RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues
OWNED IN: 35% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: A popular sleeper pick prior to 2019, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker's 2019 has been a rollercoaster of hot and cold. He started out the year like a house on fire, hitting seven home runs in his first 20 games; but then the fire was put out, as Walker only hit two over his next 32 games. Walker then settled into a slow burn heading into the All-Star break, hitting 10 home runs over his final 35 games prior to the midseason break. And in his 125 plate appearances since, Walker hasn't been flashy but has stayed steady, with four home runs, 10 RBI, and 17 runs scored. While the .129 ISO isn't ideal for someone with the power stroke of Walker, at least he has produced multiple hits in six of his last 15 games.
While he has slumped most recently, collecting only one hit in his past three games, Walker's underlying metrics continue to show a hitter who - if nothing else - is going to barrel the ball up often and hard, running with a 48.2% hard-hit rate and an 8.5% Brl/PA that are both in the top-5% of the league in 2019. This week, Walker and the Diamondbacks head to San Francisco for two games, before coming back home for four against the Dodgers. Only 35%-owned in all Yahoo Leagues, Walker is nevertheless the 171st-ranked player and should be owned in all leagues.
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
