Often when we’re scouring the waiver wire, we’re looking for players to bolster a particular category, rather than the next trendy up-and-comer. Looking for stolen bases? Home runs? ERA and WHIP?
I’ve got you covered. I present to you Week 22’s fantasy baseball 5×5 category targets. Note that this is our final edition of Category Targets this season. Therefore, I’ll take more of a quick-hitting approach, and mention a few more guys than usual. Hopefully, you’ve found this series helpful!
For this exercise, I’ll be using ESPN ownership percentages. Stats are accurate entering Friday’s contests.
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Batting Average
David Peralta (OF – ARI): 43.0%
Odubel Herrera (OF – PHI): 33.4%
Cesar Hernandez (2B – PHI): 31.8%
Since he doesn’t wow you in any one category, David Peralta continues to remain available in over half of ESPN leagues. Yes, 13 dingers aren’t terribly exciting in 2017, but a stellar .302 average should be. A career .295 hitter, he’ll also net you the occasional stolen base (8), and scores plenty of runs (71).
It’s been a mostly disappointing season for Odubel Herrera, but he’s slated to return from the DL next week and should be on your radar. He still has a sneaky .287 average in 2017 (.290 career average), and should make his way back into the heart of the Philadelphia Phillies order. He has just 7 stolen bases, but don’t forget that he swiped 25 last season, so perhaps he can net you a chunk of swiped bags by season’s end.
If you’re looking for middle infielder help, Cesar Hernandez is quietly hitting .286. He has little in the way of power, but will score runs atop the Phillies order (65), and has double-digit stolen bases (14) for the third straight campaign.
Home Runs
Scott Schebler (OF – CIN): 27.7%
Justin Bour (1B – MIA): 27.0%
Greg Bird (1B – NYY): 17.4%
Scott Schebler has been mashing since returning from the DL, slashing .351/.432/.730 with 3 bombs over 44 plate appearances. He’s up to 26 long balls, and with a 39.3% hard-hit rate and more fly balls this season, it sure doesn’t look like a fluke.
Justin Bour was in the midst of a career year before landing on the DL towards the end of July with an oblique injury. In 339 plate appearances, he has a .914 OPS with 21 dingers, just two away from his career high. With an enticing 42.3% hard-hit rate, his return timetable remains murky, but he’s a worthy stash for a potential lottery ticket.
I mentioned Greg Bird last week, and he’s already slugged two home runs in his first six games back. He’s had plenty of ups and downs in his young career, but there’s no denying the power potential.
RBIs
Ian Happ (2B/OF – CHC): 29.8%
Aaron Altherr (OF – PHI): 12.8%
The Chicago Cubs like to shuffle around their lineup, so Ian Happ isn’t in there every day, but he’s making the most of his chances. Happ has a .958 OPS in August, and on the year he’s up to 20 home runs, 51 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in just 327 plate appearances. Punchouts remains a concern, but he has excellent power for a middle infielder, and his recent play can only help him stay in the lineup more often.
Aaron Altherr is another player set to come back from the DL shortly, and hopefully he’ll pick up right where he left off. Prior to his hamstring injury, Altherr was contributing across the board, hitting .285/.357/.536 with 16 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 5 stolen bases. He should slide back into the middle of the Phillies order, and be a solid asset for the home stretch.
Runs
Shin-Soo Choo (OF – TEX): 36.6%
Kevin Kiermaier (OF – TB): 32.3%
Shin-Soo Choo just keeps on producing, but as the boring, “old” veteran he’s still available in most leagues. Batting .264/.369/.412, he’s now up to 82 runs, 17 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. Who doesn’t like that kind of production?
Kevin Kiermaier gets another nod this week, who’s still swinging a hot bat since coming back, slashing .340/.389/.620 over 54 plate appearances. He should continue to rack up runs leading off for the Tampa Bay Rays, and get you the occasional stolen base. He has 11 swiped bags on the year, and stole 21 in 2016.
Stolen Bases
Carlos Gomez (OF – TEX): 22.6%
Jarrod Dyson (OF – SEA): 9.7%
He may not be the 30-plus stolen base guy of years past, but Carlos Gomez can still pitch in, with 12 swiped bags in just 91 games. He’s missed time with various ailments throughout the season, but with 15 home runs, he’s still a solid power-speed combination when he’s out there. He would be a shoo-in for a 20-20 year with more games, but he may very well come close anyway.
If you’re looking for a true difference-maker in stolen bases though — and there aren’t many these days — Jarrod Dyson is set to be activated from the DL on Friday. From a fantasy standpoint, he won’t give you much of anything outside of that speed, but his 28 stolen bases sit just one outside the top-five in the league. With uncertain playing-time situations for Cameron Maybin and Rajai Davis on their new teams, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better pure speed asset on the wire these days.
Wins
CC Sabathia (SP – NYY): 35.0%
He’s not getting as many strikeouts as he did in his prime (18.8% rate), but CC Sabathia has been getting the job done in other ways. Since the All-Star break, he’s allowing a 52.0% ground-ball rate and spectacular 17.7% hard-hit rate — leading to a 3.53 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. With the contending New York Yankees in the thick of the playoff race, Sabathia should get his share of wins.
Strikeouts
Dinelson Lamet (SP – SD): 33.9%
Blake Snell (SP – TB): 29.6%
Andrew Heaney (SP – LAA): 7.0%
Dinelson Lamet has had plenty of time in this space, and it’s hard not to like what we’ve seen from him in August. Yes, the walks continue to be an issue, but overall he’s posted a 2.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 26.3% strikeout rate, and 23.1% hard-hit rate over his last five starts. There may be ups and downs the rest of the way, but we’re seeing plenty of upside.
Can we finally trust Blake Snell? He’s held his walk rate down to just 6.9% over his last seven starts — helping him to a 3.38 ERA — a sign he might be turning the corner and harnessing his control. The strikeout potential is undeniable — he’s struck out 15 over his last 14 innings — so if he can keep up this newfound control, he could be a pleasant surprise down the stretch.
Andrew Heaney had a tough go his first couple starts, and then he went and struck out 10 Oakland Athletics over 6 innings his last time out. The velocity is looking good, and the former top prospect may be finding his form at the right time. He’s a wild card, but one that might be worth taking a flyer on.
ERA and WHIP
Luis Castillo (SP – CIN): 38.5%
Jack Flaherty (SP – STL): 13.2%
Luis Castillo is practically a mainstay here, but no one seems to want to pick him up? Over 13 starts, he has a 3.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 26.4% strikeout rate, 57.0% ground-ball rate — you get the picture. Just go grab him if he’s available.
If you need a deeper league pick-up, you can check out Jack Flaherty, who’s making his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. Through 15 Triple-A starts, Flaherty has an impressive 2.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 25.1% strikeout rate. With 148 2/3 innings between Triple-A and Double-A this year, it’s hard to say how the Cardinals will handle him, but with Mike Leake now gone, Flaherty has a shot to make an impact in the rotation.
Saves
Blake Parker (RP – LAA): 13.3%
Blake Parker is the latest in a long line of closers for the Los Angeles Angels this year. It was initially expected that Cam Bedrosian would hold the role, but Parker has now converted three straight saves. Given the frequent changes this season, this is still a difficult situation to trust, but Parker has an excellent 2.14 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, and is widely available.
Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.