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Mike Marteny takes a look at players who you can pick up midweek to help win your fantasy baseball points league matchup this week. Who is available in your leagues to help you win?
At RotoBaller, we have you covered with points league pickups for the upcoming week on the weekends, but the world of fantasy baseball changes fast! What if you have a guy that suffered an injury and most of the suggestions are gone? What if the players on your roster are struggling and you need a guy who can get on base just to score a point?
That's why we are starting the midweek waiver wire pickup for points leagues. Those of you seasoned points league players know that they are an entirely different animal with an often different set of good waiver pickups from standard leagues. My home points league docks you for strikeouts and errors for hitters, so if you have a guy who is primarily a DH, that's like free points!
So come along on the journey and we'll see what we can find in the dumpsters along the way. Unlike our weekend pieces, you will find some pitchers along with the hitters in this piece. Roster percentages and positions are taken from ESPN.
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Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Garrett Crochet, SP, CWS (47.5% Rostered)
Many abandoned ship on the Sox rookie after a rough stretch in mid-April. It's time to take another look. Crochet has only allowed three runs in 17 innings while striking out 24 in his last three starts. He has a great matchup today against the Nationals, so Crochet is in a great spot if you can take another start this week.
Jon Gray, SP, TEX (43.7% Rostered)
What gives? Gray has a 2.36 ERA in 45 2/3 innings pitched this year with 49 strikeouts to just 12 walks. Those are better numbers than most pitchers rostered in 70% of leagues! Gray gets a great matchup against a struggling Cleveland team today. Gray is almost as good of a mid-week streamer if Crochet isn't available.
Jack Flaherty, SP, DET (41.3% Rostered)
Flaherty will give up his share of runs. He has only had one clean outing all season. However, he has 63 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. With a 3.88 ERA and sparkling 1.05 WHIP, we can deal with a few runs allowed. Flaherty's next start is on Saturday in Phoenix. Chase Field is more like a pitcher's park with the humidor there now. Flaherty should be in for another good start.
12-Team Leagues
Luis Severino, SP, NYM (24.9% Rostered)
Severino may not be "back," but he is better than he was early on. The walks are still a concern and something that could blow up on us. However, his next start is against the Marlins (who hate to walk) in Miami, one of the best pitcher's parks around. Severino did a good job of limiting damage against the dangerous Braves and Cubs lineups. He can handle the Marlins.
Bryan Woo, SP, SEA (22.2% Rostered)
Woo was lifted in his first start of the season last Friday due to forearm tightness. That after missing the 40 games of the season with an elbow injury raises a red flag. That's why he's available in so many leagues. Seattle insists that the move was precautionary and he isn't missing a start, so I'll trust them for now. That and he has a great matchup against the Royals today. Seattle isn't going to push Woo, but he still racked up 14 points in four innings against Oakland. We can work with that.
Deep Leagues
Christian Scott, SP, NYM (15.9% Rostered)
You're seeing Mets on here because of the upcoming series in Miami. Scott has been solid in his first two starts in the majors this year against the Braves and Rays. 14 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings and four runs allowed is definitely enough for deep league players to take notice. Add that to a cake matchup on Friday, and Scott is a great streaming option.
James Paxton, SP, LAD (11.9% Rostered)
Paxton doesn't get much for strikeouts anymore (just 22 in 38 1/3 innings), but he still knows how to get guys out. He is 5-0 with a 2.58 ERA on the season. He draws the Reds at Chavez Ravine on Friday night. You know, a Reds team that only has two wins in May. Paxton won't wow you with strikeouts, but he gets results.
Also consider
- Marcus Stroman, NYY (49.8% Rostered)
- Luis Gil, NYY (36.1% Rostered)
- Brayan Bello, BOS (32.7% Rostered)
- John Means, BAL (24.4% Rostered
- Triston McKenzie, CLE (23.8% Rostered)
- Andrew Heaney, TEX (9.9% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Luis Campusano, SD (52.1% Rostered)
Campusano has a homer and five RBI in the last week, but what really draws my attention is his slashing the strikeouts. He has only struck out six times in his last 10 games. Catcher is a shallow position and Campusano isn't losing points. That's a win/win.
12-Team Leagues
Logan O'Hoppe, LAA (25.8% Rostered)
O'Hoppe has hits in six of his last seven games with a homer and eight RBI in that span. He also doesn't strike out much, so he's not losing us points, either. If your main catcher is struggling this week or has tough matchups, O'Hoppe is worth a look.
Shea Langeliers, OAK (14.4% Rostered)
Langeliers is hitting .391 with two homers and eight RBI in the last week. The better news is that Oakland needs his bat in the lineup, so it is using him at DH on his days off behind the plate. Getting a catcher that plays every day is a big deal in fantasy leagues!
Deep Leagues
Danny Jansen, TOR (7.2% Rostered)
Jansen has three homers in the last 10 games. How much longer will the Jays keep turning to the struggling Alejandro Kirk against lefties when Jansen is hitting everyone?
David Fry, C/OF, CLE (3.9% Rostered)
Fry has homered twice in the last week and he's playing every day. How many catchers can say that?
Also consider
- Elias Diaz, COL (17.7% Rostered)
- Tyler Soderstrom, OAK (0.6% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Infield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, DET (47.1% Rostered)
Both of Torkelson's 2024 home runs have come in the last three games. One of which was a towering 446-foot blast. Many abandoned ship when he wasn't hitting for power (or much of anything else) in April. Let's give him the rest of the week to see if the power surge is here to stay.
Spencer Torkelson over his last 7 games:
.320 AVG
.393 OBP
.993 OPS
5 extra base hits— sarge (@sarge__msu) May 13, 2024
Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, TEX (29.9% Rostered)
Lowe's .280 average in the last week is good but not great. So are the two homers and six RBI. The reason why we are targeting Lowe is simple: He's walking A LOT. Lowe has drawn 14 free passes in the last 13 games. Add that to his 12 RBI and a couple of homers, and we have a points league winner right here.
12-Team Leagues
Jackson Merrill, SS/OF, SD (28.0% Rostered)
Merrill got a day off against the Dodgers over the weekend to clear his head after a cold 1-for-23 stretch at the plate. He has responded with six hits in 13 tries since that day off with a homer and three runs scored. He has also stolen three bags in those three games.
Josh Bell, 1B, MIA (27.8% Rostered)
Bell has a hit in nine of the last 10 games with a homer and eight RBI in that span. He has also only struck out eight times. That's unusual for Bell. He's seeing the ball well right now, and with a series coming up against the Mets, he could help lead you to a win this week.
Abraham Toro, OAK, 1B/2B/3B (24.0% Rostered)
It's quite ridiculous how ignored Toro is in ESPN leagues. That rostered number is jumping quickly (as it should), so get him while you can. Toro is hitting .400 with two homers, nine RBI, and 14 runs scored in his last 18 games. So what if Zack Gelof is back? He's not taking Toro's job.
Deep Leagues
Jeimer Candelario, 1B/3B, CIN (12.3% Rostered)
Candelario has caught fire in the last week. He is hitting .393 with a homer and seven RBI. He has driven in five runs in the last three games alone! If you need CI help, Candy is your man.
LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B/OF, SF (7.3% Rostered)
Wade doesn't have much power (only two homers in 99 at-bats), but the guy can get on base. He has 15 walks in the last 12 games. That's a lot of free points in points leagues. He's (probably) Billy Beane's favorite player.
Dylan Moore, 2B/SS/OF, SEA (0.9% Rostered)
Moore has a little bit of power, steals bags, and draws walks. Oh...and the multi-position eligibility can be big. Seattle still isn't playing him every day, but the two homers and 10 RBI over the last 12 games are getting him more playing time than usual. He's worth a look in deep leagues.
On the IL
- Anthony Rizzo, NYY (33.7% Rostered)
- Thairo Estrada, SF (32.7% Rostered)
- Willi Castro, MIN (27.3% Rostered)
- Josh Rojas, SEA (10.5% Rostered)
- Andrew Vaughn, CWS (5.6% Rostered)
- Paul DeJong, CWS (3.0% Rostered)
- Jake Bauers, MIL (0.9% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Josh Lowe, OF, TB (40.2% Rostered)
Lowe is 8-for-25 after his return from the IL from an oblique strain. He clocked his first homer of the season yesterday and drove in his first run since his return. There is a very small window to buy Lowe before he gets hot. It sure looks like he's trending that way. He has also struck out just three times in those 25 at-bats.
Max Kepler, OF, MIN (32.4% Rostered)
Max Kepler is hot. pic.twitter.com/wLS4rKMSON
— Tyann ⚾️ (@Tyann98) May 11, 2024
Kepler is still sitting against most lefties, but he's worth keeping around for this hot streak. Kepler has two homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored, and just eight strikeouts in the last 14 games. He's even more valuable in my league since Kepler hasn't made an error because he often appears at DH.
Connor Joe, 1B/OF, PIT (33.6% Rostered)
Joe has homered in three straight games and has a modest five-game hitting streak going. The Pirates are selective against which righties they start him against, but they face three more lefties this week. That means Joe gets at least three more starts this week.
12-Team Leagues
Lars Nootbaar, STL (16.7% Rostered)
Dylan Carlson has been struggling mightily since his return, so Nootbaar is back in the starting lineup for now. He has responded with two homers and five RBI in the last seven games. As long as Nootbaar keeps hitting, he'll keep Carlson on the bench.
Brandon Marsh, OF, PHI (13.6% Rostered)
Marsh hasn't hit for much power lately, which has caused some standard owners to bail. We don't need to in points leagues, though. Marsh isn't striking out, has gotten on base, and has stolen a few bags since he last went deep on April 26.
Deep Leagues
Leody Taveras, OF, TEX (8.9% Rostered)
Taveras usually bats ninth, but this is still a loaded lineup. He has three homers, eight RBI, and 14 runs scored in his last 13 games. On top of that, he has only struck out 11 times. Taveras is a points league gem!
Eddie Rosario, OF, WAS (8.8% Rostered)
I'm a Twins fan, so I've seen the best and worst of Rosario. He is at his best right now. Rosario is hitting a blistering .480 with three homers, seven runs scored, five RBI, and a pair of steals in the last week. More than half of his points on the season have come in his last seven games. Ride him until he cools off.
Kevin Pillar, OF, LAA (0.4% Rostered)
Injuries have opened up some playing time for others on the Angels roster. Pillar has taken advantage. He was just a platoon for starting Mickey Moniak, but Pillar's hot hitting (.500, three homers, 13 RBI in his last six games) even earned him a start against a righty yesterday. All he did was go 3-for-5 with another RBI.
Also consider
- Bryan De La Cruz, MIA (32.2% Rostered)
- Ryan O'Hearn, BAL (18.0% Rostered)
- Jo Adell, LAA (13.9% Rostered)
- Charlie Blackmon, COL (6.8% Rostered)
- Tommy Pham, CWS (5.6% Rostered)
- JJ Bleday, OAK (5.2% Rostered)
- Luke Raley, SEA (0.6% Rostered)
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