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
Trey Yesavage (TOR), SP (5% Yahoo, 2% ESPN)
Trey Yesavage is set to make his major league debut for the Blue Jays on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. This is a bit of a surprising September call-up considering that he’s recently been used in bulk relief in the minor leagues, but it looks like they are committing to him as a starter at least for one start and potentially to close out the season. The 20th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft has been great this year, posting a 3.12 ERA with 160 strikeouts and 41 walks in 98 innings between all four levels of the minors.
That’s a ridiculous 41.1% strikeout rate, which demonstrates the type of upside we’re talking about here. While there’s only room for three starts left in the season at the most, he’s worth taking a chance on in all leagues. The final weeks are all about maximizing your stats in every way possible, and Yesavage could notch you some extra points in the strikeout category if you’re in a close race.
Ryan Weathers (MIA), SP (11% Yahoo, 2% ESPN)
Ryan Weathers made his return from the injured list on Thursday, tossing five shutout innings and striking out four against the Nationals. It was his first start since June 7 and only his sixth start of an injury-plagued year. He was gaining steam as a popular sleeper heading into the year, and there’s still time for him to finish strong in what little time is left. This week, he gets a nice matchup against the Rockies, making him a solid streamer.
Otto Kemp (PHI), 1B/2B/3B/OF (15% Yahoo, 4% ESPN)
Otto Kemp returned to the major leagues in a full-time capacity with Alec Bohm landing on the injured list a week ago. He’s been red hot ever since, tallying at least one extra base hit in four of the seven games, which includes two homers and three doubles. He’ll figure to get plenty of counting stat opportunities in Philadelphia’s lineup and comes with the benefit of quadruple eligibility in Yahoo leagues.
Harrison Bader (PHI), OF (31% Yahoo, 22% ESPN)
Harrison Bader is another red-hot Phillie and has been elite at the plate ever since heading over at the trade deadline. Heading into Sunday, he was the 13th-best outfielder in fantasy over the past 30 days, batting .398 with 20 runs, three home runs, and 12 RBI. We’re at the point in the season where hot streaks could last for the remainder of the season, and Bader is one of the hottest.
Gabriel Moreno (ARI), C (30% Yahoo, 32% ESPN)
Gabriel Moreno missed two months in the middle of the season due to a fractured finger, which led him to be a forgotten asset in many fantasy leagues. With so many young catchers breaking out, the upside just wasn’t as appealing for the 25-year-old known for his reliable batting average. However, he’s sneakily been the fourth most valuable fantasy catcher over the past 30 days, batting .355 with four home runs. Two of those homers have come in the past seven days, along with a .500 batting average, making Moreno one of the most appealing catching streaming options to close out the year.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Four of the five most added players on Yahoo are Sunday streamers, with the lone exception being Otto Kemp, who was already discussed in the previous section of this article. Slade Cecconi pitched fine, allowing two runs over 5.2 innings against the White Sox, but can safely be dropped for other streamers throughout the week. Yu Darvish allowed three runs over five innings with five strikeouts against the Rockies. If you don’t need the roster spot in the meantime, he’d be worth holding onto for his next start against the White Sox. Jacob Latz had control issues, walking four batters in 4.2 innings, and isn’t worth holding on to. Finally, Jose Quintana had his start cut short due to a calf injury that could potentially sideline him for a while, so he is also a safe drop.
Daylen Lile is the most-added player in ESPN leagues over the past seven days, as he has been on a tear for the past month. He especially picked things up over the past two weeks, batting .392 with two homers and a stolen base. I can’t say there’s much long-term upside here, but this is a short-term game now, so add him if you need immediate outfield production. Trevor Story has been solid but not exceptional as of late, batting .261 with a homer and two steals in the past week. He’s a fine add if available, but he’s 85% rostered in Yahoo compared to 47% on ESPN. Jorge Polanco is also heavily owned in Yahoo at 67% compared to 47% on ESPN, so his inclusion on this list is a combination of his good play as of late and his ownership catching up to other sites. Darvish and Cecconi round out the top five, and both were already discussed in the previous paragraph.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to figure out who you need to start, stream, or sit each day this season. There is one name that I particularly like for today.
Kyle Bradish (BAL), SP (42% Yahoo, 22% ESPN)
Kyle Bradish has made three starts since making his season debut on August 26, allowing five runs and striking out 21 over 17 innings. It certainly doesn’t look like Tommy John surgery slowed him down, as he looks like a must-start pitcher from here on out. That’s especially true of his scheduled Monday start against the uninspiring Chicago White Sox. If you play in a weekly league, he’ll also pick up a second start against the Yankees over the weekend.
