Week five of the fantasy season is upon us and with it comes another addition of Wavier Flavor where I take a look at some of the top players over the past week whose ownership levels have not yet caught up with their recent production and are worth adding should you find yourself in need of an upgrade at a certain position.  This week we take a look at a few mainstays whose ownership levels don’t reflect their level of production this season, a shortstop who’s coming off of the DL soon and a few power hitters who are really starting to pile up the home runs.

Catcher

J.T. Realmuto, Mia- Realmuto turned in a solid rookie campaign in 2015, hitting .259 with 49 runs, 10 home runs, 47 RBI and eight stolen bases over 441 at bats.  His sophomore season got off to a slow start but he is now really starting to heat up as he’s hitting .409 with five runs, one home run and three RBI over the last seven games. Realmuto is considered a solid hitting catcher so there is definite fantasy upside here but he did hit just .268 in the minors so it seems likely there will be some regression in the average department over the course of the season.

Tucker Barnhart, Cin- With Devin Mesoraco landing on the DL the Reds will turn the starting catcher job over to Barnhart who is hitting a solid .280 on the season.  Tucker is a switching hitting catcher but has proven to be a capable hitter from either side of the plate with no extreme split either way.  Over 242 at bats last season Barnhart hit .252 with 23 runs, three home runs and 18 RBI.

Carlos Ruiz, Phi- Ruiz finds himself in the lineup just about every other day and when he’s active he is producing, hitting .341 with seven runs, three home runs and six RBI.  Over the last seven days Ruiz has made three starts, going 5-for-10 with two runs, one home run and two RBI. Ruiz splits time with Cameron Rupp who is also a solid catching option but fantasy owners need to be aware that neither are every day players.

First Base

Chris Carter, Mil- Chris Carter is the definition of locked in right now as the powerful righty has hit four home runs over the last three games to give him nine on the season to go with a surprisingly solid .287 batting average and 21 RBI which has made him the top first basemen in fantasy through the first month of the season.  Despite this level of production it appears his reputation continues to hold him back as he finds himself available in far too many leagues.  Owners shouldn't forget that it was just two years ago that Carter turned in a second half that looks much like his start to 2016 which saw him finish the year with 37 home runs and if he can hold it together he could be in for a huge year.

Byung Ho Park, Min-  Park got off to a slow start to his MLB debut but has recently displayed the power that made him a prolific power hitter over in the KBO.  Over the last week Park is hitting .286 with four runs, three home runs and seven RBI.  On the year he’s hitting .250 with 11 runs, seven home runs and 12 RBI.  There is still plenty of swing and miss in his bat but as the Twins offense begins to heat up Park figures to be in for plenty of RBI chances given his ability to put the ball over the fence.

Matt Adams, StL- The Cardinals are finally starting to play Adams more consistently and over the past seven days he is hitting .300 with three runs, two home runs and four RBI.  He is going to sit against southpaws but he is a better hitter than Brandon Moss who the Cards were having him split time with at first base and as long as they continue to play him his upside in both power and batting average is worth adding to your roster.  Another added incentive is the Cardinals are batting him in the middle of the lineup which is going to lead to plenty of RBI chances given the way their offense has started this season.

Second Base

Jed Lowrie, Oak- Lowrie is back with the A’s this season and is off to a hot start. Hitting .316 with eight runs and 14 RBI.  Over the past few games he has been hitting second in the lineup but has also hit cleanup at times which is great news for his production.  Lowrie’s ability to hit the ball has never been in question but he has a long injury history so fantasy owners may want to jump on him now before his eventual DL stint.

Brock Holt, Bos – Holt started the season on fire but predictably cooled off into the player fantasy owners should expect the this season which is somebody who can hit around .280 while scoring some runs and driving in the occasional RBI from the bottom half of the Red Sox lineup.  His position versatility is the main selling point in the fantasy world as he is eligible at second base, third base and outfield in most league formats.  On the year he finds himself hitting .268 with 12 runs, two home runs, 15 RBI and two stolen bases.

Brett Lawrie, CWS- Lawrie’s power surge has been a nice treat for his fantasy owners as three of his four home runs this season have come over the last seven games. During that stretch he is hitting .316 with five runs and three RBI to go with those three homers.  Lawrie hit 16 home runs with 64 runs and 60 RBI last season for the A’s and he is now in a better hitters park with a better lineup around him so he should be able to reach those numbers if not surpass them altogether. 

Third Base

Brandon Drury, Ari- Last week it was Jake Lamb of the Diamondbacks that made this list but that now seems like a long time ago as Drury exploded over the last seven days, hitting .360 with six runs, four home runs and six RBI.  He finds himself hitting second against lefties and has begun to see playing time against righties as well.  He is currently just third base eligible in most formats but is very close to having outfield eligibility as well which will only help his value.  The Diamondbacks like to go with the hot hand and with Drury just 30 percent owned in most standard leagues he is worth the grab while he’s playing this well.

Nick Castellanos, Det- Castellanos once again appears on this list as he finds himself just 60 percent owned in most standard leagues despite hitting .500 with three runs, two home runs and nine RBI over the last seven days.  On the season the 24 year old third basemen is hitting .368 with 11 runs, four home, 19 RBI and an OPS of .963.  It was just a few years ago that Castellanos was one of the Tigers top prospects and after a few seasons in the big leagues he looks primed for a breakout season.

Travis Shaw, Bos- Like Castellanos, Shaw has been on this list from the get go as the Red Sox third basemen is just over 60 percent owned despite hitting .312 with 12 runs, three home runs, 17 RBI and two stolen bases.  Shaw turned in a great rookie season in 2015, hitting .274 with 31 runs, 13 home runs and 36 RBI over 226 at bats.  During spring training some scouts likened his ability to that of Adam LaRoche who for the majority of his career would hit around 25 home runs and drive in 80 RBI which is more than serviceable.  Shaw has dual eligibility at both third base and first base which only adds to his value and makes him worth picking up.

Shortstop

Jonathan Villar, Mil- Villar is doing all he can to keep Brewers prospect Orlando Arcia in the minors as he is off to a hot start to his 2016 season, hitting .265 with 12 runs, one home run, six RBI and eight stolen bases.  The speed is the key to Villar’s fantasy value as he showed by totaling 42 stolen bases over 589 at bats with the Astros over the last three seasons.  With the prospects of an everyday job ahead of him there is little reason he doesn’t threaten to top the stolen base charts in the NL and seeing as he is hitting at the top of a lineup that includes Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and a surging Chris Carter he should have little trouble scoring runs.

Ketel Marte, Sea- Marte was a popular sleeper candidate entering the season but he got off to a really rough start which saw many owners cut bait.  He is currently just above 30 percent owned and for those who stuck with him they are now reaping the rewards as the rookie shortstop is hitting .348 over the last seven days.  The Mariners are currently batting him ninth to take the pressure off but they project him to be their future leadoff hitter which is something that will likely come sooner rather than later and will increase his run totals.  For now fantasy owners should take the solid batting average and expect the steals to start coming now that he is on base.

Jung Ho Kang, Pit- Kang is nearing the end of his rehab stint with the expectations that he could return to the Pirates as soon as the end of this week.  According to a team report Kang is expected to start two out of every three games upon his return and will still be available to pinch hit on his off days which could help his production.  In his rookie season he showed little trouble adjusting to major league pitching and finished the year hitting .287 with 60 runs, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, five stolen bases and an OPS of .816 over 421 at bats.  Kang has the ability to play both third base and shortstop which only adds to his overall value.  Kang’s ownership is just below 70 percent in most standard leagues so there is a possibility that he is floating around your waiver wire and now is the perfect time to grab and stash him on the DL until he is activated.

Outfield

Odubel Herrera, Phi-  For the second week in a row Herrera lands on this list as his ownership level is just above 50 percent in standard leagues despite the fact that he hit .375 with an OPS of .858 over the last week.  Herrera is hitting at the top of the Phillies lineup and his ability to hit for some power as well as steal some bases make him a prime candidate for a breakout season.  During his rookie season in 2015 Herrera hit .297 with 64 runs, eight home runs, 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

Khris Davis, Oak- The home run power that Davis offers is undeniable and over the last week he has put that power on display as he has hit .276 with five runs, four home runs and six RBI.  There is plenty of swing and miss in the bat of Davis and his home ballpark is not friendly to home run hitters but he’s a streaky player who has hit three home runs over the past two games and has collected hits in 10 of his last 12 games.  Davis hit 27 home runs for the Brewers last season and at just 27 percent owned in most standard leagues he’s worth a look if you are in need of home runs.

Jackie Bradley Jr., Bos – Bradley Jr. has been known more for his gold glove quality defense than his bat during his time in the majors but he’s a career .294 hitter at the minor league level with an OPS of .851.  In the second half of last season Bradley’s bat finally showed up and he hit .267 with 41 runs, nine home runs, 41 RBI and an OPS of .891.  Over the last week JBJ has once again begun to hit, owning an average of .421 with three runs, five RBI and an OPS of 1.237.  The Red Sox currently bat him ninth but he is surely going to move up in the order as long as he continues to rake and based off of his minor league pedigree and the second half of last year it appears that maybe Bradley is ready to be a complete major league player and a fantasy asset.

Pitchers

Rick Porcello, Bos – Rick Porcello the “Ace” has been on display over his first five starts of the season as he has gone 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP while striking out 36 over 32.2 innings.  While some of his turn around can be attributed to the return of Christian Vazquez who is quickly becoming one of the league’s top game callers it’s also worth noting that in the second half of last season Porcello began to turn his season around, going 4-6 with a 3.53 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 71.1 innings.  Porcello has seen his ownership jump to about 70 percent over the last week but after back to back shutouts and another matchup on the slate against the strikeout prone Yankees lineup that number should continue to increase.

 Bartolo Colon, NYM- You can say what you want about Colon’s physique but at 42 years old the man can still pitch.  He finished 2015 going 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA but is off to a fast start to his 2016 season, going 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA.  He just tossed eight shutout innings against a punchless Braves lineup and draws another favorable start in San Diego on Saturday.  Colon is worth rostering based on his matchups and seeing as he is just 25 percent owned it’s likely he is floating around your waiver wire.

Rubby De La Rosa, Ari  - The potential is there with De La Rosa who was once a top pitching prospect for the Dodgers but control problems have really hampered him and saw him moved to the bullpen.  The Diamondbacks moved him back into the starting rotation last week and he did not disappoint as he allowed just one earned run over 13 innings while walking three and striking out 16 against the Pirates and Cardinals who boast two of the leagues better offenses.  His next start comes on Wednesday against the Marlins who are not nearly as good against righties as they are lefties and have some guys that will strikeout.  If De La Rosa can get through this game with another impressive performance he is worth the speculative add incase this is the season he finally puts it all together.

Fernando Rodney, SD- I certainly understand the hesitation with Rodney as he is always a roller coaster on the mound given his propensity to allow base runners but so far this season he has converted six saves without allowing an earned run and owns a WHIP of 0.97.  During his prime Rodney was one of the league’s top closers and before last year’s meltdown in Seattle he had been among the league leaders in saves.  Though the Padres may not put him in many positions to close out games he is sitting at just 35 percent ownership and has performed better than some of the guys who are sitting on a fantasy roster.  If you need saves help Rodney is certainly somebody worth taking a chance on.

Jeanmar Gomez, Phi- After a shaky start as the Phillies closer Gomez has been impressive which included tossing four scoreless innings last week on his way to four saves.  On the year Gomez has notched nine saves to go with a 1.69 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP and has helped solidify the Phillies bullpen which was in some turmoil to begin the year.  Gomez is owned in just under 70 percent of standard leagues and seeing as the Phillies are looking like a team that could surprise this year it’s certainly worth grabbing their closer if he’s sitting on waivers in your league.