RADIO
Week 10 Lineup Tools: Hitting Streamer Options
It's hard to believe that the season is almost 2 months old to be honest. For many, myself included, it's been a tough two months as fantasy owners have watched lineup mainstays drop like flies due to injuries seemingly every day. In light of these numerous injuries, I'll be taking a look at five hitters this week who I think could be good fill-ins for owners looking to pick up a player off of the waiver wire for week 10. As always these are players owned in less than 50% of leagues who are in the right position to succeed next week. Lineup holes are a tough part of the the fantasy season, but if you're prepared, they don't have to mean an end to your hunt for a championship. With the right free agency additions you can keep your team chugging along as you wait for your studs to return.
1) Kolten Wong (Cardinals, 2B)
2014 Stats: .283 BA, 11 Runs, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 7 SB
Ownership: 18.3%
Schedule: (at) Royals, (at) Blue Jays
Games Scheduled: 7
I'm honestly a bit confused as to why Kolten Wong's ownership percentage is still as low as it is. Since being recalled back to the major leagues, he's hit a white hot .381 while stealing three bases in his last five games. When you add in the fact that he consistently bats second in a very good Cardinals lineup, Wong has the potential to be a major contributor in four of the five categories fantasy owners should care about.
No, he doesn't have any power to speak of, but when you have a player who does everything else as well as Wong has been doing, you can afford to punt power at second base. Considering that he'll be playing three games next week in the Blue Jays home park, a hitters paradise if there ever was one, there's even the chance that he walks into a home run for his lucky fantasy owners. Any way you dice it, Wong is in the right spot to be a big time contributor next week. I'd grab him now.
2) Dexter Fowler (Astros, OF)
2014 Stats: .263 BA, 29 Runs, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 6 SB
Ownership: 47.7%
Schedule: Angels, (at) Twins
Games Scheduled: 6
The awakening of George Springer seems to have been exactly what the Astros needed to finally begin to see things turn their way in the win column. Their lineup is clicking right now in a big way, and Dexter Fowler with his .377 OBP and the fact that he regularly bats third is in the perfect spot in the lineup to take advantage of this hot streak. Hitting behind Altuve and Springer should give him plenty of opportunities for RBI next week, especially against the MLB worst Twins pitching staff who sport a collective ERA of 4.55. Similarly his high on base percentage puts him in a prime spot to be one of the major run scored beneficiaries of the Astros hot streak. If he can pair those numbers with a home run or stolen base, both of which are very much within his skill set, Fowler could be in for a very nice week for his fantasy owners.
3) Gerardo Parra (Diamondbacks, OF)
2014 Stats: .266 BA, 29 Runs, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 4 SB
Ownership: 36.9%
Schedule: (at) Rockies, Braves
Games Scheduled: 6
Gerardo Parra is the classic example of a player who offers you a little bit of everything without really excelling at anything in particular. While that might sound like a pretty lackluster description, there's a lot of value in safe, steady production from a free agent, even if players like Parra typically don't make these type of listings. The reason that he is on my list this week is because of how much I like his match-up for week 10. Coors Field has shown countless times that it has the ability to turn an average player into an offensive driving force over small samples, and getting to play three games there this week is a definite boost to Parra's value. Let's just say I have a good feeling about his upside over the immediate future.
4) Wilson Ramos (Nationals, C)
2014 Stats: .226 BA, 6 Runs, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB
Ownership: 39.6%
Schedule: Phillies, (at) Padres
Games Scheduled: 6
![By Keith Allison on Flickr [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.rotoballer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Wilson-Ramos-Washington-Nationals-MLB-News--150x150.jpg)
Wilson Ramos is a holdover recommendation from last week, so I won't go back into too much detail on why I like him so much for fear of just rehashing last weeks article, except to say that his batted ball distance is elite among major league hitters. Ramos has power, a ton of power, and reliable power at catcher is a scarce commodity in today's game.
He's swinging a hot bat right now, having hit an impressive .333 with a home run over the last 7 days and I don't see any reason why he cant keep up that kind of pace against the Cliff Lee-less Phillies and the lackluster Padres. Yes PETCO's dimensions are always a concern for power hitters, but Ramos is the type of hitter who's able to transcend the limitations of a park like PETCO because of the sheer distance he hits his home runs. The park effect does drive him a bit lower on this list than he might otherwise be, but it doesn't scare me away.
5) Mitch Moreland (Rangers, 1B)
2014 Stats: .272 BA, 15 Runs, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 0 SB
Ownership: 6.4%
Schedule: Orioles, Indians
Games Scheduled: 7
Injuries and poor performances have resulted in a 1st/3rd base market which is.......let's say unkind to the fantasy owner looking for help with his lineup. In a season in which Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, Nolan Arenado, Aramis Ramirez, Mark Trumbo, Brandon Belt, Nick Swisher, Ryan Zimmerman, Mike Napoli, Will Middlebrooks, Jose Abreu, and quite a few more are currently out of their lineups due to injuries, finding a suitable replacement through free agency is becoming more and more of a chore. Mitch Moreland, much like last week, is one of the few guys remaining who I'd turn to. He's a good hitter, very capable of delivering a batting average between .270-.280 in an average week and has enough pop in his bat to deliver some power as well. The Rangers will enjoy a six game homestretch next week against two teams which rank in the bottom 10 in team ERA, which only enhances Moreland's prospects. He'll figure to see regular at bats with Fielder gone for the rest of the season, and I think he's in the right place to make the most of them for his fantasy owners.
