Bobby Dalbec (1B, BOS) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 21% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox first baseman Bobby Dalbec closed out last week on a roll. Over a three-game stretch from Thursday through Saturday, Dalbec went 5-for-10 with one walk, two home runs, two doubles, a stolen base, six RBI and four runs. That three-game stretch lifted his batting average on the year over the Mendoza line and carried his OPS up from an abysmal .558 to a much more acceptable (albeit still low) .674.

Dalbec will run hot and cold all year and it was mostly cold prior to that three-game burst last week. Last year, during his first trip to the Majors, it was the opposite as his cold streaks were brief and his hot streaks made waves across the league. Over his 23 games in 2020, Dalbec crushed eight home runs and had a .959 OPS. He had a ridiculous 22% barrel rate over those 23 games, and while his barrel rate this year (15.8%) isn't quite as high, it still ranks him in the 92nd percentile. His 18.3 degree average launch angle this year is actually significantly up from last year's clip (14.8 degrees).

If you're looking for a high-upside home run threat off the waiver wire, Dalbec is a great target. He's as likely as anyone widely available on the waiver wire to have a week where he single-handedly carries you with his home runs. It's going to be hard to predict when those weeks come, but right now seems to be as good of a time as ever to take a chance on him following up on his strong finish to Week 7.

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