Fantasy Baseball Week 9: Why are these hitters still available?

It’s important to make the necessary adjustments to your fantasy baseball team now. Yet, why are these players still available in many leagues?

The fantasy baseball season is a third of the way over but there’s still a lot left to play. I say that June 1 is a good time to assess your team and make any necessary improvements to your team, whether it’s by trade or waiver wire.Speaking of the waiver wire, there are a lot of players still available that should be more owned.

Speaking of the waiver wire, there are a lot of players still available that should be more owned. These players have proved themselves worthy of being on a fantasy roster. They are likely playing better than some of the players you’re holding onto just because you drafted them and don’t want to let go.

It’s okay to dump a draft pick in exchange for someone off the waiver. There’s no rule that says you can’t unless you play in a maximum transactions league and met your limit. So, here are three players worth making a move for before it’s too late.

Justin Bour (45.4 percent owned in ESPN leagues)

Bour is hitting in the middle of a pretty good Miami Marlins offense. For the season, he has 13 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 runs scored and a .285 batting average. He has a career-high 23 home runs and .264 average, Bour is well on his way to breaking both of those records.

Bour has a home run in five of his last seven games played (not including Saturday). While his strikeout and walk rates are par with his career, Bour is actually making better contact with the ball. He has a three percent less ground ball rate and 12 percent higher hard hit rate.

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As long as Bour continues to make this kind of contact on a weekly basis, he could finish as a top-10 first baseman.

Adam Frazier (27.4 percent)

My colleague Brad Kelly wrote about Frazier just a couple of days ago, but it seems like not many people took notice. Earlier in the season, Frazier was hitting all over the Pirates lineup. He then went away with a hamstring injury. Upon his return came a new hitter.

From May 13 on, save for one game, Frazier has been the leadoff hitter. He has a .392 average with two homers, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored in that span. The other Pirates outfielders are either struggling or suspended, so Frazier is picking up the slack.

He has a secure spot in the lineup and will see plenty of at-bats to warrant an add. The power may not be there, but he certainly has the contact to get on base.

Matt Adams (9.6 percent)

I wrote the Braves trading for Adams here. I thought it was a good move for both parties, but I didn’t expect this out of Adams.

Since joining the Braves on May 21, he has eight hits, two home runs and four RBI. He has a hit in five straight games with his game on Saturday still to play. Adams is making better contact with the ball and spreading it around with the Braves.

He had 18.8/46.9/34.4 soft/med.hard hit rates in 31 games with St. Louis. So far in Atlanta, those rates are 10.0/45.0/45.0. It’s a small sample size, but the improvement is clearly there. Adams will have value up until Freddie Freeman‘s return, but you have a couple of months before then.

He isn’t striking out as much (so far) but he also isn’t walking much. As long as he can stay healthy, Adams is going to produce in Atlanta.

Next: Is Dinelson Lamet worth a speculative add?

There are plenty of players worth owning still sitting on the waiver wire if these three are owned in your league. Though, based on their ownership percentages, you may not have to worry. These players are putting up solid numbers and will be doing so for a while longer. Add them now to help your season.