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It's crunch time in fantasy baseball and no amount of football could slow us down in the pursuit of a championship. While many other RotoBallers are celebrating Week 1 of the NFL season, we're here trying to make the most of the stretch run of baseball season with a fresh batch of 2B/SS waiver wire options.
It's playoff time in head-to-head leagues and, at this point in the season, every roster decision could be the one that makes or breaks the teams that we've poured over for the last six months. Toss long term upside goes out the window. Every player below is here with the intention of putting up big numbers in Week 23.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single digits who deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 23 – September 12th through September 18th.
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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Kyle Farmer, SS/3B, Cincinnati Reds (25% rostered)
The Reds have nine, yes NINE, games this week so load as many as you can into weekly lineups. In addition to the sheer volume of games, Cincinnati has good matchups as the first four games are against a dreadful Pirates pitching staff in Cincinnati, one of the best hitter's parks in the game.
For his part, Farmer is having a fine season as his 63 RBI ties his career-high with three weeks left to play. Farmer seldom strikes out, his K-rate is under 20 percent, and he's been batting third every game for the Reds. He's less rostered than most Shallow League recommendations, but Farmer is close to a must-start option in Week 23.
Elvis Andrus, SS, Chicago White Sox (22% rostered)
The year is 2022, and the ageless Elvis Andrus is still finding ways to be relevant in fantasy.That's right, the 34-year-old veteran has been leading off for the White Sox and has been scorching hot since his promotion to the top of the lineup.
In his last nine games, Andrus has 13 hits, nine runs scored, and nine RBI. Looking back further, he's batting .289 since the All-Star Break and has a sturdy .795 OPS in the second half compared to the .651 OPS he posted in the first half. At this point in the season, there's no reason to fade a hot bat.
Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Nick Gordon, 2B/SS/OF, Minnesota Twins (23% rostered)
Nick Gordon has taken major strides in his second Big League season and he's worked his way into the fantasy baseball conversation as we near the end of the season. Gordon is slugging a respectable .425 this season compared to .355 in 73 games as a rookie in 2021.
His Statcast data backs up his year-two improvements as his barrel rate is up by four percent to go along with an improved launch angle. The Twins play seven games next week and Gordon has hit his way into the everyday lineup. He's worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues.
Oswald Peraza, SS, New York Yankees (6% rostered)
Peraza is one of the top prospects in the Yankees system, but he wasn't an automatic add in fantasy leagues as it was unclear how much he would play. Now, with DJ LeMahieu (toe) and Anthony Rizzo (head) on the injured list, the door is open for Peraza to make an impact in the Bronx and in fantasy.
The 22-year-old went 4-for-8 with two runs scored in a doubleheader versus the Twins last week and has been back in the lineup again this weekend manning shortstop, with Isaih Kiner-Falefa moving over to third base. The issue is, New York only plays five games this week, but in deeper leagues, Peraza is worth a look for a Middle Infield slot.
Waiver Wire Watch List
Spencer Steer, SS/3B, Cincinnati Reds (2% rostered)
As mentioned above, the Reds play nine games this week. Steer isn't of the same caliber of Farmer, but he could provide sneaky deep-league value, even if he sits out a few of those games. Steer was the top-prospect Cincinnati received in the Tyler Mahle trade and has looked good so far, blasting a homer with three runs and three RBI in his first six Big League games.
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