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It's one of the busiest weeks of the year for MLB teams, which means us fantasy managers need to be on-the-ball as well. That's right folks, it's trade deadline week. Players across the Majors and minors will be on the move as teams decide whether they're going to go all in on the pennant chase and declare themselves buyers at the deadline, or if they're sellers and have their sights set on next season.
Most of us fantasy managers only care about the current season, however, so now is the best time to push all the chips into the center of the table and position ourselves to bring home a league title. Lucky for us, the trade deadline always causes a seismic shift in the fantasy rankings as players will gain and lose value based on whom is on the move. Stay tuned to Rotoballer's News Desk for rapid fantasy reaction to all the deadline deals.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single digits who deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 19 -- July 29 through August 4.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Tyler Fitzgerald, SS, San Francisco Giants (45% rostered)
Rookie sensation Tyler Fitzgerald has taken the league by storm since getting called up, and he can do the same for your fantasy team. Over his last 10 games -- a stretch that includes a five-game homer streak -- Fitzgerald is batting .406 with an eye-popping 1.500 OPS. Obviously, all those homers will lead to silly slugging numbers, but Fitzgerald has contributed in other ways too thanks to his 98th percentile sprint speed. In addition to those homers, the 26-year-old has two doubles, one triple, stole two bases, and scored 11 runs across those 10 games.
Now, Fitzgerald is an older rookie who seemingly came out of nowhere, so the league will surely adjust and figure out ways to get him out at some point. That being said, Fitzgerald is among the hottest hitters on the planet right now and has a sturdy track record of success in the upper minors. Since the start of 2023, Fitzgerald is batting .294 with 30 homers and 33 steals across Double-A and Triple-A. He's a hot name in fantasy, so if this success is real, now may be the last chance to gain his services off waivers.
Tyler Fitzgerald is now on an eight-game hitting streak, where he has gone 11-for-23 and posted a 1.891 OPS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cyBLBSP3qV
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 25, 2024
Brandon Lowe, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays (29% rostered)
While we're on the topic of hot hitters, let's take a look at Brandon Lowe, who remains one of the most under-rostered players in fantasy. Simply put, a player with Lowe's skill set should not be on waivers when he is healthy, which he is currently. Since June 1, Lowe is slashing a mighty .285/.365/.585 with 11 of his 12 homers on the season. Simply put, very few second basemen have the power potential that Lowe possesses, and those that do tend to be early-round draft picks.
Yes, Lowe has had his share of injuries in his career including a stint on the injured list earlier this season. However, that's no reason for a healthy Lowe to be available in roughly 70% of fantasy leagues. Lowe has outlier power for a 2B as evidenced by his batted-ball metrics. Among 2B with at least 100 batted balls, Lowe ranks first in xSLG, first in barrels-per-PA, second in average exit velocity, and third in both wOBA and xwOBA. Simply put, if Lowe is in an MLB lineup, he belongs in a fantasy baseball lineup.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Jose Iglesias, 2B/3B, New York Mets (17% rostered)
Veteran infielder Jose Iglesias has become a sensation in New York thanks to his musical abilities, but he hasn't been too shabby on the field either and could prove to be useful in fantasy down the stretch. This season, when he's traded in a microphone for a baseball bat, Iglesias is batting .366 with a .967 OPS as he's been a key factor for the Mets during their sprint back into playoff contention.
We know that the 34-year-old Iglesias didn't turn into a .900-plus OPS hitter overnight and that his 37-game sample size is not enough to suggest he'll be this good the rest of the season. What it does do, however, is ensure that Iglesias will continue starting at 2B for the Mets and bat ahead of RBI machines Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez. Those seeking runs scored and batting average should take a look at Iglesias for their fantasy team, not just their music library.
Connor Norby, 2B, Baltimore Orioles (14% rostered)
The Orioles are sure to be busy at the deadline, but in their case, the first priority is finding at-bats for their talented, young prospects rather than simply adding players wherever possible. Baltimore has had a logjam in its farm system for a while now, as tons of hyped-up prospects, such as Connor Norby, are ready to contribute at the MLB level, but the O's simply don't have enough playing time to go around.
If Norby winds up with an everyday job post-trade deadline, he immediately becomes a factor for fantasy. The 24-year-old was simply too good for Triple-A this season as he swatted 16 homers, swiped 13 bases, had 128 runs-plus-RBI, and posted a whopping .908 OPS across 80 games. Thus far, Norby has only played five MLB games, but he's already got two homers and has established himself as one of the higher-priority prospects in the O's system despite the presence of fellow infielders Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. Keep an eye on Baltimore at the deadline, someone's fantasy value is going to skyrocket, let's hope it's Norby.
All Connor Norby needs is OPPOrtunities pic.twitter.com/CPVCx19E6g
— Ryan Ripken (@ryanripken) July 25, 2024
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Watch List
Nacho Alvarez Jr., SS, Atlanta Braves (6% rostered)
Who doesn't like a good nickname? Nobody, that's who. Nacho Alvarez Jr. may be listed as "Ignacio Alvarez Jr." depending on which site you play on, but whatever he's called, fantasy players should be aware of the Braves prospect getting a shot to play since Ozzie Albies (wrist) landed on the IL.
Alvarez's career has gotten off to a slow start as he's only 1-for-13 in his first three career games. However, the upside is there for the 21-year-old as he was slashing a cool .336/.432/.575 across 28 games in Triple-A this season. Alvarez's calling card is speed -- he swiped 21 bags between Double-A and Triple-A -- but he did blast seven homers in Triple-A this season and now joins what, in theory, should be a good Braves lineup. It's too early to add Alvarez in most leagues, but be aware of him, especially if he gets hot in the coming days.
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