I don’t know why, but this week’s waiver article is full of W’s. We have guys like Walker, Warren, and Wacha who want our fantasy teams to win from the ropes. I wonder why strange wonders like that happen on the other side of the stop line, but who will know? Okay, sorry, I’m done. But anyway, we had a good show with last week’s waiver call, but things are starting to get a little thin. We do have legendary bosses doing brash drops, though, so be sure to check your drop call every day to cash in on some of those misses!
The stats and program rankings below were updated on 4/9. All rostership percentages are at Yahoo.
Feel free to comment here or contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!
THE CATCHERS
10/12 Team additions
Carter Jensen (KC, 25% Rostership) – I hope Jensen gets his beauty sleep this week. The singer had bad luck with his alarm, but has been on the rise ever since. Jensen has hit two of his last four games while posting a .412 OBP and 1.212 OPS over his last five games. That’s the stud KC saw in the minors, with Jensen producing a .404 OBP and 1.051 OPS in Triple-A last season. He also had a .391 OBP and .941 OPS in two months with the Royals, so full blast may be in play again.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
QUICK HITS: JT Realmuto (PHI, 22% Rostership), Francisco Alvarez (NYM, 36% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Gary Sanchez (MIL, 2% Rostership) – It’s funny that we’re back to Sanchez because this guy was the player to pick 25 years ago. Okay, it wasn’t that long ago, but he had an .846 OPS in his first five years with the Yankees. He’s had trouble recapturing that form since then, but his .417 OBP and 1.154 OPS through seven games is an encouraging start to the season. That’s why the Brewers have been hitting him for the fourth or fifth time, in four of the last five games. It’s rare to find a catcher with this kind of skill and roster spot off the waiver wire, especially with only 2% of the roster.
Recommended FAAB %: 1%
QUICK HITS: Ryan Jeffers (MIN, 7% Rostership), Victor Carratini (MIN, 2% Rostership), Tyler Stephenson (CIN, 5% Rostership)
THE INFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Carlos Correa (3B/SS, HOU, 56% Rostership) – It’s hard to understand why Correa still hovers around 50% of the program at Yahoo. The man has rediscovered something with the Stros, recording a .386 OBP and .807 OPS since Opening Day. Most importantly, he has been cleaning up Houston’s hot list. This guy consistently had an .800 OPS during his time with the Astros early in his career, and we’ll bet on him repeating that in the heart of this dangerous lineup. We like this week’s schedule, too, with the Astros playing seven games against the Rockies and Cardinals.
Recommended FAAB %: 5-10%
QUICK HITS: Miguel Vargas (1B/3B, CWS, 38% Rostership), Colt Keith (3B/SS/2B/1B, DET, 26% Rostership), Max Muncy (3B/SS/2B, ATH, 43% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Nasim Nunez (2B/SS, WAS, 4% Rostership) –I honestly never heard of this guy before this season, but seeing this kind of speed will always be an eye opener. Anytime you get a steal on a waiver wire, you should treat it as a replacement. Nunez is one of the league leaders in first base steals, swiping seven bases in 10 games. He did that despite hitting under .200, so it’s scary to think how many steals he could get if he could get on base. He also had 46 steals in 102 games between Triple-A and the Majors last year, so this could be a tricky source of steals going forward if you so desire.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
QUICK HITS: TJ Rumfield (COL, 1B/OF, 16% Rostership), Brady House (WAS, 3B, 10% Rostership), Jake Bauers (MIL, 1B, 8% Rostership)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team additions
Jordan Walker (STL, 56% Rostership) – This is the last time Walker will be in this title because his list numbers have been going up a lot. It’s easy to see why, because this former high prospect is finally showing up. Walker has a .367 OBP and 1.049 OPS this season while playing in four of the last five games. That’s what the power thinkers have been praying for because his top hitting metrics always show this kind of power. The Cardinals’ confidence has also waned in the past, but he’s playing every day and is still in the bullpen in that order. If Walker is somehow sitting on your waiver wire, go get him!
Recommended FAAB %: 20-30%
QUICK HITS: Lawrence Butler (ATH, 68% Rostership), Trent Grisham (NYY, 50% Rostership), Ramon Laureano (SD, 56% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Mickey Moniak (COL, 14% Rostership) – As someone who lives in Colorado, the Rockies have been a pleasant surprise so far this season. We all know it won’t last, but Moniak was a tricky pickudi last year. The former first baseman has been one of the Rockies’ best players since signing last season, sporting a .269 AVG, .524 SLG and .828 OPS since the start of last year. That’s an impressive streak, with Moniak maintaining an .894 OPS so far this season. That’s why this guy hits second or third every day, and he should have monster games in a hitting facility like Coors Field.
Recommended FAAB %: 3%
QUICK HITS: TJ Friedl (CIN, 20% Rostership), Matt Wallner (MIN, 6% Rostership), Luisangel Acuna (CWS, 4% Rostership)
STARTING BEAMS
10/12 Team additions
Will Warren (NYY, 57% Rostership) – Warren has been on this topic for the past week, and it’s getting closer to a place to follow. The Yankees righty has allowed two runs or less in all three starts this season en route to a 3.07 ERA and 8.6 K/9 rate. We saw glimpses of that last year whenever Warren avoided a terrible streak, allowing four runs or less in 28 of 33 outings. That makes him an easy pick from the waiver wire because Warren has a double first week. It’s not just any first week, with Warren managing the Angels and Royals, who look like the worst team in baseball.
Recommended FAAB %: 10-15%
Michael Wacha (KC, 49% Rostership) – Wacha was actually one of my favorite pitchers early in his career with the Cardinals, but his career has been all over the map since then. One thing we do know is that Wacha is talented, and that’s just what we’ve seen this year. The Royals righty has a 0.69 ERA and 0.77 WHIP through two starts. He also has a 3.40 ERA and 1.17 WHIP since 2022, finding new form during his time with KC. It’s hard to believe that someone with numbers like these could be on the verge of quitting, but Wacha needs to be picked up now before it gets registered everywhere.
Recommended FAAB %: 5-10%
QUICK HITS: Joey Cantillo (KC, 26% Rostership), Parker Messick (CLE, 46% Rostership), Seth Lugo (KC, 35% Rostership), Matthew Liberatore (STL, 25% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Jeffrey Springs (ATH, 9% Rostership) – I want to say that I was with Springs in this section before his gem on Thursday. Now that we’ve seen that close to a no-hitter at Yankee Stadium, Springs is one of the best pitching options of the week. The southpaw has been awful, accumulating a 3.18 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through 2021. His 1.47 ERA and 0.76 WHIP have been excellent this year. He did that damage to the Yankees, Astros and Blue Jays, so some easy matchups could be there. That’s certainly the case this week because Springs is a two-time starter against the Rangers and White Sox.
Recommended FAAB %: 1-3%
Didier Fuentes (ATL, 12% Rostership) – This is one of the season’s biggest giveaways. Every fantasy manager picked up Fuentes after a ridiculous spring training run, but everyone dumped him when he was sent to the bullpen. The good news is that Atlanta took him down, but did it for all the right reasons! They sent him down to Triple-A to recover as a starter. That’s what we needed to see, with Fuentes throwing 9.2 scoreless innings in Triple-A while striking out 15 batters. That goes along with the stud we saw in spring training, throwing nine scoreless innings while striking out 17 batters. This feels like a real game changer, and you’re just sitting on the ropes of giving up because of the situation.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
QUICK HITS: Spencer Arrighetti (HOU, 3% Rostership), Foster Griffin (WAS, 1% Rostership), Joe Boyle (TB, 19% Rostership), Luis Gil (NYY, 1% Rostership)
THE LIBERATORS
10/12 Team additions
Riley O’Brien (STL, 43% Rostership) – The Cardinals didn’t have a closer this season, but O’Reilly looked like the best bet. He closed the 2024-25 season with three wins and six saves after August 1 while compiling a 2.57 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. That gave him a big boost this year, recording three saves in seven scoreless games. That looks even better when all the other releases in St. Louis are struggling, so O’Brien can secure this upcoming gig at the end of the month.
Recommended FAAB %: 10%
QUICK HITS: Lucas Erceg (KC, 51% Rostership), Seranthony Dominguez (CWS, 43% Rostership)
Deep League is Coming
Jakob Junis (TEX, 16% Rostership) – The Rangers have been looking closely for two years since parting ways with Kirby Yates, with Robert Garcia getting more chances. It’s hard to understand why they did that, but it seems the tide is turning for Junis. It’s surprising to see the former starter get that kind of opportunity, but Junis has two tests in his two appearances. It takes a few good weeks for someone to secure the unprotected closer’s gig, and Junis hasn’t allowed a run through seven innings this season while accumulating a 0.43 WHIP. This is a tough Texas team, and it would be a sight to see how close they are the rest of the season.
Recommended FAAB %: 5%
QUICK HITS: Bryan Baker (TB, 7% Rostership), Colin Rea (CHC, 4% Rostership)
