Jeimer Candelario (3B, DET) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 21% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Detroit Tigers starting third baseman Jeimer Candelario has hit for a poor .234 batting average in 2018, but taking a quick glance at the rest of his statistics show that he can certainly still be a valuable contributor in fantasy baseball.  He holds a .339 on-base percentage, .454 slugging percentage, .220 ISO, and an elite 11.8% walk rate. He has also pitched in 12 home runs, 32 extra base hits, 32 RBI, and 41 runs scored in 2018 - counting stats that deserve more attention than they've garnered among the fantasy community. Candelario's advanced hitting metrics (Hard Hit %, Average Exit Velocity, Barrels/PA) all rank worse than 100th among qualified hitters, and he also hasn't been hitting well in recent weeks as he's slashing .174/.296/.391 with two homers, three RBI, and four runs scored over his last 14 games.

However, this may be the perfect time to buy low on the young and talented hitter.  He clearly has the power and on-base prowess to be a factor in fantasy, and his low .285 BABIP suggest that his batting average should be expected to rise in time.  Projection sites see Candelario finishing with a weak .240 batting average, but with very respectable totals of 21 home runs, 64 RBI, and 76 runs scored.  Granted, third base is pretty deep position in 2018, but if you play in a 12+ team or AL-only league, you could do much worse than taking a flier on Jeimer Candelario.