RADIO
Baseball season is officially in the homestretch. 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 24 -- September 2 through September 8 -- 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 five 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 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 who could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. This week, we will look at a few prospects who have finally begun to find their footing in the major leagues and are shaping up to be league winners down the stretch.
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Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15%
The former No. 2 overall pick made his major league debut Monday evening after spending most of the summer split between Double-A and Triple-A. Through the top levels of the minor leagues (Double-A and Triple-A), the LSU product held a solid .270/.342/.451 line with 13 home runs, 68 RBI, and 25 swiped bags.
Crews wasted little time tallying his first major league hit on Tuesday evening, which went for extra bases.
DYLAN CREWS. FIRST MLB HIT. IS A DOUBLE. pic.twitter.com/4le3gruCBx
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 27, 2024
With right fielder Alex Call (foot) on the injured list, fantasy managers can look forward to Crews stepping up as the primary right fielder in Washington. His potential is elite, making him a must-roster player for the rest of the summer.
Shay Whitcomb, SS/3B, Houston Astros
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5% if needing an infielder, <2% for others
The story of this week’s column is prospects, and Shay Whitcomb has looked quite comfortable in his first taste of the majors. In his first eight games in the Space City, the infielder posted a strong .280/.400/.400 line with three extra-base hits.
At Triple-A this season, the No. 14 prospect in the Astros system held a .293/.378/.530 line with 25 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
Whitcomb's versatility, along with his potent combination of power and speed, makes him a valuable asset in the infield, even if he doesn't see consistent playing time.
Connor Norby, 2B/3B/OF, Miami Marlins
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: <10%
Breakout infielder Xavier Edwards (back) recently hit the 10-day IL with a sore back, which opened the door for Connor Norby to have a chance at everyday at-bats.
Norby was traded to Miami at the deadline in exchange for southpaw Trevor Rogers. Since rejoining the major league roster on August 19, Norby has tallied at least one hit in every game with two long balls.
Connor Norby has a homer in back-to-back games! pic.twitter.com/YhZONQwCS0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 25, 2024
In addition, the No. 5 prospect in Miami should continue to serve as the leadoff hitter while Edwards is sidelined, which gives him a nice boost to his potential for counting stats.
Joey Loperfido, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
1% rostered
FAAB Bid: <11% if needing an outfielder, <4% for others
Another prospect moved at the deadline and has subsequently begun settling in with his new club. From August 13 to August 26, the slugger has carried a strong .333/.385/.694 line with three doubles, two triples, two round-trippers, and five RBI.
Earlier this summer, the Duke product made headlines by posting an eye-catching .568 SLG with 13 long balls in 39 games at Triple-A.
While he occasionally sits against left-handed pitchers, Loperfido is a solid option in five-outfielder leagues, given that he has the power potential.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Chicago Cubs
22% rostered
FAAB Bid: >20% if needing an outfielder with speed, <15% for others
The former top prospect on the North Side has been one of the best bats in its lineup since the start of the month.
Since August 1, "PCA" has carried a .286/.327/.531 line with two doubles, two triples, two home runs, and three stolen bases. He is currently in the top 99th percentile in sprint speed among all players, allowing him to turn a typical single into extra bases.
Cubs rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong rounded the bases in 14 SECONDS on this inside-the-park home run 🤯
Fastest home-to-home time in MLB this season 💨
(via @MLB)
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 24, 2024
If you want a boost to your AVG with the upside for stolen base production, grab Crow-Armstrong this weekend.
Freddy Fermin, C, Kansas City Royals
10% rostered
FAAB Bid: >9% if needing a second catcher, <1% for others
The 29-year-old backstop has been one of baseball's hottest hitters over the past month but is still severely underrostered.
Even though he still bats toward the back half of the lineup, he is worth adding in all two-catcher leagues, given his ability to get on base at a high rate continually. His position in the lineup suggests that he may not have as many opportunities to score runs, but he could be a valuable asset for driving in runs, especially batting behind the big bats at the top of the Kansas City lineup.
In addition, his 17.3% K% mark gives him an added boost in points leagues.
Jorge Lopez, RP, Chicago Cubs
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15% if needing saves, >5% for others
Lopez was my option for saves last week, and he was once again called up in the ninth inning over the weekend.
The right-hander carried a near-perfect 0.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 7:25 BB:K ratio since the end of June. Finding a surefire closer this late into the summer will be hard.
Even though the Cubs have struggled to find consistency, they are still only a handful of games out of the Wild Card race and will likely remain in the hunt for most of September. This means that Lopez will have plenty of save situations, especially if the Cubs continue to play in close games.
Tylor Megill, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
1% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
The Mets recently placed starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (hand) on the 15-day IL with a right-hand contusion, opening the door for Megill to return to the major leagues. The 29-year-old held an underwhelming 5.17 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP across 47 innings at the majors this season but flashed upside, especially in the strikeout department.
He tallied at least six punchouts in five starts, with a high of nine strikeouts on May 28. Overall, he carried a 26.3% K rate, which places him in the top 75th percentile among qualified pitchers.
If you are looking for a late-season boost to your strikeout totals, grab Megill on the cheap before he settles back in at the major leagues.
Joey Estes, SP, Oakland Athletics
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7%
The Oakland right-hander has been on a nice run lately, carrying a 3.03 ERA and a sparking 0.81 WHIP since the start of the month. During this span, he showcased incredible command with a 4:23 BB:K ratio in 29 innings of work.
However, while he has surrendered at least one long ball during this stretch, which has inflated his ERA, his ability to prevent walks has done wonders for his WHIP ratio.
Joey Estes, 2Ks in the 1st...and Sword ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ZFeh6OmabM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2024
He may not have the highest ceiling on the list, but if you are looking for a stable pitcher for the remainder of the season to lower your WHIP ratio, Estes is worth a look.
Andrew Heaney, SP, Texas Rangers
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: >20% if needing strikeouts, <10% for others
Rounding out this list is another pitcher with high-upside for strikeouts but a much greater variance in Andrew Heaney.
In his most recent start on August 21, the southpaw struck out eight batters in five scoreless innings. In his start before that, he once again struck out eight batters but allowed four runs in just 4 ⅓ innings.
Andrew Heaney, Nasty 84mph Back Foot Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/1gN34w87aN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 21, 2024
With Tyler Mahle (shoulder) now on the injured list, Heaney should be in a secure spot in the rotation for the remainder of the season. The only part of the 33-year-old that is predictable is that he is unpredictable. However, when looking for upside, a dominant outing by Heaney in a weekly scoring format can put you in the driver’s seat.
He is worth stashing and deploying in favorable matchups down the stretch.
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