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Blake Sullivan dives into weekly Points League strategy for your fantasy baseball leagues and looks at MLB players to target on the waiver wire or drop in week 22 of the 2018 season.
Welcome back for another week of advice for points league waiver wire moves. This segment will include waiver wire adds, drops, and streaming pitchers for the upcoming week. This article will be geared specifically toward points leagues. Every points league is different, so keep that in mind. Walks and extra base hits are more valuable, whereas AVG and ERA are not important, so consider that as well.
Some players will be suggested as streamers (while they are hot), or as rest-of-season adds (ride them all year).
As always, feel free to follow and message me on Twitter @BlakeSullivanFF for any fantasy advice or for further reasoning with this segment. Without further ado, let's take a look at some players that you should either add or drop.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
- Daily MLB starting lineups
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
- Fantasy baseball injury reports
Points League Players to Add
Kendrys Morales (DH/1B, TOR) - 19% owned
The Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Kendrys Morales has been on fire. He now has a home run in each of his last five games, and six home runs in the last week. His slash line is sitting at .260/.340/.462. on the season. He also has a .341 wOBA this year. His .55 BB/K ratio could get even higher given his recent success at the plate. Morales would be a huge value at his current ownership if he could add just two or three home runs to your fantasy team. Morales is hitting .296 in the second half of the season. He has 30 hits in his last 30 games, and nine of those were extra-base hits.
Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM) - 8% owned
Through just 29 games of his major league career, the New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil has a .374 wOBA. His slash line is equally impressive at .330/.387/.485. He has 32 hits in just 29 at-bats. The rookie has impressed in all aspects of his game. He has nine extra-base hits, but only two of those were home runs. McNeil has a .55 BB/K ratio that's impressive for a rookie. The Mets have nothing to play for, so they'll keep giving the second baseman regular time to help get major league games under his belt. he would be a solid addition to your team to get points everyday for the fantasy playoffs.
Melky Cabrera (OF, CLE) - 18% owned
The Cleveland Indians veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera has been putting up some good numbers lately. He has found some pop in his bat as well. Cabrera is hitting .324 against left-handed pitchers, and he has played much better on the road where he's hitting .330. He makes a great bench addition for the fantasy playoffs for depth. You should put him in the lineup against the southpaw pitchers, and while the Indians are on the road. Melky Cabrera has six home runs and 15 RBI in his last 30 games. Cabrera has the upside of being a switch-hitter. Be sure to have him on your roster for depth.
Points League Pitchers to Stream
Jose Leclerc (RP, TEX) - 41% owned
I always recommend having closers on your roster during the fantasy playoffs so that you are guaranteed points a couple nights during each matchup. Once the playoffs come along you can drop pitchers without feeling as nervous about letting them hit waivers. Play the streaming game, but pick up a solid reliever like the Texas Rangers closer Jose Lelerc. It has been exactly 30 days since Leclerc gave up a run. The youngster has taken over the closer role, and he has been successful in picking up the save in his first six save attempts. In 49 games he has a 1.89 ERA and a .92 WHIP. He should be added before his ownership gets any higher.
Freddy Peralta (SP, MIL) - Wednesday 8/29/18 vs. CIN - 31% owned
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta has a great matchup this week against the Cincinnati Reds. Peralta has a 11.16 K/9 which gives him a huge upside in points leagues. His 4.02 ERA is pretty high, but his matchup and high strike out upside gives him a legitimate chance at a huge points total this week. Peralta has a 1.13 WHIP. He should be picked up for Wednesday then dropped after. He isn't a great rest of season addition, but he's a great streaming option.
Matthew Boyd (SP, DET) - Wednesday 8/29/18 vs. KC - 24% owned
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has gone at least five innings in his last six games. He has a 8.11 K/9. Boyd has stranded 70.3% of runners. He has a 4.09 ERA, but he has been much better in the second half with a 2.53 ERA. He has an 8-11 record this year. Boyd will not have great run support from the Tigers offense, but he's a high upside option. He should be picked up if you're playing from behind in your matchup.
Points League Players to Drop
Brandon Crawford (SS, SF) - 44% owned
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has been struggling a lot lately. He's hitting only .180 in his last 30 games. In that same time he has just one home run and six RBI. He has a .41 BB/K for the season, so don't expect many points from plate discipline, especially given his struggles lately. Crawford has a .315 wOBA still despite that number deflating lately. He isn't going to get hot enough soon enough to be helpful to your fantasy team.
Jake Bauers (1B/OF, TB) - 19% owned
Tampa Bay Rays rookie Jake Bauers has been ice cold lately. He's hitting only .131 in August, and .165 in the second half. His slash line is now .214/.333/.415. The Rays have nothing to lose, and given how bad he has played, they may start giving him more rest days. He's only 2 for his last 17 at-bats. Make sure you drop Bauers if you still have him to clear room for more valuable players.
Josh Bell (1B, PIT) - 41% owned
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell has lost a lot of his value mainly due to his drop in power. He has only eight home runs this year, and he hasn't stolen a base yet. Bell does have a .68 BB/K ratio which will get you some points, but not enough to have a great value for the playoffs. He's hitting just .224 in August. Bell should also be dropped to clear up space for hot hitters during the playoff weeks.
