Week 6 of the fantasy baseball season has arrived and with it comes another week of Waiver Flavor.  This week we take a look at a few players that just absolutely tore it up in Week 5 and still find themselves available in the majority of fantasy leagues as well as a few mainstays who are finally getting the ownership love that they deserve.

Catcher

Wilson Ramos, WAS - Ramos is scorching hot as he’s hitting .444 with four runs, one home run and five RBI with an OPS of 1.112 over the last seven days.  The power with Ramos has never been in question as he has consistently reached double digit home run totals during his career while never playing more than 128 games but his current .357 batting average is what has made him a top five fantasy catcher so far this season.  Ramos is owned in just over 60 percent of fantasy leagues which is surprising given his production to this point in the season.

Curt Casali, TB - Casali is locked in at the dish right now as he is hitting .375 with five runs, three home runs and four RBI over the last seven days.  In 2015 Casali appeared in just 38 games for the Rays but managed to hit a whopping 10 home runs so it shouldn’t be too surprising that he is hitting home runs in bunches.  He owns a .435 slugging and a .796 OPS over his minor league career so the power is legit but he’s currently hitting just .203 on the season which is something that must improve if he hopes to sustain any sort of fantasy relevance.  He is currently owned in just under 2 percent of standard leagues but he may be worth a grab while he is putting the ball over the fence.

J.T. Realmuto, MIA - The Marlins catcher is hitting .280 with two runs and four RBI over the last week and if not for a base running gaffe on Monday night he should have had a home run as well but that got negated when he passed Marcell Ozuna on the base paths.  Realmuto was a popular sleeper heading into the season after he hit .259 with 49 runs, 10 home runs, 47 RBI and eight stolen bases during his rookie season and while he has only stolen one base so far this season he is hitting .304 with 12 runs, two home runs and 10 RBI which has made him a top 10 catcher in fantasy so far this season.  He is currently owned in just under 60 percent of standard leagues.

First Base

Justin Bour, MIA - Bour was a sleeper candidate heading into 2016 after he hit .262 with 42 runs, 23 home runs and 73 RBI as a rookie last season.  His ownership is sitting at just over 25 percent in standard leagues which is a bit surprising as he is hitting .282 with nine runs, four home runs and 15 RBI on the year.  He hits behind Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup which should provide RBI opportunities as teams try and pitch around the powerful Stanton in hopes they can get Bour out.  The power is legit and he’s proven capable of hitting for a relatively solid average so if you find yourself needing some help at first base or a corner infield position you should go and grab Bour.

Mike Napoli, CLE - During his career, Napoli has been known to be a streaky player but when he’s hot he is one of the more dangerous power hitters in the league.  Over the last seven days he’s hitting .292 with five runs, two home runs and nine RBI with an OPS of 1.018.  He finds himself playing just about every day for the Indians which has suppressed his batting average but he has already hit six home runs to go with 17 runs and 20 RBI.  Napoli really struggled during the first half of last season with the Red Sox but he hit .295 with a .909 OPS over the final 35 games following his trade to the Rangers.  As he sees every day at bats Napoli should have little trouble reaching the 20 home run plateau while driving in more than his fair share of RBI given that he is batting in the middle of the lineup.  Napoli is owned in just under 10 percent of standard leagues so now may be the right time to jump on board as he begins to heat up.

Byung-Ho Park, MIN -  Park made this list in Week 5 but he hasn’t slowed down too much as he hit .286 with three runs, one home run and one RBI over the last week.  On the season he is now hitting .256 with 13 runs, seven home runs and 12 RBI while finding his ownership sitting at just above 65 percent on the year.  Park had shown tremendous power in the KBO and he is proving early on in his MLB career that despite the increased competition he is still a legitimate power threat.  Park is hitting in the middle of the Twins lineup and while their offense is a bit uninspiring it has the potential to score runs in bunches which should lead to plenty of RBI opportunities for Park.

Second Base

Brandon Phillips, CIN - Anybody notice what Brandon Phillips did last week?  If you missed it let me fill you in OK?  Over the last week Phillips hit .321 with five runs, five home runs and nine RBI while posting an OPS of 1.203.   All five of those home runs came over a four-game stretch and single handedly vaulted him into the top 10 fantasy second basemen.  The Reds are batting Phillips fourth in the lineup which should result in plenty of RBI opportunities as on base machine Joey Votto will likely be on base in front him more often than not.  After many figured Phillips was on a sharp decline he turned in a solid 2015 season which saw him hit .294 with 69 runs, 12 home runs, 70 RBI and 23 stolen bases but despite that output he still went largely undrafted in most leagues heading into 2016. He currently finds himself owned in just over 65 percent of standard leagues which at a shallow position is certainly surprising so if you need an upgrade at second base Phillips just top your list.

Brock Holt, BOS – Holt has an eight-game hitting streak going on right now in which he is hitting .357 with seven runs, one home run and six RBI. The Red Sox offense in general has been on fire of late which has helped the entire lineup be fairly productive as men are always on base.  On the season Holt is hitting .281 with 15 runs, three home runs, 19 RBI and two stolen bases with an OPS of .771 which is about what owners can expect from the Red Sox super utility man.  Holt is owned in just over 65 percent of standard leagues and is eligible to play at a minimum of three positions depending on your league settings which only adds to his value.

Howie Kendrick, LAD - Kendrick began the season on the DL which was likely the reason for his slow start to the season, but over the last week he’s hitting .333 with five runs, three RBI and one stolen base. The Dodgers are playing him in all around the field in an effort to get him in the lineup which is great news for his fantasy versatility.  Prior to getting hurt last season Kendrick was hitting .295 with 64 runs, nine home runs, 54 RBI and six stolen bases which made him one of the top fantasy second basemen but he finds himself owned in just under 20 percent of standard leagues meaning he is more readily available that the other two second basemen on this list and should be added as he begins to heat up.

Third Base

Brandon Drury, ARI - Drury lands back on the Waiver Flavor list in Week 6 as he finds himself owned in just over 60 percent of fantasy leagues despite being one of the top performers at the position of late.  This upcoming week he has a series in Colorado which is beneficial to any hitter and then returns home where he is hitting a robust .327 with an OPS of .981.  Drury on the season it hitting .298 with 13 runs, six home runs and 13 RBI which has forced the Diamondbacks to play him around the field in order to get his bat into the lineup.

Nick Castellanos, DET - Castellanos has finally seen a big jump in ownership as over the last week he has seen his ownership rise nearly 18 percent.  This is likely going to be his last week on the list as he continues to rake at the dish, hitting .440 with three runs, two home runs and eight RBI over the last seven days.  Castellanos ranks among the top five third basemen in fantasy so far this season and at 24 years old it looks like he is on his way to having a monster breakout campaign.

Martin Prado, MIA - You may not have realized it but Prado is hitting .396 on the season which ranks him second in all of baseball behind Daniel Murphy who is hitting .398.  The Marlins currently have him hitting second which should provide him with plenty of run scoring opportunities as long as he continues to get on base given the likes of Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton waiting to drive him in.  The veteran infielder does nothing flashy but he’s proven capable of hitting for a good average while providing near double-digit homers during his career.  He is currently owned in just over 20 percent of fantasy leagues so if you find yourself in need of a batting average boost or a more reliable corner infielder Prado is more than likely floating around your waiver wire.

Shortstop

Brad Miller, TB - Miller is hitting second for the Rays when a righty is on the mound and he has taken full advantage of his spot in the order as he is batting .353 with two runs, two home runs, three RBI and one stolen base over the last week.  In 2015 Miller hit .258 with 44 runs, 11 home runs, 46 RBI and 13 stolen bases and while he’s only hitting .212 on the year his recent success and his ability to reach double digit totals in home runs and stolen bases is what makes him a valuable fantasy asset as long as the Rays continue to limit his exposure against lefties.  Miller is currently owned in just above 15 percent of standard leagues and has dual position eligibility which only helps his fantasy value.

Ketel Marte, SEA - It’s safe to declare Marte’s early season struggles over as the rookie shortstop is hitting .355 with six runs, one home run, seven RBI and one stolen base over the past seven days.  For the season he has bumped his average up to .297 to go with 16 runs, one home run, 10 RBI and three stolen bases.  The Mariners have moved Marte back towards the top of their lineup which sees him hitting in front of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz which will create plenty of run scoring opportunities.  Marte is owned in just about 30 percent of standard leagues but that ownership should begin to jump as he continues to find success.

Zack Cozart, CIN- Cozart’s ability to hit for power has never really been in question as he has twice reached double figure homer totals during his career and had nine home runs in 53 games last season before going down with an injury.  So far this season he has already hit four home runs to go with 19 runs, 13 RBI and a .340 batting average.  While the batting average is certainly not sustainable for the career .249 hitter he does hit leadoff for an offense with some power bats behind him and plays in a home ballpark that is very hitter friendly which, as long as he stays healthy, should put him in line for a productive and fantasy relevant season.  Cozart is currently owned in just under 40 percent of standard leagues and has hit .318 with five runs, two home runs and three RBI over the last seven days so if you are looking to ride a hot hand at the shortstop position I would go and grab him.

Outfield

Josh Reddick, OAK - Reddick is hitting an absurd .542 with an OPS of 1.202 over the last seven days which included four runs and five RBI during this stretch.  He went 10-for-12 in three games against the Orioles over the weekend and added another hit and two RBI against the Red Sox on Monday.  Power has always been Reddick’s calling card but right now he’s completely locked in at the plate and fantasy owners should ride out this wave for as long as they can.  Reddick does have a long injury history so that should always been in the back of every owners mind but while he’s making contact at this rate the long ball should start coming in bunches.

Marcell Ozuna, MIA - Ozuna was one of the biggest fantasy busts in 2015 as he entered the year coming off an impressive 2014 which saw him hit .269 with 72 runs, 23 home runs and 85 RBI. Unfortunately Ozuna really struggled, spent time in the minors and finished 2015 with just 10 home runs over 123 games.  His 2015 struggles had many fantasy owners jumping ship but for those who still believed in the talent that Ozuna possess they have been rewarded as the powerful righty is hitting .278 with 15 runs, six home runs and 16 RBI so far this season.  Ozuna is hitting towards the middle of the Marlins lineup which will provide plenty of RBI opportunities and if he can manage to cut down on his strikeout rate his numbers would only improve.  He is currently owned in just over 30 percent of standard leagues so if you are in need of a power outfield bat you might not find a better option on the waiver wire than the upside Ozuna presents.

Jackie Bradley Jr., Bos – Bradley made this list last week and he has not slowed down one iota over the last seven days as he hit .400 with five runs, three home runs and eight RBI.  Bradley showed flashes of his hitting ability in the second half of last season and during his minor league career he hit .294 with an OPS of .851 so this level of offensive production is not unfounded.  JBJ is currently owned in just under 40 percent of fantasy leagues but that number figures to rise rapidly as the former top 50 prospect in baseball begins to fulfill his potential.

Pitchers

Steven Wright, BOS – Wright has been one of the best stories in baseball to begin the year as the 31 year old knuckleballer is off to an incredible start, going 3-3 with a 1.52 ERA while striking out 38 over 41.1 innings while owning a 0.99 WHIP.  As many around baseball will tell you that when a knuckleball pitcher is at the top of his game there is no pitch more dominant as there is no predictability as to where the ball will be crossing the plate.  Wright’s next start will come on Friday against the Astros who he just shutout over six innings back on April 22 in Houston.  Wright is owned in 50 percent on standard leagues and is definitely deserving of greater ownership than that.

Kevin Gausman, BAL – All Gausman has done since coming off the DL is allow three total runs over his first three starts. In his last start he tossed eight shutout innings against the Yankees and he will make his next start on Tuesday against a strikeout prone Twins lineup.  Gausman was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball but the Orioles tried him out in the bullpen last year to limit his innings and he ended up spending some time on the DL as well which resulted in somewhat of a lost season.  Baltimore is not messing around with Gausman this year and through his first few starts he looks like the best pitcher in their rotation.  He is owned in just under 45 percent of standard leagues and giving his upside he deserves to be rostered in all leagues at a much higher clip.

Marco Estrada, TOR - Estrada turned in a career year in 2015, going 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.  After beginning the 2016 season on the DL Estrada has picked up right where he left off in 2015, going 1-2 with a 2.39 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.  Estrada has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his six starts this season while boasting a K/9 of 8.6 which is his best mark since 2012.  His next start will come on the road against a Rangers team that he held to one earned run on two hits over six innings last week.  He is currently owned in 45 percent of standard leagues but given his success last season and the offense that supports him he deserves to be owned in more leagues than that.

Alex Colome, TB/Brad Boxberger, TB - We have a two-part recommendation here based off the fact that Colome has been one of the better closers in the league so far this season, recording nine saves while striking out 16 over 13 innings for the Rays and he is just under 50 percent owned in all standard leagues so if you need immediate saves help look no further.  On the other hand, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Brad Boxberger will be the team’s closer when he returns from the DL which is expected to happen towards the end of May.  Boxberger lead the AL with 41 saves in 2015 and is owned in just under 35 percent of standard leagues which makes him a great DL stash for those looking to improve their closer position.

Fernando Rodney, SD - Rodney is beginning to get a bit more love as his ownership totals near 50 percent but for a man who has yet to allow an earned run while notching eight saves and striking out 13 over 12 innings you would think it would be a bit higher.  While the Padres are unlikely to present Rodney with a ton of save opportunities it is at least encouraging that he is converting them when called upon and at his age the decreased workload might actually be a blessing as it allows him to get some extra rest.  Rodney is on pace for nearly 40 saves this season based off some projections so take that for what it is worth if you need some saves help.