Each team has only played a few games since my last waiver article was published, so not much has changed. The good news is that the waiver wire never sleeps, and now is the time to push into your fantasy leagues. I can’t wait for these final months to play, and it should be an interesting time to investigate the waiver wire. I’m actually leaving a link here to last week’s article because all the guys mentioned in these two pieces have great additions in the second half. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of this week’s picks!
Waiver Wire Week 17, Part 1: Pre All-Star Waiver Wire | Razzball Fantasy Baseball
The stats and rankings below were updated on 7/16. All rostership percentages are at Yahoo.
Feel free to comment here or contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
Also, check out my Streamers article coming out tomorrow.
THE CATCHERS
10/12 Team additions
Ryan Jeffers (MIN, 31% Program) – Jeffers was in this article last week, but he was in the deepest part of the league. He is eligible to be added to any league that lists at least 10 catchers because he was a freshman before coming to the IL. Jeffers has a .404 OBP and .942 OPS in 39 games this year and made his comeback just before the break. He doubled in both of those first two games and homered in four of his rehab starts, so it’s clear that the hitting stroke is still strong! If you were trying to fill Will Smith’s void, Jeffers is an easy addition to the waiver wire.
Recommended FAAB %: 3-5%
QUICK HITS: Gabriel Moreno (ARI, 47% Rostership), Yainer Diaz (HOU, 41% Rostership), Samuel Basallo (BAL, 50% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Kyle Teel (CWS, 14% Rostership) – It’s hard to believe that Teel is still sitting on multiple waiver wires. This guy was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball before the Garrett Crochet trade, and you have to figure he’ll be the Sox’s starting pitcher for the next decade. He gets into the heart of this lineup almost every day while producing a .361 OBP and .759 career OPS over 300 at-bats. Those numbers could be down to him because Teel has compiled a .401 OBP and .910 OPS in Triple-A over the past two years.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Keibert Ruiz (WAS, 10% Rostership), Francisco Alvarez (NYM, 18% Rostership), Joe Mack (MIA, 3% Rostership)
THE INFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Ezequiel Duran (1B/2B/3B/SS, TEX, 39% Rostership) – I’m not sure if Duran will last the rest of the season, but it’s hard to avoid him the way he’s playing right now. The utility man has a .277 AVG and a .780 OPS over his last 72 outings. His recent form is even more ridiculous, registering a .309 AVG and .877 OPS over the past three weeks. Those kinds of averages are impressive from a player who fits nearly every position, especially since Duran has been promoted to the middle of this list in recent weeks.
Recommended FAAB %: 3-5%
QUICK HITS: Luke Keaschall (2B, MIN, 59% Rostership), Sam Anonacci (2B, CWS, 45% Rostership), Zack Gelof (2B/3B, ATH, 37% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Royce Lewis (3B, MIN, 30% Rostership) – This add-on for a stopwatch can play like the image below, but Lewis can look like a Rolls-Royce at times. The demotion to the minors may have been what got him going because Lewis had a .333 AVG and 1.303 OPS in 15 minor league games. He also homered 10 times in those 15 games, which isn’t surprising considering he has a .364 OBP and .913 OPS in his first two seasons. We’ve seen glimpses of that lately, posting a .274 AVG and .855 OPS over his last 30 starts. There aren’t many guys sitting on this many streaks who can hit 15 dingers in the second half, but Lewis is one of them.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: Curtis Mead (WAS, 1B/2B/3B, 28% Rostership), Tommy Edman (LAD, 2B/SS, 21% Rostership), Charlie Condon (COL, 1B, 9% Rostership)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Luis Robert (NYM, 41% Rostership) – It’s impossible to get excited about Robert when you look at his stats, but this guy has the potential to be a Top 50 player in fantasy. That’s what he was in each of his first four seasons, averaging 30 homers and 25 steals on pace for 150 games. He also had 28 homers and 56 steals in 210 games over the past two seasons, despite his batting average dipping into the low 200s. The possibility of having 10 homers and 10 steals in the final months is possible with a talent like this, and you have to assume that the Mets have taken every precaution to stay healthy in the final months of the season.
Recommended FAAB %: 3%
QUICK HITS: AJ Ewing (NYM, 35% Rostership), Cole Carrigg (COL, 30% Rostership), Heliot Ramos (SF, 46% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Jake Mangum (PIT, 15% Rostership) – How often can you get the leadoff hitter on one of the hottest offenses in baseball on the waiver wire? It’s hard to believe that’s what Pittsburgh is with Oneil Cruz sidelined, but Mangum’s emergence is a big reason why. The slugger is hitting .310 this season while swiping 18 steals. Those alone deserve waiver wire speculation, especially since Mangum has maintained a .468 OBP and 1.018 OPS over the past two weeks. It’s unclear if this is just a fluke, but Mangum should be a reliable source of speed, even if things break down.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Domonic Canzone (SEA, 16% Rostership), Trevor Larnach (MIN, 7% Rostership), Jasson Dominguez (NYY, 12% Rostership)
STARTING BEAMS
10/12 Team additions
Cade Cavalli (WAS, 36% Rostership) – It feels like everyone forgot about Cavalli after he was suspended and then he struggled in his next start. That’s how flexible a waiver wire can be, but this guy looked like a pole before that. We’re still talking about a guy who allowed four runs or fewer in every 20 starts while allowing three or fewer in 18 of them. That’s paired with a 1.25 WHIP and a 10.5 K/9 rate since the opening month, with Cavalli recording at least nine Ks in five of his last 15 innings. No one with that ability should be sitting on the waiver wire, and we didn’t even mention that he has the best offense in baseball backing him up.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
Jared Jones (PIT, 33% Rostership) – Jones was on the headlines last week, and this might be your last chance to pick him up. He’s off to a great start in being listed in all major leagues because Jones threw six complete innings in his most recent outing. He did that against a dangerous Atlanta lineup, but he also had a 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and an 11.8 K/9 average throughout his rehab assignment. That’s the strength we saw before Tommy John surgery, and it should be interesting to see if he can keep it up in the second half.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
QUICK HITS: Peter Lambert (HOU, 48% Rostership), Jack Flaherty (DET, 58% Rostership), Landen Roupp (SF, 41% Rostership), Merrill Kelly (ARI, 36% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Clay Holmes (NYM, 26% Rostership) – Holmes had his leg broken by a returner earlier in the season, but he is coming back. He turned in a 40-pitch live batting practice last week and should begin a rehab assignment soon. Thought managers forget how reliable Holmes has been in recent years, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.21 WHIP as of 2020. That’s almost 500 innings of pristine pitching, and we like that he had a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP before that hot injury. Pitching at Citi Field is the icing on the cake because that is one of the friendliest parking lots in baseball.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
Zach Thornton (NYM, 13% Rostership) – The Mets announced that Thornton will be in the rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Optimists know that’s an interesting guess added to the waiver wire because Thornton was good before the break. He had a 0.69 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in his last two starts before the break, after posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in the minors the previous two seasons. He also gets the benefit of pitching at Citi Field, which has been evident since those last two starts were in that wide ballpark.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: Brandon Pfaadt (ARI, 10% Rostership), Christian Scott (NYM, 16% Rostership), Ronel Blanco (HOU, 2% Rostership), Jackson Jobe (DET, 6% Rostership)
THE LIBERATORS
10/12 Team additions
Reynaldo Lopez (ATL, 30% Rostership) – Most closers are listed in shallow leagues at this point, but Lopez is an intriguing RP player. The guy was demoted to the bullpen earlier this season but is back in the rotation after his 3.50 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Lopez also had a 2.49 ERA and 0.99 WHIP last month, but it was even better than two years ago. He had a 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 25 starts during that time, and now has a 2.83 ERA and 1.12 WHIP as of 2021. Seeing averages like these in almost 400 innings is a relief, but no one believes in Lopez for any reason.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: JT Ginn (ATH, 45% Rostership), Ian Seymour (TB, 57% Rostership), Gregory Soto (PIT, 36% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Grant Taylor (CWS, 22% Rostership) – Getting closers off the waiver wire is always one of the biggest joys for fantasy managers, and Taylor could be one of them. Everyone knew he was the most talented pitcher in the pen, but he needed Seranthony Dominguez to be demoted to fill the role. That’s just what we saw, with Taylor picking up two saves in his last three outings. He also has a 2.79 ER, 1.10 WHIP and 12.5 K/9 rating while showing some of the worst stuff in the game. This ChiSox team is nearing the end of a rebuild, and Taylor’s closing ability is one of the next big steps.
Recommended FAAB %: 3-5%
QUICK HITS: Yoendrys Gomez (MIN, 29% Rostership), Jacob Webb (CHC, 11% Rostership)
