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 27 -- September 23 through September 29 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
After a long summer, we now approach the concluding week of the 2024 season. For the final week, we must place bids and target players who will fill the remaining 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 as you are running out of time.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in Yahoo! leagues who could improve your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. This week, we will look at a few batters who are heating up at the right time and some streaming options to take a look at in the final week.
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Hunter Goodman, 1B/OF/C, Colorado Rockies
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15% if needing power
The 24-year-old has been out at the plate over the past week, boasting a .292/.346/.917 line with five home runs and 10 RBI. However, before this stretch, he held a mere .194 AVG in his previous 10 games.
Goodman loves playing at Coors Field, and his splits reflect that, with a .517 SLG in Colorado but a poor .272 on the road.
HUNTER GOODMAN GRAND SLAM‼️#Rockies pic.twitter.com/murIqiHaCe
— Barstool Denver (@BarstoolDenver) September 14, 2024
In the final week, Goodman will play six games at home, three each against the Cardinals and Dodgers. If you are looking for a sneaky power boost, grab Goodman and reap the benefits of Coors Field.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels
12% rostered
FAAB Bid: <13%
Nolan Schanuel, who had an impressive eight-game hitting streak from September 9 to September 17, is one of the hottest hitters in the sport. During this stretch, he has a .429/.515/.571 line with two extra-base hits and a 5:1 BB:K ratio.
Throughout the summer, the 22-year-old has shown a great eye at the plate with a strong 16.7% K rate, making him slightly more valuable in H2H formats for the final week.
Luisangel Acuna, SS, New York Mets
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: <25%
With Francisco Lindor (back) battling a lingering back injury, the Mets turned to one of their top prospects, Luisangel Acuna, to hold down shortstop duties while they are in the midst of a tight Wild Card race.
The 22-year-old has been nothing short of impressive. He has posted a .417 AVG through his first five games with a double and two home runs.
Fitting right in 🔥
Luisangel Acuña homers for a second straight night! pic.twitter.com/CfUMfNqFBV
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
While Lindor is still considered "day-to-day," Acuna is an excellent target if you need a middle infielder with upside. As the Mets inch closer to clinching a playoff spot, they may sit Lindor out for a majority of the week out of precaution, which could make Acuna an everyday player.
Otto Lopez, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Miami Marlins
13% rostered
FAAB Bid: <5%
Since the start of the month, the utility infielder has carried a stellar .322/.355/.559 line with five doubles, three long balls, 10 RBI, and a stolen base.
The 25-year-old may not be an upside play, but he should provide you with a stable batting average with an upside for both power and speed.
Noelvi Marte, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
11% rostered
FAAB Bid: <20%
He was a favorite target of mine earlier this summer before the end of his PED suspension. Unfortunately, the 2024 season has not been friendly to the former top prospect, as he sits with a .210/.249/.312 line and just four home runs and nine stolen bases.
Noelvi Marte ties the game against the Mets with an opposite-field single!
It's 1-1 in the seventh inning in the series finale with New York. pic.twitter.com/5L8X0bnIns
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) September 8, 2024
However, the 22-year-old has begun to turn the corner and finish the campaign on a high note. Since September 8, the third baseman has hit .280/.357/.360 with two doubles and three stolen bases.
The hitting production may be shaky, but the speed is promising.
Michael Toglia, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: <20%
Similar to Goodman’s case, Toglia gets to spend the final week of the season in the hitter’s paradise, making him a worthwhile add this weekend.
While he sits with an underwhelming .216/.306/.462 line, he holds stellar hitting metrics that play very well in his home park. He holds a 17.0% barrel rate and a 49.4% hard-hit rate, which are among the best marks in the sport, but he strikes out at an ugly 31.3%.
Jonny DeLuca, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: <7%
Another hot hitter to take a look at is Jonny DeLuca of Tampa Bay. Over his past 10 games, the Oregon product has carried a .314/.333/.486 line with a double, triple, home run, and a stolen base.
Over the summer, he has hit 16 round-trippers and swiped six bags. He has begun to find an everyday spot in Tampa's starting nine during September and could provide a little bit of everything in the final week.
Jonathan Cannon, SP, Chicago White Sox
3% rostered
FAAB Bid: >15% if needing a spot-starter
Cannon is currently lined up to face the Los Angeles Angels in his final start of the season. He faced them earlier this past week and fared quite well as he struck out seven across 6 ⅔ innings while allowing four runs.
He may be dependable, but if you are looking for an upside play with a favorable matchup, Cannon is worth picking up.
Landon Knack, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
13% rostered
FAAB Bid: <15%
The young right-hander had the worst outing of his big league career last week against the Atlanta Braves as he served up five earned runs across just two innings of work. Before this, Knack held a solid 3.24 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across his previous 33 ⅓ innings.
He will face the San Diego Padres this coming week, which is not the most ideal matchup. However, if a frustrated league mate cuts ties with him, swoop in if you are lacking a back-end starter.
Tyler Kinley, RP, Colorado Rockies
23% rostered
FAAB Bid: >30% if needing saves
Our option for saves this week comes from Colorado, where Tyler Kinley has tallied six saves in his past seven outings.
Tyler Kinley was lights out for the @Rockies last night picking up his 6th save of the season. He threw his slider 11 times, gave up 0 hits, got a whiff, and induced a groundout. Tyler's slider won our Relief Pitcher Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/a3jciZvo7u
— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) August 2, 2024
During this stretch, the 33-year-old has held a mediocre 5.14 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP but has struck out 12 batters through seven innings of work. It might not be pretty, but if you need a “reliable” option for saves, this is probably your best bet.
Before we close out, I wanted to thank everyone who has followed me through this wild season. It was a pleasure providing you with FAAB advice, and I hope you take home the championship this week!
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