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Welcome back RotoBallers to Week 14, and happy July! Today, we're back with another edition of our first- and third-base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
For those who are not familiar, each week at RotoBaller, we publish a waiver wire article for each position. This article will look at corner infield options, at both 1B and 3B. You can also read our other articles for middle infield (2B and SS), outfield, starting pitchers, and more.
Let’s keep rolling right along here with some names to consider as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for this upcoming week of the MLB and fantasy baseball season – July 11 through July 17.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including Best MLB Series, NFL Series, NBA Writer, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Nate Lowe, Texas Rangers
50% Rostered
Lowe continues to be one of the more underappreciated and under-owned fantasy options out there. The slugger has been scorching hot over the past month for the Rangers.
Since the beginning of June, Lowe has hit .335 with a 1.106 OPS, six doubles, nine home runs, and 23 RBI. Despite both his barrel and hard-hit percentages being down, Lowe is now just six homers away from topping his total from last season.
Lowe has become a vital piece in the middle of the Rangers lineup. If he's still available in your leagues, you need to change that quickly.
Juan Yepez, St. Louis Cardinals
49% Rostered
The St. Louis Cardinals' rookies have been spectacular this season. Just to name a few, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, and Juan Yepez have absolutely shined in their first stints at the big league level.
Yepez has been seeing everyday playing time in the outfield of late with both Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader on the injured list. He's certainly taken full advantage of the opportunity, hitting five homers and posting a .860 OPS over his past 15 games.
Yepez is now up to 11 home runs and 10 doubles with a 130 OPS+ in 56 games in his rookie campaign. Despite having some swing-and-miss tendencies, Yepez has certainly shown that he belongs at the big league level.
Garrett Cooper, Miami Marlins
43% Rostered
Like Lowe, Cooper is an underappreciated fantasy asset still out there in many leagues. He continues to hit the cover off the baseball towards the top of the Marlins lineup.
During the month of June, he posted a stellar .378 average and .929 OPS in 23 games. Over that same span, Cooper homered twice and drove in 16 runs. He got off to a bit of a slow start in July but launched his seventh longball this weekend against the Mets.
Coop is now hitting .307 and has a .371 OBP, .841 OPS, seven home runs, and 40 RBI in 73 games this season. The numbers certainly aren't a fluke, as his .298 expected batting average ranks in the 91st percentile in baseball.
As long as he stays healthy, Cooper should remain a relatively reliable fantasy option.
Harold Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays
29% Rostered
This is now back-to-back weeks with a Harold Ramirez appearance. Ramirez seems to have earned himself every day playing time with the Rays, and deservedly so.
Over his past 15 games, Ramirez is hitting .354 and has a .402 OBP, .892 OPS, two home runs, and nine runs scored. On the year, he's now hitting .314 with four home runs, 29 RBI, three stolen bases, and a .791 OPS. His stellar .317 xBA ranks in the 97th percentile in all of baseball.
He won't offer much in the power department, but Ramirez could be a reliable contributor when it comes to average, RBI, runs, and some stolen bases. If he continues to see everyday playing time, Ramirez is a solid corner infield/outfield option.
Jonathan Villar, Los Angeles Angels
14% Rostered
After a big 2021 season, Villar signed with the Cubs on a one-year pact. The success didn't quite carry over as he saw sporadic playing time and struggled mightily. He stole six bases but hit just .222 with a .598 OPS in 46 games played.
Villar was ultimately let go by Chicago and was free to find another team. With a lackluster infield, the Angels quickly jumped at the opportunity and added the versatile veteran.
So far, Villar has received everyday playing time and has mainly hit out of the leadoff spot. He's had hits in three straight games and added his first stolen base as an Angel.
Villar has struggled for the most part this season, but if he could find his way, he could be an interesting fantasy asset hitting ahead of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in that Angels lineup.
Others to Consider
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