RADIO
The dog days of summer are here. Fewer prospects are being called up these days and the trade deadline is still far off. That doesn't mean there aren't interesting names on the waiver wire, though. You simply have to know where to look.
In this column, we will evaluate corner infielders (1B/3B) who are rostered in 40 percent or fewer of Yahoo! leagues. These players could make for strong streaming options in the short-term and some may even stick for the long haul as fantasy contributors.
Below are this week's first base and third base waiver wire pickups to consider for Week 14 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season running from June 28 through July 4.
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Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins
31% rostered
How AK19 is rostered in less than a third of Yahoo! leagues is baffling. Kirilloff is among the most talented young sluggers in the game and has been playing almost every day since his call-up with the exception of an IL stint that cost him two weeks. He hasn't been going yard much lately, only hitting two homers in the month of June but one of those came in the Twins' last game before Saturday's postponement. His expected stats show that he should be performing far better both in terms of average and power with an xBA and xSLG in the 98th and 97th percentile respectively.
He's been keeping his average steady and is hitting lefties just as well as righties. The power will return in due time. Consider Kirilloff a high-upside streamer or bench stash in deeper leagues.
Abraham Toro, Houston Astros
12% rostered
Since Alex Bregman (hamstring) was placed on the injured list on June 17, Toro has seen everyday playing time at third base and made the most of it. Over the past seven games, Toro is slashing .370/.469/.593 with two HR and 10 RBI. Houston's winning streak may have ended but their offense has been on fire without the presence of Bregman.
Toro doesn't have a particularly high power ceiling and he doesn't bring speed to the table. What he does bring is a solid approach and a well-rounded profile. Hitting in the Astros' lineup will bring a steady diet of counting stats for the foreseeable future.
Wilmer Flores, San Francisco Giants
15% rostered
Both Evan Longoria (shoulder) and Brandon Belt (knee) are on the IL, so another infielder from the Jurassic period is filling in. Flores is what you call a "professional hitter" whose bread and butter is quality at-bats, a low strikeout rate, solid defense, and locker room presence. Not the stuff fantasy studs are made of. But he's providing some pop lately, going deep three times in the past week.
After a two-game set with the Dodgers, the Giants get four games against the miserable Diamondbacks. Those who had to drop Belt or Longo should fill that spot with Flores instead.
Deeper League Options
Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers - 35% rostered
I know, I know. We've been down this road too many times and it's hard to put any faith in Hiura these days. His season slash line stands at .137/.221/.248 and he owns a 38.5% strikeout rate. Throw all that out and focus on what he's done since doing time down at Triple-A. He hit a home run in his second game back and only has four strikeouts in 11 plate appearances! OK, that's not too compelling a case but Hiura still has the same power upside as always and may be worth a shot if you don't need to start him right away.
Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks - 22% rostered
So far, Walker has made a case to be one of the bigger late-round busts in fantasy. On the season, he is batting .213 with four HR and 18 RBI. Two of those homers have come in the last three games, however, so he may be feeling it (finally). Walker has battled an oblique injury since early in the year, which may explain much of his scuffling. If he is finally recovering and in a midseason groove, it's time to take advantage.
Bobby Bradley, Cleveland Indians - 17% rostered
Bradley was a strong recommendation last week based on his burgeoning power. Over 63 plate appearances, he's posting an exemplary .563 xSLG and 20% Barrel%. If he manages to keep his strikeout rate at or below his current 25.4% mark and sticks at the fifth spot in the lineup, he'll drive in enough runs to accompany the bombs in order to help fantasy managers out.
Luis Arraez, Minnesota Twins - 17% rostered
The Twins' utility man is truly a middle infielder but happens to qualify at third base too. He doesn't bring the power usually associated with the hot corner but he does possess one of the highest contact rates in the majors. Sometimes it's nice to have a high batting average at a position where it's hard to find a boost on waivers. Arraez is doing his thing, posting a .305 xBA and a minuscule 11% K%. Positional versatility as a 2B/3B/OF only helps his case as a rosterable asset in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Michael Chavis, Boston Red Sox - 1% rostered
If you fancy a flier for power, Chavis was brought up on the 24th of June and started three consecutive games. There's power upside but also swing-and-miss downside. He slots in better at second base but also qualifies at first base if you have a hole in your roster that needs filling at CI rather than MI.
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