The eleventh week of the 2024 fantasy baseball season has arrived. Week 10 was interesting, as Aaron Judge continued to soar, while Luis Robert Jr. returned from the IL. So with Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season on the horizon, which likely available hitters are worth a target on the waiver wire? Let’s go over our five picks.
Josh Bell
We’ll start our Week 11 hitters waiver wire target with Josh Bell, who’s been on these before. From May 24 through June 9, Bell hit .321 with a home run and five RBI for the Marlins. It’s a strong stretch, even though the home runs weren’t there. Although, the veteran first baseman did have seven extra-base hits over that time.
Bell has seven home runs on the season and would likely have more had he not been a Marlin, given the confines of Marlins Park. But given this recent stretch and needs among contenders, Bell could wind up being a prospective buy should he find a new home in the summer.
Alec Burleson
The Cardinals have had themselves a strange campaign, particularly among their outfielders. Jordan Walker was demoted after 20 games, Lars Nootbaar is on the IL, while Tommy Edman has yet to play in 2024. However, one outfielder, Alec Burleson, has been a steady contributor for St. Louis.
An outfielder/designated hitter, Burleson belted his fourth home run of June on June 9 against the Rockies. The 25-year-old owns a respectable .273 average on the season and given his successes at the plate — he’s already set a career-high in home runs (9) — he should see ample playing time.
David Hamilton
Last week, we highlighted Nationals outfielder and now-stolen base machine Jesse Winker — yes, that’s tongue-in-cheek — in our waiver wire target list. This week, we have another stolen base target, albeit one who might be more reliable. From May 24 through June 8, Red Sox infielder David Hamilton tied with Brenton Doyle for the most stolen bases (7) in the Majors. And, he’s hitting.
Hamilton hit .340 in that stretch with 16 hits over 47 at-bats, and he continued his hot stretch on June 9, with his third home run of 2024. With a sprint speed in the 91st percentile per Statcast, Hamilton, who can play multiple infield positions, is worth a look in mixed leagues.
Justin Turner
This one could be considered a prospective buy. Blue Jays infielder Justin Turner has been a reliable fantasy option over the last decade but that hasn’t been the case in 2024. Through 216 plate appearances, Turner owns a .233 average and four home runs. And if the season ended today, Turner’s .679 OPS would be a career-low.
There’s an argument to be made that Turner’s been somewhat unlucky. The Blue Jays infielder owns a .267 xBA, which doesn’t mean much other than to indicate some of his hit balls could have been base hits. The good news, though, is that Turner has hits in five of his last six games entering June 10.
Mark Vientos
Our last waiver wire target for Week 11 is Mark Vientos. After a tough 2023 where he looked out of sorts at times, Vientos has been given ample playing time at the MLB level and thrived. Through 80 plate appearances, Vientos sports a .324 average, five home runs, and an above-average 12.7% Barrel% rate. And, the infielder has cut his whiff rate against fastballs (5.7%) and breaking balls (8.3%).
Yes, it’s a small sample size. However, the lane is clear for Vientos at third for the Mets, especially since New York plans to give Brett Baty reps at second in Syracuse (AAA). The 24-year-old has plus pop and now he’s making the most of it.