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As Yogi Berra said, it's getting late early. Some leagues begin the playoffs in as little as two weeks! Whether you are chasing that top seed or want to play spoiler, we are here to help you win your points league matchup this week.
It's important to know your league's scoring. It will be harder to unearth the pitcher to swing your matchup in the next three days. Points league scoring vastly differs on ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!, and Fantrax. Most leagues also have start limits. Remember that when deciding whether to go after a streamer this week. For example, pitchers gain two points for a win on ESPN but also lose two points for a loss. Yahoo! gives eight points for a win, and losses don't count against you at all!
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We're not saying to drop a key piece of your team for these guys, but dropping a bench player for a guy on a heater could be the difference between winning and losing your matchup in a points league. It's okay to be patient in roto and category leagues. Points leagues are a different animal. These pickups will help you win this week, not necessarily in the future. Roster percentages and positions are taken from ESPN.
Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Sean Manaea, NYM (47% Rostered)
Sean Manaea's last two starts
14 IP, 0 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 21 K pic.twitter.com/aLcxatd6O6
— jack (@Jolly_Olive) August 5, 2024
Manaea has racked up 21 strikeouts in 14 innings over his last two starts (without allowing a run, by the way). Next up is the team that strikes out more than any other team: the Seattle Mariners. This is the biggest slam dunk you'll get on waivers this season!
Spencer Schwellenbach, ATL (37.8% Rostered)
Speaking of guys who are racking up strikeouts facing a team that strikes out a lot, Schwelly draws the Rockies on Friday. The bad news is that the game is in Coors Field. If you can stomach the risk, Schwellenbach has also struck out 21 in 14 innings over his last two starts. If Manaea isn't available and you can deal with the points risk, Schwellenbach could pay off nicely.
12-Team Leagues
Jameson Taillon, CHC (26.6% Rostered)
Aside from a hiccup against the Reds at the end of July, Taillon hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start in two months. The team that did that to him was the lowly White Sox. The Sox have been different (and not in a good way) since that June day. They are striking out at a 26% clip over the last month against RHP and the metrics are disastrous. Taillon should get his revenge on Friday.
Colin Rea, MIL (22.8% Rostered)
Since Rea got throttled by Pittsburgh a month ago, he has allowed just four earned runs in 23 innings while striking out 30. 30! Those are elite strikeout totals and Rea draws a Reds team at home that he dominated in Miller Park on June 16. Rea is prone to the occasional blow-up, but this shouldn't be one.
Deep Leagues
Kyle Freeland, COL (3.8% Rostered)
Freeland isn't for the faint of heart, but he has 34 strikeouts over his last 28.1 innings over five starts. He left his last outing against the Mets with a blister but is expected to be fine on Sunday against the Braves. Atlanta has been struggling against lefties over the last month. They are striking out at an alarming 38.3% rate. with a terrible .179 average and 68 wRC. Freeland may give up a couple of runs again, but the strikeouts should be there to bail us out.
Nick Martinez, CIN (2.7% Rostered)
Martinez made a strong return to the Cincinnati rotation last week with a scoreless five frames against the Marlins. Milwaukee is striking out at a bloated 26.4% against RHP over the last month. When they make contact, it's pretty good contact. However, the added strikeouts should mitigate the damage.
Also consider:
- Kyle Harrison, SF (33.5% Rostered), Today at WAS
- Matt Waldron, SD (27.1% Rostered), Saturday at MIA
- Michael Wacha, KC (24.6% Rostered), Saturday vs. STL
- JP Sears, OAK (18.8% Rostered), Sunday at TOR
- Jose Quintana, NYM (13.5% Rostered), Friday at SEA
- Jose Soriano, LAA (9% Rostered), Friday at WAS
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Keibert Ruiz, WAS (43.9% Rostered)
His rostered percentage has been holding steady for around two months now, likely because his production has done the same. Ruiz isn't flashy, but he is finally starting to put up some counting stats. He is hitting .364 over the last week with a homer and five runs scored.
12-Team Leagues
Tyler Stephenson, CIN (15.8% Rostered)
That Stephenson guy is at it again. He has three homers and six RBI in his last four starts alone. A series in Milwaukee this weekend should only help his numbers.
Deep Leagues
Freddy Fermin, KC (2.5% Rostered)
The modest hit streak is over and Fermin is striking out a few more times, but his plate discipline is still something that helps in points leagues. It doesn't hurt that he also stole a base this week. Fermin continues to establish himself in a better-than-expected KC lineup.
Also consider:
- David Fry, CLE (40.5% Rostered)
- Connor Wong, BOS (21.5% Rostered)
- Alejandro Kirk, TOR (4.1% Rostered)
- Joey Bart, PIT (2.1% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Infield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Josh Bell, 1B, ARI (37.5% Rostered)
ANOTHER TWO-HOMER GAME FOR JOSH BELL. 🔔 pic.twitter.com/hn1eVzEl0D
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 7, 2024
Christian Walker's trip to the IL has opened up an everyday slot for Josh Bell. He posted his second two-homer game with Arizona in the last week yesterday against Cleveland. He was starting to cook when the Marlins released him. He is simmering nicely with Arizona right now.
Luis Garcia Jr., 2B, WAS (26.9% Rostered)
Garcia has four games to close out the week. He has a hit in each of the last seven games that he has started and is hitting .440 with two homers, three RBI, and three steals in the last week. Garcia's season-long numbers are strong enough that he should be rostered in many more leagues. He'll slow down a little, but the .288 average, 13 homers, and 18 steals suggest that he's a big asset in points leagues through the rest of the season.
12-Team Leagues
Masyn Winn, SS, STL (16% Rostered)
The youngster has four of his nine homers on the season over the last two weeks. Winn is finding his power stroke to add some value to his perch atop the St. Louis lineup. He draws a nice matchup this weekend in the I-70 series, so expect the hot streak to continue.
Zach Neto, SS, LAA (14.2% Rostered)
Zach Neto has driven in 6 runs ... it's the 4th inning 😳 pic.twitter.com/v7RMb6SKft
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2024
Neto has three homers and 12 RBI in his last four games. Need I say more?
Deep Leagues
Orlando Arcia, SS, ATL (9.1% Rostered)
Arcia has four homers in the last 10 games with five RBI in that span. The relative weakness of the Braves' offense (he has only scored on the homers he has hit in that span) takes away some of the luster, but Arcia is still worth a look at a weak position.
Jonah Bride, 3B, FLA (0.4% Rostered)
All three of Bride's major league home runs have come in the last week, so he is starting to hit his stride. There are a lot of young hitters on this team, but they are showing some pop. Bride has seven RBI in that span too and he's rarely striking out. That makes him that much more enticing on ESPN.
Also consider:
- Xavier Edwards, 2B/SS, MIA (46.7% Rostered)
- Tyler Fitzgerald, SS/OF, SF (30.8% Rostered)
- Jake Burger, 1B/3B, MIA (25.3% Rostered)
- Michael Busch, 1B/3B, CHC (21.9% Rostered)
- Jake Burger, 1B/3B, MIA (19.4% Rostered)
- DJ LeMahieu, 1B/3B, NYY (5.8% Rostered)
- Brendan Rodgers, 2B, COL (3.3% Rostered)
- Geraldo Perdomo, 2B/SS, ARI (3.3% Rostered)
- Ernie Clement, SS/3B, TOR (2.3% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Tyler Fitzgerald, SF (40.8% Rostered)
Seven of Fitzgerald's 12 home runs on the season have come in the last two weeks. He is hitting .309 in that span while driving in 11. Fitzgerald's strong overall numbers and eligibility at SS as well as in the outfield make him a big asset in fantasy leagues, but not enough people are taking notice. Don't be one of those. Fitzgerald can help you throughout your fantasy playoffs as well.
Colton Cowser, BAL (34.5% Rostered)
The rookie has carved out a place in Baltimore's starting lineup. The hit streak may be over, but Cowser still remains one of the hottest hitters on the team. He should remain an asset through the end of the season if you are still in contention.
Colton Cowser over the last month:
78 AB
.346 AVG
4 HR
15 RBI
17 Runs
2 SB
.947 OPS— Kirk Snyder (@dynastyinfo411) August 5, 2024
12-Team Leagues
James Wood, WAS (22.1% Rostered)
The Nationals are content to turn the rookie loose and see what he can do. He is hitting .360 over the last week with a homer, seven RBI, six runs scored, three steals, and two triples just to pile on more points. The strikeouts hurt a little on ESPN, but we can overlook that for all of the other good he is doing lately. The Nationals play a game in each of the four days left this week.
Michael Conforto, SF (13.3% Rostered)
Conforto is riding a modest five-game hitting streak in which he has homered twice and driven in seven runs. Conforto will likely grab a slice of the bench against Washington lefty DJ Herz today, but a weekend series against the Tigers should keep this hot streak going.
Deep Leagues
Andrew Benintendi, CWS (9.6% Rostered)
Benintendi has three homers and seven RBI in the last four games alone. He failed to make an impact before the trade deadline and get himself a better gig on a better team, but he is making the most of his time in baseball's barren wasteland known as the South Side of Chicago. He's worth picking up for a crosstown series with the Cubs that always gets crazy.
Tommy Pham, STL (7.4% Rostered)
Pham is hitting .379 with two homers, nine RBI, and five runs scored in his first eight games with the Cardinals. He got hot enough to get a new lease on life and was traded out of Chicago just in time to catch on with a surging Cardinals team. A great weekend series looms. Expect Pham to remain hot for at least another three games.
Also consider:
- TJ Friedl, CIN (28.9% Rostered)
- Josh Lowe, TB (28.2% Rostered)
- Byron Buxton, MIN (27.8% Rostered)
- Joc Pederson, ARI (16.9% Rostered)
- Wilyer Abreu, BOS (12.8% Rostered)
- Tommy Pham, CWS (3.8% Rostered)
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC (2.6% Rostered)
- Matt Wallner, MIN (1.6% Rostered)
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