RADIO
Matthew Stamper recommends some waiver wire adds at each position for fantasy baseball owners in points leagues. These players could be sleepers for 2017.
As we close in on the last week of the first month of the season, let's remember one thing: there is a lot of baseball left to be played! A lot of waiver wire guys are out there for a reason, so let's try to find some diamonds in the rough. Maybe some of these diamonds shine for the rest of the season and maybe some of them get dull after a few weeks, but it's always worth the dig!
Here are a few guys who can contribute in points leagues, one at each position to consider for the next week. All of these guys have ownership numbers between 30% and 50% so if you're not picking them up, target them in a trade! These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 4. Let's get to it.
Note: All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.
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Points League Waiver Wire Adds - Week 4
C - Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates - 21% owned
I know Cervelli doesn't meet the minimum of 30% ownership number, but there's no one in that range that I feel like I can safely recommend this week. He's only hitting .214, but we don't care in points leagues! The 31-year-old catcher has already mashed five doubles this year in 61 plate appearances after hitting 14 in almost 400 last year. He's hit a couple of home runs too, which is something he hasn't really done in the past. If he can keep this up, he can be a sneaky play at catcher with some newly found power.
1B - Greg Bird, New York Yankees - 45% owned
Yes, Greg Bird has been awful since his red-hot spring, but bear with me. Bird finally busted out of his slump last week with a big game, in which he hit a homer, a double, a single and walked once too. Since last Sunday he's struck out less and he's been on base a few more times, but most importantly, he's just missing, which in time should turn into something. I've held onto my Bird shares in my points leagues waiting for the big breakout, but many owners have dropped him, so this is your chance to grab him and give him a shot. The minuses for strikeouts should slowly decrease and he'll hopefully hit a more consistent stride. This is a guy you need to hang on to because of his huge upside.
2B - Brandon Phillips, Atlanta Braves - 44% owned
Phillips has been the definition of consistency in the first month of the season. There's only been a single game where he didn't record a hit or pick up a walk. A guy like Phillips is great in your lineup so you know you're guaranteed to see some points. An even bigger plus is that Phillips moved up in the lineup on Sunday, which can hopefully give him a chance to score some more runs, and add to his four stolen bases.
3B - Yulieski Gurriel, Houston Astros - 28% owned
Gurriel was a late draft pick in a lot of leagues because of the potential he showed in the Cuban and Japanese leagues. He averaged .335 across his 15 seasons outside of the MLB. However, he disappointed many owners out of the gate with a slow start, as it took him seven games to record an extra base hit and nine to pick up an RBI. This past week though, Gurriel has started to turn it around as he hit his first home run of the year on Tuesday, smashed two doubles on Friday, and reached base three times on Sunday. Gurriel is almost 33, but with the track record he's had elsewhere, he's bound to show some sort of promise with Houston. Give him a few weeks to see if he can continue the hot streak.
SS - Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds - 40% owned
Cozart is another member of the "Consistency Club", but his performance in the past few weeks makes him worthy of a short-term pickup. I don't think that Cozart will keep up his .370 average, seeing as his career average is around the .250 mark, but he's already hit three triples and five doubles this year, which definitely plays well in points leagues. He hasn't shown tons of power this year after hitting 16 homers last year, but he plays in a hitter-friendly ballpark so there's a chance that he can find the seats at a similar rate this year. I'd give Cozart a shot for at least a week, and maybe a few more, although his nagging wrist injury may complicate matters.
OF - Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays - 36% owned
Kiermaier and the Rays have been drawing lots of attention this year with their hot start, so it's surprising to see such a low ownership number. A guy like Kiermaier will never hit for tons of power, but his prime spot in the two hole in the Rays lineup has led to him getting on base a lot and being driven in. His singles may only give you one point, but if he gets to first a few times a game and then comes around to score a few more, you're looking at six or seven points each game. If he can stay healthy, he'll be a source of solid points, as he's ranking in the top 100 players in Yahoo right now.
SP - Wade Miley, Baltimore Orioles - 29% owned
This has turned into the "two-start" section, as having a second start for the week can give you tons of extra points. It also helps to use your other moves for the week or the year on other bats, or another streamer. Miley is an intriguing option this week, with starts against Tampa Bay at home and against New York in Yankee Stadium. Tampa has been hitting well, but doesn't worry me, since they're striking out at the third-highest rate against lefties. Miley, being a lefty, will also have an advantage on lefty hitters at Yankee Stadium, since they would be the ones using the short porch the most. The veteran's 24 strikeouts in 19 innings should also bump up your points totals.
RP - Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox - 50% owned
Another week, another non-closer to recommend. Unlike Hector Neris last week, Jones won't have the opportunity to win the closing job anytime soon. David Robertson has a firm grasp on the White Sox gig with a scoreless 5.2 innings so far this year. The reason I'm recommending Jones is because of the likelihood that Robertson gets moved in a trade. The White Sox won't be competitive for a while, and they know it, giving them incentive to move a closer, especially while he's got elite stats. Robertson has also been involved in trade talk since the MLB winter meetings, so he should get traded at some point this year, which will open the door for Jones to take over. If you have room to hold him, grab him, but be warned, it might be a while for a trade to happen.
