As the MLB trade deadline rapidly approaches, your fantasy baseball waiver-wire work becomes a little more difficult.
The playoff races are tighter than ever, and teams competing for a division title or a wild-card spot are continuously looking for additional help to bolster their lineups and rotations.
Players whose jobs are safe are all likely owned in your league, so when looking for a statistical boost, you not only must seek out a productive player, but also one who is expected to have decent job security.
As the Twins continue their second-half surge and look to extend their lead in the AL Central, there are a few guys who should remain locked into strong at-bats and can give you the numbers you need to win a championship.
If you are in need of some power and run production, then start with first baseman Alex Kirilloff.
Though he still sits against some of the tougher southpaws, the lefty-swinging 25-year-old continues to show marked improvement at the plate.
In six games since the All-Star break, Kirilloff was batting .320 with three home runs and nine RBIs.
He had hit safely in four of his past five games with three multi-hit performances, and though the sample size is small, his hard-hit rate had increased alongside his isolated power numbers.
The potential to hit for strong power has always been there, but the injuries over his first few seasons definitely took a toll.
Now at 100 percent, he is going to remain a fixture in the middle of an improving Twins lineup.
If you need help in the middle infield, be sure to put Minnesota’s Jorge Polanco and Royce Lewis on your watch list.
Edouard Julien, Donovan Solano and even Kyle Farmer have been moderately successful fill-ins, but once Polanco and Lewis return from their respective stints on the IL, they will rejoin the lineup as starters.
Polanco just began his rehab stint and could be back by the end of this weekend.
His numbers have been suspect this season, as injuries have taken a toll, but he is a decent on-base guy with enough pop in his bat to boost your second base position.
Lewis is recovering from an oblique issue, but is expected back in early August.
His ability to get on base and create runs will be a nice boost if you’re looking to bolster your shortstop or middle infield position.
Surging low-key teams such as the Twins can be a fantastic spot to find waiver-wire help in fantasy.
While everyone else is chasing the flavor-of-the-week call-up, you can find plenty of proven talent at a bargain rate.
Kirilloff, Polanco and Lewis are a great place to start, but keep in mind that success is contagious, which means guys like Max Kepler and Carlos Correa are ready to heat up as well.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to Fantasy-Alarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.