Hitter Streamers for Fantasy Baseball Week 3

August 2, 2020

Connelly Doan analyzes hitter streamers and starts for Week 3. These bats are potential fantasy baseball waiver wire adds to stream for all leagues.

Welcome back to the second installment of the hitting streamers column! This edition is for August 3 through August 9.

As will be the case every week, I will offer a couple of worthy streamers for each position (catcher, corner infield, middle infield, outfield) based on the number of games the players have for the upcoming week, favorable matchups, or injury replacements. You may not always see well-known names in this column; my goal is to identify hitters who I think have the best chance to do well for the following week, not just to identify names you may recognize who are available.

This column will highlight players owned in roughly fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues who could present as nice streaming options for the upcoming week. Let's find some streamers!

Behind the Plate

Danny Jansen (C, TOR) - 23% owned

This catcher has the advantage of favorable matchups and strong recent performance. Danny Jansen has provided substantial offensive production early in the season, compiling a .267/.353/.467 slash line. The Blue Jays will face two struggling rotations this week on the road in the Braves, who have a 4.50 team ERA and recently DFA'ed Mike Foltynewicz and the Boston Red Sox, who have a 5.83 team ERA and have been lost without Chris Sale (elbow) and Eduardo Rodriguez (COVID-19). With these surprisingly favorable matchups, Jansen is a strong backstop streamer for this week.

Also Consider: Kurt Suzuki (C, WAS) 14% owned, Victor Caratini (C/1B, CHC) 6% owned

At the Corners

Colin Moran (2B/3B, PIT) - 32% owned

Colin Moran has gotten off to a strong start this season, posting a .300/.364/.800 slash line with three HR and four RBI. He should be able to continue producing this week, with four games against the Twins (4.09 team ERA) and three against the Tigers (5.60 ERA). Moran is hot, has a full slate against favorable matchups this upcoming week, and can be played at middle and corner infield, making him a clear streaming candidate.

Mark Canha (1B/OF, OAK) - 48% owned

Mark Canha was an under-the-radar fantasy option last season and has started the 2020 season as a viable option as well, posting a .294/.350/.471 slash line with one HR and five RBI. This week he will get a full slate with a single game at the Mariners, three games against the Rangers (which could be tough depending on who's pitching), and three games against the backend of the Astros rotation. Canha has power potential despite playing his home games in pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum and is a fine streamer for next week and the rest of the season.

Also Consider: Kyle Seager (3B, SEA) 12% owned, Maikel Franco (3B) 6% owned

Up the Middle

Cesar Hernandez (2B, CLE) - 46% owned

This guy was one of my higher-end streamers last week and is still under 50% owned. Cesar Hernandez has not disappointed hitting leadoff for the Indians, hitting .368 with a .429 on-base percentage through the first week of play.

He will face several more favorable matchups this week. The Indians get four games against the Reds, with Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo as tough matchups but Trevor Bauer as a manageable matchup and favorable matchups for whoever else fills the Reds rotation. They then get four games at the White Sox, who have one of baseball's highest team ERA's at 6.23. I'll say it again, Hernandez is a player who may not be qualified for this column for long, so grab him while you can.

David Fletcher (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAA) - 53% owned

This player is now just above the 50% ownership mark, but is still worth being called out because he is so versatile from a fantasy perspective and has been mashing the baseball. David Fletcher can play almost the whole infield and outfield and is hitting a ridiculous 435. to start the season. This week the Angels get three games at the Mariners and three at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park. Those tasty matchups combined with Fletcher's performance and multi-position eligibility make him a high-end streamer and useful fantasy option for the rest of the season.

Also Consider: Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/SS/OF, DET) 18% owned, Nico Hoerner (2B, CHC) 6% owned

In the Outfield

Mike Yastrzemski (OF, SF) - 45% owned

I considered Mike Yastrzemski to be an underrated fantasy player this season and he has proven me right in the early going. He has a .409/.500/.773 slash line with two HR so far and should be able to put some more on the board this upcoming week. The Giants get four games at Coors Field and three games at the Dodgers. The Dodgers matchups may be tough, but Yastrzemski's power for four games in Colorado is just too good to pass up.

Shogo Akiyama (OF, CIN) - 44% owned

I mentioned this guy as my top streamer for last week and his ownership actually dropped a bit. Again, some fantasy players may not be aware of Shogo Akiyama, but he compiled a stellar .301/.376/.454 career slash line over nine seasons with the Seibu Lions and has a respectable .267 average and .353 on-base percentage through 17 plate appearances. I still think that he will end up being a solid contributor for the Reds and therefore for fantasy players.

The Reds will play the Indians for four games (two at home, two on the road) and then face the Brewers on the road for three games. These matchups aren't the best, but also aren't the worst. Overall, Akiyama's talent should translate in most matchups every week.

Also Consider: Kevin Pillar (OF, BOS) 17% owned, JaCoby Jones(OF, DET) 11% owned, Brandon Nimmo (OF, NYM) 9% owned, 

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