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Deep League Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets for Week 17

By Todd Hedberg
Max Schuemann Deep League Waiver Wire Fantasy Baseball

In the last MLB collective bargaining agreement new rules were implemented to incentive teams to call up their young prospects earlier. As a result we’ve seen an unprecedented number of new call ups occurring on a weekly basis. This has resulted in a steady stream of new waiver wire targets for deep league fantasy baseball players to consider and replenish their teams. This week is no exception as there are several players who have recently debuted for their teams and are already making an impact.

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Deep League Waiver Wire Targets for Week 17

15-Team Mixed League Targets

1. Angel Martinez,  SS, Guardians

Recently, the Guardians gave a large promotion to minor leaguer Angel Martinez by placing him second in the batting order in his debut. While most rookies would feel overwhelmed batting between All-Stars, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez, that hasn’t been the case for Martinez. In his first seven games, he has hit .391 with an incredible .549 OBP. While Martinez never flashed high-end fantasy skills with marginal power and speed, his on-base skills were consistently elite. If he can continue to get on base he could hold the top-of-the-order lineup spot and give a huge boost in run categories.

2. Max Schuemann, SS, Athletics

For the last several weeks Max Schuemann has been in consideration for inclusion in this article but his declining stat line caused exclusion. The concern was that the slump would lead to a demotion back to the minor leagues. Instead, he has responded with a surge over the last two weeks that seemingly has cemented his role. In the last seven games, Schuemann is hitting .350 with a .480 OBP. This production has resulted in two home runs, five RBI, and three stolen bases. The propensity to pick up steals when getting on base, in particular, is what elevates Schuemann to a mixed-league viable target in deep leagues.

AL-Only League Targets

1. Richie Palacios, 2B/OF, Blue Jays

One would think that being on his third team in the first three years of his career would’ve shaken Richie Palacios’ confidence. Instead, it’s clearly served as motivation to make a lasting impact for his new team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Palacios has found his way into fairly regular playing time as a result of his high on-base percentage of .349. Yet, his uptick in power production, with 12 of his 37 hits being extra-base hits, has raised eyebrows for AL-only fantasy managers. Combine his four home runs with his 14 steals and it makes for a very compelling fantasy profile.

2. Leo Jimenez, SS, Blue Jays

One of the most important skills for fantasy managers in deep leagues, especially AL or NL-only leagues, is to grab speculative waiver wire additions early on. If there’s a roster spot to fill then there’s little to lose and much to potentially gain. One player that’s worth a speculative add in AL-only leagues this week is Leo Jimenez of the Toronto Blue Jays. While he’s only appeared in just five games in his major league career, he’s already gotten on base at least once in each game. Currently, he has five hits in his first 14 at-bats for a .400 batting average. Though it’s his on-base ability that shined in the minor leagues as he holds a career .392 OBP in the minors. Like several of the other middle infield recommendations this week, if he gets on base regularly he should see consistent playing time and provide meaningful fantasy contributions.

NL-Only League Targets

1. Xavier Edwards, 2B/SS, Marlins

Another call-up who is quickly making an impact for their club is Xavier Edwards. While Edwards made his debut last season, he is picking up where he left off in the majors with consistent hitting at a .297 clip, nearly identical to his .295 average last season. The on-base percentage is well above league average as well, currently at .366. The only limiting factor to Edwards’ success is the empty batting average, consisting of mostly singles with no home runs. This lack of power and speed production will keep him NL-only worthy for the time being, but the hit tool foundation is there for greater value potential long-term.

2. Miguel Rojas, 2B/SS, Dodgers

The lone veteran on this week’s list is Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For years Rojas has been relegated to a reserve role and often spelling Mookie Betts and other stars in the Dodger infield on their off days. Now, he’s seeing increased playing time as a result of Betts’ injury absence and Gavin Lux’s struggles. The increased playing time has resulted in increased production as of late. Over the last 30 games Rojas is batting .301 with 11 runs scored and 14 RBI. Mix in two steals in that time period and his value is proving very beneficial for fantasy managers. With Betts still a few weeks or more away from returning the window to profit from his production remains open for NL-only league fantasy managers.

Got a few deep league waiver wire targets of your own? Don’t be greedy! Drop some names in the comments below.

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1 Comment
  1. Babbo B says

    Palacios’ eyebrow-raising “uptick in power production” has resulted in those four HR in 260 PA – compared to six in only 102 PA last season – and a drop in slugging percentage from .516 to .333.

    Reply
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