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We have completed another week of MLB action, and we have reached the All-Star break. We are a little over halfway through the season, and we are starting to see more new faces that may be fantasy-relevant. Either by injuries or just poor performances, more players are being called up or moving from a bench role and starting lineup. Will all these players stick? Not a chance, but these are some players to take a chance on going forward that should at worst help your fantasy teams in the upcoming weeks, if not the rest of the season.
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. This week's article will focus more on deeper league adds or even players to take fliers on as we head into the second half of the season. If you have questions about other players, always feel free to ask me on Twitter. This article will discuss waiver wire targets for the outfield in Week 16, from July 12 through July 18.
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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Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets
32% Rostered
Most think of Nimmo as an OBP machine and sometimes mainly a fantasy asset in OBP leagues. However, as most of us know, that is not always the case as he has runs of being an all-around hitting machine. He is currently one of those hitting machines. Since returning from the IL on July 3, Nimmo has hit safely in six of nine games for a .333 average.
This is outstanding, but I would be doing a disservice if I did not point out some of the concerns that usually lie with Nimmo. He has a BABIP of .524 over this stretch, unsustainable. Nimmo also has three doubles and no home runs, good for a .091 ISO. He is also striking out 33.3% of the time while only walking 8.3% of the time. To put it lightly, he is BABIP'ing his way to his average while striking out too much, not walking, and showing no power.
Nimmo is streaky, as stated above, and is definitely fantasy viable in some 12-team leagues and definitely in deeper leagues. Just know the average likely won't continue as he is more of a .260 hitter. However, the power will improve slightly, and the plate discipline will definitely improve, leading to more runs and maybe some steals.
Luis Arraez, Minnesota Twins
18% Rostered
Now, if you want a batting average asset, then Arraez is your guy. Arraez is hitting .299 on the season while walking 9.2% of the time and striking out only 10.4% of the time. In addition, he is currently riding a six-game hitting streak that has seen him collect four multi-hit games while hitting .480.
Arraez has thrown in two doubles and a steal over his hit streak, and that is not bad as Arraez is not a major power source. That was his first stolen base of the season. During the hit streak, he has been the Twins' lead-off hitter, and that could be great as the season goes on from a fantasy sense.
Arraez obviously won't hit near .500 the rest of the season, but he can definitely hit around .300. He will score a good amount of runs leading off for the Twins as well. There will not be a ton of power but a steal here and there is in the cards as well. At the time of the season, you can start looking at what categories your teams need help in and if the batting average is one, grab Arraez now. Average is one of the hardest stats to make up or find, but here's a guy for you. Lastly, Arraez adds massive positional eligibility that will come in handy as injuries continue to pile up.
Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles
12% Rostered
Over the last couple of weeks, it appears Hays has knocked some of the rust off that he accumulated on the IL. He is hitting .327 with a couple of home runs and a .854 OPS. In addition, he is striking out around 17% of the time, which also bodes very well for Hays. However, Hays has not stolen a base, and it appears he won't be doing much of that this season as he has not stolen a ton in the past.
Hays usually hits second for the Orioles, and that could be quite productive with Cedric Mullins hitting in front of him and the mashers like Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle hitting behind him. We all know Camden Yards is a very hitter-friendly ballpark that could also lead to a very productive summer. I would add Hays in deeper leagues where you are looking for a boost in average, runs, and a bit of power.
Michael A. Taylor, Kansas City Royals
6% Rostered
We are definitely getting into the weeds for some deep league adds when discussing the next few players. Most give the "oh, ok" gif when mentioning a player like Taylor, but there actually is something here for fantasy. In July, he has hit safely in seven of eight games for a .345 average. He has even flexed his muscle a bit with three extra-base hits, including a home run and a .172 ISO. He even stole a base that he will do from time to time and collected a very impressive .904 OPS.
Taylor is not the flashiest of players. He is hitting .248 on the season with eight home runs and six stolen bases. He hits seventh or eighth in the Royals' lineup, which is usually not sexy, but we are talking deep leagues. The rest of the season projections have another five or six steals and home runs, but I expect more the way he has played late. There is legit 10/10 rest of season upside, and in deeper, five outfielder leagues, he will be quite valuable down the stretch.
Leury Garcia, Chicago White Sox
8% Rostered
Garcia has been a man on a mission in July, hitting safely in five of seven games. He has hit .345 over the stretch with five extra-base hits, including two home runs. He is striking out less than 20% of the time while walking nearly 16% of the time. Garcia has racked up a .385 ISO and an impressive 1.238 OPS. He has been an offensive machine this month.
We know he won't sustain this pace, but he can still be a fantasy asset. He has shown some power and speed in the past and usually hits around .260. Hitting sixth in the White Sox lineup will also bring plenty of offensive upside. He may not dominate a specific category for your team, but he can add a bit in every category, which will add up along the way. Garcia is definitely a deep league only add, but worth it while he is running hot, at least. He also brings nice positional flexibility.
Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins
5% Rostered
I was blown away when I saw how low Larnach is rostered. A couple of weeks ago, I preached my love for his teammate Alex Kirilloff, and I still believe Kirilloff is the long-term play, but Larnach needs his love. Larnach has been crushing it in July, hitting safely in eight of his 10 games, good for a .289 average. He has three home runs over that stretch and has even stolen a base.
He is striking out 45% of the time over the stretch, which is definitely less than ideal, but his increased aggressiveness has led to more fantasy production. Maybe it's the old give and takes. Larnach hits in the middle of a very potent lineup, one that we already discussed has Arreaz leading off and getting on base a ton. He projects for a similar second half that he had in the first half, and that would be quite a productive player, but I think there is more for him. Add him in your deeper leagues and keep an eye on him in 12-team leagues, as he will have value there from time to time as well.
More Deeper League Options
Here are a couple of other really nice deep league adds or players to keep an eye on - Ben Gamel (Pirates 7%), Jason Heyward (Cubs 2%), and Phil Gosselin (Angels 1%)
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