Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players 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. 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
Francisco Alvarez (NYM) – C (Yahoo – 40%)
What can you say about the Mets? Well, at the very least, Alvarez is starting to show the upside that made him a hotshot prospect not long ago by slashing a stout .268/ .379/ .500 through 68 plate appearances. If you find yourself without a top-ten catcher, check your waiver wire for Alvarez. His PLV metrics, including a 122 Power, 112 Contact, and 129 Process, indicate a pretty exciting ceiling. Juan Soto’s imminent return could also provide a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats effect.
Tanner Scott (LAD) – RP (Yahoo – 28%)
The Dodgers announced that Edwin Díaz will be gone for at least three months after undergoing a procedure to address loose bodies in his right elbow. Dave Roberts didn’t pick a closer, so this could be a fluid situation. However, Tanner Scott looks like the best bet in L.A.’s pen, given that he has converted 45 saves over the past two seasons combined. He has not walked a batter through his first ten appearances, and his 5.54 PLV is tops among all pitchers with at least 100 pitches thrown. That sounds like a pretty decent start.
Moisés Ballesteros (CHC) – C (Yahoo – 17%)
Ballesteros has long demonstrated exquisite hitting prowess in the minors; the only problem was his defense. Physically, he reminds me a little of Willie Calhoun, who also shared the same conundrum. Regardless, Ballesteros is off to a blistering start, slashing .378/.408/.600 through 49 plate appearances. Yes, his path to playing time isn’t crystal-clear. However, the sweet-swinging 22-year-old lefty could hit enough to force himself into the lineup as the Cubs’ regular DH. His PLV metrics, including a 112 Power and 117 Process, lend credence to his impressive start.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Colin Rea has a 3.63 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 17-plus innings. The veteran doesn’t bring strikeout upside to the table, but he has good control, and he also entered behind an opener during his previous start against the Phillies last Tuesday; that can be a sneaky way to pick up a win. He faced the Phillies again last night and should get another start against the Mets this Sunday. The Cubs will then face the Padres and Dodgers on the West Coast next week, leaving Rea as just a short-term solution in most settings.
Luke Raley has been a God-send for Seattle, slashing .313/.370/.627 with a 186 wRC+. And he also has a bright-red Statcast page, if you’re into that sort of thing. He has always been a productive righty-masher, and there’s no reason not to pick him up if you’ve got room in a daily lineup league.
Michael McGreevy owns one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball at 14.9%, making him the antithesis of excitement. Still, he was a playable streamer against the Fish last night. He should also get another turn this weekend at home against Seattle.
I’ve previously mentioned Daniel Schneemann and Josh Jung as deep-league watch candidates. Schneemann’s eligibility makes him more useful in deep leagues. He also totes an impressive 123 PLV Power metric thus far; that’s about a one-and-a-half standard deviations above average.
I’d say Dillon Dingler is the most interesting option on ESPN’s list. Detroit’s top catcher is slashing .284/.368/.567 with a 177 wRC+. The PLV machine approves of Dingler, too, giving him 134 Power and 145 Process metrics. Yes, those are both extraordinarily good.
Justin Wrobleski has RP eligibility, making him a nice add for points leagues. Prior to last night’s start at Coors, Wrobleski had shut down the Mets over eight innings. He doesn’t have the most exciting arsenal in the world, but he should be on the radar so long as he owns a spot in the Dodger rotation. However, his time in the rotation could be short-lived, so he’s far from a sure-fire add.
The Pasta Pirate, Spencer Arrighetti, feasted against the Rockies at home. But control issues make him a volatile option against more capable lineups.
Bryce Elder has been great, I get it. But his 4.98 PLV and 10.7% swinging-strike rate scream sell-high, to me, at least.
Seth Lugo is similar to Elder as a boring Toby archetype who has thus far overperformed. Still, I’m a little more interested in Lugo because of how effective he pitched before being derailed by last year’s back injury. Then again, Elder is a decade younger, so there’s that. Regardless, this seems like a Vargas-rule-type deal where you just ride them out, with the understanding that regression looms ahead.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today
Keider Montero (DET) – SP (Yahoo – 10%) vs MIL
I’m not excited about Montero in the least bit, but I do think we can pick on a Brewers lineup that’s a little watered down at the moment.
Dustin May (STL) – SP (Yahoo – 5%) at MIA
May’s 5.9% swinging-strike rate is the stuff of nightmares. Still, I think he’s playable against the Marlins.
Tomorrow
Nick Martinez (TB) – SP, RP (Yahoo – 12%) vs CIN
Will Martinez have his signature slowball cooking? Your guess is as good as mine. The Reds, meanwhile, own the lowest wRC+ in baseball. Hey, worth a shot.
Speculative Adds
Carson Benge (NYM) – OF (Yahoo – 13%)
Not often do you see a rookie floundering below the Mendoza line get promoted to leadoff. But that is what Carlos Mendoza did this past Friday. Desperate times call for desperate measures. It would be extraordinarily wild to see Benge keep the leadoff spot after Juan Soto returns. Regardless, it might not be the worst idea in the world to scoop up Benge on the off chance he can get going. He was, after all, one of the best batters the minors had to offer last year, and he has already swiped five bags.
Enyel De Los Santos (HOU) – RP (Yahoo – 15%)
De Los Santos entered the year with a 4.36 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 314.1 innings. That doesn’t exactly scream closer, does it? Well, Bryan Abreu’s struggles have opened the door, and De Los Santos has done well, converting each of Houston’s last two save opportunities. The situation isn’t settled, but the 30-year-old righty is certainly on the radar, and his 5.25 PLV isn’t half bad, either.
Payton Tolle (BOS) – SP, RP (Yahoo – 11%)
Sonny Gray landed on the IL yesterday with a strained hamstring. Enter Tolle, who excited everyone during his brief cup of coffee last year with a big-time fastball that can miss bats. Tyler Samaniego was the corresponding call-up to Gray’s landing on the IL. However, Tolle could be an option later this week, having last started this past Sunday against Columbus.
Oswald Peraza (LAA) – 1B, 2B, 3B, SS (Yahoo – 16%)
I previously mentioned Peraza as someone to watch in deep leagues, but his roster percentage has since climbed, thanks to an .880 OPS, four home runs, and three steals. Peraza didn’t start on Sunday or Monday. However, he can play all over the infield, so there are multiple ways in which he can enter the starting nine.
Chase Dollander (COL) – SP, RP (Yahoo – 4%)
If it weren’t for his uniform, you could make a case that Dollander’s strong start (3.32 ERA / 1.11 WHIP) deserves a bigger spotlight. But alas, team context has him fighting an uphill battle. Still, we’re starting to see his impressive talent shine through. Last Thursday in Houston, he worked behind an opener and churned out a King Cole. And Nick loved what he saw. The strikeout upside is glaring. This week, though, he isn’t the greatest option with his next appearance today against the Padres. At Coors Field. No, life isn’t fair.
Deep League Players to Watch
Gavin Collyer (TEX) – RP (Yahoo – 0%)
The Rangers’ 30th-ranked prospect via Pipeline, Collyer, recently debuted in relief of deGrom last Friday. He has some pretty exciting stuff, including a high-octane fastball, which Texas manager Skip Schumaker said can get swings and misses inside the zone better than most, making him a potential high-leverage weapon. Those in deep hold leagues might want to give him a look.
