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Blake Sullivan dives into weekly Points League strategy for your fantasy baseball leagues and looks at MLB players to target on the waiver wire or drop in week 7 of the 2018 season.
Welcome back for another week of advice for points league waiver wire moves. This segment will include waiver wire adds, drops, and streaming pitchers for the upcoming week. This article will be geared specifically toward points leagues. Every points league is different, so keep that in mind. Walks and extra base hits are more valuable, whereas AVG and ERA are not important, so consider that as well.
Some players will be suggested as streamers (while they are hot), or as rest-of-season adds (ride them all year).
As always, feel free to follow and message me on Twitter @BlakeSullivanFF for any fantasy advice or for further reasoning with this segment. Without further ado, let's take a look at some players that you should either add or drop.
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Points League Players to Add
Delino DeShields (OF, TEX)
Delino DeShields isn't the waiver wire guy to hit you 30 home runs or get you a ton of RBI, but he is going to continue hitting toward the top of the Texas Rangers order. DeShields is valuable due to his respectable .279 AVG and his seven stolen bases. He most likely isn't available in dynasty formats, but his ownership percentage is only 54.8 % after a DL stint early in the season. He should be available in many redraft leagues.
Scooter Gennett (2B/3B/OF, CIN)
Scooter has been on fire this year and especially over the last week. He hit four home runs last week alone. This brought his season total up to six. While average doesn't mean anything in points leagues necessarily, his .329 AVG means that he is getting the ball in play often. He has 24 RBI despite being on an underachieving team. His eligibility at infield and outfield makes him more valuable as well. He is owned in 56.7% of leagues, but that number was only at about 30% a few days ago, so you better move quick.
Ryon Healy (3B/1B/DH, SEA)
Ryon Healy is another player who's getting claimed like crazy after a red hot week. His own percentage is at 48.6 % and rising even faster than Gennett. Healy is the guy you want to pick up if you want power numbers. After completing just the second week of May, Healy has posted very impressive numbers. He has a scorching .326 AVG, .674 SLG, and 1.044 OPS. With Robinson Cano hitting the DL, Healy will need to step up and will be hitting in the heart of a dangerous lineup. Add him in any formats you can.
Points League Pitchers to Stream
Kyle Freeland (SP, COL) - Friday 5/18/18 vs. SD
Kyle Freeland has done very well in his last four starts. He started his hot streak against the San Diego Padres who he'll face again on Friday in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park. In his last game facing the Padres, he lasted seven innings and gave up no runs while striking out eight batters. Look for more of the same as he continues his streak of solid play. He draws a good match up to be considered a streaming lay, but if he pitches well he should be kept for as long as he is performing.
Nick Kingham (SP, PIT) - TBA (Possibly Saturday 5/19/18)
Nick Kingham has been bouncing around between the minors and majors, but there is a good chance he'll start on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates need a fifth starter. He has 16 strikeouts in just two starts this year, so he has the ability to put up a ton of points. Kingham also has a superb 0.65 WHIP which means very few negative points in points leagues. He's a good stream, but if you can stash him on your bench he makes a good investment for later in the year when he may get more regular time in the majors.
Jeremy Hellickson (SP, WSH) - Sunday 5/20/18 vs. LAD
Jeremy Hellickson has had a solid year so far. He's not a long term option because he doesn't consistently put up a lot of points. He's a great streaming option though, because he hasn't gotten negative points at all this year, and he has been getting a good amount of strikeouts. Facing the Dodgers should help get him some strikeouts, but the big test will be seeing how deep he can go into the game. His 2.20 ERA should give you plenty of confidence to claim him this week.
Points League Players to Drop
Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF, BOS)
Jackie Bradley Jr. has a track record of being a streaky hitter. He's currently in a bad streak though. He's only three/35 over his last 15 games. He already has 34 strike outs this season, which is the main reason for his sub-par .171 AVG. Bradley has never had an abundance of power, but nine RBI this season is surprising, especially since he's on a team that scores plenty of runs. He's definitely a drop candidate, but keep him on your watchlist because when he heats up he can stay hot for an extended period of time.
Scott Kingery (2B/SS, PHI)
People had high hopes for Scott Kingery at the start of the year, but he has a terrible .218 AVG with no power or RBI totals to show for. The worst thing with Kingery is that he may begin to lose playing time as well. J.P. Crawford should be back from injury before too long, and that will likely cause Kingery to be a utility player on days when starters need rest.
Christian Villanueva (3B, SD)
After such a hot start to the season, Christian Villanueva is beginning to look like a fluke. He has gone ice cold with two hits in his last 46 at-bats and 36 straight AB without a base hit. With the depth of available players at the position, it's time to drop Villanueva if you haven't already done so.
