RADIO
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 16-- July 8 through July 14 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
We are almost at the All-Star Break, and if you have more than half of your FAAB budget remaining, do not be afraid to begin to spend for a player you really need. For the next 9 weeks, we must carefully place bids and target players who will fill 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.
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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Davis Daniel, SP, Los Angeles Angels
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <3%
Angels prospect Davis Daniel has performed quite well in his second stint in the majors and could earn himself a full-time role going forward.
In two starts, the Auburn product posted a 2.70 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 13 ⅓ innings, highlighted by an eight-inning shutout on June 27.
Davis Daniel's 6Ks thru 6. pic.twitter.com/bbgt9lgr0q
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 28, 2024
Under the hood, his metrics look quite strong, with a 2.0% walk rate, 85.7 mph average exit velocity, and even a 33.0% chase rate. The young right-hander is worth picking up as he could provide stable ratios with an elite WHIP ratio in the second half.
Lance Lynn, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
After struggling through most of June, Lance Lynn has posted two straight quality starts. In these two outings, he logged 12 ⅔ innings with a 0.71 ERA and 0.55 WHIP. He posted a stellar 1:11 BB:K ratio.
While Lynn may not be the upside play going forward, he should continue to be a reliable option that you can deploy in the right matchups.
In addition, he has just around a strikeout per inning, which is an added bonus if you are lacking in that category. He often goes deep into games, which could open the door for more win opportunities.
I am not running to grab Lynn, but if your rotation needs someone to add innings to stabilize your ratios, Lynn could be a good fit.
Christian Scott, SP, New York Mets
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
The number 39 ranked prospect on MLB.com returned to the major leagues on July 3, and tossed five ⅔ frames with four earned runs and two punchouts. He allowed six hits and two free passes. However, he got through the first five frames by allowing just one run, which suggests he could have just been fatigued when entering the sixth.
Before this outing, Scott made five starts in the majors and had a 3.90 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 6:25 BB:K ratio. The New York Mets have begun to catch fire and have entered the wild card race. If the Mets want to stay competitive, Scott should remain in the rotation going forward.
Chad Green, RP, Toronto Blue Jays
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: <8% if needing saves, <2% for others
A name familiar to readers of this column has now taken over closing duties due to several injuries to the Toronto bullpen. With Jordan Romano (elbow) and Yimi Garcia (elbow) both on the 15-day injured list, the 33-year-old has a strong hold on ninth-inning duties in Toronto.
In his past five appearances, he has not allowed a run and held a 1.13 WHIP with six punchouts and zero walks.
Chad Green closes it out as the Blue Jays hold on for the 7-6 win over the Astros! ✅ pic.twitter.com/tUjfCJgxyo
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 3, 2024
The Blue Jays may be struggling, but that does not mean we should fade a sure-fire ninth-inning option, especially if you are desperate to add to your save totals.
Luis Matos, OF, San Francisco Giants
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing an outfielder, <1% for others
Since rejoining the major league roster on June 22, the former top prospect in the Giant system has held a strong .270/.289/.459 line with two home runs through 11 games. In this stretch, he only went hitless in three games.
While he does occasionally sit, the 22-year-old has recently begun starting against both left-handed and right-handed pitching which makes him worth adding in all five-outfielder leagues.
The @SFGiants are back on top thanks to a home run from Luis Matos. pic.twitter.com/yD1CGJyTke
— MLB (@MLB) June 27, 2024
With his stellar 10.2% K rate, he should provide a strong batting average and be more adept in a points league setting.
Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Colorado Rockies
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7% in H2H weekly scoring leagues, <4% in standard leagues
This one is for the H2H players. When at home, Rodgers performs like an All-Star with a .328/.375/.472 line, four home runs, and 17 RBI. However, on the road, the 27-year-old has posted a mere .244/.278/.346 line with just one home run and 11 RBI.
It may be hard to roster someone like Rodgers in standard leagues but in a weekly scoring format, Rodgers can be very valuable, especially when he has several games at Coors Field on a given week.
Kyle Higashioka, C, San Diego Padres
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing a second catcher, <1% for others
While Luis Campusano (thumb) has been sidelined, Higashioka has taken full control of the San Diego catching duties and has performed quite well.
In his last 10 starts, the former Yankee has posted a .273/.333/.727 line with four home runs and 15 RBI.
Campusano has begun a rehab stint with Single-A, but Higashioka has proven that he can be a solid contributor, especially in the power department. In two catcher leagues, Higashioka is worth looking at, especially in the short term when you can ride the hot bat.
Jose Miranda, 3B/1B, Minnesota Twins
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15%
The 26-year-old has been a common name found on this column and this may be your final chance to acquire him. From June 26 to July 3, he posted a seven-game hit streak and has held an overall .297/.341/.480 line with eight round-trippers in 69 games this season. Miranda followed that up with a dominant 5-for-5 showing on July 4 with three doubles and three RBI.
Jose Miranda with a huge game today.
5/5, 4 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI
Miranda is now hitting .433 over his last 70 PA and .312 for the season.#MNTwinspic.twitter.com/QibAFy7790
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) July 4, 2024
The post-hype breakout season is here for Miranda, and he should be rostered as such.
Brooks Lee, SS, Minnesota Twins
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
A name I have been writing about several times this past month was recently promoted in a corresponding move that put Royce Lewis (groin) on the IL. While it is not clear if Lee is guaranteed playing time once Lewis comes back he should provide enough production that makes him a must-roster player for the time being.
Before moving up to the majors, he held a stellar .362/.434/.830 line with six home runs and 17 RBI in 11 games at Triple-A. In addition, he made a start at the hot corner in his first major league game, which will now give him not only middle infield eligibility but also the corner spot as well on your roster, which gives him a slight boost in daily lineup leagues.
Coby Mayo, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: >10%
After returning from a rib injury, one of the best prospects in baseball has picked up right where he left off and is on the verge of making his major league debut. In his past eight games, the 22-year-old has hit for a .367/.457/.800 slash line with four long balls and 13 RBI.
Another day. Another ball sent into orbit off the bat of Coby Mayo… my goodness. pic.twitter.com/oCza6S2HDY
— Zach Bollinger (@zachbollinger18) July 2, 2024
If you missed out on James Wood, do not ignore Mayo. His power potential is incredible and he can provide you a massive boost in those categories when given the call.
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