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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 from 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). Unfortunately, that is a situation that affects many managers. You can do nothing except finding a suitable replacement as quickly as possible or risk losing valuable counting stats. Surprisingly there were a lot of serviceable options on the wire this week. Many deeper league options were not mentioned, but I have no fear as they will be in future write-ups. If you have questions about other players, always feel free to ask me on Twitter. In this article, I’ll discuss waiver wire targets for the outfield in Week 14 -running from June 28 through July 4.
In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly. So 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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Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners
45% Rostered
Dylan Moore returned from the IL a couple of weeks ago and has begun producing for fantasy owners. As of Saturday, Moore had hit safely in eight of 11 games with four extra-base hits, including a home run. The major reason to add Moore is not for his power but more for his speed. In the 11 games since his return, he has stolen four bases in five attempts. The stolen base upside is what makes Moore so appealing.
Over the last 11 games, Moore is hitting .250, which is a great improvement from his season average of .189. To say Moore got off to a slow start would be an understatement. On the season, he is hitting .189 with six home runs and 12 stolen bases. He has been a disappointment offensively, but looking at his 10.8% barrel rate, a career-best 110.3 mph maxEV, and a .377 xwOBAcon, there is reason to see some improvement.
The rest of season projections have Moore hitting close to 10 more home runs while stealing another 10+ stolen bases. They do not believe he will hit for a high average, but you were never drafting Moore for that in the first place. The Mariners are starting to hit of late, and that will only increase Moore's value. If you are in a 12-team or deeper league and need a power/speed bat, then Moore should be on your radar this weekend.
Myles Straw, Houston Astros
32% Rostered
I try not to write about players in back-to-back weeks, but I could not resist with Straw since he's still been seeing consistent playing time after Kyle Tucker returned to the lineup. Straw has earned that everyday role as he has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, good for a .352 average. Most look at Straw as a steals-only asset in fantasy, but he has proven to be much more than that this season.
Over the last two weeks, Straw has added two home runs to go with three stolen bases and an .893 OPS. Those were Straw's first two home runs of the season, but he now has 10 steals to go with a .264 average. Straw is still batting at the bottom of the Astros' lineup but is still returning fantasy value.
For now, Straw will be playing every day for the Astros, one of the hottest offenses in all of baseball, and should be rostered in deep fantasy leagues for sure. He should also be rostered in 12-team leagues where you need steals and runs scored. If something were to happen to Straw, then Chas McCormick would likely be the next man up and would be an interesting fantasy target as well.
Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins
31% Rostered
Kirilloff was absolutely crushing the ball earlier this season, but then an injury forced him to the IL, and things were not the same after. Once he returned, he was off to a plodding start, and many fantasy player's rostered Kirilloff to drop him. But, of course, those players will regret that drop and may want to pick him up immediately.
After the slow return from the IL, Kirilloff is starting to look like the player we all knew he was. Over the last nine games, he has hit safely in seven games with four extra-base hits, two were home runs, and even a stolen base. The .222 ISO and the .833 OPS are great, but even better is that he is only striking out 12.8% of the time. He is also barreling the ball up nearly 13% of the time with a near 40% hard-hit rate over the nine games.
Kirilloff is starting to heat up again, and it could be a "Hot Kirilloff Summer" ahead. The fact he is only rostered in 31% of leagues is insanity. Run to the waiver wire and add this five-category stud for the rest of the season. Lastly, for those saying the Twins' outfield is crowded, that's correct. The good thing for Kirilloff is the fact he can also play first base. Do not worry about the small stuff, as his production will lock in the playing time for the rest of the season.
Hunter Renfroe, Boston Red Sox
22% Rostered
Renfroe was viewed as a lefty masher and not a full-time fantasy player going into this season and most other seasons. Well, Renfroe has turned the tables on all of us, especially of late. He has hit nine of his last 10 games safely with five extra-base hits, including two home runs. He is also walking 10.3% of the time while only striking out 12.8% of the time over the last 10 games. In addition, his .265 ISO and .973 OPS have been outstanding the last 10 games.
The last 10 games are an improvement on the season overall and match the rest of the season's projections. Most projections have Renfroe hitting around .235 with 15 home runs, a .230 ISO, and a .780 OPS. The Red Sox are hitting Renfroe sixth most days, and that will return quality fantasy production the rest of the way. Ride the hot Renfroe while you can in deeper leagues or in leagues you need some quality power the rest of the season.
Akil Baddoo, Detroit Tigers
17% Rostered
On Saturday, Baddoo snapped his 10-game hitting streak, but that was bound to happen eventually. Regardless, Baddoo has been an offensive machine for over a month now. Over his 10-game hitting streak, he was hitting .417 with five doubles and two stolen bases while also being caught twice. Sure he was caught twice, but the fact he attempted four stolen bases over a 10-game stretch is outstanding.
It's not just the average over the 10-game streak; he also walked 14.3% of the time while striking out only 9.5% of the time. In addition, his OBP skills have grown substantially since the beginning of May, as he has one of the highest OBP's in all of baseball since May 1. The Tigers have even moved Baddoo to lead off his last few starts, which would enhance his fantasy value.
Baddoo is young, and ups and downs will happen. The good thing is he has always hit one big slump and come back playing even better. The power has disappeared a bit, but that should return as his comfort at the plate continues to grow. Baddoo will bring a nice average, runs scored, and stolen bases for now with the power stats to follow. Add him to 12-team leagues and deeper where you are looking for outfield help.
Jon Berti, Miami Marlins
11% Rostered
Berti is a tough fantasy asset as playing time is usually a concern. Well, the playing time has been there more often than not lately. Over the last three weeks, he has played nearly every day and is hitting .315 with two home runs (big for Berti) and a very nice 14.1% BB rate. His .813 OPS will play in a lot of formats.
Berti is usually a target for stolen bases only, and that is still his prized asset, but his run-scoring ability, as well as an improved average, is very appealing. Not to mention his massive upside in OBP leagues. Lastly, Berti is also extremely appealing in fantasy as he has very nice multi-position eligibility. Berti is just a deep league add for now but keep him on your radar if the speed ramps up again.
More Deeper League Options
Here are a couple of other really nice deep league adds or players to keep an eye on - Yonathan Daza (Coors Week), Daz Cameron (I really like him going forward). There are more from previous articles.
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