Ryan Howard (1B, PHI) - Waiver Wire Analysis

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ANALYSIS: There’s no denying the hit you’ll take in batting average by rostering Ryan Howard. His short term power upside might just be high enough to justify that risk, however. For all his faults, Howard is up to seven home runs on the season, proving that there’s still some pop left in his swing. No matter what you think about the strength of the Phillies‘ lineup, there’s value to a player who can hit the long ball while batting cleanup. The Phillies play against the Rockies seven times over the next two weeks. Four of these games will be played at Coors Field against a pitching staff which has allowed the fifth most runs in baseball so far this season. There are times when taking a calculated risk is worth it. Especially in a deep league, this might be one of those times.