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Welcome back, RotoBallers! As a reminder, in this piece we're looking for weekly streamers in head-to-head leagues, which means players who are 50% owned or less in Yahoo! leagues and who have seven or more games in the week. These players could provide great value off the waiver wire, particularly in head-to-head leagues, for week 13 of the 2017 baseball season.
To catch my streamers column each and every week, add me on Twitter @rotonails and always check the RotoBaller MLB page.
With that said, let’s dive into the stream(ers).
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 13
Melky Cabrera (OF, CHW) - 42% owned
The Melkman has been solid, albeit unexciting, at the plate this year. In 68 games, he has a line of .279/7/39/40/0, and over the prior three seasons he was between .273 and .301 with between 12 and 16 homers, 70 and 81 runs, and 73 and 86 RBIs each year. You know what you are getting with Melky. This week, he faces decent pitching matchups. While he does show more power versus lefties and only faces two this week, his splits are not a major factor.
Carlos Gomez (OF, TEX) - 37% owned
Gomez was an early season regular on this list before going on the DL. The reason is that from 2012-2016, he had a 162 game average of .265/23/87/75/36. When healthy, he has performed, even exceeding those numbers in certain years. In his six games since returning from the DL, he has been red hot, hitting .391 with five homers, nine runs and 14 RBIs. Even though I do not focus on “hot streaks”, his is important to show that he’s healthy. Despite facing tough matchups this week, his power/speed combo and potential for run production is too much to pass up.
Brandon Drury (2B/3B/OF, ARI) - 48% owned
Drury faces seven righties this week, and despite being a righty himself, he has fared much better against them this year. In 167 at bats versus them, he has posted a .323/7/19/33/1 line. Despite having somewhat tough matchups, he is in a good lineup and has consistently produced in each month of the season, but with June being slightly better than the others. He is worth a look in a shallow streaming pool this week.
Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) - 34% owned
Young Joc has underperformed this year, but there is reason for optimism that this is the week it’s going down. Joc mashed 51 homers in 2015 and 2016, and from 2011 through 2014 in the minors he never stole fewer than 24 bases in a season. Even though he strikes out (a rate that he has trimmed to a mere 23.5% this year), he does have a potential power/speed combo. His problem has been a poor batted ball profile this year. In 10 June games, however, he has a .313/3/10/6/1 line, giving hope that whatever was afflicting him has been fixed. With favorable pitching matchups and the chance to face five or six righty starters (who he hits significantly better than lefties), week 13 is a good time to gamble on Joc in a shallow streaming pool.
Scooter Gennett (2B/3B/OF, CIN) - 14% owned
When Gennett astonishingly hit four homers on June 6th, some may have responded “Wow” while others responded “Who?” Gennett, however, has been in the majors since 2013. In 1,444 at bats versus righties, he has a .294/41/188/176/17 line. That’s not too shabby. This week, he will face decent pitching matchups, which include six righty starters. In a week with limited options, he is a useful play if you need a middle infielder.
Lonnie Chisenhall (OF, CLE) - 8% owned
The Indians have eight games this week, but they also have a crowded outfield. Michael Brantley is eligible to come off the DL Monday, and Bradley Zimmer and Austin Jackson have been playing well. Even if Brantley is ready Monday, Francona has shown a desire to use platoons, and the Indians face five or six righty starters this week. Chisenhall has impressive numbers on the year, with a .296/10/22/37/2 line, and he had success in 2016 as well (.295/8/37/53/6 in 339 at bats versus righties). If the others are unavailable, he is a good fallback.
Bradley Zimmer (OF, CLE) - 15% owned
One of the other outfield options for Cleveland is rookie prospect Bradley Zimmer. After stealing 44 bases in the minors in 2015, he stole 38 more in 2016. He combined that speed with 31 homers over those two seasons. In his limited major league time (89 at bats), he has put up a .303/4/13/20/7 line. If you can accept the fact that he will not play the full complement of games, which issue is offset by Cleveland having eight games this week, he is an acceptable streaming option if the others are off the board.
Also Worth Monitoring
Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) – Buxton is still struggling, but he has 13 stolen bases, four homers, and the ability to get hot at any moment. The Twins have eight games this week.
Andrelton Simmons (SS, LAA) – Simmons headed into Friday with a .278/7/34/33/13 line, but he typically fares better against righties and only faces two this week.
Kennys Vargas (1B, MIN) – In 194 career games, Vargas has a line of .251/31/88/102/0. With eight games this week, he’s worth a dart throw.
Michael Taylor (OF, WAS) – Taylor is boasting a .261/8/28/25/7 line on the year, but he has not played since Tuesday, so you need to check on his health before streaming him.
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