Each week, we’ll look at a handful of different hitters who fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues, depending on your options at their position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Wednesday afternoon.
Blake Perkins – 4%
There might be some unsustainability long-term this season where Blake Perkins’ overall production is concerned.
The 28-year-old outfielder is batting .261 with a .320 on-base percentage, three home runs and three stolen bases in 75 plate appearances at the Major League level this season. And while he’s sporting a .217 ISO so far, he’s also logged a 30.7% strikeout rate, a .264 xwOBA and a .349 BABIP.
Still, he’s been excellent at the plate as of late, hitting .283 with a .327 on-base percentage, three home runs and a stolen base in 49 plate appearances dating back to July 30, a stretch that has seen him register four multi-hit games.
The power production in general makes Perkins an intriguing short-term streaming option for fantasy managers, given the outfielder’s ability to make an impact on the base paths.
Just last season, the 28-year-old accumulated 23 stolen bases in 434 plate appearances for the Brewers.
And while Perkins has mostly hit in the bottom half of Milwaukee’s lineup as of late, the fact that he’s playing a consistent role for one of baseball’s best lineups as of late only helps his short-term fantasy upside.
Since the start of play in July, only the Toronto Blue Jays have outscored the Brewers. Only the Blue Jays rank ahead of Milwaukee in wRC+.
Miguel Andujar – 4%
Andujar was mentioned in this column earlier this season as a short-term streaming option for fantasy managers.
Since then, there’s been some change. Change in that Andujar is now playing for the Cincinnati Reds after being traded to the National League Central club at the trade deadline.
The shift to one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks on its own immediately boosts Andujar’s fantasy ceiling for the rest of the season. Entering play on Wednesday, the Reds’ home ballpark had the fourth-best overall park factor (per Statcast data) in the last three seasons, trailing only the stadiums in Colorado, Boston and Arizona.
And that’s all without mentioning the fact that the outfielder is enjoying his best season at the plate since his rookie campaign in 2018.
In 259 plate appearances this season, the 30-year-old is batting .303 with a .344 on-base percentage, eight home runs and a stolen base, all the while sporting a wRC+ 19 points above league average and just a 14.3% strikeout rate.
Generally speaking, more contact in Cincinnati is going to play very well from a fantasy production standpoint.
What’s more, the veteran is off to a strong start at the plate with the Reds. It’s just a 28 plate appearance sample size, but Andujar already has two home runs in a Cincinnati uniform while batting .348 with a .464 on-base percentage and a 215 wRC+ for the National League Central club.
He’s once again a potential short-term option for fantasy managers, just as he was in April. But this time, with a hitter-friendly ballpark, Andujar could provide a boost for more than just a few games for fantasy teams with 14 or more teams and five starting outfield spots.
Adam Frazier – 1%
Speaking of players who’ve hit the ground running following a July trade, Adam Frazier has made an early impact for the Kansas City Royals since a July 16 trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 33-year-old veteran is batting .311 with a .333 on-base percentage, a home run and a stolen base in his first 66 plate appearances with the Royals this season. And while he’s walking just 3.0% of the time, he’s also striking out at a rather miniscule 13.6% rate in a Kansas City uniform.
The Royals have struggled to score runs at times this season, it’s true. Entering play on Wednesday, only two teams had scored fewer runs than Kansas City. Just three teams had a lower collective wRC+ than the Royals.
Still, Frazier is starting to hit further up the lineup. After mostly hitting in the bottom third of Kansas City’s batting order upon being acquired, the infielder and outfielder has hit either fifth or sixth in four of his last five starts. The more he can move up the Royals lineup, the more it’ll help his fantasy ceiling the rest of the way.
For the season, the veteran is batting .267 with a .321 on-base percentage, four home runs and eight stolen bases in 328 plate appearances following the conclusion of play on Tuesday.
With his versatility – he’s eligible at second base, third base and in the outfield in most fantasy formats – Frazier should be able to provide an instant impact for a number of fantasy teams, regardless of roster or lineup construction.
He’s worth a look for fantasy managers in leagues with 14 or more teams as a short-term option and injury replacement, particularly in leagues with that many teams and middle infield and corner infield starting spots.
