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
Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) – 1B (Yahoo – 37%)
Yep, we’ve gotta talk about Goldschmidt again. He’s been unbelievable, hitting .289 with an .896 OPS; the latter is his best since he won the MVP in 2022. His PLV metrics, including a 118 Power and a 125 Process, corroborate his performance. Considering that Goldschmidt has compiled a ridiculous 239 wRC+ against left-handers this season and a 169 wRC+ last year, now seems like the perfect time to add him, with the Yankees set to face five southpaws this week. OK, fine, Skubal, Valdez, and Tolle are tough. Still, Goldy’s recent production has been far too good to ignore. There’s no real reason to think he can’t continue at least for a little while longer.
Matt Boyd (CHC) – SP (Yahoo – 54%)
Thankfully, Boyd’s shoulder flare-up proved to be a minor setback; he struck out seven during his rehab start this Saturday. Boyd isn’t an ace, of course, but last year’s 3.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 31 starts proved that he can be a difference-maker. Let’s pretend those five starts earlier this season, during which he accumulated a 6.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, didn’t happen and set expectations for a rock-solid SP 4.
Tommy Edman (LAD) – 2B, 3B, OF (Yahoo – 11%)
Edman has gone 5-for-13 since returning from ankle surgery last Wednesday; he started the first three games and sat Sunday. The 31-year-old switch-hitter was disappointing last season, posting a career low .225 batting average and 81 wRC+ across 377 PAs. However, his 13 home runs matched a career best. Sure enough, the PLV machine pegged him with 96 Power, a few ticks below the league average. That might not seem like much, but considering his penchant for stealing bases and putting the ball in play (16.6% career K rate), he could certainly become a top-ten 2B option in a loaded Dodgers lineup.
Kyle Teel (CWS) – C (Yahoo – 11%)
We were pretty excited to see what Teel could do after he made due on his lauded pedigree by posting a 125 wRC+ as a rookie. Thankfully, I don’t think there is much left to wait after he went 5-for-6 this Friday for Triple-A Charlotte. I could flap my gums some more, but simply put, this guy could fairly easily be a top-ten catcher in the second half, ensconced in what has suddenly become a competent, if not dangerous, White Sox lineup once Murakami returns.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
As expected, there were plenty of clicks for starting pitching with managers trying to eke out wins on Sunday. You have to give Slade Cecconi credit; he pitched well against the Astros while taking a hard-luck 2-1 loss. Nonetheless, he holds a 4.48 ERA and 1.40 WHIP through 16 starts and has struck out more than five batters just once over his last six starts.
On the other side, Kai-Wei Teng pitched a shade better while earning his fourth win. However, like Cecconi, he owns a middling 13.6% K-BB.
The Regression Monster squished Bryce Elder hard yesterday afternoon in Atlanta; Robert Gasser was the beneficiary of the run support, while holding the Braves to two earned runs on four hits and a walk over six innings. Gasser has done a pretty solid job, but his spot in the rotation is most likely gone with Woodruff’s return.
Brooks Lee earned some clicks with a four-hit attack Saturday night. The 25-year-old switch-hitter is hitting .243 with a .728 OPS. He is a cromulent stopgap who is best-suited for points leagues, given his modest speed and over-the-fence pop (91 Power via PLV).
Those who added Andrew Alvarez for his start at the Trop received little more than six strikeouts. The 27-year-old lefty has not completed five innings yet through nine games (four starts) and doesn’t seem like a great bet later this week against the Orioles in Camden Yards.
Keider Montero got the job done yesterday against the White Sox, but he’s just your run-of-the-mill SPRP streamer in points leagues.
Griffey Geiss spotlighted Dustin May in Sunday’s column. The hard-throwing redhead had been a God-send for the RedBirds, that is, before yesterday’s beat-down against the Witt-less Royals at Kaufmann Stadium. Still, May has been far too good lately; I’d give him a pass for the stinker.
Carter Jensen doesn’t feel like your prototypical leadoff hitter; he has an OK, but not great, 8.7% BB walk rate. Regardless, he has become one of the biggest threats in Kansas City’s lineup. The 22-year-old lefty is slashing .244/ .312/ .437 and blasted his tenth home run yesterday; that’s tied with Perez and Basallo for sixth among catchers.
Reid Detmers struggled yesterday in Sacramento against the A’s, but we ought to forgive and forget; his 21.8% K-BB is too good for the wire.
Category Specific Players to Add
Samad Taylor (SD) – 2B/OF (Yahoo – 18%)
Let’s give Taylor credit; he’s given the Padres a much-needed spark, hitting .372 with a .870 OPS across 54 PAs. The 27-year-old’s extensive minor-league track record suggests a legitimate breakout is unlikely. Still, he can steal bases, that’s for sure.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
Anthony Kay (CWS) – SP (Yahoo – 10%) vs CLE
Despite his surname, Kay isn’t much of a strikeout artist. Still, the Guardians’ lineup with Jo-Ram is a mess.
Tomorrow:
Sean Burke (CWS) – SP (Yahoo – 22%) vs CLE
Burke’s 3.89 ERA and 1.22 WHIP aren’t all that bad. He also most recently held the Yankees to one earned run while pitching into the eighth; that’s more than enough to make us want to pick on the Guardians again.
Deep League Players to Watch
Ty France (SD) – 1B (Yahoo – 1%)
If you were like me this past Saturday, and optimistic, if not mildly excited to have deGrom starting on your fantasy team, you were instead disappointed by two dingers, including a grand slam from none other than the Sultan of Swat himself, Ty France. C’mon, Jake. I thought we were friends. Yes, the return of the man who lost the 2018 AL RoY to Ohtani, Miguel Andujar, complicates the playing time situation in SD. Still, France has done just enough to pique interest in deep leagues, hitting .252 with a .772 OPS.
Wade Meckler (LAA) – OF (Yahoo – 2%)
With Trout on the IL, the Angels need to scrap together some at-bats in the outfield, and 26-year-old lefty Wade Meckler appears to be the beneficiary. He hit second yesterday against the righty Jack Perkins. Meckler appears to be in a platoon, but he could provide short-term value with the Angels expected to face all right-handers next week.
