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With the NHL and NBA seasons coming to a close, we can really focus on the MLB and get ready for it into full swing (ha ha, punny). I always find that this time of the year is difficult for the wire. Players who have had hot starts are already picked up, and a lot of end of the year pick-ups haven't broken the scene yet. But the good news (or bad news) is that with the new 10-day DL, many teams have no problem sacrificing players, meaning more opportunities for waiver wire guys. Let's see if we can find some, in what usually tends to be the slow part of the season.
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 8. 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 8
C - Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers - 35% owned
The catcher position is back this week, and Alex Avila is the obvious choice because of his hot stretch in May. Avila was the backup to Tigers catcher James McCann earlier this year, but with Avila hitting the ball so well, the Tigers have no choice but to play him. The nice part about Avila playing regularly is that he'll see some time at catcher, but also some time at first base. As a 30-year-old, Avila isn't exactly a spring chicken, and his career average definitely doesn't line up with the .380 he's slashing right now, but for points owners, we'll take all those doubles that he hits, especially the five that he's hit in the last seven games. Plus, Avila has shown some patience at the plate, walking in each of his last three, and four of the last six. He'll cool off as most vets do, but hold him for a few weeks while he mashes.
1B - Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers - 47% owned
He seems ageless, doesn't he? Victor Martinez is the guy that everyone tells you not to draft because he's getting older, but at 38, he can't be stopped. He's hitting in a prime spot in the Tigers lineup, and hitting behind Ian Kinsler, Alex Avila, and Miggy Cabrera is reason enough to have him on your team. Plus with J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos hitting behind him, he's bound to knock guys in, and score runs at the same time. He's never been too flashy, but he's consistent enough to get it done. Hold VMart wherever you can, and cherish his presence on your team because it could be the last year you get this kind of production from him.
2B - Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs - 43% owned
In redraft leagues, he might still be out there. In competitive leagues, he's probably been gone for a few weeks. In keeper leagues, he's probably been gone for a few years. Ian Happ is the real deal, and he's been touted as just that for such a long time it was hard to tell if he'd live up to the hype. Well he's here and he's surpassing the hype. Injuries have allowed Happ to make his debut, but the 22-year-old may be able to stick if he keeps it up. Since he's come up, he's hit in great spots in one of the best offences in baseball, what's not to like? He's struck out in all but one game that he's been up in the bigs, but he's still got enough patience to walk some, and he's already hit more doubles than singles, added a triple, and knocked two over the fence. Pick up and hold, even in a redraft.
3B - Nicholas Castellanos, Detroit Tigers - 46% owned
Yes, I'm recommending tons of Detroit Tigers, and I wouldn't suggest picking all of them up, but I'm surprised more people don't own Nick Castellanos, considering he was one of the guys I knew I was going after in drafts. He's going to strike out quite a bit, but there's no ignoring the power and hard contact that he makes each time he's up. With 10 doubles and three triples, he's got more than enough to contribute in points leagues. In my main points league, he's a top 100 player due to the amount he can get on base and go for extra bases. He's also hit in the two spot most of the year, so he's come around to score quite a bit as well. His mini-slump is nothing and he needs to be owned everywhere.
SS - Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox - 40% owned
Through his time in the majors, Tim Anderson has always been a slightly above average hitter, with tons of speed, making him an important categories fantasy player, as he could contribute to steals without sacrificing too much. This year, he's still been helpful in categories leagues, it's just he's contributed in places you wouldn't think. Anderson has already more than half of the home runs he hit last year, in just over a quarter of the plate appearances. Anderson slammed nine long balls in over 400 at-bats, and three of his five this year have come in the last week. Anderson's swinging strike percentage is down but everything else is up, including all the balls he swings at outside of the zone. His nine homers last year is the most he's hit in any single season at any level, but he looks ready to obliterate that this year.
OF - Scott Schebler, Cincinnati Reds - 45% owned
So last week's recommendation of Carlos Gomez didn't go so well, as just hours after writing, he ended up on the DL. I hope I don't jinx this one because Scott Schebler has it all going on right now. Schebler has already hit 13 home runs, and if it weren't for the mediocre team around him, he'd have some extra counting stats to show for it. Schebler has the benefit of a super-friendly hitter's ballpark which is good enough for me to go after him. Schebler is doing a lot what Adam Duvall did last year with a breakout year, and it's proving to be the 26-year-old's time to show off some power. He won't hit much more than home runs, but at the Great American Ball Park, it's something that points managers will come to expect.
SP - Joe Ross, Washington Nationals - 31% owned
Joe Ross has been up and down all season between the Nationals and Triple-A Syracuse. And although he didn't look great overall in Triple-A, it looks like the Nats are going with most recent over most consistent. He threw seven innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts last time out. His ERA has ballooned, but the young righty has enough stuff to make guys swing and miss. Plus with two likely starts this week, one against a week Seattle team, and the other against a bad San Diego team, I'll take the risk with Ross.
RP - Koda Glover, Washington Nationals - 34% owned
At most drafts, Glover was a sleeper pick. He had the potential to win the starting job, but it wasn't his yet. Fast forward to now, and that situation played out again, but Nats manager Dusty Baker has decided to roll with Glover after seeing both Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen stumble. Baker has said it himself, Glover has the job as long as he can stay healthy and get the job done. Unfortunately for Glover, the Nationals haven't been in the right circumstances to have too many save chances in the last week, but this is the team that is the favourite to win the NL East, so if you can grab their closer, do it now. 34% is not even close to enough for someone who has an opportunity like Koda.
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