As we move into the final two months of the season, fantasy owners are scrambling for every edge they can find in their quest for a championship – or, for those of us whose seasons haven’t gone according to plan, respectability. Players with eligibility at multiple positions become even more valuable at this juncture.
All five of the guys we’ll look at today offer eligibility at both the middle and corner infield, and all are currently riding hot streaks.
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Week 18 Corner Infield Waiver Wire Targets
Javier Baez, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs (49 percent owned)
Baez hasn’t hit for as much power as we might have expected, but he’s managed to cut his strikeout rate to a manageable level. On the season, he’s hitting .283/.322/.457 with 11 homers and nine stolen bases. The 23 year old has found at-bats in a crowded Cubs lineup by making himself into a utility man; in addition to the positions where he’s eligible, Baez has logged time at first base and in the outfield this season.
Martin Prado, 2B/3B, Miami Marlins (46 percent)
Since June 25, Prado has hit a robust .350/.404/.504, with three homers and 37 R+RBI. He has more walks than strikeouts over that span. Prado’s high contact ways have helped him to a .323 batting average overall, good for fifth in the majors among qualified hitters. His 10.6 K% also ranks fifth. The veteran doesn’t provide a lot of category juice – he has just five home runs and a solitary stolen base for the season – but there are few players who can provide more of a boost to your team’s average.
Hernan Perez, 2B/3B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers (45 percent)
Perez is, in the parlance of our times, lit AF right now. He’s the top ranked player in the Yahoo game over the last two weeks, hitting .358 with three homers, eight steals, and 24 R+RBI during that time. While we can be skeptical of the pop – Perez’s career best HR total in the minors was eight, five seasons ago at Single-A – the speed is legitimate. The average might be too, given his encouraging contact quality metrics. The promotion of Orlando Arcia will shift Jonathan Villar to third base and might ultimately cut a bit into Perez’s playing time. With the way he’s hit lately, though, nobody’s putting him on the bench.
Jedd Gyorko, 1B/2B/3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals (33 percent)
After a couple of disappointing seasons punched his ticket out of San Diego, Gyorko has found new life with the Cardinals. Acquired to be a backup, Gyorko has benefited from Kolten Wong’s train wreck of a season. Though Wong is back in the bigs and showing signs of life, Aledmys Diaz’s recent injury should open things up for Gyorko again. Not that Mike Matheny has no incentive to get Gyorko in the lineup, given his recent performance: .301/.354/.603 with seven homers over the past month.
Cesar Hernandez, 2B/3B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies (17 percent)
For the first three months of the season, Hernandez was useless to fantasy owners. His .272 batting average was passable, but he’d only stolen three bases in eight attempts. Since the calendar flipped to July, however, the Phillies’ second baseman has been a completely different player. He’s batting .333/.418/.396 and has swiped seven bags. Hernandez doesn’t move the needle in any other categories, of course, but he’s the prototypical fantasy rabbit when things are going well.
More Options: Yasmany Tomas (44%), Howie Kendrick (43%), Yangervis Solarte (30%), Wilmer Flores (8%), Adonis Garcia (5%)
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