Mallex Smith (OF, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 11% of Yahoo! Leagues

ANALYSIS: Mallex Smith shows up on fantasy rosters for one reason and one reason only: his stolen base potential. Smith has 16 stolen bases on the year, with seven of them coming in his last 24 games. While his .287 batting average and 30 runs scored across 181 at-bats is not bad, his calling card for fantasy relevance lies in his ability to swipe bags. The Rays made some improvements to their roster at the trade deadline, but only Lucas Duda came over as a hitter and he will likely slot into the DH role which will not have a big impact on Smith’s playing time. Smith is slotted in as the starting centerfielder at least until Kevin Kiermaier returns, which has been delayed due to recent back pain. Kiermaier likely won’t return until mid-August at the earliest, making Smith an attractive add in 12-team leagues and beyond for his speed on the bases.