), but at age-27 seeing him take another step in his development as a pitcher is not out of the question. These starts could be a blip on the radar of a career 4.16 ERA pitcher, or they could be the start of a breakout season.

RP – Pedro Strop, Chicago Cubs – 11% owned

With all of the available closers taken at this level of ownership, let’s look at a reliever who can help you with your ratios and especially in leagues that count holds. Strop joined the Cubs back in 2013 as a part of the trade that land them Jake Arrieta, and since has built himself a very nice resume. From 2014 to 2016 Strop has held a sub-3.00 ERA, a K/9 over 10.00 and earned at least 20 holds per season. He is in the same role this season, and other than a debacle on opening day he has been the same old Strop we’ve come to expect. His ERA on the surface looks bad at 4.91, but that number is bound to head south given his track record.

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