Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 23
It's waiver time. There's only a few short weeks left in the fantasy season, and now is not the time to take your foot off the gas pedal. One of the keys to any fantasy success is not only nailing your draft, but scouring that waiver wire for players who can give your team a boost. Even though fantasy baseball can be a really long season, it's key to search those waivers and take it week-by-week to cement your fantasy status.
The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and could give your team a lift.
Sam Hilliard - Colorado Rockies (OF)
Yahoo Ownership: 5%
If you are asking who the heck is this Sam Hilliard guy, don't be alarmed -- he's only 5% owned, so he's unbeknownst to the majority of the fantasy community.
After a nasty ankle injury to David Dahl opened up some playing time, the door was kicked wide open when Raimel Tapia also hit the Injured List.
In the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Hilliard put up a season for the ages -- 35 home runs, 22 steals, and already topped 100 runs and 100 RBI. Now a 29.3% strikeout rate certainly showcases some challenges, but the dude has some legit speed. He's posted double-digit steals in every stop, and he's slammed past 20 steals in all but one stop.
If you are in need of some outfield juice, peep Hilliard.
Jurickson Profar - Oakland Athletics (1B/2B/3B/SS)
Yahoo Ownership: 31%
After a horrific start to his season, Jurickson Profar has improved significantly, and his multi-position eligibility could be a big boost down the stretch in fantasy.
While a recent surge has been a bit of a surprise, it's been a solid month for Profar, who's recorded a .386 on-base percentage (OBP) with four long balls. It's fair to be somewhat skeptical, as three home runs have come in the last week.
The batted-ball profile shows a solid combo of a 37.0% hard-hit rate and 37.0% fly-ball rate, though, so perhaps the switch-hitter is turning a corner. Ride the wave and consider adding the infielder.
Jake Cave - Minnesota Twins (OF)
Yahoo Ownership: 7%
Similar to the situation in Colorado, some playing time opened up for the Minnesota Twins, and Jake Cave has taken advantage of it. If you need pop, Cave makes for a solid add.
After hitting 13 home runs in 283 at-bats last season, a crowded outfield situation made it hard for Cave to find some consistent playing time earlier this season. But with an injury to Byron Buxton, Cave has assumed a strong portion of the at-bats, and he's hit five dingers in the last two weeks.
He's not a home run-only guy, either. He has a .424 OBP in the last month, and in only 143 at-bats this year, he's got seven home runs to his name.
Cave posted a .208 isolated power (ISO) a year ago in the majors, so the power is legit, and he could be a major weapon heading into your fantasy playoffs.
Framber Valdez - Houston Astros (SP)
Yahoo Ownership: 17%
A starting pitcher for the Houston Astros always generates some buzz, and they should -- pitching for an offensive juggernaut puts their hurlers in a great spot to rack up wins.
In the case of Framber Valdez, the only thing holding him back is his walk rate. It's never been much of an issue as a minor leaguer, but he has 55 walks in 93 total innings at the major league level.
He's posted a respectable 20.3% strikeout rate this year in the bigs, but he rocked a 38.3% strikeout rate at Triple-A this season. If those strikeouts bump up a bit and the walk rate gets under control, he could be a huge boost to your pitching staff in the next few weeks.
