Each week we’ll look at a handful of different players whom fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues depending on your options at their position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Friday afternoon.
All 2024 stats are as of the beginning of play on Friday.
Lucas Erceg – 2%
Early this month, Erceg was a reliever to add ahead of time considering the saves upside if fellow A’s reliever (and closer) Mason Miller was traded this month.
Now, with Miller having landed on the injured list, Erceg looks like a priority addition for those looking for saves. Since that column, which was on July 4, Erceg has logged a 2.97 FIP in 5.2 innings.
Overall, the 29-year-old is sporting a 3.79 ERA and a 3.51 FIP in 35.2 innings of work this season, striking out 40 batters in the process. He’s been particularly excellent at limiting quality contact, holding batters to a 30.9% hard-hit rate, 5.3% barrel rate, and an 84.6 MPH average exit velocity, all the while sporting a 51.1% ground ball rate.
It obviously remains to be seen what the A’s will do at the trade deadline. There’s a chance Erceg himself is traded, although that’s purely speculative on my part. (As an aside, though, his ability to limit quality contact makes him a quality high-leverage option in almost all ballparks). At any rate, for now, he’s a must-add for those fantasy managers seeking saves.
Things could change in Oakland, and while Tyler Ferguson recorded the save for the A’s yesterday, Erceg is the only other pitcher after Miller with multiple saves in the Oakland bullpen this season. He’s also second in total high-leverage relief appearances for the A’s this season, behind only Austin Adams, who’s sporting a 4.59 FIP in 35.1 innings.
This is all a rather long way of saying that Erceg would seem the favorite on paper (speculatively speaking) to step in as the closer in Oakland.
Josh Bell – 24%
A trade deadline acquisition by the Marlins last season, Josh Bell looks like he could once again be a trade candidate this season, though that’s purely speculative on my part.
The veteran first baseman has struggled from the standpoint of his season-long metrics, batting .234 with a .299 on-base percentage, a 90 wRC+, and 12 home runs in 426 plate appearances this year for the National League East franchise.
However, he’s been much better as of late, batting .264 with a .350 on-base percentage and four of his 12 home runs in 60 plate appearances since July 7. Bell’s wRC+ in that span? 145.
It’s an ideal turn of events, at least from a fantasy standpoint, if Bell is in fact traded by a Marlins team that already dealt Luis Arraez earlier in the season and recently traded AJ Puk. If the slugger can carry over that form to a new team (in the event of a trade), it’d raise his fantasy ceiling considerably.
Especially when taking into account that on paper, the Marlins might provide the most unideal fantasy environment. Unideal fantasy enrolment in the sense that among Major League teams, Miami has only outscored the White Sox this season, and that loanDepot park has the sixth-lowest park factor for home runs in the last three seasons, per Statcast data.
In other words, in the hypothetical event that Bell is traded, he’d probably be stepping into a much more fantasy-friendly lineup and a much more hitter-friendly ballpark.
Matt Wallner – 2%
Let’s get this out of the way first. Matt Wallner isn’t going to start against left-handed pitching all that much.
The outfielder has logged 69 plate appearances in the Majors this season. 62 of those plate appearances have come against left-handed pitching.
Moving quickly past the fact that yes, platoons can work in fantasy, Wallner has simply been too impactful when in the lineup to not add in deeper formats.
The 26-year-old is hitting .232 with a .362 on-base percentage in those aforementioned 69 plate appearances this season, with four home runs and a .286 ISO.
It’s a rather small sample size so far, and Wallner has struck out 46.4% of the time. But he’s also collected eight barrels already, the same number Justin Turner has collected all season in 331 plate appearances.
The strikeouts could potentially be a recurring theme here. Wallner struck out 38.5% of the time in 65 Major League plate appearances in 2022 and went down on strikes 31.5% of the time in 254 plate appearances last season. And while those numbers could certainly be better, the outfielder has offset them to a degree by logging elite power and barrel numbers, including an 18.8% barrel rate and 14 home runs last year
He also probably has a bit more value in leagues where on-base percentage is part of the scoring given his 8.7% walk rate this year and 10.3% walk rate, but the fact remains that the power potential (and impact) is too much to ignore here. Wallner is a surefire starter (when he’s starting) in leagues with 14 or more teams. Even in 12-team leagues with deeper benches, he’s worth a look as a starter when in the lineup.
Jakob Junis – 0%
Operating in a multi-inning role featuring plenty of bulk relief work as of late, Jakob Junis has rattled off three pitcher wins in nine appearances this season, with all three coming in the last two weeks.
He’s been reasonably effective when called upon, with a 2.63 ERA in 24 innings this season, while allowing just five walks, though he’s only struck out 18 batters, has given up four home runs, and is sporting a 4.56 FIP during that span.
In reality, Junis is more of a short-term addition with the potential to add a few pitcher wins to your upcoming weekly matchups, or to your season-long Roto tallies, but as long as the Milwaukee Brewers keep operating with four starters, the former Royal and Giant should be well-positioned to benefit fantasy-wise.
Just like fellow Brewers reliever Jared Koenig, who has eight pitcher wins in 31 appearances this season, Junis is primarily an addition purely for that statistical category. His FIP and the home run total he’s allowed certainly could be better, but any pitcher wins you can add in Roto leagues can be crucial, especially if they don’t come at the expense of poor production in other categories. Until the statistical regression starts to set where Junis’ ERA is concerned, he’s worth adding in the short term for managers in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Photo by Adobe Stock | Adapted by Carlos Leano.