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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 11 -- June 3 through June 9 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
Baseball is a long season, and your FAAB budget has to last you an awfully long time. For the next 14 weeks, we must carefully place bids and target players who will fill holes on our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently.
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. 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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Ben Brown, SP, Chicago Cubs
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Chicago Cubs rookie Ben Brown tossed a seven-inning no-hitter to spark a slumping Cubs team on May 28. Unfortunately, for fantasy, Brown has been bouncing in and out of the rotation the past month, making him hard to trust and the primary reason he is on your waiver wire. Brown has not allowed a run in his past 13 innings and struck out 19 batters in that span. Through the entire season so far, he has a 2.72 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 55:17 K:BB ratio.
Ben Brown's Knuckle Curve is the most valuable curveball in baseball
It has returned a Run Value of 9 while no other curveball has a Run Value greater than 5
The pitch has returned a ridiculous 50.4 Whiff% pic.twitter.com/bNfM2HI0F6
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 29, 2024
Even if he does not have a permanent role in the rotation, his elite strikeout numbers make him relevant in deeper leagues. In shallow leagues, it may be wise to hold off on Brown for now until he is officially part of the rotation. If you have plenty of starters and are looking just to improve your ratios and boost your strikeout numbers, Brown is your pick.
Jeremiah Estrada, RP, San Diego Padres
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10% in holds leagues, <4% in others
Estrada has been one of baseball's most electric relief pitchers over the past two weeks and is worth adding in all leagues. Since May 17, the 25-year-old has posted a 0.15 WHIP, with no earned runs and an incredible 18 punchouts. While he is not a target for saves, as Robert Suarez is the clear ninth-inning option in San Diego, he will provide top-tier strikeout numbers with elite ratios.
13 straight strikeouts is unreal, an MLB record…but having every single one of those batters go down swinging is a once in a lifetime event. Utter dominance from Jeremiah Estrada pic.twitter.com/CoV8WIhazF
— Chase Izidoro (@chaseizi) May 29, 2024
If you are looking for holds, Estrada is a solid choice and his unbelievable 48.3% K rate will be an asset to any team.
Simeon Woods Richardson, SP, Minnesota Twins
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3%
A familiar name to readers of this column continues to produce despite poor strikeout numbers. In his past three outings, he has logged 15 innings with a 1.80 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 7:3 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, Richardson has shown elite control with a 5.5% walk rate, which will do wonders for anyone’s WHIP. In addition, he sits just around the average mark with a 7.4% barrel rate, 38.5% hard-hit rate, and 89.0 mph average exit velocity, which are promising indicators that he should remain a solid pitcher through the summer.
If you want to boost your ratios and add some wins to your tally, target Richardson. However, expect below-average K totals.
Davis Schneider, 2B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: <9%
The new leadoff man has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the past week and is approaching must-roster territory. Since May 22, Schneider has posted a .304/.438/.565 line with 10 RBI, one home run, and a 7:7 BB:K ratio, and has been in the leadoff 10 times in the past 11 games as of May 29. His underlying metrics suggest that this breakout could be legit, with his 15.0% barrel rate and 91.0 mph average exit velocity, which are both significantly above average.
Davis Schneider double. ✅
Watch the Blue Jays vs. Rays on Sportsnet and stream on Sportsnet+. pic.twitter.com/xaMTuIMozb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 18, 2024
In addition, he currently sports a .346 xwOBA and .433 xSLG, which suggests his production could improve. Grab Schneider now at the lowest price you might get him all summer.
Adam Duvall, OF, Atlanta Braves
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing power, <1% for others
This week’s source of power comes from the new right fielder in Atlanta. For the time being, Adam Duvall should see the majority of starts in right field due to the season-ending injury suffered by reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. While Duvall will not come close to replacing Acuna’s near-perfect five-category contributions, he could become rather valuable for at least one of them.
In his past seven games since May 22, the 35-year-old has launched three long balls and posted a .750 SLG. Duvall should be faded in a points league due to his ugly 23.5% K rate, but he is worth adding in deeper roto leagues for his power output and potential for RBI.
Tommy Pham, OF, Chicago White Sox
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7%
I do not understand how Tommy Pham is available in just under 75% of leagues. Even though he plays on one of the worst teams in baseball, he is still a reliable batting-average contributor who can provide a modest amount of power and speed. From May 15 to May 25, Pham tallied 15 hits with one home run and two swiped bags.
While he went hitless from May 26 to May 28, he still holds a .294 xBA, which suggests a turnaround should be right around the corner.
Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
The top prospect in Los Angeles was a popular waiver-wire add when he was promoted to the major leagues earlier in April but has since been dropped by many frustrated managers. This recent drop in production opens up a short but crucial buy-low window. From May 20 to May 28, the outfielder posted a poor .040 AVG with just one total hit and 10 strikeouts.
However, Pages performed well in a four-game set in Queens against the New York Mets, where he tallied three hits, three runs, one double, and just three strikeouts. Pages is the everyday center fielder in Los Angeles, which makes him valuable from a counting stat perspective due to the superstar talent around him. At only 23 years old, Pages will go through some growing pains in his rookie season but should remain rostered in all leagues.
Colt Keith, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
After being a popular breakout pick late in drafts, Keith looked like fool’s gold as he posted a .163/.221/.175 line with only one extra-base hit through April. However, since May, the 22-year-old has looked much better with a .338/.389/.462 line. Through May, he has also posted five multi-hit games, including a game in which he tallied four hits on May 17.
First Major League home run for Colt Keith! 👏 pic.twitter.com/26oWLupbJG
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 24, 2024
If you are looking for a replacement infielder, Keith is worth considering, and this may be your last opportunity to grab him. Take advantage of your league mates who cut ties with the rookie perhaps a little too early.
Jose Miranda, 3B, Minnesota Twins
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3%
Miranda made my column last week, has continued to succeed at the plate, and now should be considered an added commodity in most leagues. Since May 15, the 25-year-old has only gone hitless in one game and has posted an overall .302/.311/.535 line with three home runs, eight RBI, and has just struck out seven times.
Miranda has begun to bat cleanup against left-handed pitchers and moved up to the seven hole against right-handers from his usual spot in the nine hole. The third baseman is worth adding as a corner infielder and is especially useful in points leagues due to his excellent 16.2% K rate.
Patrick Bailey, C, San Francisco Giants
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7% if needing a catcher, <1% for others
Since being sidelined with a concussion through early May, the starting backstop in the Bay Area has been swinging a hot bat and is worth picking up if you need a new No. 2 catcher. From May 22 to May 27, the former first-round pick posted a .429/.435/.667 line with one home run, eight RBI, and two doubles. His underlying metrics are pretty substantial as he sits significantly above average in several statistics.
While he will be given ample rest days due to his suspension, you will not be able to find a second catcher with this much upside on your waiver wire for a long time.
Noelvi Marte, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Rounding out this list is a stash candidate in Cincinnati, infield prospect Noelvi Marte. Marte was a popular breakout pick entering the draft season but was handed an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension. He is due to return sometime in early July. Marte is included here because he possesses five-category potential. He hit three home runs and swiped six bags with a .316 AVG across 35 games in the major leagues last summer.
I just have a gut feeling that Noelvi Marte is getting ready to take off this year. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/mHDcdpYF2a
— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) January 18, 2024
As we approach his return date, his FAAB price will continue to rise. If you have room to stash, get him at a discount now.
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