Week 11 has arrived and you will notice a slightly new format with this week’s waiver flavor article as I continue to work your feedback into this article the best way I can. So without further ado let’s take a look at the top available players that can help your roster in Week 11 and beyond.
Catcher
10-Team League
J.T. Realmuto, MIA - Realmuto is hitting .318 with five runs, one home run and three RBI over the last week but finds himself owned in just over 60 percent of standard leagues despite ranking among the top 10 catchers on the player rating. Overall on the year, Realmuto is hitting .300 with 23 runs, three home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases as he continues to prove why he was a popular sleeper candidate heading into the season. Given how shallow the catcher position is he should be 100 percent owned in 10-man leagues as his batting average alone makes him stand out above most of the league's catchers.
.jpg)
12-Team League
Evan Gattis, HOU - Gattis just recently became catcher eligible in all fantasy formats and while he is really struggling of late he offers the most power upside of any catcher eligible player and recently had a stretch where he homered in three straight games. Gattis is owned in just under 60 percent of standard leagues but given the dumpster fire that is the catcher position in fantasy, I would take the man with 25 home run upside.
15-Team League
Russell Martin, TOR - Martin had struggled for nearly the entire season which saw his ownership levels plummet. However, over the past two weeks he has really started to turn things around as he is hitting .281 with five runs, two home runs, eight RBI and an OPS of .897. Martin is owned in just about 55 percent of standard leagues but he is part of a potent Blue Jays lineup and hits in a favorable division given the opposing ballparks which should continue to help his offensive output.
.jpg)
First Base
10-Team League
Brandon Moss, STL - Moss might be the hottest hitter in baseball right now which is why he deserves to be owned in all fantasy formats regardless of the league size. The power with Moss should never be in question as he averaged nearly 25 home runs a season while playing in Oakland and the cavernous Oakland Coliseum. Moss is currently owned in just under 40 percent of fantasy leagues so he should definitely be on the wire in 10-team leagues. Over the last 15 days, Moss is hitting .424 with eight runs, six home runs and 10 RBI. Moss is also eligible to play in the outfield which only adds to his fantasy value.
12-Team League
Tommy Joseph, PHI - The Phillies' rookie first basemen is slowly taking over as the everyday first baseman with Ryan Howard getting the occasional start and likely getting faded out even more as the season moves along. Joseph is a serious power prospect and has already hit seven home runs over 81 at-bats since being promoted. Joseph is hitting .272 with an OPS of .838, and while the batting average will likely dip to around .250 he should continue to hit in the middle of the lineup and is mashing left-handed pitching to the tune of a .400 average and an OPS of 1.155.
15-Team League
Pedro Alvarez, BAL - The powerful lefty has begun to see more and more playing time for the O’s and is eligible at third base as well as first base, which only adds to his fantasy value. Alvarez is not going to do your batting average any favors, but there is no denying his power potential and he is fortunate enough to play in a division that is made up of favorable hitter’s parks. Over the last week Alvarez is hitting .455 with four runs, two home runs and three RBI. He finds himself owned in just under 10 percent of standard leagues so if you need a good power source at a corner infield position he is worth adding to your roster.
Second Base
10-Team League
Brian Dozier, MIN - Dozier struggled for the first few months of the season but with the turn to June he has begun to look like the player who has ranked among the top second basemen over the past few years. His poor start saw his ownership levels drop to around 80 percent but given his ability to hit 20-plus home runs and steal double-digit bases he is certainly worth owning in all fantasy formats.
12-Team League
Logan Forsythe, TB - Forsythe recently returned from the disabled list after suffering a fracture to his shoulder blade. His ownership levels dropped to about 60 percent due to his inactivity but now that he is active he should be added to your fantasy roster. Forsythe is hitting .296 with 18 runs, four home runs, 14 RBI and three stolen bases on the year and is coming off a career year that saw him hit .281 with 69 runs, 17 home runs, 68 RBI and nine stolen bases in 2015.
15-Team League
Javier Baez, CHC- The Cubs are beginning to give Baez more and more playing time which bodes well for his overall fantasy value. He is currently owned in just about 20 percent of standard leagues but in deeper formats that number is likely much higher. Over the last week Baez is hitting .353 with two runs, one home run and six RBI as he continues to give glimpses of the ability that once made him the top prospect in the Cubs organization.
Shortstop
10-Team League
Jonathan Villar, MIL - I wonder if Villar was a Rodney Dangerfield fan because he is just getting absolutely no respect in standard league formats as his ownership levels sit around 80 percent despite the fact that he is among the top shortstops in all of fantasy baseball this season. On the year Villar is hitting .299 with 35 runs, five home runs, 26 RBI and a league-leading 23 stolen bases. He should be 100 percent owned in all league formats so check your waiver wire and see if he is floating around out there and scoop him up while you still can.
12-Team League
Eduardo Nunez, MIN - From one under owned player to another we have Eduardo Nunez, who despite hitting .317 with 33 runs, nine home runs, 24 RBI and 15 stolen bases, is owned in just under 80 percent of standard leagues. Currently considered a top-five shortstop, Nunez also has third base eligibility which only adds to his fantasy value. Check the waiver wire in your leagues as Nunez is looking like the top candidate for the biggest breakout year of the fantasy season.
15-Team League
Danny Espinosa, WAS - It seems like a rite of passage for a fantasy owner to buy into the enigma that is Danny Espinosa at one point or another. Espinosa offers 20-plus home run power with the ability to steal double-digit bases when given the playing time but his prolonged slumps often have him stuck in platoons or not in the lineup at all. As of right now, Espinosa is absolutely raking at the dish, hitting .476 with 10 runs, three home runs and four RBI over the last seven days. On the year he is hitting just .224 but has already hit 11 home runs so in a deeper league format he can provide some decent power at both middle infield positions given his dual eligibility.
Third Base
10-Team League
Danny Valencia, OAK - Valencia continues to find himself having a career year but his ownership level sits at 75 percent in standard leagues. On the year he is hitting .335 with 31 runs, 10 home runs and 25 RBI while showing favorable splits against both lefties and righties which hasn’t always been the case during his career. He is currently considered a top 10 third baseman and offers outfield eligibility as well which makes him worth owning in all formats.
12-Team League
Jake Lamb, ARI - Lamb’s ownership level sits at 50 percent in standard leagues despite the fact that he is hitting a respectable .264 with 31 runs, 12 home runs, 40 RBI, three stolen bases and an OPS of .880. Lamb is not good against southpaws but he is really hitting righties well to the tune of a .292 batting average and an OPS of .926. Seeing as he should face more right-handed starters than left-handed starters, Lamb is certainly worth being owned in more than half of fantasy leagues.
15-Team League
Marwin Gonzalez, HOU - Gonzalez is an interesting fantasy player because he does nothing exceptional, but his ability to play three fantasy positions, hit double-digit home runs and swipe double-digit bases certainly makes him useful in deeper league formats. He is currently owned in under 5 percent of standard leagues while hitting .254 with 19 runs, four home runs 14 RBI and eight stolen bases. In 2015 Gonzalez hit .279 with 44 runs, 12 home runs, 34 RBI and four stolen bases over 344 at-bats but he finds himself playing nearly every day for Houston which should help increase his overall production.
Outfield
.jpg)
10-Team League
Carlos Beltran, NYY - Beltran is absolutely raking right now, hitting .326 with eight runs, four home runs and 13 RBI over the past two weeks. On the year he is hitting .277 with 35 runs, 16 home runs and 44 RBI yet his ownership levels sit around 75 percent in standard leagues. Beltran plays in hitters division and a home ballpark that caters to left-handed power. As long as he stays healthy his owners could be looking at another 30 home run, 100 RBI season from Beltran.
12-Team League
Jayson Werth, WAS - Werth is one of the streakiest players in fantasy but right now he is hitting .325 with eight runs, three home runs, 11 RBI and an OPS of 1.065 over the past two weeks. The Nationals have him hitting in the middle of the lineup and he offers 20-plus home run power. He is currently owned in just about 25 percent of standard leagues so if you find yourself needing a power bat in the outfield he is likely available in your league.
15-Team League
Ryan Rua, TEX- Rua is one of my favorite stream plays this season as he is absolutely mashing southpaws to the tune of a .404 average and an OPS of 1.129. Overall on the year Rua is hitting .300 with 27 runs, six home runs, 18 RBI and four stolen bases which is certainly good enough to be owned in deeper league formats. He is currently owned in under five percent of standard leagues so check your waiver wire and play Rua when he is facing a southpaw for maximum output.
Starting Pitchers
.jpg)
10-Team League
Chris Tillman, BAL - A breakout season from Tillman has been teased before as he flashes stretches where he is totally dominant but eventually he fades back down to a pitcher with a mid-3.00 to 4.00 ERA and becomes nothing more than a stream option in mixed leagues. 2016 is looking like a different season, however, as Tillman is 9-1 with a 2.87 ERA while striking out 82 over 84.2 innings. He just held the Red Sox to one earned run over seven innings which is no small feat given that they are the league’s top offense. His next start will be a tough test against the Blue Jays. However, the Jays have struggled against righties this season and are prone to striking out well above the league average. Tillman is owned in 80 percent of standard leagues but could be floating around the waiver wire in 10 team leagues.
12-Team League
Julio Teheran, ATL - The 2-7 record is not the fault of Teheran who owns a 2.93 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP while having struck out 85 over 89 innings. The Braves may look to trade Teheran come the deadline which would do wonders for his fantasy value should he move to a contending team. He is currently owned in under 80 percent of standard leagues, but as we get to 12- and 15-team leagues he needs to be 100 percent owned. His next start will come on Sunday against a punchless Mets team.
15-Team League
Trevor Bauer, CLE - Control issues have been the biggest hindrance to Bauer’s success during his major league career but over his last two starts he has walked just two over 15.2 innings while striking out 13 and allowing just three earned runs. He has only allowed more than three runs in just one start this season while striking out 60 over 68.1 innings. He is currently owned in just over 25 percent of standard leagues and will face a struggling White Sox offense in his next start which makes him a solid streaming option with the potential for more if he has finally fixed his control issues.
Closers
10-Team League
Alex Colome, TB - Colome ranks second in the American League with 19 saves but finds himself owned in just over 75 percent of standard leagues. In 10-man leagues especially he should be 100 percent owned now that Kevin Cash has stated that he will be their closer even when Brad Boxberger returns from his most recent injury.
12-Team League
Will Harris, HOU - Harris has taken over as the closer in Houston after Luke Gregerson lost the job last week. He is currently owned in just under 40 percent of standard leagues despite being absolutely lights out this season, going 0-1 with four saves and a 0.61 ERA while having struck out 31 over 29.2 innings. If you are a believer in the Astros' success it’s probably a good idea to grab their closer as he has saved four straight games for them.
15-Team League
Carlos Estevez, COL - Estevez was just named that Rockies' closer with former closer Jake McGee landing on the disabled list. Estevez has notched two straight saves since being moved into the role. However, owning a relief pitcher on the Rockies has not always been the best idea. For now in deeper league formats I think you have no choice but to pick up whoever is getting consistent save opportunities until they prove to be a detriment to your roster.