Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B, NYM) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 7% of leagues

ANALYSIS: New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores is a tricky player to value, as he keeps hitting, but his playing time is always a question. The Mets have been a train wreck as usual, but for once they seem willing to let Flores play regularly instead of blocking him with retreads. Closing in on his 27th birthday, Flores has slowly but steadily improved each season in the major leagues.

Currently, he is hitting .271/.327/.454 with nine home runs in 269 plate appearances. Nothing flashy, sure, but solid enough to justify a roster spot in deep and NL-only leagues. He is also running the best walk and strikeout rates of his career; the latter would rank third in MLB if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the leaderboard.

Considering that he has eligibility all over the infield and is actually playing (which is not a guarantee with the way the Mets have jerked him around), Flores can provide needed depth in deeper leagues. Make sure that you check daily lineups, though, as the Mets have been prone to play with Flores' playing time.