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BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
OWNED IN: 15% of leagues
ANALYSIS: After a disappointing 2017 campaign in which Howie Kendrick saw his fewest plate appearances (334) since his rookie year in 2006, many could be forgiven for ignoring him in fantasy leagues coming into this season. But with second baseman Daniel Murphy still not recovered from off-season knee surgery, Kendrick has found a role at second base for the Nationals and has responded with some strong outings.
Kendrick's spot in the lineup is worth monitoring; on May 5, the Nationals used him the clean-up spot, a move that could help boost his fantasy prospects even more if manager Dave Martinez repeats that move again. Even from the sixth spot, though, Kendrick has been playing strong baseball. Over the past 11 games, he's hitting .325 with a pair of home runs. He's slugging .575 over that stretch. While he's likely to cool off in the future, he has value right now in 12 team leagues and should be available on a ton of waiver wires.
The most important things to monitor right now for Kendrick are the injury issues in Washington. While there isn't a clear timetable for Murphy's return, he has rejoined the team and could return in foreseeable future if he's able to practice without pain issues. After that, it's Adam Eaton's return from an ankle injury suffered in early April that spells the most doom for Kendrick as a fantasy asset, but Eaton is still in a walking boot. If Kendrick can keep up his current pace, he's a solid add until the rest of the Nationals lineup is able to get healthy.
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