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We close the book on the first full week of baseball and now have as many as 8 or even 9 game samples from a lot of MLB hitters. While those samples are still very small, it's not too early to cut some dead weight or to stream some hot hitters to fill in the gaps as needed for Week 3 (April 8 - April 14).
Our hitter streamers fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify hitters with good matchups and can be considered waiver wire streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions.
In this piece, every week I'll look to find hitters playing in most games and who have the most favorable matchups to help you plug those gaps and fill those holes in your roster. You can also check out the rest of our fantasy baseball streamer content here at RotoBaller.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:- Fantasy baseball injury reports
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What Teams Offer The Most Streaming Value?
This week we have eight teams playing 7 games between Monday, April 8, and Sunday, April 14:
- Atlanta Braves (vs. NYM, @MIA)
- Cincinnati Reds (vs. MIL, vs. @CWS)
- Houston Astros (@TEX, @KC, vs. TEX)
- Milwaukee Brewers (@CIN, @BAL)
- New York Mets (@ATL, vs. KC)
- Philadelphia Phillies (@STL, vs. PIT)
- Texas Rangers (vs. HOU, vs. OAK, @HOU)
Park Factor Upgrades and Downgrades:
- Arizona plays @COL and at home vs. the Cardinals - UPGRADE
- Chicago Cubs play @SDP and @SEA - DOWNGRADE
- Washington plays @SFG and @OAK - DOWNGRADE
Week 3 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers
I'll recommend only players who are 40% rostered or lower and all roster percentages are from Yahoo!
Brendan Donovan, 1B/2B/OF - STL (35% )
The Cardinals' utility man is off to a nice start this season, hitting .345 with 6 RBI and 7 runs scored from the leadoff spot. The multi-position eligibility is nice and so are Donovan's on-base skills.
Brendan Donovan goes deep for the 3rd bomb for #RRNation tonight!! 💣 pic.twitter.com/MNPYvtFQ8u
— RotoRadar (@RotoRadar) April 2, 2024
Don't expect much power, but he's a guy who can really help out in AVG, R, and RBI.
Jake Fraley, OF - CIN (24%)
Fraley makes the list again this week. He's not starting against lefties, which is a bummer, but with seven games this week, I think he's likely to get at least five starts and should have some pretty exploitable matchups, especially when the Reds head to Chicago to take on a sub-par White Sox pitching staff to close the week. He's hitting .350 out of the gates, he just needs to be in the lineup more often.
Sal Frelick, OF - MIL (19%)
The speedy outfielder has traded the leadoff spot in the lineup with rookie Jackson Chourio depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher. Chourio is having the hotter start to the year, but Frelick showed some signs of life this week with three hits, three runs, and another stolen base.
The Brewers head to the great hitting environment of Great American Ballpark next and the come home to face Baltimore. He's not likely to see many (if any) lefties during that seven game stretch, making him a compelling add.
Orlando Arcia, SS - ATL (17%)
Arcia is often overlooked on a team with elite hitters all around him, however, he continues to hit for a high average and turn the lineup over in Atlanta. I think a lot of teams wish they had a #8 hitter who was hitting .393. He's particularly good against LHP so don't be afraid to fire him up when he faces a lefty as he has excellent splits against them and has shown more power.
Michael Taylor, OF - PIT (14%)
All Taylor has done since arriving in Pittsburgh (at the last minute) is hit! He had hit safely in every game this season until he finally went 0-3 this Friday against Baltimore, with three multi-hit games. The journeyman outfielder has bounced around to a number of teams already in his career, but he looks to have secured a near-everyday role with the Pirates in the outfield and in the nine-hole. He's yet to go yard, but he's batting an impressive .429 over his first 8 games with 7 runs scored and 6 RBI.
Michael Busch, 1B/3B - CHC (13%)
Busch is back on the list this week, after picking up a hit in every game in which he played this week, including a 3-3 outing on Wednesday and a home run in Friday's win over the Dodgers.
Michael Busch HR against his former team.
109 mph exit velocity 🔥pic.twitter.com/JKnu3cNXd1— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) April 5, 2024
He's now hitting .304 to start the season and has played in every Chicago game but one. He's eligible at both corner infield spots, so give him a look if you need depth at either position, this kid can hit and I think he's going to keep this job all season.
Alek Kirilloff, 1B/OF - MIN (13%)
The Twins have three games against the mighty Dodgers to start the week, but then a four-game set in Detroit to follow it. Kirilloff is finally playing every day and the Twins are seeing the results that they'd hoped for as he's managed a hit in every game this season to start the year with a lofty .385 average.
He's a former first-round pick with a ton of talent, let's just hope he can stay healthy and in the lineup. The power numbers will come with more at-bats, but you won't find a better all-around hitter on the wire who is this lightly rostered.
Deep League Hitter Streamers to Consider
- Colton Cowser, OF - BAL (8%)
- Harold Ramirez, OF - TAM (7%)
- Brett Baty, 3B - NYM (7%)
- Jared Walsh, 1B/OF - TEX (6%)
- JJ Bleday, OF - OAK (4%)
Good luck this week and choose those streaming options wisely!
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