Gerardo Parra

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Fantasy Baseball 2014-Our Top 3 Hot Waiver Wire Pickups of the Week

Posted by fantasyfurnace on May 16, 2014
Posted in: MLB. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

With the Fantasy Baseball season entering it’s eighth week on Monday, May 19, 2014, we have three little owned (all under 25%) ‘Hot’ Waiver Wire Pickups for you to consider…

1. Seth Smith-OF-Padres- 22% Owned- Speaking of ‘Hot Pickups’ this 31 year old outfielder has been one of the hottest! Over the last 10 games, Smith has batted an incredible 17-for-35 (.486) and has hit safely in 9 of the 10 games with 7 being of the multi-hit variety.

Last Saturday, Smith just missed hitting for the cycle by a single against the Marlins in a 9-3 loss. Playing for an offensively challenged Padres team, Smith, the only bright spot in their lineup of late, now has raised his season’s average to a fantasy relevant .336 with a 1.004 OPS. Since Smith is a career .268 hitter, he production will go down at some point but ride him while this streak continues.

#12 Seth Smith has been on a tear amassing 7 multi-hit games over his last 10 and batting just under .500 over that span. Photo: AP

#12 Seth Smith has been on a tear amassing 7 multi-hit games over his last 10 and batting just under .500 over that span. Photo: AP

2. Gerardo Parra-OF-Diamondbacks- 23% Owned- Parra is another hot hitter who has also hit in nine of his last 10 games with five multi-hit games to his credit. The undrafted outfielder, recommended for those in deeper leagues, has scored 24 runs so far this season while tallying 4 homers and 13 RBIs. Currently Parra is just about at his career .277 batting average.

He can steal a base or two and should finish the season with 15 thefts. Parra isn’t for everyone in every league, just a nice hitter who can help in runs and, should your settings include triples, Parra’s been known to hit a few. (He already has two in the young season).

3. Dallas Keuchel-SP,RP-Astros- 22% Owned- With stats like this 26 year old has, even though he’s pitching for the Astros, there is no reason for him not to be in mixed leagues in most formats at this point. For the season, Keuchel has a 4-2 record with a 3.06 ERA to go along with 47 strikeouts against just 11 walks. His control has helped him pitch deep into most of his games especially his last on May 13th when he threw a complete game shut out vs the Rangers, striking out 7 while not allowing a walk.

In his 8 starts this year, Keuchel gave up just 3 runs or less in 6 of them while facing teams with rather potent lineups such as the Rangers (0 runs), the Tigers (2 ER), and the Blue Jays (1 ER). The little owned southpaw who will face the Angels next on May 18th should be someone to consider grabbing.

#60 LHP Dallas Keuchel is just coming off his complete game shutout of the Texas Rangers. Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

#60 LHP Dallas Keuchel is just coming off his complete game shutout of the Texas Rangers. Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

  

 

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FANTASY BASEBALL-Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

Posted by fantasyfurnace on May 1, 2012
Posted in: MLB. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

As we enter week 5 in fantasy baseball, we turn the calendar on April and go in to month two of the long baseball season.  We’ve watched some amazing things happen so far like Matt Kemp hitting 12 HR, collecting 25 RBI, and batting .417, while the $250 million man, Albert Pujols, has driven in 4 runs, has no HR and is batting 200 points less than Kemp at .217. Some of the pitchers that were drafted early like Cliff Lee, Daniel Hudson, Rick Dempster, Drew Storen, Brian Wilson, and Andrew Bailey have all found a place on the DL.

 And so here are some key waiver wire pick ups that you should be considering and who are not widely owned in most leagues:

Gerardo Parra-OF-Diamondbacks- Parra makes for a nice little pickup in all leagues basically for one category; stolen bases. While OF Chris Young is healing from what has been diagnosed as a slight ligament tear in his right shoulder, the speedster will continue his lead-off duties and probably see 3-4 more weeks on the field. In the last two weeks, he has stolen 7 bases, knocked in 10 runs, has 2 HR, and has scored 13 runs. Not bad for a replacement player. So if you have a ‘need for speed’ (and a little more), Parra is available in 75% of leagues.

#8 Gerardo Parra slides in safely in front of the tag by Jose Reyes of the Marlins. The speedster is worth a flier if you need SB. Photo: Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

Chris Davis-1B/3B-Orioles- This 26 year old has been red hot of late after a torrid weekend series versus the Athletics. He’s batting .310, which is bound to come down somewhat, but his power is his strong suit as he has hit 4 HR and driven in 12 in just 67 AB. I was surprised that Texas gave up on him so quickly because less than 2 years before he was traded to Baltimore, in 2009, he belted 21 HR in just 391 AB which equates to 1 HR every 18.6 AB. His dual position eligibility is also a plus. Davis is currently owned in just 35% of Yahoo! leagues and makes a nice add in 12+ leagues.

3B Chris Davis also has 1B eligibility which, together with his power makes him a nice add in most leagues. Photo: fansedge.com

Bryan LaHair-1B/OF-Cubs- Another player on fire is LaHair. Monday he doubled and hit a 2-run home run against the Phillies, which now gives him 5 moon-shots for the season to go along with 14 RBI. More impressive for the 29 year old who has spent most of his career in the minors, is his stellar .390 BA which, coupled with his obvious power, makes him a must add in most leagues. If you’re a gambler, you can think about trading LaHair while he’s got these amazing numbers. Or, if you don’t have him, you can pick him up on waivers which is becoming even harder to do as his stock rises. On Monday he was owned in 51% of leagues. Today it’s up to 62%. Don’t procrastinate-see if he’s still available.

Cubs 1B/OF celebrates with Starlin Castro after LaHair's 2 run HR in the 8th inning vs the Phillies over the weekend. Photo: associated press

Jason Hammel-SP/RP-Orioles- Hammel, who has spent the last three seasons in the thin air of Colorado, has watched his wins and K’s go up while his ERA 1.97, and WHIP 1.03 has dropped significantly since being traded to Baltimore this past winter. He’s 3-1 in the month of April and has fanned 30 in just 32 innings pitched. On Monday versus the Yankees he allowed 2 runs over six innings and struck out five but took the loss. The red hot Red Sox are up next for Hammel so it won’t be an easy task for the 29 year old. He is another player you might consider selling high but would suggest waiting another start or two. His 10 strikeout performance against the White Sox is what impressed me the most and is worth a grab in most leagues. He is available in 50% of leagues.

#39 Jason Hammel got the win over the Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Sunday and lowered his ERA to 1.97 on the season. Photo: GREG FIUME/Getty Images

Pedro Strop-RP-Orioles- Our third Oriole of the week, is a 26 year old fire-baller who can bring it. With closer Jim Johnson securely in place with his 7 saves, 0.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, Strop is a nice alternative if you’re lacking in the RP slot and could use an occasional save and/or win. He finished April with a 3-1 record and has added 2 saves to his resume. He also has struck out 14 in 13 innings and has a 2.08 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP which makes him more than serviceable. In Yahoo! leagues, he is currently ranked 70 among all pitchers. He is widely available in 85% of leagues and is definitely worth a flier.

RP Pedro Strop makes for a nice pickup if you're looking for wins, saves, and K's from your RP. Photo: csnbaltimore.com