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No matter how much time you devote to identifying targets on the waiver wire, sometimes it’s just been picked clean, or your FAAB bid came up short, or injuries create one more roster hole than you can comfortably fill. That’s where streaming comes in, for when you need find a week’s worth of solid production from an unexpected source. Here are three hitters we recommend riding with based on favorable matchups in week 8 of the fantasy baseball season.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 8
Hitters to stream
Jake Fraley, OF, Cincinnati Reds — A trendy sleeper pick around draft time, Fraley got off to a slow start this season, but the outfielder has turned it on ever since returning from a balky back at the beginning of May. He’s six for his last 14 with three homers and eight RBI, and now he gets a dream week for fantasy purposes: three games apiece at Coors Field and Great American Ballpark, the two most hitter-friendly environments in the Majors. Fraley will typically sit against lefties, but Cincy only faces one southpaw this week, making him an ideal streaming play.
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS/OF, Houston Astros — With Chas McCormick still out after seemingly returning too quickly from his back injury, Dubon remains entrenched as the Astros’ leadoff hitter, and he’s produced to the tune of a .292 average with 22 runs scored and three steals. He should be hitting in front of Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker all week, a week in which Houston will face four lefties — an ideal spot for Dubon, who’s hit .287/.338/.457 for his career against southpaws. If you’re in need of speed, average and runs scored, look no further.
Andy Ibanez, 1B/3B, Detroit Tigers — Ibanez has hit the cover off the ball since being called up earlier this month, with an .803 OPS that actually sells short his 93.8 average exit velocity and 60% hard-hit rate. He’s swinging the bat very well right now, meaning he should play just about every day, and now he and the rest of Detroit’s bats get to face Luis Ortiz and Rich Hill of the Pittsburgh Pirates before three games against the Washington Nationals’ putrid pitching staff. There are three lefties in that mix, which is even more great news for the righty-swinging Ibanez.