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
Henry Bolte (A’s) – OF (Yahoo – 14%)
Happy Labor Day! And congratulations on surviving this far. With only two weeks left, the emphasis switches hard toward streaming. Am I excited about Bolte? Not really. OK, in fairness, a .742 OPS isn’t too bad for a 23-year-old rookie, but whiffs are a concern (81 Contact via PLV). He’s also been caught stealing eight times on 23 attempts, and he hits a ton of wormburners, negating his plus raw power. But I digress. The main thing is that he is hitting leadoff for the A’s, has some power and speed, and he will be in Sacré Verde all week, where the ball flies. He’s a very solid add in all five-OF leagues.
Mickey Gasper (BOS) – C, 1B (Yahoo – 27%)
Let’s ring the bell for Gasper again. The switch-hitter has been a Godsend for the Red Sox, posting a 146 wRC+ over 183 PAs. I don’t think anyone would’ve imagined a 30-year-old journeyman with just over 100 PAs in the majors to be hitting second for a playoff-bound team in the final weeks of the season, but that’s what makes baseball awesome. He has been so productive (125 Process) that you figure he should get at-bats even after Contreras (hamstring) returns. Regardless, Gasper is a key part of the lineup now and is set up for a productive week at home against two pitching staffs that have their fair share of struggles: the Angels and Royals.
Heriberto Hernández (MIA) – OF (Yahoo – 26%)
Hernández has emerged as a solid all-around contributor, totaling a .786 OPS, 23 home runs, and 11 stolen bases across 422 PAs. I feel like there might be a general perception that he is stuck in a platoon, but that’s very much not the case; he hit second against Clay Holmes yesterday. And his 127 Process suggests he is far too good to be on the wire in five-OF leagues.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – SP (Yahoo – 43%)
I’ll admit I had Sheehan on more than a few of my teams. Yep, that didn’t work out. Still, his 19.1% K-BB and 15.5% SwStr% suggest that he deserved better than a 5.29 ERA. At the very least, he has allowed just one earned run over his previous three starts for Oklahoma City. Then again, perhaps that just illustrates the immeasurable chasm between Triple-A and the majors. Hey, have you seen what Volpe has done lately? Oh, don’t go there. Too late! Regardless, I think we know Sheehan still has plenty of talent and will return to the Dodgers rotation today for a home matchup against the Reds that’s too good to pass up. Although it might come behind an opener. Still, it’s well worth a shot at a chance at the Win.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Tyler Phillips received a ton of run support thanks to an implosion from Clay Holmes and did the bare minimum to earn the win, holding the Cubs to three earned runs across five innings. You’re better off looking elsewhere since the Marlins seem pretty content to hold Phillips on a tight leash (76 pitches).
Justin Wrobleski was the most interesting of yesterday’s last-ditch streamers. An impressive first half (18.8% K-BB%) earned him his first All-Star appearance, but he has struggled ever since. Regardless, he faced a pitch count last night against the Nats, having not started a game since August 15th, and it might have been just a spot start anyway, with Roki Sasaki (blister) due back soon.
As Scott McDermott mentioned in Friday’s column, Thomas Saggese has been a nice surprise for the Cards. The 24-year-old righty has posted a .772 OPS and 112 wRC+ with four home runs and three steals across 108 PAs. He’s not a must-roster by any means, but his eligibility could make him a decent glue guy in 15-teamers.
Walbert Ureña might be the Rodney Dangerfield of pitchers on ESPN. The man has a 2.76 ERA, chewed up and spit out the Yankees last Monday and bulldozed the Pirates yesterday in Pittsburgh, while outdueling Skenes. Fine, his walk rate is a little higher than you’d like, but his changeup is stupid good. The only downside to Ureña is that we won’t get to see him until Friday.
Zack Gelof’s roster percentage increased a few points after he racked up three multi-hit performances over his previous five games. He has a 112 wRC+, 17 home runs, and 12 steals over 361 PAs. He should be rostered in all leagues with the A’s in Sacramento this week.
Jacob Lopez has pitched phenomenally well lately (2.82 ERA over his last 11 starts) and has a two-start week against the Jays and Mariners. Unfortunately, they are both at home. But I think you gotta roll with him.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Jonah Cox (SF) – OF (Yahoo – 9%)
Cox, a 25-year-old right-handed hitting rookie, sat against two right-handers last Wednesday and Friday. Is he in a platoon? Maybe? But he has speed for days (34 SBs in 55 games in the minors).
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) – SP (Yahoo – 14%)
Kikuchi earned Jake Crumpler’s lede on Saturday’s SP Roundup. In short, he is suddenly looking quite good. If you’re chasing strikeouts, you might want to consider him this weekend against the Nats.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
Michael McGreevy (STL) – SP (Yahoo – 22%) at SF
McGreevy won’t rack up strikeouts, but he is certainly capable of tossing a QS. The Giants, meanwhile, are a friendly matchup according to PLV.
Tomorrow:
Patrick Sandoval (BOS) – SP (Yahoo – 9%) vs LAA
Yes, the Irish Panda will do your WHIP no favors, but I think he could have a decent outing at home gainst his old club that has the second-highest K rate in baseball.
Deep League Options
Brett Bateman (TOR) – OF (Yahoo – 6%)
Bateman, a 24-year-old rookie, has basically no power, but he has emerged as the Jays’ leadoff hitter and has gotten on base at a .412 clip. That’ll certainly do the trick as a fifth outfielder, especially in points leagues.
