Dodgers Matt Kemp Looks Good: Waiver wire add?

The Dodgers have one of the best offenses in the league and veteran outfielder Matt Kemp is crushing the ball. Should you add him off the waiver wire?

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost power-hitting third baseman Justin Turner and many thought the offense would struggle. However, outfielder Matt Kemp is keeping the team afloat. With contact and power, he is still widely available off the waiver wire.

Kemp was looked at as the Dodgers’ No. 4 outfielder in the preseason with Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson as the starters. However, Kemp quickly pushed himself into the starting lineup. He is tied for the team’s best batting average (.333), tied for most home runs (three), and second-most RBI (10) in 15 games.

Kemp was a 21st round pick in 10-team ESPN leagues. He’s getting some traction based on his recent performance. His ownership has gone up 9.1 percent in ESPN leagues and three percent in CBS leagues. He is owned in 52 percent of those leagues already.

Over his last eight games, Kemp is hitting .423 with three home runs, nine RBIs and six runs scored. Kemp has back-to-back games with a home run and three RBIs. He hits anywhere between third and sixth in the Dodgers lineup, giving him plenty of chances to hit the ball and drive in some runs.

The negative aspect of his game is his strikeout rate. He has a 32.0 percent strikeout rate, the highest of his career. If you play in a points league or a league that negatively scores for strikeouts, you may want to avoid Kemp.

He is walking at an eight-percent rate with a 33 percent ground ball rate and 46.7 percent hard-hit rate. Those numbers will lead to the power that he’s produced so far.

Next: Adam Ottavino: A source for strikeouts

Kemp has a starting job carved out for him. The bench and minor-league outfielders aren’t pushing Kemp out of a job anytime soon. As long as he keeps hitting, he’ll be worth starting on your fantasy team.