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We have completed another week of MLB action, and we have made it through the All-Star break. With two and a half months left in the fantasy baseball season, attacking specific categories may be more important than ever. In recent weeks and the future, I will try to find some category stuffers that may not stand out to the naked eye. Also, I will continue to write about some of the same players as they continue to be too lowly rostered. This week is nearly 100% made of previous players who continue to produce yet are not rostered nearly enough.
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 17, July 19 through July 25.
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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Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
50% Rostered
It finally happened. Duran got the call to the bigs following the All-Star break. Duran was crushing it in Triple-A and even during a stint with the USA Olympic Team. In Triple-A, he slashed .270/.365/.561 with 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases over 46 games. He even showed great plated discipline for a young player with an 11% walk rate. He was doing it all, and the Red Sox had no excuses left to leave him down.
Duran has always hit for average in the minors and showcased outstanding base stealing abilities, but the power was new. There have been reports of some power improvements at the alternate site last season, but as usual, we do not know the extent of those reports. Before this season at Triple-A, Duran had a total of eight home runs in his two minor league seasons to go along with 70 stolen bases.
The biggest question will be playing time for now. He was scheduled to play on Thursday, and the game was postponed due to the Yankees' COVID issues. He was not in Friday's lineup but did crack the lineup for Saturday's game. He hit sixth on Saturday and collected his first career hit, and had a walk. We need to see if he will play every day, and it would be better if he hit towards the top of the lineup. Regardless, he is worth an immediate add as he should produce for your fantasy teams going forward and has massive upside.
Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox
38% Rostered
Ok, folks, it is time to stop waiting around and add Vaughn immediately. Early in the season, he was platooning and only hitting left-handed pitching well. That has definitely changed. He is playing nearly every day and hitting fifth-seventh in the White Sox lineup. Over the last 13 games, he has hit safely in 10 of those games for a .370 average.
Over those 13 games, he has seven extra-base hits, including four home runs. He has a .326 ISO, 1.088 OPS, and is striking out only 15.7% of the time. His 15% barrel rate and 47.5% hard-hit rate shows he sees lefties and righties just fine. Want more proof that he is hitting RHP better? Over the 13 games, he is hitting .405 with a .378 ISO, and all four home runs have come off of RHP.
Vaughn was drafted out of Cal as one of the best pure hitters in college baseball. He is now comfortable with big-league pitching, and it is showing. He should mash the rest of the season and contribute to average homers, RBI, and runs scored the rest of the season. He is a must-add in all formats.
Garrett Cooper, Miami Marlins
29% Rostered
Let's chat about another player that is criminally under-rostered. Cooper has been mashing since returning from the IL on June 25. He is hitting .426 with seven extra-base hits, including four home runs. Cooper has a .319 ISO and 1.310 OPS over that stretch as well. The OPS is just ridiculous, and that is aided by his outstanding 22.6% walk rate. When Cooper isn't walking and puts the ball in play, he is barreling the ball 24.2% of the time with a 60.6% hard-hit rate. Cooper is absolutely locked in right now.
Cooper plays nearly every day for the Marlins, hitting third while playing RF and some 1B. The Marlins offense is not as bad as people think, with Jazz Chisholm and Starling Marte setting the table in front of Cooper with Jesus Aguilar and others behind him. Cooper should continue to put up solid power numbers while the average will naturally drop along the way.
The rest of season projections still have Cooper hitting .265-.270 the rest of the season, which is still a big help for your fantasy teams. If you need power production, then Cooper should be near the top of the list. The great thing about Cooper is he will not kill your average either like most power bats on the wire will these days. So add Cooper in all formats while you can, stop preventing your teams from climbing the rankings with Cooper on your waiver wire.
Kole Calhoun, Arizona Diamondbacks
10% Rostered
Calhoun has been injured a few different times this season, but he is back for now. Since his return, he has been hitless in his first games, but he is still hitting .263 on the season. However, he only has 60 plate appearances this season, so his sample size is not large.
Calhoun usually hits in the .240 range with 15 home runs and a great eye at the plate, walking over 10% of the time. He will contribute in most categories, even throwing in a steal or two. The rest of the season projections have Calhoun hitting .248 with 10 home runs, which will play in deeper formats.
For now, Calhoun is healthy and hits either second or sixth in the D-backs lineup. He will play nearly every day and can help rack up counting stats the rest of the season. I would only add Calhoun in deeper leagues for now but keep a close eye on him in 12-team and shallower leagues. If he gets comfortable, he can become a fantasy asset at nearly all levels.
Ben Gamel, Pittsburgh Pirates
7% Rostered
Gamel has had quite the month of July and has placed himself into fantasy relevance for the time being. Gamel has hit safely in 11 of 13 games this month for a .311 average. He has four home runs, a .311 ISO, and an impressive 13.5% walk rate, leading to a 1.026 OPS. When he makes contact, he makes the most of it with a 15.6% barrel rate and a 40.6% hard-hit rate.
Reports out of Pittsburgh indicate that Gamel made some swing adjustments this offseason, and for now, I would have to agree. In the past, he has hit as high as .272 but usually sits in the .250 range and never showcased the power he is showing now. The increase in power is what makes Gamel intriguing in fantasy formats.
Currently, Gamel hits clean-up for the Pirates, which will obviously lead to great fantasy opportunities. Gamel will have plenty of fantasy opportunities with Adam Frazier, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Bryan Reynolds hitting in front of him. I have added Gamel in many 15-team leagues and have dabbled in 12-team leagues where I need power. Please do not wait on him much longer as more and more players are figuring out he is valuable for now.
More Deeper League Options
Here are a couple of other really nice deep league adds or players to keep an eye on - Harrison Bader (3%), Jason Heyward (2%), Darin Ruf (2%)
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