Lose a stud bat to injury and need a fill-in in a pinch? Tired of that dead weight in your utility spot and looking to catch lightning in a bottle? Scott White has 10 recommendations for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any means, but they're the best you'll be able to do off the waiver wire.
- Week 14: Sleeper pitchers | Two-start pitchers
All information is up to date as of Sunday evening.
Sleeper hitters for Week 14 (July 4-10)
The Diamondbacks have the fifth-best hitter matchups this week, namely because of a four-game series against the Rockies pitching staff. Walker's slugging this year has generally made up for his lack of batting average, but it'll be less of an issue with four left-handers on the schedule. He's batting .279 against lefties.
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Harris has made an impact even from the nine spot, seeing his batting average climb over .300 with enough power and speed to factor in any format. The Braves have the second-best hitter matchups this week, with Miles Mikolas being the only quality opponent in a seven-game stretch.
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Tellez has begun to do serious damage again with a couple two-homer games in the past week, and his Statcast numbers suggest he has even more ground to make up. The Cubs and Pirates pitching staffs can't offer much to slow him down.
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Not only did Rosario hit .350 in June but he also began to make better use of his blazing speed, swiping six bases for the month. He has the right matchups to keep it going in Week 14 with seven games against the Tigers and Royals.
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Lowe is coming off far and away his best month of the season -- one in which he began to elevate the ball a bit for improved power -- and he'll face off against mashables like Dean Kremer, Austin Voth, Spenser Watkins and Dylan Bundy this week.
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Thomas has seen his production suffer over the past couple weeks but is still making contact at a high rate and has the tools to make a significant impact in a short period of time. The Diamondbacks will enjoy the fifth-best hitter matchups this week.
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The Blue Jays will face a couple bat-missers (George Kirby and Robbie Ray) in the Mariners series to end the week, but the rest of the pitchers on their Week 14 schedule are pitch-to-contact types. The versatile Espinal has done well with contact lately, collecting multiple hits in four of his past five games.
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Lux continues to contribute a mostly hollow batting average but has seen it climb over the past couple weeks. He's the one Dodgers regular who might be available to pick up in a week when they have the third-best hitter matchups.
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McCutchen slashed .315/.411/.500 in June, homering four times, and is showing he still has something left in the tank after battling injuries for much of the past two seasons. The hot hitting is liable to continue against the Cubs and Pirates pitching staffs this week.
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Smith hasn't made much of an impact as the Rangers leadoff hitter yet but has the on-base skills and speed to be a nice fit there. His matchups this week should help the cause. He'll face the Orioles for three games and then miss Joe Ryan in the Twins series that follows.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 14
1. White Sox MIN3, DET4
2. Braves STL4, WAS3
3. Dodgers COL3, CHC4
4. Guardians @DET4, @KC3
5. Diamondbacks SF3, COL4
Worst hitter matchups for Week 14
1. Athletics TOR3, HOU3
2. Pirates NYY2, @CIN2, @MIL3
3. Mariners @SD2, TOR4
4. Cubs @MIL3, @LAD4
5. Padres SEA2, SF4
