Whether it’s because of an injury or poor performance, there are always opportunities to stream players off the waiver wire. The best players to stream are those who are under-owned and face appealing match-ups for the upcoming week.
Here are five players who are readily available in Fleaflicker leagues and have attractive match-ups during the 25th week of the season.
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Top Hitter Streamers for Week 25
Byron Buxton (MIN, OF) - 47% Fleaflicker
Since rejoining the big leagues on Sept. 1, Buxton has been on an absolute tear. He is 17-for-49 in 14 games played with five homers, 13 R and 14 RBI. He’s actually hitting better against righties (.231 with five homers in 169 AB) than lefties (.208 with one homer in 77 AB), but he has had recent success against tougher left-handers Carlos Rodon and Danny Duffy.
In Week 25, the Twins will play the Tigers and Mariners. Those teams are expected to throw Matt Boyd, Anibal Sanchez, Michael Fulmer, James Paxton, Ariel Miranda and Taijuan Walker— a group that features three lefties and three righties. The bottom line is that Buxton is a former top prospect who finally appears to have put it all together and is still available in more than half of all leagues.
Nomar Mazara (TEX, OF) - 37% Fleaflicker
Mazara has certainly cooled off from his torrid start to the season— he hit .302 with nine homers across April and May. He is batting just .214 in September, but has maintained strong numbers against righties all year— .278 with 17 HR, 48 R and 53 RBI in 370 AB.
Awaiting the Rangers this week will be Jhoulys Chacin (.800 OPS vs. left-handed hitters), Daniel Wright (.965), Jered Weaver (.857), Kendall Graveman (.776), Raul Alcantara (.778) and Ross Detwiler (the lone left-hander of the group). Mazara could find himself heating up down the stretch as the Rangers look to lock up the division.
Corey Dickerson (TB, OF) - 36% Fleaflicker
Dickerson is 17-for-35 (.486) over his current nine-game hitting streak (as of Friday morning). While he still does not boast an impressive batting average against any kind of pitching, he has managed a .496 SLG with 18 HR in 363 AB vs. righties.
This upcoming week, the Rays will draw Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Cessa, Drew Pomeranz, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez. This group does not necessarily offer the most appealing match-ups, but Dickerson is 6-for-10 with a homer and three RBI lifetime against Pineda, 2-for-6 with a homer and two RBI vs. Cessa and 5-for-16 with a homer against Porcello. Dickerson is a solid streaming option for owners in need of a power boost in the fantasy playoffs.
Asdrubal Cabrera (NYM, SS) - 30% Fleaflicker
Cabrera makes back-to-back appearances on this list. While the power surge has quieted down, he continues to rake, with six hits in his last 17 AB. He is batting .318 vs. lefties on the year, and 16 of his 19 HR have come against righties, so there’s upside regardless of whom he is facing.
This week, the Braves and Phillies will send out Aaron Blair, Julio Teheran, John Gant, Adam Morgan, Jeremy Hellickson, Alec Asher and Jake Thompson. Four of these pitchers are rookies, and Cabrera has hit well in the past against two others— 1-for-3 with a homer vs. Morgan, 7-for-18 with a homer vs. Hellickson. Cabrera should have no problem continuing his strong play over the next few games.
Lucas Duda (26% owned) is expected to return from a four-month absence this weekend against the Twins, and could also be a useful streamer.
Colby Rasmus (HOU, OF) - 14% Fleaflicker
Rasmus is hitting just .209 on the season and is currently in an 0-for-11 slump since his last homer on Sept. 8. In fact, he is batting just .101 since the All-Star break. However, he still pretty much plays every day against righties, and he has shown over the last couple of seasons that he can hit homers in bunches.
Luckily for Rasmus, he will have a chance to do just that over the next two series against a group of pitchers who all hold a FIP over 4.00. The Athletics and Angels will send out Jharel Cotton (4.14), Sean Manaea (4.23), Daniel Mengden (4.20), Ricky Nolasco (4.34), Alex Meyer (7.05), Jhoulys Chacin (4.14) and Daniel Wright (5.49). Manaea is the only lefty of the bunch.
By now, Rasmus is available in most leagues, so owners in deeper formats desperate for some added power down the stretch can take a flier on a guy who is just 30 years old and hit 25 HR in 432 AB a year ago.
Honorable Mention: Randal Grichuk (STL, OF)
Grichuk is hitting .299 with 10 HR since rejoining the Cardinals on Aug. 11 (.320 with three homers in September). This week, St. Louis will travel to Colorado to take on Tyler Anderson, Jorge De La Rosa and Jeff Hoffman. However, they finish the week in Chicago, so Grichuk is only appealing for the first few games.
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