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
Taj Bradley (MIN) – SP (Yahoo – 57%)
Bradley’s roster percentage skyrocketed 33% over the past day, and it’s pretty easy to see why after he outdueled Tarik Skubal en route to his second win. So that’s a 1.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP after three starts, along with what would be by far a career-best 25.7% K-BB%. His splitter has also fetched a silly-good 56.3% whiff rate, and his fastball velocity is up a tick. Can he kick the volatility that has thus far plagued him? That’s the million-dollar question. Command has never been his calling card. Still, he has always had great stuff, and his results thus far have been far too good to leave dangling on the wire. His next start presents a real litmus test against the Jays at the Rogers Centre, so it might not be a bad idea to bench him if you find yourself guarding your ERA and WHIP this weekend.
Connelly Early (BOS) – SP (Yahoo – 55%)
It’s easy to forget because of the long shadow that Cam Schlittler cast, but Early did something pretty special, too, by becoming the youngest pitcher to start a postseason game for the Red Sox since Babe Ruth went the distance in Game 2 of the 1916 Fall Classic. Yes, Early has dealt with traffic on the basepaths during his first two starts, but I see it as nothing more than a wonky start. The 23-year-old lefty demonstrated his tremendous potential last season with a 2.60 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 22.2% K-BB% across 100.1 IP in the minors before becoming just the 20th player since 1901 to record at least 18 strikeouts through their first two big league starts.
Riley O’Brien (STL) – RP (Yahoo – 43%)
Two extra runs in the ninth inning of yesterday’s 6-1 win over the Nats denied O’Brien an opportunity at his fourth save, but the fact that he finished it out indicates that he’s the top option in the Cards pen right now. He has not allowed a run and, even better, hasn’t allowed a walk through his first seven appearances.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Jakob Junis received some looks after converting consecutive saves for the Rangers. As Rick Graham mentioned in yesterday’s RP Roundup, stuff-wise, Junis is just about the antithesis of a closer. The situation in Texas also seems pretty messy, but I get it if you want to add him and see if he can keep it up.
Ha-Seong Kim’s finger injury has afforded Mauricio Dubón everyday at-bats for Atlanta, and he’s seized the opportunity, hitting .350 with a pair of home runs. I don’t think you can expect that to continue, given that he hasn’t posted a 100 wRC+ in any of his previous seven seasons. But, in the meantime, he is a perfectly fine stopgap for deep leagues. His 2B, 3B, SS, OF eligibility on Yahoo plays.
I’ll admit it’s very narrow-minded of me, but I think life is better avoiding all Rockies when possible. Still, I’ve got to give TJ Rumfield his due; he’s been really productive, hitting .378 with a pair of homers through his first 42 PAs while wearing purple and black. He was also quite productive last year for Triple-A Scranton before the Yankees swapped him for righty reliever Angel Chivilli.
Sean Burke did well in his season debut against the Jays and also pitched well yesterday, limiting the Orioles to two runs on two hits and two walks over five innings. Pitching for the White Sox isn’t ideal, but as Nick mentioned in last Friday’s SP roundup, Burke did some pretty good things in his game against the Jays. Does it stick is another story. I think for now, at least, the most interesting thing about Burke is that you can deploy him as SP/RP in points leagues. He will likely make his third turn at home against the Rays next Tuesday.
We mentioned Max Muncy on Tuesday. He’s started well, hitting .308 with a pair of home runs and a stolen base, but isn’t all that interesting considering what he did in the minors. He’s playing every day for the A’s, making him useful in certain spots where you just need a middle infielder, although he has made all ten of his starts at third.
Will Warren got the A’s in Yankee Stadium last night and was inefficient, allowing eight baserunners before being yanked with two down in the fifth. The outcome wasn’t what you wanted, but I still think he’s worth a roster spot given his strikeout upside while pitching for a winning team.
A former top prospect with gargantuan talent who, checks notes, just hit his fifth home run. Yeah, you better believe Jordan Walker should be 100% rostered.
Mitch Keller has been well worth rostering with a 1.00 ERA and 0.94 WHIP through his first three turns. Still, he probably isn’t someone you should cling to, given the poor team context and last year’s ho-hum results. The lack of strikeouts seems like another red flag, too.
Category Specific Players to Add
Brett Baty (NYM) – 2B/3B (Yahoo – 10%)
Baty hit .291 with a 135 wRC+ in the second half last year and had me pretty excited. His EVs demonstrate plus raw power, but as of now, he doesn’t hit flyballs often, so don’t expect too many home runs. He has, however, shown the ability to drive the ball the other way, and that could make him a tough guy to defend with runners on base. With Juan Soto on the IL, Baty seems to be Carlos Mendoza’s current choice to hit fifth, meaning he could provide RBIs and be a surprisingly useful option, particularly at 2B. However, his aggressive approach could sting in OBP formats.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
Randy Vásquez (SD) – SP (Yahoo – 40%) vs COL
The velocity bump in his first start didn’t stick and has me feeling indifferent about him breaking out. Still, he pitched pretty well in his second start, holding Boston to one run through six innings, and it’s, you know, the Road Rockies.
Seth Lugo (KC) – SP (Yahoo – 35%) vs CWS
Are we allowed to forget last season happened? The former Met is one year removed from a 3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while throwing the second-most innings in baseball, and has come out of the gate with two good starts against the Braves and Brewers. The White Sox are next.
Max Meyer (MIA) – SP (Yahoo – 12%) vs CIN
Rhett Lowder (Yahoo – 19%) is certainly playable on the other side of this game, but I’m a little more interested to see what Meyer can do because he offers more strikeout potential. A home matchup against the Reds seems like a great spot.
Tomorrow:
Landen Roupp (SF) – SP (Yahoo – 16 %) at BAL
Yes, Camden Yards is far from ideal. But Roupp’s changeup and curveball have done well, helping him net an impressive 25.0% K-BB through his first three turns.
Deep League Players to Watch
Tyler Mahle (SF) – SP (Yahoo – 6%)
Mahle was quite productive last year, posting a 2.18 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 16 starts before being derailed by a shoulder injury. His first three starts have ended with a not-so-great 4.30 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. But he is watchlist-worthy in hopes that he can regain the form he showed early last season. His next chance will come early next week against the Reds in Cincinnati.
Janson Junk (MIA) – SP, RP (Yahoo – 5%)
Recommended in Monday’s column, Junk pitched well against the Reds, getting one out in the eighth, but endured a tough-luck loss. His RP eligibility pushes him up the priority list in points leagues. However, you might want to keep closer tabs on him elsewhere, too, considering Tuesday’s SP Roundup.
Dylan Beavers (BAL) – OF (Yahoo – 3%)
Tyler O’Neill (BAL) – OF (Yahoo – 2%)
I had previously suggested O’Neill has a speculative add on the hopes that he might recapture the form that landed him a three-year deal with the O’s. Alas, it hasn’t happened yet, at least. The rookie Beavers, who, judging by his work in the minors, could approach 20 home runs and 20 steals if everything clicked, is the other side of the equation. Neither has made much noise yet, but my gut tells me one of them will at some point. Please don’t ask me which one. Why not put them both on the watch list and see what happens?
