Tim Beckham – (1B, 2B, SS, TB) – Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Tim Beckham has gotten hot in June as he has posted an .846 OPS with a .456 slugging percentage. His playing time was limited a bit in the month, as he missed five games due to knee and hand injuries and also exited Friday’s action against the Orioles early due to tweaking his ankle. Another potential concern is the Rays’ suddenly crowded infield situation due to their acquisition of Adeiny Hechavarria. However, Beckham’s playing time should be safe so long as Brad Miller remains sidelined by injury.

As for his on-field performance, Beckham is having career best production across all fantasy categories, all beginning with his power production. Unlike many hitters who have seen a boost in power this season, Beckham has hit fewer flyballs and instead relied on hard contact to pace his production.  Given that he has posted a 46.1% hard contact rate, there should be confidence that he will continue to produce.

Another benefit to rostering Beckham is his position eligibility. Although he would be a subpar option at first base, he currently ranks 13th at shortstop and 18^th at second base on the ESPN Player Rater. That makes him a viable option as either a starting shortstop or middle infielder in deeper mixed formats and someone worth considering on the waiver wire.