Fantasy Baseball: Why you should be adding available Brewers right now

The Milwaukee Brewers lineup hasn’t been effective this season. The team sits 26th in OPS (.674) and 22nd in runs scored (246).

They seem like an odd topic for this article, right?

But there is a method to my madness. The underachieving nature of this lineup means that most of its members are sitting on waivers in Yahoo! leagues. And the Brewers are heading into one of the most favorable hitting schedules I have seen in my many years of writing about fantasy baseball.

Milwaukee's schedule deserves attention

Milwaukee has 30 games scheduled between now and the All-Star break. Among those 30 contests, 24 are scheduled against teams who sit in the bottom-7 in ERA. And of those 24 games, 16 of them are in their next 16 contests.

The Brewers face an underwhelming Pirates staff with a 4.68 ERA seven times. They will also battle an unremarkable Rockies staff (4.83 ERA) seven times, including four contests at the launching pad that is Coors Field.

The Brewers play seven games at their hitter-friendly home park against a Reds staff that sits 28th in baseball with a 4.96 ERA. And they have a road series at Chase Field against a D-backs squad that has the worst ERA (4.97) in baseball.

As you can see, several players in Milwaukee are set to improve their fantasy value in the next month. Let’s look at the details of how these players can help your team.

Avisail Garcia (OF, 55 percent rostered)

Barely past the midpoint in roster percentage, Garcia is among the most likely Brewers to help your fantasy squad in the next month. The outfielder has bounced back from a disappointing 2020 season by producing 12 homers and four steals across 56 games played.

Omar Narvaez (C, 45 percent)

Those who stream their catcher spot in one-catcher leagues can use Narvaez for the next month. The 29-year-old has been great this season (.899 OPS), which conjures up memories of his solid 2019 campaign (22 HR, .278 BA).

Luis Urias (2B/3B/SS, 7 percent)

Urias struggles to hit for average, having posted a .227 average this season that is just one point higher than his career mark. But his power skills are starting to grab some headlines, as the multi-position asset has gone deep four times in his past 22 games. Urias is playing well right now (.949 OPS in June) and should be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Willy Adames (SS, 21 percent)

Adames hit 20 homers in 2019 but tailed off badly last season and at the outset of 2021. A May trade to Milwaukee seems to have sparked his bat, as the 25-year-old has hit .308 with an .891 OPS since joining a team with a hitter-friendly home venue. Like Urias, Adames makes sense in 12-team formats.

Daniel Vogelbach (1B, 1 percent)

Those who need pure power in 12-team leagues should have Vogelbach on their short-term radar. The left-handed slugger who produced 30 homers in 2019 has hit all but five of his career home runs against righties. Luckily for Vogelbach, the Brewers are set to mostly face right-handed starters in the next 10 days.

Tyrone Taylor (OF, 1 percent)

Taylor is strictly an option in 15-team leagues until Lorenzo Cain returns from the IL. The 27-year-old showed an intriguing blend of power and speed during his Minor League career, and as a Major Leaguer, he has produced eight homers across 136 at-bats.

Kolten Wong (2B), Lorenzo Cain (OF)

Wong and Cain are both on the IL but could return later in June. Keep an eye out for news on these two Brewers, as their schedule will give them every opportunity to hit the ground running.

Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF, 4 percent)

I’m including Bradley in this article just to get it on record that he is the one Brewers regular who I would not roster during the next month. The elite defender has been awful offensively (.500 OPS) while showing terrible plate discipline. Even a favorable schedule may not be enough to help him.

Adrian Houser (SP, 11 percent)

Brewers starters will need to be used with more caution than the hitters, as some of their upcoming contests are at hitter-friendly venues. However, most of Milwaukee’s remaining first-half games are against teams with losing records, including seven especially appealing matchups with the Pirates and an attractive home series against a Rockies offense that struggles on the road. Houser is widely available and owns a solid 3.66 ERA.