Jason Kipnis (2B, CLE) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 9% of Yahoo! leagues

ANALYSIS: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is no longer the fantasy star that he was back in 2016, when he blasted 23 home runs and swiped 15 bases with a .275 batting average.

After back-to-back disappointing seasons, Kipnis is quietly having a solid 2019 campaign. He is hitting .243 with seven home runs, five stolen bases and 35 RBI. While those numbers may not jump off the page, Kipnis shook off a rough start to the season to do most of his damage in the last six weeks or so, and could be a useful middle infield option in deeper fantasy formats going forward.

Plus, his .273 xBA suggests he's getting a tad unlucky in the batting average department, which could indicate a strong second half. Kipnis hitting .270 with 8-10 home runs and five steals rest of season seems plausible to me, and while you're not racing to pick that up in 10-teamers, it's worth a gamble in 14+ team leagues or AL-only formats where he is available.