Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add and which you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Walbert Ureña (LAA) – SP (Yahoo! – 42%)
I got texts from three separate people within a single minute about the Angels being sold. Today, it seems fitting to highlight one of the few bright spots of the season for the Halos.
Ureña has a 2.85 ERA across 23 starts and 123 innings. He has an 8.76 K/9. He lines up against the Red Sox, Nationals, Twins, and Mariners to close out the season. He beat the Yankees in his Monday start, going 7.0 IP with 1 ER, a season-high 8 K’s, and zero walks. He’s having a stellar season, and he’s still available in over half of all leagues.
There were some concerns that the rookie was running out of steam. The biggest mark against him (besides the LAA next to his name) is his 12% walk percentage. His latest gem dispelled some of that fear for me, as he issued zero free passes.
I’m adding him in all league sizes. You won’t find any other pitchers on the wire with a sub-3.00 ERA and a schedule this good.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (BAL) – 1B, 3B (Yahoo! – 15%)
Another good week for CES. The newly bespectacled Oriole is batting .385 with a 1.044 OPS over the last seven days. He’s benefiting from a road trip to both Sacramento and Denver, but his game power is legit. His average exit velocity sits at 92.2 mph, and he’s barrelling the ball with the best of them. His 27% strikeout rate is a concern, especially considering the gauntlet of strong pitching that Baltimore will face down the stretch.
There aren’t many better power hitters available on the wire. I’d look past the matchups if you need some pop. Not a 10-team option considering the schedule, but at 15% rostered, CES could be an excellent pickup in deeper leagues.
Yahoo! and ESPN Most Added Players
Yahoo!
Randy Vásquez fell to the Reds, pitching just shy of 5 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. He’s likely on the way to the bullpen with Joe Musgrove healthy.
Eric Lauer showed that he still has some of that Blue Jays Lauer in him. He’ll probably stick in the rotation for now, though Emmet Sheehan is also an option for the Dodgers. I’d avoid Lauer and seek greener pastures.
Randy Dobnak took a rough loss against the Marlins, giving up 6 ER in 6 innings. I don’t have much confidence in him after this outing, though he lines up against the Jays, Red Sox, Pirates, and White Sox next, and those last two matchups are solid.
Coby Mayo rode the pine in yesterday’s game at Coors. The Orioles’ offense is in for a tough final month, with dates against three of the five leaders in team ERA.
Freddy Peralta cruised through yesterday’s start against the Mets. It’s possible that he’s turned the corner, but I’d rather not test my luck in his next start against Atlanta.
ESPN
Noah Cameron has had a string of strong starts, but the diminished velocity on his fastball
Randy Vásquez fell to the Reds, pitching just shy of 5 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. He’s likely on the way to the bullpen with Joe Musgrove healthy.
Shane McClanahan had a 2.83 ERA in the first half and holds a 4.33 ERA in the second half. He’s fine, especially for today against the Mets.
Hayden Wesneski has a smattering of good matchups coming up, including one against the White Sox today.
Jacob Lopez draws the Rangers today, followed by the Jays, Mariners, Guardians, and Astros. He’s on a heater at the moment, with a 2.06 ERA in his last seven starts.
Streaming Pitchers
Check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings for a complete breakdown of every start over the next few days.
Today (Wednesday): Andrew Painter (PHI) (34% on Yahoo!) Painter’s last two starts have been excellent, and he’s facing the Diamondbacks.
Tomorrow (Thursday): Kade Anderson (SEA) (13% on Yahoo!) Anderson hasn’t been the monster he was in the minor leagues, but a game against the Athletics at home in T-Mobile should get him back on track.
