RADIO
The Corner Store is open! It is week 13 and the options are quite limited. We've gotten to the part of the season where reality has set in. Replacement corner infielders who once were performing well beyond their skills have come back down to earth. With a basic junkyard of options on the waiver wire, it is vital that you know what you are looking for and have realistic expectations when making a selection.
Make an assessment of your roster. Find out if you actually need more power, as is usually expected from the corner infield spot. If not, that would open up more alternatives, which could lead to power, batting average, or just riding the hot hand. It all depends on what type of gambler you are. If you are a risk-taker, then you might lean towards that home run hitter with a mediocre batting average. If you like to play it safe, then you might be more comfortable getting a hitter with a higher average and the potential for other counting stats. In the end, the choice is yours. Be confident in what you do.
Key points - the primary focus of this list is on players who are owned in less than 50% of leagues. Below are some names that might be available as well as players that have recently graduated from the parameters. Check your leagues for availability. I've included the recent performance below as well, so you can compare and make a better selection.
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Week 13 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Kendrys Morales (1B, TOR) 14% owned
Last 7 days: five runs, two HR, four RBI, .474 AVG
Even at the age of 35, we didn’t know how long Morales could defy the hands of time. But, the 2018 season has demonstrated that yet again no one escapes. So, the whole fantasy world moved on. Well, 12 weeks later and Morales has started showing glimpses of his younger self. On the season, Morales has 10 doubles, seven homers, and a .243 average. However, in the last couple weeks, he hit three homers with a slash line of .421/.463/.763. Morales is even hitting the ball hard, with a 44.2% hard hit rate. He may have to try hard this week to continue his success as he faces the Astros but then has a better matchup against the Tigers at home.
Derek Dietrich (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIA) 34% owned
Last 7 days: five runs, two HR, two RBI, .435 AVG
At 28 years old, the once strictly super-utility player is finally getting more playing time. He hasn’t been given an every day position but he has demonstrated in the months of May and June that he deserves the opportunity. He finished April with a .228 AVG and two doubles with two HR; his totals have risen to a .292 AVG with 15 doubles and 10 HR since April. While he has been doing well the last couple of months, if you have the luxury to stream his services, use him against right-handed pitchers (.297 AVG with 21 extra-base hits). This weeks’s matchups against the Diamondbacks and Mets are not intimidating enough to avoid Dietrich.
Matt Duffy (2B/3B, TB) 17% owned
Last 7 days: four runs, one HR, three RBI, one SB, .400 AVG
Duffy makes a second straight appearance on the waiver wire. People are scared, or at the very least extremely hesitant, to own Duffy. There isn’t any superstition in fantasy baseball that if you own Duffy, he will suddenly become injury riddled yet again and cause you to waste one of your waiver wire moves. While I think this superstition is unfounded, I must state this would be the week Duffy probably cools off. This is in large part due to the competition he is facing, the Nationals with Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer as well as four games against the Astros staff. Granted, all games are at home but I doubt that makes much difference.
Ryon Healy (1B/3B, SEA) 42% owned
Last 7 days: two runs, one HR, three RBI, .238 AVG
Healy’s ownership level didn’t change from last week. He remains the recommendation despite his justifiable sluggish week. It is understandable when he had to face the Yankees and Red Sox all week. Even with a down week, Healy hit five homers with nine RBI, and a .308 AVG in the last two weeks. Despite his performance, he still has potential for the coming week. Expect better results this week with favorable matchups against Baltimore and Kansas City.
Speculation Play
Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET) 25% owned
Last 7 days: four runs, one HR, two RBI, .158 AVG
Yes, I know his recent performance is not a looker, but that is why he is called a speculation play. He makes the list because of his upcoming opponents, Oakland and Toronto. Also, Candelario is hitting .297 against southpaws and is tentatively scheduled to face more left-handed pitchers than righties this week.
DL Watch
Matt Chapman (3B, OAK) 37% owned
Ladies and gentlemen, do not forget about solid starters that go on the disabled list. Generally, they are better than some of these other lottery picks you’re making from the waiver wire. Matt Chapman is eligible to come off the DL on Monday. The Athletics have yet to identify the exact date he will return from his recurring hand injury. The positives are that Chapman has improved both his strike out (23.9%) and walk rates (11.4%) as well as his hard-hit percentage (46.3%). Also, he has increased his contact rate (78.5%) and even lowered his swinging strikeouts (8.7%). Unfortunately, he has increased his ground ball rate to 40.3% at the same time his fly ball dropped to 39.2%. If he can fix his tendency to drive the ball into the ground, he might be able to see more production. Chapman remains a solid choice that should be owned in more leagues.
