We’re heading into Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season!
If you’re looking to get a leg up on the competition, here are a few guys that should not be left on the waiver wire.
William Contreras (C/UT) ATL
Contreras seems to be moving into an everyday role for the Braves. He's swinging a hot bat and will be taking reps at DH and catcher. Contreras has a 1.146 OPS across 44 plate appearances, and he's batting .303 with five homers in May.
Patrick Wisdom (3B) CHC
Wisdom was a late-bloomer. His strikeout rate kept him out of the majors for a long time, but now that he's here, he is defying the odds. His 40% K rate is still in the bottom 1% of the league, but his hard-hit rate is in the top 3%, and his average exit velocity is in the top 8%. The Cubs need his bat, and across the past week, he's been heating up with four home runs and a stolen base in the last seven games. Wisdom now has ten home runs on the season. The 30-year-old third baseman has the power upside; just be sure you can take the hit in BA or strikeouts in your roto and points leagues.
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Harrison Bader (OF) STL
Harrison Bader is second in the league with 11 stolen bases (Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Mateo are tied for first.) Not only that, but his K rate is the lowest of his career. Across the past week, Bader is hitting .364 with a home run. Bader is a great option if you need speed. He's available in 50% of fantasy leagues.
Joc Pederson (OF) SF
We had Joc in this article a few weeks ago because he is absolutely crushing the ball (top 1% in exit velocity, top 2% in hard-hit rate). It's generally difficult to start Joc in weekly leagues because he platoons, and he often doesn't get the ABs when facing left-handed pitchers. He has zero HR and is batting .100 vs. southpaws. And if you didn't start him this week, I feel your pain. Pederson had a lot of LH matchups this week, but he defied the odds anyway. After a pep talk with Barry Bonds on Monday, Pederson promptly had a three-homer, eight RBI game. He followed it up with another long ball in the matinee vs. the Mets the next day. If Pederson is on the wire, grab him. Even if he's on your bench, at least your opponent won't get lucky.
Tyler Anderson (SP) LAD
Tyler Anderson is off to a great start for the Dodgers. He has locked in his place at the back end of the stellar LAD rotation. Anderson has pitched in eight games and started six, most recently pitching eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts vs. the Nationals. He's now 5-0 on the season, and he pitches for arguably the best team in baseball. Get him if you can.
Cristian Javier (SP) HOU
Javier has secured his place in the Astros rotation now that Jake Odorizzi has hit the IL. Most recently, Javier pitched a six-inning, nine strikeout game vs. the Rangers, and his ERA is now 2.43. He's striking batters out at a rate of 11.7 per nine innings, and his WHIP is a solid .97. If you lost Freddy Peralta, Javier could be your guy.
Aaron Ashby (SP) MIL
Ashby has bounced between the starting rotation and relief all season, but the results have been strong. Ashby has a sparkly 2.91 ERA, striking out more than ten batters per nine innings. Next week, he will take Freddy Peralta's spot and face the Padres and the Cubs. Especially in points leagues where you can roster him in the RP spot, Ashby is worth an add.
