If you need a fill-in for an injury or are simply looking for a short-term spark, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any estimation, but they're the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
- Week 8: Sleeper pitchers | Two-start pitchers
All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper hitters for Week 8 (May 15-21)
The Marlins' matchups this week aren't especially good or bad, but Soler appears to be heating up with four home runs already this month. His power is top tier, so the rewards could be huge if you can find a way to get him into your lineup.
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Bader has played like his hair is on fire since coming back from a strained oblique in early May, showing surprising power while stringing together multi-hit games. The Yankees are one of only eight teams playing seven games this week.
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With three home runs over the weekend, Fraley's bat has come back to life just in time for a visit to Coors Field. He remains an on-base threat with enough power and speed to make things interesting, and having only one lefty on the schedule should keep his bat in the lineup.
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Gurriel has seen his production spike since the calendar flipped to May, giving him a batting average over .300 and an OPS near .900. The downside is he tends to sit once or twice a week, but with the Diamondbacks having the second-best hitter matchups, going against the Athletics and Pirates rotations, he'll make do with what he gets.
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The Reds have the best matchups of any team this week, thanks in large part to a series at Coors Field, and Steer has done a good job of driving the ball lately with three home runs in his past 10 games. He's eligible at both corner infield spots, too.
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Ramirez is quickly becoming a fixture in this space, his roster rate holding steady because he's not quite an everyday player. He is still a productive hitter, though, and a good bet to do damage against pitchers like Tylor Megill, Adrian Houser and Colin Rea.
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Marsh has quieted down the past couple weeks, but his matchups this week might be enough to get him going again. There are only two lefties on the schedule, and some of the righties include Hayden Wesneski and Jameson Taillon.
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Alvarez appears to have taken over as the Mets' primary catcher, finally getting a day off Sunday after starting six straight, and the bat is waking up as a result. He went 6 for 20 with two homers and two doubles during that same six-game span.
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Senzel is eligible at second base, third base and the outfield and has looked competent enough at the plate this season to use in a week with favorable matchups. After visiting Colorado, the Reds will return home to face Clarke Schmidt, Jhony Brito and Domingo German from the Yankees rotation.
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Dominic Fletcher is on quite a heater right now, having homered twice and driven in a combined nine runs between Friday and Saturday. It's almost a no-brainer to recommend him, then, with the Diamondbacks having the second-best hitter matchups this week, but he probably isn't a power hitter long-term and isn't a lock to play every day either.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 8
1. Reds @COL3, NYY3
2. Diamondbacks @OAK3, @PIT3
3. Padres KC3, BOS3
4. Astros CHC3, OAK3
5. Rays @NYM3, MIL3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 8
1. Pirates @DET2, ARI3
2. Cubs @HOU3, @PHI3
3. Royals @SD3, @CHW3
4. Braves @TEX3, SEA3
5. Twins @LAD3, @LAA3
