In wake of Starling Marte’s 80-game PED suspension, a lot of fantasy owners will be in desperate need of some outfield help. We’re not going to talk only about OF, but for the first piece of this week, we will go a little heavier than normal. There have been less injuries in Week 4 of the season than there have been in previous weeks, so you may have to dig a little deeper in your leagues respective waiver wires.

10-team leagues

Avisail Garcia, CWS OF (50% ownership), FAAB Bid - $20 – This is the highest bid we’ve made to date, but he’s justified every dollar thus far in 2017. His track record – and the history of baseball -- says this start isn’t sustainable, but Garcia just seems to have a new approach at the dish and it’s working. We’re now onto the fourth week of the season and Garcia’s average still sits above .400; .447 to be exact, which is the best across the MLB. Garcia also ranks third in baseball in OBP in 2017 and has crushed fastballs over 94 MPH, slugging .711 since the ’16 All-star break. Garcia should be owned in each and every format out there going forward.

CC Sabathia, NYY SP (28% ownership), FAAB Bid - $15-17 – We all know he’s no longer the flame-throwing pitcher he once was, but an all-around pitcher is what he’s become. Sabathia has a 1.47 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over his first three starts of the year. His 5.4 K/9 is way below his 7.7 career-average, but as we mentioned above, he’s not that guy anymore. His off-speed stuff has really come along, as opponents have swung and miss at 62.5-percent of his offerings over the previous seven days. Sabathia excelled on the road last year posting a 3.26 ERA compared to his mediocre 4.57 home ERA. His next two scheduled starts against Pittsburgh and Boston happen to be roadies.

12-team leagues

Jorge Soler, KC OF (17% ownership), FAAB Bid - $8-10 We’ve all been looking for the type of production we saw from Soler in the 24 games he played in 2014, where he slugged .573 and posted an OPS north of .900. We’ve only seen flashes of that the past two years but his playing time has been limited in a crowded Cubs outfield. Now that he’s moved on to KC, he’ll serve as the team’s full-time RF when he returns from the DL. He’s almost ready to head on a rehab assignment so we should see his debut sometime in the early stages of May. Hop on the waiver-wire and stash Soler now before it’s too late.

Chase Anderson, MIL SP (27% ownership), FAAB Bid - $6-8 – At the time we’re writing it, Anderson’s making his fourth start of the year and this could come back to kick us in the ass, but he’s been excellent through his first two starts of the year. Anderson’s bread and butter early on in ’17 has been finishing the opposition with two-strikes, as they’ve reached base at a .143 clip which is tied for first in baseball amongst all qualified starters. Anderson has a career ERA north of four so this start isn’t sustainable, but his 8.0 K/9 plays in all formats this season so we should ride Anderson while he’s hot.

Josh Reddick, HOU OF (9% ownership), FAAB Bid - $7 – Although 

the production in the power and RBI categories have yet to show up, they’re coming. Reddick’s 162 game averages throughout his career are 19 HR and 71 RBI. He’s gotten off to a fast start despite the dip in run production, slashing .324/.350/.378 with a .728 OPS. This addition is specific to Starling Marte owners who need an immediate replacement.

15-team leagues

Adam Frazier, PIT OF (5% ownership), FAAB Bid - $3-5 – This is an obligatory, short-term option. With Marte out for 80 games, we have to mention his replacement going forward, but Frazier is a deep league pickup only. The 25-year old has never shown much fantasy promise throughout his minor-league career, with a career-high of two home runs and 42 RBI. He has modest speed and can contribute in the SB category, but this pickup is for those more desperate than anything else.

Keone Kela, TEX RP (2% ownership), FAAB Bid - $1-2 – With Sam Dyson headed to the DL, Matt Bush is first in line for the save opportunities. We wrote about Bush way back in Week 2, and he’s still your bet in fantasy for the time being. That said, Kela’s career 10.8 K/9 gives him an outside opportunity at potentially winning the job if Bush struggles. If you have the available roster spot, he’s worth the add out of pure speculation.

 

*ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo

** FAAB bids based on $100 budget