Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that reviews the best players to add to your rosters. We’ll look at players who are likely available in most leagues, as well as some deep-league options. We’ll also look at the most-added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites and tell you which players to add and which to leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Josue De Paula (LAD) – OF (Yahoo – 15%)
Let’s ring the bell for De Paula again after he got his first hit and blasted his first home run yesterday. The Dodgers’ top prospect looked the part, posting a 145 wRC+ with Double-A Tulsa before the promotion. His power is clearly legit, as yesterday’s home run swing registered 85 mph. Woah. Up next is a dream spot with four games at the GABP. Dave Roberts might sit him today against Lodolo or Wednesday against Abbott. Still, he could easily push the needle in the HRs/RBI categories. The Dodgers will close the week against another team playing out the string in the Giants. Go after the upside.
Xander Bogaerts (SD) – SS (Yahoo – 30%)
Just don’t look at his .644 OPS. Or better yet, pretend it’s 2015. Why? Because the Padres open the week with a four-game series at Coors Field. And, hey, don’t look now, but Bogaerts has a chance to break 11 home runs for the first time since 2023. Get excited.
Cole Carrigg (COL) – SS, OF (Yahoo – 14%)
Carrigg’s .764 OPS is pretty decent for a 24-year-old switch-hitting rookie. However, his swing decisions (81 DV) and his splits as a right-hander (26.1% K rate) could use some work. But, like Bogaerts, we can look the other way because the Rockies are at home; they’ll also finish the week hosting the Mariners. Give him a look if you need a fifth OF or MI in deeper leagues.
Mickey Moniak (COL) – OF (Yahoo – 25%)
Moniak’s poor splits against left-handers are well established (33 wRC+). However, he is firmly on the radar this week, particularly in daily leagues where you can dodge Wednesday (Robbie Ray) and Sunday (Kade Anderson).
Justin Martinez (ARI) – RP (Yahoo – 6%)
Martinez hasn’t recorded a save yet. But he earned an extra-inning win last Monday at Kansas City. Any lingering doubts about his effectiveness post-TJ were quelled this Friday when he tossed an immaculate inning against the Rangers. Don’t worry, it’s coming. We just need the Diamondbacks to win a close game. Maybe this week against the Marlins? Sure, why not.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Garrett Mitchell entered yesterday’s series finale against the Reds 7-for-10 with two home runs, eight RBIs, and a stolen base in his previous two games. The 28-year-old lefty has an interesting profile, including 98th percentile bat speed and sprint speed. He also has a pretty decent eye (88th percentile chase rate) and has held his own against left-handers (99 wRC+). The problem? Strikeouts. That aside, it’s pretty hard to argue against adding a regular with a .789 OPS in a great lineup.
The Cardinals’ sixth-ranked prospect according to Pipeline, switch-hitting catcher Leo Bernal, has played every day since September 1st and impressed, slashing .292/ .346/ .521 with three home runs; one came against stud White Sox reliever Taylor Grant. His plate skills are pretty decent (16.3% K / 8.2% BB) too. Look no further if you need a catcher.
Hopefully you didn’t have to pick a last-ditch streamer yesterday; but if you did, I hope you picked Jake Irvin and not Gabriel Hughes. Yikes.
We were stoked for Kade Anderson’s debut on August 22nd, but, alas, he had a couple of ho-hum games out of the gate. Would you believe it? The nerve of the guy! Regardless, this year’s consensus top pitching prospect had his best game yet on September 9th, holding the Rangers to one run (a Burger shot) across six innings while earning his first win. Up next? A potential two-start week starting today at Anaheim against the Halos. Giddy up.
Emmet Sheehan didn’t get the win, but he fired six scoreless innings against the Fish. He is a crystal-clear must-roster player for as long as he remains in the Dodgers’ rotation. His next opportunity should come this weekend against the Giants. Yeah, I’m excited for that one.
Cal Quantrill’s Vargas Rule continued yesterday at Chase Field as he held the Snakes to two runs across six innings. And he only needed 70 pitches. If you told me before the season began that Quantrill would take fantasy managers to the promised land, I would not have believed you for a second. Anyway, he experienced back tightness yesterday, but expects to make his next start against the Jays at Arlington this weekend. You gotta ride it into the sunset.
Nick Pivetta recorded one whiff during his return last Monday and struggled with efficiency against the Giants yesterday, needing 69 pitches to get 12 outs. He’s clearly still kicking off the cobwebs. But he will have a nice matchup next against the Fish at San Diego this weekend.
The Real Estate Broker has had some moments, but yesterday against the Phillies was not one of them, as he needed 71 pitches to get 12 outs and didn’t record a strikeout. He will face the Astros at Houston this weekend. No thank you.
The Rays dusted Hayden Wesneski yesterday at The Trop. His next start will be this Saturday against the Braves, and I wouldn’t be excited for that one.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
Quinn Mathews (STL) – SP (Yahoo – 11%) vs. SF
Mathews has struggled as a rookie (10.2% K-BB% through six starts), including a less-than-impressive outing against these same Giants. But now Devers is gone. Well, that doesn’t really make up for Mathews’ problems, though, no? You’re right, it doesn’t. But we can hope that the light bulb clicks for a guy with prospect pedigree. And it’s not like the rest of today’s options jump off the page. He could also be useful later this weekend at home against the Nats.
Tomorrow:
Sean Manaea (NYM) – SP (Yahoo – 20%) vs BAL
Manaea has not been great lately, posting a 7.66 ERA over his last four starts. But he has flashed upside earlier this year. And this could be a sneaky-good spot for him; the Orioles have the highest K rate in baseball against LHP.
Deep League Options
Brett Bateman (TOR) – OF (Yahoo – 8%)
Bateman socked two dingers this weekend against the O’s, which juxtaposes his scouting report (three homers all year in the minors). But he’s getting at-bats and starts the week at the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre against three right-handers (Melton, Anderson, Montero).
Jonah Cox (SF) – OF (Yahoo – 9%)
Cox can fly (34 SBs in 55 games in the minors) and has hit either leadoff or cleanup in eight consecutive games.
Anthony Volpe (NYY) – SS (Yahoo – 5%)
Volpe’s career 84 wRC+ over 2,091 PAs is hard to ignore. Still, Jazz’s injury has given him a second opportunity. Someone with a 20/20 season under his belt and in a great lineup is certainly worth a shot in a 15-team league.
