X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 2B/SS Pickups for Week 21 (2024)

brandon lowe fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers mlb player news

As the baseball season chugs along, it's becoming harder and harder to find quality waiver wire options. Any player worth a darn is likely already rostered, and those struggling players are running out of time to turn their season around. That doesn't mean there aren't diamonds in the rough, however. There are plenty of quality options putting up good numbers for their teams who have flown under the radar in the majority of fantasy leagues.

Time is running out on the season, but there are still roughly two months of baseball left, so there's still enough time to make a charge up the standings. If you're in the market for an upgrade at one of the middle infield positions, you're in luck. We've got a fresh batch of names under 50% rostered who can help your squad as we enter crunch time of the fantasy season.

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 21 -- August 12 through August 18.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues

Brandon Lowe, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays (47% rostered)

It feels like Brandon Lowe is in this column weekly, but at under 50% rostered, he remains one of the most underappreciated players in baseball. Lowe is on the shortlist for most impactful 2B in fantasy thanks to outlier power for what is traditionally a position void of power hitters. Among 2B with at least 250 plate appearances, Lowe's .527 slugging percentage ranks second to only Ketel Marte. They are the only two players slugging over .500 whose primary position is 2B.

As you'd expect, Lowe's batted-ball metrics are off-the-chart as well for the position he plays. He ranks first among all 2B in barrels-per-PA and he ranks in the top-five in virtually all relevant Statcast categories. If we widen the scope from just 2B to all players, Lowe still ranks as one of the best pure hitters in the sport. He ranks in the 95th percentile among all hitters in xSLG (.537), and is also 92nd percentile or better in wOBA (.372), xwOBA (.373), and xwOBA on contact (.465). Simply put, Lowe has no business being on waivers in any type of fantasy league.

Brandon Lowe Stat 2B Rank
SLG .527 2nd
Barrels/PA 10.20% 1st
Average Exit Velocity 90.6 MPH 2nd
Hard Hit% 45.40% 3rd
xwOBA .373 2nd

Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (38% rostered)

In the intro, we referenced players putting up solid seasons that have flown under the radar, and that description fits Masyn Winn to a tee. The slick-fielding shortstop has posted solid numbers for the Cardinals, but remains widely available in fantasy, in part, because shortstop might be the deepest position in fantasy. The depth of the position leaves quality options, like Winn, on waivers deep into the season for anyone who may need a boost here in mid-August.

On the season, Winn is slashing a healthy .281/.331/.420 and is one home run away from a 10/10 season as he's got nine homers and 10 steals on the season. His counting stats are lagging a tad since he was buried in the bottom of the order early in the season. However, Winn has been the primary leadoff hitter for St. Louis since mid-June and he's been highly productive with 39 runs scored and seven homers batting out of the leadoff spot this season. His profile isn't for everyone, but Winn is at least average in all five Roto categories, and he has the potential to finish strong batting ahead of the big bats for the Cardinals.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/SS/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (24% rostered)

Isiah Kiner-Falefa isn't the sexiest name in fantasy baseball, but he's provided sneaky-good value in the past when he's gotten the chance at everyday at-bats, and that's exactly the situation he finds himself in now for the Pirates. Pittsburgh acquired IKF from Toronto at the trade deadline and, thus far, he's played every game for his new club. The 29-year-old utility man may never settle at one position, but his versatility has him playing frequently for the Pirates while that multi-positional eligibility is oh-so-sweet to have on a fantasy baseball roster.

As for his bat, which is what we care about for fantasy, he's had a quality season to the tune of a .293 BA with seven homers and a .429 slugging percentage. He'll never be a huge power threat at the plate, but Kiner-Falefa rocks elite plate discipline as his 13.5% K-rate and 13.6% whiff rate rank in the 93rd and 97th percentile, respectively. Lastly, he's been hot to start his Pirates career as he's got three multi-hit efforts in his first six games wearing yellow and black. It's still a small sample, but Kiner-Falefa has been a spark for the Pirates thus far and he can do the same for your fantasy team.

Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Colorado Rockies (9% rostered)

A week ago, we highlighted just how good Brendan Rodgers has been at home ahead of a six-game week of games at Coors Field for the Rockies. This week, let's just appreciate how good Rodgers has been since the All-Star break, venue be damned. In the second half, Rodgers has crushed baseballs to the tune of a .328 batting average with an eye-popping .899 OPS. His rate stats look great across the board, albeit in an 18-game sample.

Rodgers PA BA OPS wOBA wRC+
Second Half 74 0.328 0.899 0.39 138

Now, one hot steak isn't enough to declare Rodgers has been anything more than the middling fantasy option he's been for most of his career. That being said, he is hot right now and will continue to play half his games -- both this upcoming week and for the rest of the season -- in the hitter's paradise that the Rockies call home. This won't last forever for Rodgers, but those in need of a quick fix should feel comfortable riding the hot hand currently manning the keystone for Colorado.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Watch List

Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox (4% rostered)

At this point in the season, we're officially on prospect watch as teams will soon be able to call up top prospects while retaining their rookie eligibility for next season. One team that may want to see what they have for the future is the Chicago White Sox. You may have heard, but the Southsiders recently lost 21 straight games, and fired manager Pedro Grifol, as the team barrels to a historic loss total.

Part of the beauty of baseball is the eternal hope for the future, regardless of how bad things may be going in any individual season. For Chicago, the future is 22-year-old shortstop Colson Montgomery, who is expected to debut later this season, according to MLB.com. Montgomery is a former first-round draft pick and currently the number-one ranked prospect for the White Sox as he bids his time in Triple-A waiting for the call to the majors.

His numbers this season aren't spectacular, but Montgomery crushed the lower levels of the minors and, at this point, what more do the White Sox have to lose by calling up a talented player? Fantasy managers don't need to stash Montgomery now, but when he gets the call, he offers intriguing upside, particularly in keeper or dynasty formats.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Grayson Allen2 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell2 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal2 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf4 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander4 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim4 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor4 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas4 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid4 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers4 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes4 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy4 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover4 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam4 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA4 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic5 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons5 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III5 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton5 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond5 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George5 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid5 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson6 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson6 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog6 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin6 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby6 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill6 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm6 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa6 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins6 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart6 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis6 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.6 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.7 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs7 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley7 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins7 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey7 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle7 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.8 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf8 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta8 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy9 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II9 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins10 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco10 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo11 hours ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Dalton Kincaid11 hours ago

No Practice For Dalton Kincaid On Wednesday
Amari Cooper11 hours ago

To Be Limited On Wednesday
Nick Hardy14 hours ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young14 hours ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke15 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu15 hours ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart15 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Fred VanVleet15 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Steven Adams15 hours ago

Questionable For Meeting With Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith15 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Obi Toppin15 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Expected To Play Wednesday
Connor McDavid16 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk16 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark16 hours ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm16 hours ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett16 hours ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller16 hours ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Jose Alvarado1 day ago

Out Against OKC
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco1 day ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Spencer Knight1 day ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
Travis d'Arnaud1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley1 day ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd1 day ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg1 day ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
1 day ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Jasson Domínguez2 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa2 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates2 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños2 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano2 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers2 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins3 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
4 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto5 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025
Mason Miller5 days ago

To Stay In The Bullpen
Shohei Ohtani5 days ago

Shoulder Surgery Could Delay His Pitching
New York Yankees5 days ago

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Option
Carlos Prates5 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA6 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios6 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Giants will all be on a bye during Week 11. There are still some great matchups on the board, including when the Steelers host the Ravens. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 11

Week 10 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

Week 11 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 11 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. There are four more teams on bye this week (Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers), so I'll be ranking defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  There's […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Drake London, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, Chase Brown

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Mike Williams - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Rankings, Sleepers

Week 11 Waiver Wire Rankings (2024) - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Audric Estime, Quentin Johnston, Ricky Pearsall, Taysom Hill, Mike Williams

The fantasy football playoffs are rapidly approaching, as most leagues have four weeks left in the regular season. At RotoBaller HQ, we have more waiver wire advice with our Week 11 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024 to help add those players for that playoff push. There were more crucial injuries in last week, […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 11 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

It's the thick of November with four games left before the playoffs for many of you, which means it's time for an updated rest-of-season rankings chart! We keep sifting through evolving developments, such as key players returning from injuries or dealing with fragile quarterback situations. Let's see who is rising and falling with our Week […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 11 Including Najee Harris, Christian McCaffrey, Calvin Ridley, Brian Thomas Jr.

I'm not sure how we are at this point in the season already, but the end of Week 11 marks the trade deadline in most fantasy football leagues. The past 10 weeks have flown by, despite the countless ups and downs that have brought us immeasurable joy and pain. Fortunately, I avoided pain with my […]


Nick Chubb - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 11) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

Week 10 featured an excellent Thursday night game but plenty of struggles on Sunday and Monday. Some rough offensive performances from historically reliable players this season made fantasy scoring hard to come by for many. The injuries kept racking up along offensive lines across the league. In Week 10, 18 teams were missing at least […]


Jake Bates - Fantasy Football Rankings, Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups, Streamers

Week 11 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

As we head into Week 11, some essential kickers, including Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are on bye. McLaughlin currently sits fifth among fantasy kickers. If McLaughlin has been a staple in your lineup, you need a replacement this week. Eddy Pineiro (Carolina Panthers), Chad Ryland (Arizona Cardinals), and Graham Gano (New York […]


Derek Carr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Derek Carr, Austin Ekeler, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tylan Wallace, Tanner Hudson

Week 10 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 10th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous […]