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Hitters to add from the waiver wire and stream in Week 19 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season. Jon Mathisen analyzes the top batter streamers to pick up.
Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 19 of the MLB season (8/2 through 8/8). This weekly piece should be helpful for anyone looking to gain an edge in their league. If you need a fill-in for an injured player or want to exploit some matchups in order to gain an edge on your opponent then you're in the right place. This article aims to keep you informed while helping you stay ahead of the competition so you can get an early jump on those waiver claims before your opponents.
Remember that this piece is forward-looking and a lot can happen over the course of a week, especially now given the flurry of trades over the last 48 hours. Potential pitching opponents, lineups, and projected number of at-bats are all subject to change so make sure you're following @RotoBallerMLB on Twitter to stay up to date! There are 12 teams playing seven games next week and one team, the Blue Jays, playing eight. The dust is beginning to settle from the trade deadline and we have a plethora of streaming options to choose from so it's time to buckle up, get focused, and build some winning lineups.
Disclaimer: I am only highlighting players that are currently rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues, meaning you should have a decent chance of picking them up on the waiver wire. These recommendations should apply to most league settings and formats as I'm looking for players who can help you across a variety of scoring categories. If the following names aren't available, feel free to read our Waiver Wire Pickups piece that drops every Monday for more ideas. Alright, let's get after it.
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Bats to Stream and Start in Week 19
Seven Game Weeks:
ARI, BOS, CLE, LAA, MIA, NYM, NYY, PHI, SFG, SEA, TEX, TOR*, WSH
*plays eight games
Stream of the Week
Patrick Wisdom (1B/3B, CHC): 23% Rostered
Wisdom burst onto the scene following his call-up in late May. He swatted nine home runs over his first 20 games but then promptly hit the skids, going yard just twice over the next 21 contests. It's largely gone under the radar but he's starting to heat up again, homering five times over the last 15 games. Overall, he's got a solid .268/.335/.605 batting line to go along with 16 home runs, 27 RBI, and three stolen bases over 157 at-bats. The Cubs visit the Rockies for a three-game set before hosting the White Sox for another three-game series at Wrigley Field. It should be bombs away at Coors Field as Wisdom will face some favorable pitching matchups.
The Cubs will see four right-handed starters and three southpaws and Wisdom has fared well against both so far this season. He's got a whopping .978 OPS vs. right-handed pitching (102 at-bats) and a rock-solid .868 OPS against lefties (55 at-bats). He's hitting .306 (.259 xBA) against fastballs and .250 (.293 xBA) vs. offspeed pitches and will be facing a handful of arms that rely on a combination of both types of pitches. Kyle Freeland, Jon Gray (if he's still on the Rockies), Antonio Senzatela, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease, and even Lucas Giolito all look like plus matchups for the 29-year-old slugger. Wisdom is a true power hitter so he's got a lot of swing and miss in his game. His 39.1% strikeout rate is ugly, but he's also sporting a 59.8% hard-hit rate and a 19.5% barrel rate, so when he makes contact, the ball usually travels a long way. He'll surely give you a couple of 0-for-4 performances but he'll pay off as a streamer if he goes yard a few times, which is well within his range of outcomes.
PATRICK WISDOM FRIEND OF THE PROGRAM YABOOO pic.twitter.com/1iqszGl7GJ
— Red Line Radio (@RedLineRadio) July 29, 2021
Catcher
Daulton Varsho (C/OF CWS): 42% Rostered
Varsho's roster shares have exploded over the last few weeks and for good reason. He was a non-factor over his first 34 games played this season, slashing a measly .138/.250/.175 with five RBI, one stolen base, eight runs scored, and a 24:12 K/BB ratio (92 plate appearances). But he's been on fire over the last 11 games, rocking a .364/.475/.879 batting line to go along with five home runs, 11 RBI, two stolen bases, 11 runs, and a 6:7 K/BB ratio over 40 plate appearances. The recent bump in at-bats and production have led to the increase in his roster shares even though he still has a subpar .204/.318/.381 batting line on the season (113 at-bats).
His expected stats show that he hasn't been as bad as his actual numbers with a .229 xBA, .330 xwOBA, and .407 xSLG. He's also sporting a hard-hit rate of 43.4% with an 8.4% barrel rate and 14.4% walk rate. Starting catcher Carson Kelly (wrist) hit the inured list back on June 20 with a wrist fracture, which opened the door for Varsho to see more playing time behind the plate. But he's started nearly an equal number of games in the outfield, mainly in center field, due to his speed and athleticism.
The D-backs host the Giants for a four-game set before finishing off the week in San Diego. Varsho has a .729 OPS at home and will be facing five right-handed pitchers next week. He's got a .764 OPS against right-handed starters and a .843 OPS vs. left-handed to boot. Anthony DeSclafani, Johnny Cueto, Chris Paddack, and even Yu Darvish have looked shaky lately so Varsho will have a shot to do some damage. This pick isn't so much about the favorable matchups as it is riding the hot hand. The 25-year-old's combination of power and sprint speed (91st percentile) make him a unicorn at the catcher position.
The 5th home run in 11 games for Daulton Varsho! pic.twitter.com/RAAvcG6EB2
— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) July 29, 2021
Also Consider: Mike Zunino (C, TB): 32% Rostered
Corner Infield
Nate Lowe (1B, TEX): 45% Rostered
You remember Nate Lowe, don't you? He was leading all of baseball in RBI way back in early April. Well, he's predictably slowed down since then but he still could be of some use as a streamer next week. The 26-year-old first baseman is slashing .251/.358/.397 with 12 home runs, 48 RBI, five stolen bases, and 43 runs scored over 350 at-bats this year. The Rangers host the Angels for four games before visiting the A's for a three-game weekend series in Oakland. They're slated to face four left-handed starters and three righties. Lowe has a .764 OPS against right-handed pitching this year and a .738 mark against left-handers, which is pretty solid considering he bats left-handed.
There's also not a great disparity between his expected stats (.235 xBA, .335 xwOBA, .410 xSLG) and his actual numbers. He makes solid contact with a 46.3% hard-hit rate (79th percentile), 10.2% barrel rate (68th), and has a max exit velocity of 113.9 mph (92nd) this season. He has surprisingly good plate discipline as well with a 13.9% walk rate (93rd percentile) and 21.6% chase rate (85th). The power ceiling is not as high as you'd think as he has just three home runs over the last 28 games but he's sporting a .828 OPS over that same span. He gets a bump in OBP leagues and will be facing some pitchers that have looked vulnerable lately in Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy, Chris Bassitt, and James Kaprielian.
Also Consider: LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SF): 17% Rostered; Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B, SF): 16% Rostered
Middle Infield
Rougned Odor (2B, NYY): 5% Rostered
Odor has always been a streaky hitter and he's currently in the midst of a warm streak for the Yankees. He's slashing .261/.314/.522 with three doubles, three home runs, and nine RBI across 46 at-bats since the All-Star break. Overall, the veteran second baseman has a .227/.297/.445 batting line with 12 home runs, 30 RBI, and 29 runs scored over 211 at-bats. There's nothing special about those numbers and his expected stats don't offer too much hope with a .211 xBA, .297 xwOBA, and .386 xSLG. However, Odor and the Yankees have some favorable pitching matchups next week and that puts him on the streaming radar.
The Bronx Bombers host the Orioles for three games before the Mariners come to town for a four-game series. They're slated to face four left-handed starters and Odor, who bats from the left side of the plate, has hit southpaws surprisingly well this season with a .276/.364/.621 batting line and six home runs over 66 plate appearances. He's 8-for-23 in his career against Marco Gonzales and will also face Yusei Kikuchi, who's looked shaky lately, Tyler Anderson, and Alexander Wells. In addition to that, he'll get Matt Harvey 6.65 ERA, 4.43 FIP) and Jorge Lopez (6.19 ERA, 4.98 FIP) in the Baltimore series.
He's still a free swinger but he's cut down on his typically high strikeout rate from 31.8% in 2020 to 26.6% this season. His average launch angle of 19.6 degrees and 40.1% hard-hit rate are both the second-best marks of his career as well. He's a very cheap piece of the now-loaded Yankees lineup. The additions of Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo will likely drop Odor in the lineup as he's mostly been batting third. But that should provide more RBI opportunities for the 27-year-old second baseman.
Congratulations to Rougned Odor for being voted the @MontefioreNYC Doing More Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/PWFMiYyD56
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 28, 2021
Brendan Rodgers (2B/SS, COL): 13% Rostered
Rodgers was building a lot of hype during spring training before going down with an unfortunate hamstring injury that kept him out for the first month and a half of the season. His momentum slowed down due to his extended absence but he's been a solid player since rejoining the Rockies back in late May. He's slashing .266/.335/.450 with seven home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 runs scored over 169 at-bats. He's really picked his game up since the All-Star break, rocking a .282/.333/.487 batting line to go along with one triple, two home runs, three RBI, and six runs scored over the last 10 contests. He's been locked into an everyday role while batting second behind table-setter Raimel Tapia.
The former top-prospect has made some significant improvements to his plate discipline this year and it's shown in his 19.1% strikeout rate, which is down from 28.6% in 2020 and 33.3% in 2019. His current 6.9% walk rate is also the highest mark of his career. Rodgers also has a Z-contact rate of 84.9% (up from 75.8% in 2020) and a 60.2% O-contact rate (56.3% in 2020). Colorado plays six games at home next week with a couple of three-game series against the Cubs and the Marlins. Rodgers is slashing .330/.406/.560 with a .271 xBA, .361 xwOBA, and .496 xSLG against fastballs this season and will be facing four pitchers that rely on a combination of their four-seamer and sinker over 50% of the time: Zach Davies (52.7% fastball usage), Alec Mills (61.5%), Jake Arrieta (53.9%), and Sandy Alcantara (50%). The week sets up nicely for the 24-year-old infielder who's looking to finish the season on a high note.
Brendan Rodgers - Colorado Rockies (7) pic.twitter.com/nCnDj50Ln7
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) July 28, 2021
Also Consider: Garrett Hampson (2B/SS/OF, COL): 43% Rostered; J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA): 17% Rostered
Outfield
Steven Duggar (OF, SF): 8% Rostered
Duggar has played the strong side of the platoon in center field this year, typically starting against right-handed pitching. Well, San Francisco plays seven games next week and will face a right-handed starter in five of them. The vast majority of his production has come vs. righties with a .289/.352/.494 batting line to go along with 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 23 RBI over 166 at-bats. On the season, he's slashing .282/.355/.477 with seven homers, 27 RBI, six stolen bases, and 35 runs scored over 195 at-bats. Streaming is all about stacking the deck in our favor and when a player has favorable splits such as Duggar, it's best to get them in your lineup.
He's hitting .384 (.304 xBA) and slugging .616 (.511 xSLG) against fastballs this season and all five right-handed starters that he's slated to see throw their four-seamer, sinker, and/or cutter over 50% of the time. Duggar should start in center field when the Giants face Taylor Widener (62.9% fastball usage), Zac Gallen. (58.5%), Merrill Kelly (51.4%), Corbin Burnes (54%), and Brandon Woodruff (62%). He may have some trouble with Burnes and Woodruff but the D-Backs pitching staff ranks dead last in wOBA (.348) and wOBAcon (.402) allowed. The ceiling isn't super high but the chips are stacked in his favor, particularly against the D-backs, and he'll give you a cheap piece of the Giants offense.
Also Consider: Robbie Grossman (OF, DET): 50% Rostered; Harrison Bader (OF, STL): 49% Rostered
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