RADIO
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Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to take advantage of breakouts or impact bats before others sure can.
The primary challenge of playing in an NL or AL-only league is often the lack of options regarding adding and subtracting players when needed. In mixed leagues, the players on the waiver wire are usually starting for an NL-only staff. So then how does one wade through the names of players that even regular fantasy players have never heard of, and that often will not even start for their teams to begin with? That is where this series comes in.
Instead of owners spending time digging the waiver wire of 0% owned players, this article will give owners a player at each position to fill the gap, or at the least, keep an eye on to add or stash. Not all of these players will replace that injury, but offer the best option off the scrap heap. Often the players advocated for here are long shots due to the nature of shallow leagues. No quick fixes, but some upside that could turn into much more. With that onto the island of misfit fantasy toys.
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AL-Only Team of the Week
C - Yan Gomes (CLE, C) - 12% owned
While posting a higher ownership level than usually appears in this article, Yan Gomes is off to an exciting start to the season and should be on more teams than he currently is. In 39 games, he is slashing .232/.290/.401 with six homers and 18 runs scored. While the average will not stand out, compared to where he has been the last few years, this production is worth a dart on fantasy rosters. Last year, while hitting the same .232, Gomes was a 1.8 WAR player, and often split time with Roberto Perez. This year he is on pace for more homers, RBI, and runs which might not return him to 2014 Silver Slugger numbers, make him an above average offensive player at a weak position. With Perez struggling more than usual, Gomes might play more, and if this is the case, the production should result in even higher returns for fantasy owners.
1B - Logan Morrison (MIN, 1B) - 15% owned
2018 has not been the year that Morrison expected when he tried to find a new home in free agency and ultimately settled with the Twins. 50 games so far have resulted in a .201/.318/.355 line, with only six homers. The power being down is concerning as last year Morrison pushed 40 bombs, and power is his main fantasy tool. Why then should owners buy-in now when the line is so low? First, the strikeout rate is down from 24.8% last year to 20.7% this year meaning that overall the approach, while not resulting in hits, has improved or at least has stayed the same. Second, his BABIP is almost 40 points lower than last year, and while not a factor on its own, should result in a plus .200 batting average as opposed to what owners see now. Finally, Morrison plays in a hitters park and still is settling into a new team and organization. If he is out there on the waiver wire, the bad has already happened, and the rest of the season should be a marked improvement.
2B - Jace Peterson (BAL, 1B/2B/3B/OF) - 0% owned
Often when looking to add little-owned players on the waiver wire, a good tactic is to identify one stat and see where players can help a team. Enter Peterson with his five steals. While not a world breaker, these numbers place him at the top of the charts for second base. When steals this year overall are scare, compared to the others out there, Peterson offers some steal upside. Other than that the season has not been ideal with a .178 batting average to date. That being said, the FB% is up, and he is pulling the ball at the same rate. Much of this average so far can be tied to lack of playing time and should increase if and when there are more regular appearances. Even with Jonathan Schoop coming off the DL soon Peterson should find some time on a bad Baltimore team, only helping his fantasy case. At the end of the day, when in doubt, and willing to try for a stolen base Hail Mary, this will be a good shot. If the concern is the average, with limited playing time he cannot do much damage.
3B - Ehire Adrianza (MIN, 3B/SS/OF) - 0% owned
Perhaps not the typical play at third, Adrianza offers excellent flexibility for owners and some production to date that should make him at least attractive to owners in need of a replacement bat. In 39 games Adrianza is hitting .227/.289/.327 with one homer and two steals. What stands out in the profile is the 14 runs so far, and with the Twins overall trying to figure out the offense, this is a good sign for increased production. The critical thing is that the glove should play on its own, as so far he has posted a 1.9 DEF in only 39 games. Looking to the rest of the profile, there is hope for the bat as well. An increased BABIP makes sense with the hitting profile and could stay above .300 in that park. There is no reason to expect that the floor will move any lower. If owners need a short-term play, who will play due to the glove and should score runs, this is an easy pick-up.
SS - Jose Rondon (CSW, SS) - 1% owned
After failing to get a shot in San Diego, Rondon seems to have at least found an opportunity on a struggling Chicago team. In 13 games he is slashing .265/.306/.618 with three homers and two steals. Of all the players on this week’s list, this should be the add for most teams. The K% is down from past years in the minors, and the BB% is at least the same, all showing good movement for a hitter finally getting his shot. While not telling the whole story, Rondon’s Hard% is up 40 points from his last cup of coffee in the bigs, and overall the power he is showing this year is a new skill. Power upside from shortstop is always worth the gamble, and with this bad of a team, there is no one pushing him for time. Power does not matter when looking to line-up context, and owners should take this risk that the breakout is real.
OF - Greg Allen (CLE, OF) - 1% owned
Bad news for Bradley Zimmer owners so far seems to be good news for Allen owners as last year Allen replaced Zimmer down the stretch. So far this year, he has taken over most of the playing time when injury struck again. So far this season, Allen has taken advantage of the playing time with a .274/.321/.411 line in 23 games. Even better have been the 11 runs and two steals over that same time, all of which makes a case for him to stick with the team moving forward. Better defense than Melky Cabrera and speed on the bases mean that he should be getting a regular shot as Cleveland tries to keep the offensive gains moving. The bat looks better this time around than last and is making more contact both in and out of the zone. If he can hit .280, this will be a good fantasy play with run and steal upside.
OF - Curtis Granderson (TOR, OF) - 5% owned
The former fantasy darling seems to have found a home in Toronto in a platoon role, but also has put up enough offense that the 5% ownership level is laughable. The slash of .227/.363/.394 are all improvements over the 2017 campaign, and the four homers and 22 runs play in a tight AL-only field. While the playing time might be an issue, the benefits with matchup should make up for that time with a boost to the overall batting line. The BB% is up three points this season and should bode well for the long-term concerning keeping him at least on the bench with the team. With Kevin Pillar struggling, this seems like the option to replace without losing much at the plate, but at the same time keeping the power door open. While WRC+ might not count in fantasy leagues, Granderson is posting his highest since 2015 reflecting at least an improvement over the past few campaigns. At the very least keep an eye on Toronto for plans moving forward.
OF - Johnny Field (TB, OF) 1% owned
The former fifth-round pick of the Rays is getting his shot in the majors, and taking advantage in a way that bodes well for fantasy owners. 34 games have resulted in a slash of .255/.290/.480 with six homers and three steals. At the very least this looks like decent production from a corner bat with a chance for more. OF4 at the very least, and perhaps even a high-upside OF3 if this keeps up. As always runs scored are the key to this profile and why he shows up on this list. 17 runs so far mean one every two games and shows that Fields can be valuable without a high batting line. If that BA hits closer to .270, imagine the run production then. Even more, the power is there and should at least mean double digits the rest of the way. In all fairness, the batted ball profile is a bit weird, as with more power usually there is a more pull heavy approach, but not with Field. In fact, he has added almost 15 points to his Cent%. If this holds up, expect the average to rise, and no reason to assume that the power still should not play as it has been as this reflects his current approach.
P - Hector Velazquez (BOS, RP, SP) - 6% owned
Recently back from the DL, Velazquez has spent most of his career in the Mexican League and is now in his second season with Boston in some role. So far in 14 games, he has won five and posted a K/9 of 6.07. While not great, he does not give up homers which at Fenway is always a treat. So far Velazquez is only allowing 0.91 HR/9, and only 8.8% HR/FB. The holistic performance has led to a 2.12 ERA which is good enough to not only keep him in a good bullpen but also has resulted in two spot starts. Featuring four pitches he is throwing the fastball and slider a bit more this year, and the fastball is already worth 1.7 wFB in those limited appearances. While at the bottom of the pen right now, with some shuffling Velazquez could find himself in more leverage innings, and the stuff looks like it should play. Velazquez looks like the typical innings and wins play from the bullpen slot that often appear in these articles.
P - Chasen Bradford (SEA, RP) - 0% owned
While a reliever without a path to saves, the zero ownership on this player is absurd. In 22 innings Bradford is posting a 1.99 ERA with 7.94 K/9 while giving up 0.79 HR/9 this campaign. The walks are also down from a clip of 3.48 in 2017 with the Met to 1.99 this season in Seattle. With the pitch numbers looking the same concerning pitch mix, Bradford seems to be more useful for some reason, and it could be just getting away from the pitching abyss that is New York. For proof of this, look to opponents average which has stayed much the same at .235, but all the other numbers look much better. While now solidly blocked from saves due to Alex Colome and Edwin Diaz, the ratios should play well on most teams. If owners are punting saves, this is an excellent cheap replacement who already has four wins. If Seattle continues to score a tone of runs in the 6th and 7th innings Bradford might be in line for a bunch of those stats.
P - Alex Claudio (TEX, RP) - 6%
Expected by some to the closer this season in Arlington, there might be some interest in that role moving forward if he continues to pitch well. First off the ERA is much higher than the FIP at 3.95 compared to 3.09, which better reflects his performance this year. The latter falls right in line with career numbers, and should only be good news for the profile. Second, the walk rate is down from an already low 1.63 in 2017 to an absurd .66 this season. Third, the HR/9 is down from 0.54 to 0.33, meaning that with the walks any damage via the long ball is negligible for the reliever. While the K rate is down, all the other numbers are better from a strong 2017 campaign. This seems like an excellent chance to buy-in now for owners looking to add a relief arm who will pitch to a low WHIP. Even better, Claudio has already matched his four wins from last season meaning the rest of the season in the counting stats department is gravy.
