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We have completed another week of MLB action, and we have once again been littered with injuries. Both good and bad things arise from injuries. Let's start with the bad, which means losing a player, sometimes a key player, from your roster. The good is a chance to add a new player, and certain players suddenly finding new playing time. The outfield position has been getting more and more depleted as the season goes on, at least from a fantasy perspective. Many other recent options in this article are still available in leagues and are still worth the pick-ups.
Some outfielders would be better suited to stream for a hot bat. Others need to be replaced just because they are no longer on the field (IL). That is a situation that affects many managers, and there is nothing you can do except find a suitable replacement as quickly as possible or risk losing valuable counting stats. In this article, I’ll discuss waiver wire targets for the outfield in Week 11.
In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly. Be quick to check your leagues for their availability. When you want to chat it up regarding outfielders, prospects, or dynasty leagues, message me directly on Twitter @bdentrek. Key points - this list will focus on players who are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.
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Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles
45% Rostered
Mountcastle got off to a languid start to the 2021 season but has turned things around in a big way of late. Over the last two weeks (12 games), he has hit safely in all but two games. Mountcastle is hitting .342 with nine extra-base hits, including five home runs. Heck, Mountcastle has hit four home runs in his last five games.
The increased offensive production includes a .526 ISO and a 1.258 OPS. Mountcastle is clicking on all cylinders. He is barreling the ball 20.8% of the time with a 50% hard-hit rate over the last two weeks as well. He is mashing everything and putting up massive fantasy numbers.
There will be some ups and downs as he does strikeout over 30% of the time, but that is the new world of baseball we live in. If you need a power source, then Mountcastle is a must-add right now. Keep rolling him out there while he is hot in all formats.
Odubel Herrera, Philadelphia Phillies
26% Rostered
With all of the Phillies' injuries, Herrera has seen consistent playing time and flourished. Herrera has hit safely in five of the last seven games while leading off in five straight. Herrera is hitting .333 with four extra-base hits, including two home runs. Herrera has a 1.008 OPS to go with a low 15.6% walk rate over the last week. He is getting on base often and not striking out at his usual pace, a recipe for success.
Herrera should continue to play for the near future, but be slightly cautious as Bryce Harper returned on Saturday. The return sent Brad Miller to the bench for the night, but this could be a fluid situation. When starting regularly, Herrera has some nice deeper league fantasy appeal. If he returns to a platoon, he will be a bit harder to play in weekly leagues but will still have some daily league appeal.
Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants
18% Rostered
First, I know Belt may not be outfield eligible in all leagues, but we use Yahoo! roster information for the article here, and Belt has outfield eligibility. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about adding Belt wherever you can.
Belt has been out with an injury for a few weeks but has been taking batting practice and should be back any day. This is great news as the Giants have a very favorable schedule next week, especially for LHH. The Giants play two in Texas (Lyles/Folty) and then four in Washington (Scherzer/Ross/Fedde/Lester). The Giants will face five RHP in six games, four of which are fantasy targets when referring to hitters.
Belt has been having a solid season with eight home runs, a .358 wOBA, and a 130 wRC+. He is still walking a ton, 15.3% of the time, and should slide right back into the middle of the Giants batting order, a batting order hitting all cylinders these days. Belt adds strong offensive production for all formats as the batting average should improve as well. Add Belt where you can in deep leagues and shallow leagues if you need CI/OF help.
Justin Upton, Los Angeles Angels
13% Rostered
It has definitely been a slow season for Upton, but that has slowly changed once the Angels started hitting him leadoff. Upton has been hitting the top of the order for 11 straight games and has hit safely in 10 of the 11 games. Upton is hitting .317 over this stretch with four home runs, 10 runs scored, and has driven in nine runs as well.
It is not all power for Upton either, as he is walking 12.5% of the time, which has added to a nice 1.079 OPS. Upton's quality of contact is great, as well as he has a 22.2% hard-hit rate and a 59.3% hard-hit rate. Upton is thriving in the lead-off spot, looking like the Upton from five or so years ago.
The fact he is rostered in only 13% of leagues is crazy, so add him everywhere and ride the hot bat while you can. Mike Trout (calf) will not be back until after the All-Star break at the earliest, meaning the leadoff spot is Upton's for some time. He likely won't be this productive all season, but Upton can still hit .250 or so with some solid power and run production. Great in all formats.
Steven Duggar, San Francisco Giants
3% Rostered
I mentioned the Giants have a very favorable schedule coming up for LHH, which makes Duggar stand out in a big way. He has seen regular playing time over the last couple of weeks and has taken full advantage. Duggar is hitting .353 over the stretch with a .235 ISO, a .418 wOBA, and a 170 wRC+. Duggar is hitting everything well now with an 11.1% barrel rate and a 44.4% hard-hit rate over the last couple of weeks.
Don't mind his 44.4% strikeout rate (it is horrible), as he is making do with it for now, but that could also lead to some regression down the line. Regardless, add him now where needing outfield help.
Duggar is swinging it very well and should be added in deeper formats where you need outfield help. He may be a short-term fix, but ride him while he's hot. Mike Yastrzemski is out with a thumb injury that may extend some regular playing time for Duggar, and hopefully, that hot streak continues.
Tony Kemp, Oakland Athletics
2% Rostered
Kemp is having a solid season as a utility player for the A's, but has begun to see some regular playing time of late. He has hit safely in his last seven games, good for a .391 average. Kemp even has four extra-base hits and has driven in seven runs. More impressively may be the plate discipline as Kemp is only striking out 11.1% of the time, putting many balls in play.
Kemp checks a few boxes for fantasy teams as he qualifies at 2B and OF. That multi-positional flexibility is very nice. He adds a little power with some speed that teams will need as the season goes on. The A's seem quite interested in playing Kemp often, and that bodes well for your teams.
If you are in a daily moves league, then Kemp is a solid add for now. Weekly leagues are a bit different as there could be good and bad weeks with consistent playing time. For now, I would add him in deeper leagues, but 12-team leagues or less I would likely watch for now. He could be one injury away from some serious playing time, so keep an eye on Kemp or keep an eye on favorable A's schedules to utilize his flexibility.
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