Fantasy owners of J.T. Realmuto and Mookie Betts took a hit this past week. Both will miss significant time and that means those who own either will likely need to enter the waiver wire for reinforcements. With Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season upon us, here’s a look at five names who could be of help over the coming weeks.
Byron Buxton
We start our Week 12 fantasy baseball hitters target list with Byron Buxton. Buxton has begun to turn it on as of late, as the Twins outfielder has hits in seven of his last nine games as of June 17. He hasn’t hit for much power yet, as Buxton has just one extra-base hit in June. Keep in mind, though, that Buxton rates above average in bat speed (85th percentile) and Hard Hit% (67th percentile) per Statcast.
With Mookie Betts out indefinitely, fantasy owners who need an outfielder to replace the former MVP may want to look toward Buxton. But for those who’d rather pick up an infielder, we’ve got four interesting options down below.
Paul DeJong
It’s only June 17, 2024. Yet, White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong has 14 home runs, the same amount he hit in 2023. The 30-year-old’s been a steady performer over the past few weeks but his most recent stretch has been something to behold. DeJong belted seven home runs from May 31 through June 15, tied with Aaron Judge for second-most in the league in that span. Only Anthony Santander (8) had more.
DeJong still strikes out (32.1% K%) a ton. Still, his power’s shown up this year and that makes him a name to watch for those who need some pop.
Brandon Lowe
Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe has seen his fantasy value dip over the last three years. But for those in need of power, Lowe remains an interesting option. Lowe hit his third home run of June on the 16th against the Braves and his fourth overall on the year. He also raised his average to .214, a steep improvement from the .132 average he had on May 22.
Even though Lowe has just four home runs in 2024, the veteran second baseman did miss a month thanks to an oblique strain.
Zach Neto
We hope those who read our Week 11 list took our advice and picked up David Hamilton. Hamilton’s been a force on the basepaths in recent weeks and his four stolen bases on June 16 was proof of that. While Hamilton may not be available now, another infielder with intrigue — and more power than the Red Sox infielder — is Zach Neto.
The Angels shortstop has put together a quiet, yet strong 2024 season. The 23-year-old has nine home runs and nine stolen bases over 257 plate appearances and has at least an outside shot of a 20-20 campaign. And, Neto’s only owned in about 20% of Yahoo! leagues.
Michael Toglia
We’ll end our 2024 Week 12 fantasy baseball hitters to target list with a name who’s owned in just 1% of Yahoo! leagues, Michael Toglia. Toglia, a former first-round pick, is batting just .185/.239/.395 on the season but that slash line doesn’t tell the whole story. The former UCLA star hit just .093 in April before a demotion to Alberquerque (AAA). Since his return, Toglia’s hitting .294/.359/.441 over 39 plate appearances with a home run and nine RBI.
A switch-hitter who ranks highly in bat speed per Statcast, Toglia’s long been an intriguing name thanks to his power but failed to cement himself as a Major Leaguer before June 2024. It’s a small sample size but Toglia’s turned into someone to watch in both NL-only and mixed leagues.