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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 6.
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 6. 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 6
C – Rene Rivera, New York Mets– 1% owned
Travis d’Arnaud was recently placed on the 10-day disabled list with a bone bruise in right wrist, and is expected to miss more than the 10-day minimum. While it is unfortunate for d’Arnaud, it opens the door for Rene Rivera and Kevin Plawecki to get playing time. Rivera has been the better hitter this season, slashing .304/.313/.391 over 48 plate appearances. Over the past three games, he is 7-for-14 (.500) with one HR and five RBI. His BABIP sits at .382, so ride this hot streak while you can until d’Arnaud returns from the DL. Rivera can be a nice fill-in in two catcher formats, though he will split time with Plawecki to keep both players fresh.
1B – Justin Bour, Miami Marlins- 7% owned
It took him a couple weeks to get going, but it looks like Justin Bour has gotten into a groove at the plate. From April 3 to April 28, he hit just .178/.265/.329, with a microscopic .196 BABIP. Since then, Bour has seen some positive regression come his way; over the past week he has hit .400/.464/.600 with a HR and eight RBI. He is striking out a little more this season compared to last, but his 10.8% BB% is right in line with his career average. Bour has posted an ISO north of .200 each of the past two seasons, putting up respectable HR numbers in his limited playing time. If you need some cheap pop at your corner infield spot, Bour is the perfect addition while he’s hot.
2B – Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics- 4% owned
Consistently healthy doesn’t exactly describe Jed Lowrie, but right now he’s healthy and producing in the Oakland offense. Lowrie, mainly hitting third in the lineup, has hit .297/.368/.426 on the season with two HR and 16 runs scored. He sports a 0.75 BB/K, which puts him at 28th among all hitters. As long as he remains at the top of the Oakland lineup, he will be a solid option for runs and average, and his walk rate will make him a good option in OBP leagues as well. He won’t hit for much power or steal many bases, but in points leagues if you can pile up hits and limit strikeouts you’ll be in good shape.
3B – Danny Valencia, Seattle Mariners- 12% owned
Danny Valencia has mainly played first base with the Mariners, but, lucky for us fantasy owners, he is also eligible at third base and outfield in most formats. Valencia has been a journeyman for the majority of his career, appearing on seven teams over the past seven seasons, and this year he is with Seattle. He got off to a slow start, but has turned things around over his past seven starts. During that span, he has hit .367/.406/.700 with three HR and five RBI over 32 plate appearances. Valencia hit 18 and 17 HR over the past two seasons, so he does have some pop in that bat. His BABIP of .258 should rise to his career norm, which we are already beginning to see, and will bring up his current .217 average.
SS – Freddy Galvis, Philadelphia Phillies- 11% owned
If I made a list of players least-likely to hit 20 HR in a season prior to 2016, Freddy Galvis would have been near or at the top of that list. After hitting no more than eight HR at any level of his professional career, Galvis put 20 baseballs in the seats and swiped 17 bags last season while playing a career-high 158 games. He is on pace to send out another 20 this season, which is a valuable feat at the shortstop position. Given that he can also chip in with 10-15 steals make Galvis even more valuable. His low average is what keeps him off most fantasy teams, but if he can pick that back up to the .260 mark like he did in 2015 he can be a solid middle infield option.
OF – Aaron Altherr, Philadelphia Phillies- 15% owned
The second Philly on the list is Aaron Altherr. Unlike most people who are on this list, Altherr has been hot at the plate since the season began. Over 73 plate appearances, he has hit .328/.411/.578 with three HR and three steals. His career-high in HR is five set in 2015, so he is likely to smash that mark with regular playing time this season. During his current five-game hitting streak he has done exceptionally well, going 8-for-25 (.320) with a HR and five RBI. He has upped his BB% and lowered his K% since last season, and his hard-hit rate of 40.9% is the highest of his career. At 26, it wouldn’t be crazy to see a career-year from the young outfielder.
SP – Mike Clevinger, Cleveland Indians- 2% owned
Mike Clevinger will make his season debut against the Royals on Sunday. Corey Kluber hitting the DL opened the door for Clevinger to get the call. This season in Triple-A Columbus, he has made six starts and holds a 1.50 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, holding hitters to a .213 BAA. He made 10 starts and 17 appearances with the big league club last season, with a 5.26 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Control was his biggest issue; he walked 4.92 hitters per nine innings in his brief major league stint. This season in the minors, he has gotten that number down to 3.00, which wouldn’t be bad if he can maintain that rate with his 9.60 K/9. It remains to be seen if he stays longer than one start, but he can be a solid streaming option at least for this start.
RP – Tommy Kahnle, Chicago White Sox- 4% owned
The White Sox bullpen just lost Nate Jones to the DL, but no worries, Anthony Swarzak and Tommy Kahnle have been huge surprises. Kahnle is the one to add between the two, as he would be the next man up with Jones out according to closermonkey. Kahnle has finally discovered how to control his blazing 100mph heater, and the early results have been fantastic. Through 10 innings, he owns a 17.10 K/9 and a 1.80 BB/9 with a 0.90 ERA. He holds a -0.16/0.17 FIP/xFIP (yes, he currently has a negative FIP), and has held hitters to a .176 BAA. He will be able to rack up holds and put up great ratios as long as he maintains this, and will likely chip in with a few saves as the season goes on.
