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Ben Ruppert recommends some waiver wire adds at each position for deep points leagues. These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 3.
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 deep points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 3. 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 3
C – Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres– 8% owned
Hedges opened the year as the Padres starting catcher for the first time in his career, and offensively got off to a slow start. He began the year in an 0-for-27 slump, but has gotten himself back on track over the past eight games. Over that span, he has hit .310/.330/.897 with four home runs and seven runs batted in. The offensive improvement is attributed to an adjustment with his hands, something Padres hitting coach Alan Zinter brought up. He was never a big offensive threat in the minors, but in his last Triple-A season he hit .326/.353/.597 over 82 games. Hedges will not keep up this torrid pace, but there is some offensive upside with Hedges. Those in two catcher leagues should keep him in mind as a secondary option.
1B – Justin Smoak, Toronto Blue Jays – 1% owned
Justin Smoak has never provided a ton of value in fantasy leagues, but right now he is providing a nice spark to the Blue Jays lineup. Over the past week, he is hitting .280/.308/.680 with two HR and six RBI. His walk rate is low over that span, at 3.8%, however his career rate is 10.5%, which means there should be some positive regression there. With how poorly the Toronto offense has looked this season, Smoak is guaranteed playing time as long as he keeps hitting. He has a career .224 average, so you may have to take a hit there, but there is the potential for 20 HR over a whole season. Smoak is worth an add while he’s rolling at the plate.
2B – Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals – 3% owned
With Jhonny Peralta on the disabled list and Jedd Gyorko shifting over, Kolten Wong has been the fill in at second base for the Cardinals. Though his season line sits at an unsightly .214/.313/.405, he has gotten things going with regular playing time over the five games coming into Saturday. Over that span, he has hit .333/.412/.733 with a 5.9% walk and strikeout per nine rate. He has not stolen a base over that span, but hit his first HR of the 2017 season. He has had some success in the majors in the past, but has never seemed to put together a complete season. His dual power/speed threat make him a solid add while he’s rolling, though it remains to be seen what his role will be once Peralta returns.
3B – Trevor Plouffe, Oakland Athletics- 2% owned
Plouffe has been hanging around the fantasy radar for several seasons, even though has only played more than 140 games once in his career. This is his first season with the Athletics, and after a slow start, he has begun to pick things up. He has hits in eight of his last nine games and over that span has hit .281/.368/.656 with four HR, eight RBI, and eight runs scored. His walk rate is at an impressive 14.7%, but he has struck out at a 38.2% clip. Selling out for some power seems to be working of late, though it hasn’t proven to be too successful long term. While Plouffe is providing the power he can be worth an add, but do not be afraid to cut ties once he slows down. If he can stay healthy, a 20 HR season is not out of the question.
SS – J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles – 2% owned
Once a consistent 20 HR threat from the shortstop position, J.J. Hardy is now known more for blocking Manny Machado from earning that sweet SS eligibility long term. At 34 years old, his best years may be behind him, but for now he is hitting well enough to provide some value in deeper formats with a middle infield spot. Over the past eight games, he has hit .290/.290/.484 with a HR and five RBI. He hits towards the bottom of a potent Baltimore lineup, but he still gets plenty of RBI chances with how well the hitters above him get on base. He has not hit more than 10 HR since 2013, but he did hit .269 over 438 plate appearances last season. If you need a spark in your middle infield spot in a deep league, Hardy is worth a look.
OF – Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland Indians – 4% owned
Chisenhall was activated from the disabled list last week by the Indians, and has hit well since his return. Over nine games, he is hitting .310/.355/.586 with two HR and nine RBI. He has a small 7.1% strikeout rate, and seems to be carrying some of the improvements he made last season over into this year. He is making harder contact than he ever has, and his swinging strike rate is at its lowest rate since 2012. Chisenhall can be worth more than a short term add if he continues to see regular at-bats. He has mainly hit sixth in the potent Indians lineup, which will give him plenty of RBI chances. He should be more highly owned than the 4% he is at right now.
SP – Matt Andriese, Tampa Bay Rays – 6% owned
Andriese was a starter for the majority of last season with the Rays, firing 105 innings with a 4.80 ERA. He threw 22 1/3 innings as a reliever, with a 2.38 ERA. This season he is being used as a starter again, and has gotten off to a nice start. Through three starts, he holds a 3.38 ERA and a 7.88 K/9 rate. He got off to a hot start last season as well; his first half ERA was 2.78 before he fell apart down the stretch. Especially in points leagues, finding deeper useable SP can make or break your team. While he is pitching well, Andriese can be a solid back-end fantasy option. He threw more innings last season than he ever had before, so fatigue may have been his biggest enemy last season. If he can last longer this year, he could hold an ERA close to 3.00 for the majority of the season.
RP – Jacob Barnes, Milwaukee Brewers – 12% owned
Jacob Barnes has been fantastic for the Brewers this season. Over 10 1/3 innings, he holds a 0.00 ERA and 0.68 WHIP. His 1.73/2.50 FIP/xFIP support his early results, and his 10.45 K/9 rate is a big improvement over where he was at last season (8.78). He has been able to keep hitters off balance with a blazing 95mph heater, as well as a slider which averages 90mph. He does have a 3.48 BB/9 rate, so control may be a slight issue for the young flamethrower. He has already picked up a save this season, and could be in line for more if anything were to happen to Neftali Feliz. He is worth a look in leagues that count holds, and can provide excellent ratios as a RP.
