Over the course of the season I’ll be giving you two players at second base and shortstop per week who I think can help your team. These players are usually widely available in any format, and should turn nice profits in the weeks to come.
As always, feel free to reach out to me directly @Roto_Dubs with any questions about the middle infield or fantasy baseball in general.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for second base and shortstop, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily
Second Base (2B) Waiver Wire Pickups
Johnny Giavotella (LAA)—Owned in 7.0% of ESPN leagues
Giavotella has been raking of late, hitting .367 in his last seven games with only four strikeouts. Recently he had been hitting in the number seven spot against lefties, and will likely continue to do so, but he will be back at the top of the lineup against righties. He should continue to get on base and score runs, so he’s definitely useful in roto leagues. I’d like to see a bit more production before I’d consider him in a points league, but honestly you could do much worse if you need an injury fill-in.
Baller Move: Add in points leagues with 10+ teams/add in roto leagues with 10+ teams
Enrique Hernandez (LAD)—Owned in 3.4% of ESPN leagues
With Howie Kendrick on the disabled list, Kike Hernandez has proved why he should be the starter at second base instead of Alex Guerrero. In the six games that he’s started since Kendrick was injured, he's hit .389 with a handful of runs scored and RBIs. Much like Giavotella, I trust him more in roto than points leagues, but he could be productive in either format. He has some decent power, and has already homered twice in the past week.
Baller Move: Add in points leagues with 10+ leagues/ add in roto leagues with 10+ teams
Shortstop (SS) Waiver Wire Pickups
Eugenio Suarez (CIN)—Owned in 12.7% of ESPN leagues
Suarez has been excellent since Zack Cozart was lost for the season. He has hit .307 with 17 runs scored and 29 RBIs in just 189 at-bats, proving he can even be an asset in the counting categories. He’s got seven homers on the season, including two in the last week, which is decent production for a shortstop. He’s got the inside track on that starting job, and I expect him to maintain at least a .280 average over the course of the season with 10+ homers and maybe 50 RBIs. That could be a nice boost in the last leg of the fantasy regular season.
Baller Move: Add in points leagues with 10+ teams/add in roto leagues with 10+ teams
Francisco Lindor (CLE)—Owned in 26.8% of ESPN leagues
Lindor has been outstanding since he was called up for his second stint in the majors. Across his last 30 games, he’s hit .343 to bring his season average up to .283. He was one of the top prospects in the Cleveland system, and he’s starting to show us why. He’ll continue to hit near the top of the Cleveland lineup, and the offense has been hot of late. Getting on base in front of Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana should yield plenty of runs scored, and he rarely strikes out. I like him in any format.
Baller Move: Add in points leagues with 10+ teams/add in roto leagues with 10+ teams
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