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Baseball season is officially in full swing. If you have an interest or a need in tweaking with your team, then you have come to the right place. This FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups series will be looking at Week 20 -- August 5 through August 11 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
We are officially in the stretch run of the fantasy season. For the next six weeks, we must place bids and target players who will fill the remaining holes in our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently as you are running out of time. Do not be afraid to spend a little more on a player that you need to fill an empty lineup spot or boost a category.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in Yahoo! leagues that could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. This week, we have one of the best prospects in baseball retuning to the major leagues and several players with an opportunity to gain significant opportunities due to the moves made at the deadline. I will also include what percentage of your FAAB budget you should look to spend on each player. Let’s get started!
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River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
22% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15%
The Dodger rookie dominated in his second start of his career on July 28, tallying eight punchouts across five ⅔ innings of one-run ball against the Houston Astros. In his first start, he held the Giants to one run (zero earned) through 5 ⅓ frames.
Even though the Dodgers acquired Jack Flaherty at the deadline, the 25-year-old has earned a spot in the rotation going forward and should be rostered in all leagues.
David Festa, SP, Minnesota Twins
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7%
After struggling through his first look at the big leagues earlier this season, Festa has begun to turn things around.
On July 24, Festa tossed four innings of bulk relief and held the high-powered Phillies to one run while striking out seven. In his latest start on July 30, the 24-year-old allowed just two runs against the Mets while striking out six over five frames.
David Festa with another solid start in his fourth @MLB game💥
5 IP / 3 H / 2 R / 1 BB / 6 K
The NJ native has had back-to-back appearances allowing two or fewer runs while striking out 6+ batters 📈@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/zmGx89UOl2
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 31, 2024
With Chris Paddack (elbow) sidelined, Festa may have just claimed the final spot in the rotation.
Edward Cabrera, SP, Miami Marlins
13% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15%
If you love chasing upside, target the Marlin right-hander this week. Cabrera looked strong in his recent outing on July 30 against the Rays. He struck out seven across five two-run frames and allowed only two free passes and three walks. In his previous start, he tallied six punchouts against the Orioles but surrendered four walks.
While his control can be wild at times, his strikeout upside is elite, and if he has a dominant outing, he could single-handedly win you weeks in H2H formats.
Ben Joyce, RP, Los Angeles Angels
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15% if needing saves
With Luis Garcia and Carlos Estevez shipped out at the deadline, Joyce is now a potential ninth-inning option in Anaheim. Joyce is a hard-throwing right-hander who has begun to settle in at the big-league level. He has yet to allow a run over his past 19 innings while holding a 0.83 WHIP and 9:18 BB:K ratio.
Even though the Angels might not find themselves in too many save situations, Joyce could tally double-digit saves in the second half, which makes him valuable enough.
Jackson Holliday, 2B/SS, Baltimore Orioles
42% rostered
FAAB Bid: <20%
The Baltimore Orioles promoted their top prospect on Tuesday evening after sending Connor Norby to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Trevor Rogers.
Holliday will likely see the majority of starts at the keystone while Jordan Westburg shifts over to the hot corner.
I have a good feeling about Jackson Holliday’s 2nd stint in the majors…#Birdland pic.twitter.com/fwALs36BXl
— Tyler Barberis (@tylerbarberis_) July 31, 2024
The former number one overall pick has begun to heat up at Triple-A, boasting a strong .267/.412/.493 slash line with three home runs, 10 RBI, a 19:22 BB:K ratio, and three swiped bags since June 26.
While Holliday struggled through his first taste of the big leagues earlier this season, the 20-year-old is a high-upside play that could be a league winner down the stretch as he should face little competition for an everyday role.
Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Another top prospect makes this week's column as he is on the verge of a promotion. The Rays recently shipped out third baseman Isaac Paredes and outfielder Randy Arozarena, which opens up two spots in the lineup.
While they did acquire utility man Christopher Morel from Chicago, he may shift to the designated hitter spot more often than not, as his defense was subpar on the Northside.
The Rays now have an opening at third base.
Junior Caminero has raked all weekend, hitting multiple balls 110+ mph
🤔🤔🤔
(🎥 @DurhamBulls)
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 28, 2024
Caminero recently returned to Triple-A after recovering from a quadriceps injury that kept him sidelined since late May. The 21-year-old may only need a handful of games to settle in before he gets the call.
Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers
3% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8% if needing a second catcher, <2% for others
The Tigers promoted their 11th-ranked prospect (according to MLB.com) on Monday. In his major league debut, he reached safely twice with an RBI double.
While he may not take over catching duties in Motown, he had a big first half at Triple-A Toledo, posting a stellar .308/.379/.559 line with 17 home runs. This suggests he could eventually surpass Jake Rogers since Rogers has struggled this summer, averaging a poor .202 to this point.
Hunter Renfroe, 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals
7% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10% if you need an outfielder/power, <5% for others
Since July 13, the 32-year-old has begun to turn around what has been a rough 2024 season.
During this span, Renfroe has a .316/.422/.579 line with three home runs, 11 RBI, and a 6:7 BB:K ratio. While his 30-home run season is past him, he could still be a viable source of power, especially while he enjoys this power surge.
Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B/SS, Seattle Mariners
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15% if needing an infielder, <10% for others
Another veteran who has begun to bounce back is Seattle infielder Jorge Polanco. In his past 12 games, Polanco has gone deep five times, including a two-homer game on July 27.
Not including today, Jorge Polanco has a 117 wRC+ since July 4th with a .767 OPS. Would be HUGE if he can keep this up. pic.twitter.com/sSDtJWKpvd
— Cam 🔱 (@Camd3n_10) July 31, 2024
During this stretch, Polanco has consistently slotted in as the cleanup hitter, which has provided him ample RBI opportunities. With newly acquired Randy Arozarena and outfielder Julio Rodriguez (ankle) due back soon, this Seattle offense could break out down the stretch.
Victor Robles, OF, Seattle Mariners
18% rostered
FAAB Bid: <13% if needing an outfielder, <5% for others
Robles has been another beneficiary of the recent surging Seattle offense. Robles has been riding a strong .378/.440/.511 line with 17 hits since July 13 and has claimed the leadoff spot in the lineup.
Even when Julio Rodriguez (ankle) returns and claims center field duties again, Robles has clearly earned an everyday spot in the lineup going forward and should continue to provide an excellent batting average.
Joey Ortiz, 2B/3B, Milwaukee Brewers
17% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8%
Ortiz was reinstated from the injured list on July 12 and has started at the hot corner in every game since.
Seen this before! 👀
Joey Ortiz, the single-season and career leader in triples for @NMStateBaseball, triples in a run for the @Brewers tonight.
🎥 #ProAggies pic.twitter.com/I8zFhn2WXY
— Adam Young (@youngpbp) July 30, 2024
While he has only posted a modest .184 AVG since his return, he flashed five-category potential earlier this season, posting a .275/.382/.459 line with seven home runs and five stolen bases from March 30 to mid-June.
If you are looking for a solid batting average in your infield with the potential to chip in with power and speed, grab Ortiz this weekend.
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