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 players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Daulton Varsho (TOR) OF (8% rostered on Yahoo!)
It’s weird saying a guy who entered last night hitting .194 is a priority add. However, that guy also swatted two big flies last night, both of which featured the top exit velocities in a game that totaled 20 runs. Both shots had swing velocities north of 80 mph. That’s eye-popping, to say the least. Yes, Varsho is probably not going to help your batting average, considering his pull tendencies. But I also get the sense that he might have unlocked a new level of power, and he’s capable of stealing 10-15 bases, too. At the very least, make sure he is rostered in five OF formats.
Trent Grisham (NYY) OF (44% rostered on Yahoo!)
I’ve mentioned Grisham the past two weeks. I swear I wasn’t going to do it again, but then he hit two more dingers Monday night. Here we are, the guy who entered the year hitting .191 over his previous 1,288 PA, is hitting .288 and is five home runs away from matching his career-high. He is hitting a ton of flyballs, so his batting average will probably dip. But his power is legit (111 power via PLV; 100 is average), and he’s making excellent swing decisions (119 DV). And, he’s hitting in front of Aaron Judge. That’s a pretty decent combination.
Javier Báez (DET) 3B/SS/OF (57% rostered on Yahoo!)
Two more home runs last night, including a walk-off job in the eleventh off righty reliever Greg Weissert, have Báez batting .319 with a .355 wOBA. I promised myself I wouldn’t get nostalgic, and yet here I am reimagining the home run he hit off Corey Kluber in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. This probably doesn’t last, but I understand chasing it. Speaking of chase, Báez’s decision value of 53 is all sorts of not good. I’m amazed pitchers still give him anything to thwack.
Nick Kurtz (ATH) 1B (22% rostered on Yahoo!)
Kurtz’s first taste of the majors hasn’t been breathtaking so far, to say the least. That’s a story we’ve heard before, right? Strikeouts in particular have been a problem. Still, the 22-year-old lefty first baseman is worth mentioning considering his power upside, and lo and behold, we finally saw it last night in the eighth inning of last night’s blowout of the Dodgers when he swatted a changeup from JP Feyereisen 415 feet to left-center. Maybe that gets him going.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Ben Brown got the easy matchup last night against the Marlins and took advantage, allowing two earned runs on five hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. Brown has a pretty good curveball and heater, but his lack of a third pitch hinders his upside. He also has fickle control and entered the night with a 1.65 WHIP. Feel free to move on.
If you play in a dynasty league, chances are you’ve heard of Moisés Ballesteros; he’s become one of the minor league’s best hitting catchers over the last year or so. The 21-year-old lefty was hitting .368 with four home runs and a .424 wOBA across 34 games with Triple-A Iowa before the promotion. He made his debut last night, hit seventh as the DH, and went 0-for-4. This could be a cup of coffee situation, with Ian Happ facing what at least looks like a quick stay on the IL with a minor oblique strain. Still, Ballesteros is certainly worth a speculative pickup in two-catcher leagues.
We discussed Trent Grisham at the top. Needless to say, he’s worth your attention, but it also depends on who you’re cutting and the replacement level on the wire. I’ll admit, I’m constantly confounded by adds and drops in shallow formats. It’s a daily struggle, just like that two-button meme. Will you put down the phone already? No, I’m afraid can’t. I’ve got one move left to use this week, and it must be perfect.
Landon Knack was a popular addition with the Dodgers hosting the A’s. He allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk in an 11-1 blowout loss. The eighth strikeouts were nice, but yeah, I think we’re OK looking elsewhere.
Byron Buxton has been mentioned the past two days, and continues to rake atop the Twins’ lineup. He’s already stolen eight bases, one more than he had last year in 102 games. His average will probably dip into the .240s, but he’s about as close to a must-roster player as you can get.
Andrew Abbott is coming off a great performance against the Braves and was a popular add for last night’s game against the White Sox. I’m a little interested in him, considering his K rate has peaked over 30%. However, he’s also walking batters at a 12.2% clip and will probably be a roller coaster, given his homer-friendly home park. Take it or leave it.
I’m fairly certain Nick would faint if he ever saw Robbie Ray on a waiver wire. He holds a 2.84 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across his first eight starts, the only blemish being a 12.2% BB rate. He faced the D-backs last night.
AJ Smith-Shawver has rattled off four pretty decent outings in a row. Still, his 4.77 PLV and 10.9% BB rate portend turbulent times ahead. All things considered, he seems like a pretty decent sell-high.
Category Specific Players to Add
Brandon Lowe (TB), 2B (34% rostered on Yahoo!)
Lowe has struggled mightily thus far, hitting .190 with a .247 wOBA, by far the lowest marks of his career. Still, he’s mashed a career .350 wOBA against right-handers, and he gets five of them this week, so we could see him launch a dinger or two with some RBIs.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streaming article.
Nick Martinez (CIN), SP (21% rostered on Yahoo!)
We’ve got slim pickings this Thursday with only six games on the docket. AJ Smith-Shawver (40% rostered on Yahoo!) should get some attention at home against the Nationals. But I think his command is a lot shakier than his 2.76 ERA would indicate. If you’ve played fantasy long enough, you’ll have encountered a few random player performances that you’ll always remember. One of my fondest DFS moments was playing Lonnie Chisenhall the night he hit three home runs. Nick Martinez, then with the Rangers, gave up the first one. That’s not much of a sales pitch for Martínez, is it? Well, the good news is that that was over a decade ago, and Martínez has since cultivated a pretty decent changeup to combat lefties. And the even better news is that he’s going against the White Sox, you know, the team with the worst wOBA in baseball.
Speculative Adds
Mason Montgomery (TB), RP (2% rostered on Yahoo!)
Pete Fairbanks struggled last night, allowing three consecutive doubles to Myles Straw, Bo Bichette, and Vladdy. He also walked George Springer before being lifted for Mason Montgomery, who got Varsho to fly out to left for the final out of an 11-9 Rays’ win and his first save. I don’t suspect a changing of the guard, but Montgomery is an awfully intriguing arm to take a chance on if he were to get more opportunities. The 24-year-old lefty’s 5.58 PLV ranks second only to Griffin Jax among pitchers with at least 150 pitches thrown.
Deep League Players to Watch
Brett Baty (NYM), 2B/3B (5% rostered on Yahoo!)
Jesse Winker’s Grade two oblique strain prompted the Mets to promote Brett Baty last Monday. The lefty-hitting third baseman was one of the Mets’ top prospects, but fell out of favor last year thanks to a big season from Mark Vientos. Right now, there’s room for Vientos and Baty with Winker’s DH at-bats available; Baty has also started 13 games at 2B while Jeff McNeil was on the IL earlier this season. Baty has exhibited plus raw power, but has been held back by high groundball rates. However, he’s gone yard three times since the promotion. Hey, maybe he’s turned the corner?
Brooks Lee (MIN), 2B/3B/SS (4% rostered on Yahoo!)
Brooks Lee has hit no lower than sixth in the Twins lineup since May 1st. The 25-year-old switch-hitter hasn’t done a whole lot yet, hitting .253 with three home runs and a .311 wOBA. But he’s demonstrated good contact ability with a 15.1% K rate and had a pretty decent showing in Triple-A St. Paul last season, hitting .308 with eight home runs and a .417 wOBA across 25 games. The Twins are on the road this week in Baltimore and Milwaukee, two good hitters’ parks against teams that haven’t exactly had great pitching staffs. If you’re in a deep league and just lost Corey Seager to the IL, you might want to give Lee a look as a stopgap.
For more deep leaguers, check Ben Rosener’s Deep League Waiver Wire column every Thursday and Saturday.
