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Below are my top MLB hitter streamer options for Week 13 of fantasy baseball. All players listed here are 50% owned or less in Yahoo leagues and play seven games this week.
Streaming hitters is a great way to increase production and fantasy stats off the waiver wire for your head-to-head matchups. It can also help to mitigate the damage done by underperformers. Check back weekly for my favorite hitter streamers for the upcoming week.
Editor’s Note: RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list is updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging starting pitchers, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.
Top Hitter Streamers
1. Chris Colabello, 1B/OF, Jays
(4 vs Boston, 3 @ Detroit) - 50% owned
Chris Colabello, a righty seemingly emerging from obscurity this year, gets to face four lefties and play four games in Toronto. Good thing for him, because he has a 1.057 OPS at home this year and a 1.187 OPS versus lefties. And because the Blue Jays crush lefties, the lineup should turnover. Yes, Colabello’s .443 BABIP is unsustainable. But a guy hitting .343 with 6 homers and 2 steals in 45 games, in a good lineup, with the factors mentioned above warrants a start as a streamer this week.
(3 @ Houston, 4 vs Minnesota) - 45% owned
Buy low, sell high. That is the saying to reference for Alex Rios at the moment. The four seasons before this one he has hit .284, .304, .278, .280. His annual stolen base totals are 15, 14, 15, 17, 32, 24, 34, 11, 23, 42, and 17. Since 2006, his home run totals are 10, 17, 24, 15, 17, 21, 13, 25, 18, 4. While he is past his prime at age 34, he is still a valuable asset despite his slow start. Even if he is the player from last year instead of his prime, he is worth a stream in a good lineup with decent matchups this week.
3. Josh Hamilton, OF, Rangers
(4 @ Baltimore, 3 vs LAA) - 46% owned
Hamilton is still on a rehab assignment at AAA, so be sure to look for an update on his health. However, the latest reports have him returning early this week. He has seven games in parks where lefties fare well, and he has decent pitching matchups. I'm still a believer that Hamilton can really hit when healthy and especially in good hitters' parks, so I look at him as a buy and hold rather than a one week streamer. In limited playing time this year, he has a 1.021 OPS. While he is a risk due to his injury status, I like to gamble.
4. Rougned Odor, 2B, Rangers
(4 @ Baltimore, 3 vs LAA) - 26% owned
Odor is only 21 years old. Small timeframes can lead to significant improvement at that age, and inconsistency can also plague such young hitters. I bet on Odor to start the season and lost, but he obliterated AAA pitching to the tune of a 1.065 OPS with 5 homers and 3 steals in 30 games and is now back to the big show. In his 30 at bats since, he is hitting .333 with one homer and two steals. While the sample is limited, his speed, power, and ability to hit MLB pitching at age 20 last year present a lot of intrigue for me. With his matchups this week, he is worth the gamble, and should be a hold in many leagues.
5. Alejandro De Aza, OF, Red Sox
(4 @ TOR, 3 vs HOU) - 3% owned
As an Orioles' fan, I have a soft spot for De Aza after his performance with them last year. And while he ultimately was designated for assignment by the Orioles this year, he even showed an ability to hang in against right handed pitchers then. De Aza will likely face at least four righties this week given the Red Sox injury situation. He has stolen 63 bases the last three years before this season, and he has double digit home run power. Playing in hitters' parks and with ok pitching matchups, he is my deep league sleeper this week when the others are unavailable.
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