Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets: Best Hitters to Add Now

As promised, here is a fantasy baseball waiver wire article for hitters only. Here's the one we did earlier on pitchers (streaming options for Thursday).

Also be sure to check out our waiver wire stories from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fantasy baseball waiver wire options can be found all season on FantasySP!

Luke Raley - Seattle Mariners

Raley is up 2.08% today, which brings his overall mark to 20.29%.

Through his first 17 games and 64 plate appearances of the regular season, Raley has a .339 average and .391 on-base percentage. He has 20 hits, including four doubles and homers and one triple. Raley has 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, three walks and 23 punchouts.

He has caught fire of late, tallying 11 hits over his past four contests. Raley has four extra-base hits in that span, plus five RBIs, three runs scored and just three strikeouts.

Raley has been a streaky hitter early on, and that tells you he's a better deep-league asset. He could be scooped up and utilized in more deeper leagues while his bat is high, but unless he's red hot for weeks on end, skip him in standard leagues.

Xander Bogaerts - San Diego Padres

Bogaerts is owned in about 43% of fantasy leagues right now. He was at 41% earlier this week.

He's hit third or fifth over his past several starts for San Diego. Bogaerts has six hits over his past three games, plus five RBIs, a run scored, three walks and no strikeouts.

On the season, Bogaerts has a .284 average and .342 OBP. He has 19 hits, including two doubles and three home runs. Bogaerts also has 13 RBIs, five runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks and only six strikeouts.

Bogaerts might be past his prime, but he's still capable of being a decent fantasy hitter. He's part of a loaded shortstop position, so he's owned in less leagues as a result. Bogaerts is worth more fantasy ownership/usage as his bat is hot, and that means almost all deeper leagues - I think there's better options out there in standard leagues.

Ramon Laureano - San Diego Padres

Laureano has been added in 3.18% of leagues, bringing his overall mark to 66.76%.

He is hitting leadoff for the Padres, which is a good spot for his fantasy outlook. Laureano is on a five-game hitting streak, with eight knocks over that span. He also has five extra-base hits, six RBIs, seven runs scored, three walks and four strikeouts in that stretch.

In 17 games and 71 plate appearances overall, Laureano has a .292 average and .352 OBP. He's got 19 hits, including four doubles and homers, plus a triple. Laureano has 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored, three stolen bases, five walks and 15 strikeouts.

He's an outfielder, which is another loaded fantasy spot, but Laureano is also producing enough to own/utilize in more leagues, at least for now. I think he needs to be in all deeper leagues, and is now a standard league option, albeit probably just a short-term option.

Daulton Varsho - Toronto Blue Jays

Varsho has been picked up in 2.99% of leagues - he's at 46.63% overall.

Varsho has at least one hit in six straight games, with 10 hits in total in that span. He has five extra-base hits, six RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and just two strikeouts in that stretch.

He can be a good fantasy asset when he's hitting well, and Varsho is now. He owns a .267 average and .343 OBP over 17 games and 67 plate appearances for the season. Varsho has seven RBIs, eight runs scored, a stolen base, seven walks and eight strikeouts, so you can see he's really picked up his production of late.

He's worth owning in deeper leagues, and that should be the case most of the season. Varsho can be a standard league streaming option when he's hot at the dish, or hitting for power. Another couple big showings could get him into standard leagues, so be ready to pounce in those leagues if you aren't willing to add him today.

Liam Hicks - Miami Marlins 

Hicks is up to 80% rostered, and it continues to grow. He started the year at about 2% owned.

Hicks is now playing daily for Miami, and hitting fourth when he's in the lineup. His fantasy outlook has greatly improved since the start of the year.

He has five hits over his past three games, with five RBIs, a run scored, a stolen base and two strikeouts in that stretch. Hicks has a .309 average and .355 OBP over 18 games and 62 plate appearances so far. He has four homers and a double among his 17 knocks, plus 18 RBIs, 11 runs scored, a stolen base, three walks and only five strikeouts.

At a catcher spot that's hard to find fantasy talent at, Hicks has been an early-season surprise. He's worth adding/utilizing in more standard leagues, although he should be watched, as he's bound to regress at some point.

Sam Antonacci - Chicago White Sox

Antonacci is owned in just 16.22% of leagues, but is up 2.35% so far today.

Antonacci is the team's No. 9 prospect and made his MLB debut on Wednesday. He hit fifth against a right-handed pitcher. Antonacci is hitting ninth in Thursday's lineup against a lefty.

In his debut, Antonacci hit a single and walked across four plate appearances. He scored a run as well.

It was a good debut, and with consistent playing time, he could become a fantasy asset in time. He's worth adding in some really deep leagues today, and watching in case he keeps delivering at the plate.