Emilio Bonifacio and Khris Davis: Waiver Wire

This is it. We’re getting real close to the end here. August is nearly finished and then we’re into the home stretch. The waiver wire will start to fill up a little more once we hit September and MLB rosters expand, but for right now it’s a matter of sifting through the rubble and seeing if there’s anyone out there who can help you in some way. There’s really no more time to sit and wait for someone to turn things around. They’re either producing or they’re not and if they aren’t, you need to make a switch fast. Time is running out. Maybe these two can be of some help…

Emilio Bonifacio, KC |2B, OF| Ownership: ESPN – 24.8%  Yahoo – 16.0%

OK, fine. So last week I said that the Royals recent deals did nothing for fantasy owners, but things change. What can you do? Gotta roll with the punches, I guess. With Lorenzo Cain sidelined with a strained oblique and potentially out for the duration of the season, manager Ned Yost said that he will be platooning Bonifacio and fellow speedster Jarrod Dyson in center field the rest of the way. Well, he said until Cain returns, but he is still weeks away. How this platoon will work exactly is not yet known as neither guy can hit a lefty worth spit, but with Bonifacio’s flexibility as a switch-hitter, the hope is that he stays relatively hot and gets the lion’s share of the work. We’ve already discussed his struggles this season, so a recap of his overall numbers isn’t really necessary right now. What is important is the fact that, since coming over to the Royals, he has made six consecutive starts and is batting .263 (5-for-19) with two RBI, one run scored and four stolen bases. Yost said that Bonifacio has the green light when he’s on and there’s no question about whether or not he’ll use it. If your stolen base category is fairly moveable, as most are, then adding Bonifacio for the final month or so could be worth a few points.

Khris Davis, MIL |OF|  Ownership:  ESPN – 18.2%  Yahoo – 7.0%

While he’s certainly no Ryan Braun, Davis has done more than his part to help fill the gap in left field for the Brewers and with Caleb Gindl back in the minors, it seems that the team is more than comfortable with rolling this way to the end. Though he posted a 21-percent strikeout rate down in Triple-A, a number you’d likely expect to increase with a move up to the majors, his 11-percent walk rate and .218 ISO provided hope that he’d be able to, not just handle the job, but succeed as well. And succeed he has as Davis is 17-for-50 (.340) since being recalled in late July with has six home runs, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored and one stolen base. He’s currently on a seven-game hit streak and while his 46.2-percent HR/FB is ridiculous and completely unsustainable, his 20.4-percent line drive rate and .345 August BABIP are not overly gaudy by any means. He may not stay this hot over the final month of the season, but he will be in the lineup regularly and he should remain productive to the end.