Joe Panik (2B, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 51% of Fleaflicker Leagues

ANALYSIS: Joe Panik is the prototypical glue guy to any team. For the San Francisco Giants it means he does a little bit of everything and is virtually irreplaceable. For fantasy owners he is the type of player that wins owners championships.

Even though Panik played in just 73 games last season he finished 6th in the Rookie of The Year voting because he simply produced when he was on the field. In roughly the same amount of games played this year Panik has nearly doubled his RBI total and raised his BB% by 50%. Panik does not provide much in the stolen base department but provides a .300 BA with gap power.

Need more convincing that Panik is the real deal? While residing in the 2-hole for most of the season, Panik has complied an .835 OPS, an OBP of .379 and a .339 BABIP to go along with a .312 BA.

The batting average is for real and the doubles threat is not going away any time soon. He tore through the minors and has continued his destructive path for the San Francisco Giants. In leagues where a MI is employed Panik is a complete bargain. However with the way he keeps hitting and the lack of depth at the 2B position right now, he is attractive and cheap as a starter at 2B for fantasy owners.

To list a few big name players he is not only outshining but lapping when it comes to production are as follows: Dustin Pedroia, Brandon Phillips, Ian Kinsler, Josh Harrison and Ben Zobrist. A lot of people have already caught on to how good Panik really is but in case your league hasn't figured it out make them all look silly. Don't just pencil him into your lineup---use permanent marker.