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We're three weeks from season's end, and while that still constitutes a third of the games remaining in this abbreviated season, the importance of smart work on the waiver wire can't be overstated.
Precious little about 2020 is normal or consistent, but the focus here is the same as it ever was: Players who are rostered in under 50% of Yahoo leagues. Your mileage may vary as to their availability and utility. We'll run down options for various league depths in an effort to provide as many fantasy baseball managers as possible with viable pickup options. Despite best efforts and intentions, however, it really do be like that sometimes.
With that, here are your waiver wire targets for the middle infield in week 8.
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Shallow Leagues (30-50% Rostered)
Brad Miller (2B/3B/OF, STL) — 46% rostered
Miller was very nearly included in last week's edition of this column, and he set about making the decision not to include him over other names look quite foolish. The 30-year-old had a monster game last Tuesday (2 HR, 7 RBI) and hit another homer the next day. Overall, he's hitting .307/.436/.600 in 24 games, and has taken up residence in the heart of the Cardinals' batting order. Despite being one of the most popular pickups on the platform in recent days, Miller still slides in just under the qualifying threshold for inclusion here.
Willy Adames (SS, TBR) — 35% rostered
Four multi-hit games in his last six have Adames sitting at an impressive .302/.376/.548 line on the year. While that production is buoyed by an absurd .458 BABIP, the 25-year-old's Statcast data shows improved contact quality across several metrics, and an increase in launch angle is leading to more line drives and fly balls coming off his bat.
Deeper Leagues (10-30% Rostered)
Nick Madrigal (2B/SS, CHW) — 29% rostered
Madrigal missed most of August due to injury, and he's surprisingly stolen just one base so far in 12 games. That's not what fantasy managers who drafted and/or stashed him were hoping for, but the 23-year-old is definitely delivering on the other selling point of his game - making lots and lots of contact. Madrigal has swung and missed on just 6.2% of the pitches he's faced, which has contributed to his sterling .372 batting average. If you're in need of help in that category and some upside in steals, look no further.
Super Deep Leagues (< 10% Rostered)
Ty France (2B/3B, SEA) — 4% rostered
France was dealt from the Padres to the Mariners in one of the flurry of trades made by the former club prior to the August 31 deadline. He figures to play quite often in Seattle, which makes him a potential sneaky contributor down the stretch. Even acknowledging the way that the Pacific Coast League inflates offensive production, the 26-year-old's numbers last season are eye-popping - .399/.477/.770 with 27 homers and 172 R+BI in just 99 games. Even after a hitless game on Sunday, his MLB numbers this year (.317/.397/.469) suggest last year's monster minor league campaign was indicative of a step forward.
The Watch List
Andrelton Simmons (SS, LAA) — 6% rostered
Simmons went on the shelf just a few games into the season and didn't return until August 21, so he's only played in 17 games. But Sunday featured just the third of those contests in which he didn't come away with a hit, and he'd recorded multiple base knocks in five straight games and six of seven prior to Sunday's action. He's also scored 10 runs in those 17 games, and figures to at least maintain that pace if he remains atop the lineup as he has been lately. There's modest pop and speed here as well, as Simmons has averaged double-digit marks in both homers and steals over the past three seasons.
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