RADIO
Just three weeks remain in the 2018 fantasy baseball season. Given my personal trials and tribulations this year, I can’t say I’m sorry to see it end – at least, not until the offseason begins. Kudos to you for remaining in the hunt at this late juncture. I wish your teams better fortune than mine have enjoyed, and hope this feature has and will continue to aid in your championship quest.
As we have every Sunday thus far, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup.
Let’s get to it. Below are your second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 24.
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Week 24 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Jason Kipnis, 2B/OF, Cleveland Indians (37% owned)
2018 hasn’t been a great season for Kipnis overall, but he’s caught fire at the plate in recent days. Over the past dozen games, the veteran is hitting .357/.404/.738 with four home runs, two stolen bases, and 22 R+BI. That run production is especially impressive given that he primarily has hit seventh in the Cleveland lineup during this stretch, although in the last couple of games he’s been slotted in the two-hole.
Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets (30%)
There haven’t been many hitters more valuable in standard leagues over the past 30 days than Rosario. The Mets’ sophomore shortstop is hitting .343/.372/.500 with three homers, seven steals, and 33 R+BI over that span. He also has a dozen multi-hit games to his credit in that time and has cemented himself as the primary leadoff hitter in Queens. Rosario has some work to do on picking his spots for stolen base attempts, having been thrown out 10 times in his 28 tries this year, but he’s been successful often enough to provide fantasy value there.
Willy Adames, 2B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays (25%)
Adames has cooled slightly over the last week or so, but he’s still produced a .321/.397/.491 line with five homers, five steals, and 33 R+BI since the beginning of August. Saturday’s two-hit showing was his 11th multi-hit game during that span. Adames posted double-digit totals in both HR and SB in each of the past two seasons in the minors, and has a decent chance to duplicate the feat at the MLB level this year in significantly fewer plate appearances.
Dansby Swanson, SS, Atlanta Braves (19%)
Swanson may never live up to the hype he generated as a rookie a couple years ago, but he has been swinging the bat well lately. Over the past four weeks, the Braves’ shortstop has batted .293/.358/.573 with six homers and four stolen bases. He’s also managed respectable run production despite hitting almost exclusively out of the eighth spot in the lineup. Atlanta is looking for its first division title since 2005, and Swanson’s surge has helped them open up a three-game lead in the NL East.
Niko Goodrum, 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, Detroit Tigers (16%)
Though his seven-game hitting streak came to an end on Saturday. Goodrum filled up the box score during that week. He homered three times, stole two bases, and scored seven runs while driving in an additional four. Goodrum’s rookie campaign has been a mixed bag, but he has tallied 16 homers and 11 steals. He also qualifies at every position save catcher, and that versatility is especially handy down the stretch.
