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Below are my top MLB hitter streamer options for Week 12 of fantasy baseball. All players listed here are under 50% owned in Yahoo leagues and play seven games this week. We will stick to our rule of only using players who have at least seven games. There were few options this week. If you have strong options in-house, you may want to consider them over these streamers.
Nonetheless, streaming hitters is a great way to increase production and fantasy stats off the waiver wire for your head-to-head matchups. It can also help to mitigate the damage done by underperformers. Check back weekly for my favorite hitter streamers for the upcoming week.
Editor’s Note: RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.
Top Hitter Streamers
1. Adam Eaton, OF, Sox
(3 @ MIN, 4 @ Detroit) - 34% owned
Eaton started the year slowly with a .192 batting average in April, but in May he hit .262 and he is hitting .273 in June. A career .272 hitter, Eaton should be able to maintain that type of average as his strikeout numbers have not increased. He is not a power hitter, but he stole 4 bases last month and had 15 last year. It is not ideal that the White Sox face three lefties this week, against whom Eaton struggles. In a pool of shallow options, Eaton could provide a tolerable batting average with some speed and runs.
2. Jose Iglesias, SS, Tigers
(4 vs. CHW, 3 @ Cleveland) - 30% owned
Iglesias, who got my vote as the starting shortstop for the AL this summer, is hitting .333 with 9 stolen bases to date. Iglesias has a short track record, but he should continue to provide a decent average with speed. This year, he has a 1.067 OPS versus LHP, and he will face three lefties this week. You should not expect power, but he should produce more runs than the limited totals he has amassed to date to go along with speed and average.
3. Luis Valbuena, 2B/3B, Astros
(4 vs NYY, 3 @ LAA) - 22% owned
Valbuena is mainly a cheap source of power with decent run production. If you cannot stand a batting average black hole, look elsewhere. Through 60 games, he is hitting .185 with 16 homers, 35 runs and 30 RBI. He will play four games at home, where he has hit 13 of his 16 home runs.However, he will face only four righties, against whom he has hit 12 of his 16 homers. With a shallow pool of streamers, Valbuena is a good gamble on power and run production if you can take a hit to average.
4. Preston Tucker, OF, Astros
(4 vs NYY, 3 @ LAA) - 3% owned
Like Valbuena, Tucker is a power-hitting lefty who will play four games at home and four versus RHP. After hitting 10 homers in 25 games in AAA this year, Tucker is hitting .267 with 4 homers in 32 games for the Astros. If you need a streaming option, and the others are unavailable, Tucker is a good gamble for power.
5. Addison Russell, 2B/SS, Cubs
(4 vs. LAD, 3 @ STL) - 37% owned
Russell is facing tough matchups this week, going toe-to-toe with Kershaw, Greinke, Wacha, and C-Mart. If you have in-house options, you may want to use them instead. If not, here is why you should consider Russell despite the matchups. First, you can use him at second base or shortstop. Second, he has power - 5 homers and 14 doubles in 49 games, after hitting 13 in 68 games last season in the minors. While he only has one steal, he does have speed. The Cubs have allowed him to attempt four steals. Russell is solely a fallback option, but look here in a shallow streaming pool if you have no better option in-house.
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