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It's crunch time folks. Any fantasy league that uses a head-to-head format is holding its playoffs, and there's not much time left to lock up that championship in a rotisserie league. If you're here, you're probably competing for that aforementioned championship; the stakes are sky-high.
If you need a starter at one of the middle infield positions, you've come to the right place. It's time to throw long-term upside out the window. We need production right now and every player in your starting lineup needs to contribute. Let's take a look at some waiver wire options that can help lock up that title.
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 24 -- September 9 through September 15.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
**Note: In shallower formats, check for higher-rostered players that may have slipped through the cracks in your league. Players like Connor Norby (2B/3B, Miami Marlins) and Masyn Winn (SS, St. Louis Cardinals) are rostered in over 50% of leagues, but less than 70% of leagues. If they're out there in your league, they are the top recommended pickups over the names below.
Colt Keith, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (34% rostered)
This time of year, matchups are king. This upcoming week, the Tigers play six games, three of which will be against the Colorado Rockies which puts Colt Keith firmly in play as a fantasy option. The 23-year-old has had a solid season overall as he's got 12 homers, seven steals, 50 runs, and 53 RBI across 129 games, but his expected stats suggest he could be even better.
Keith's .274 xBA is 15 points higher than his actual batting average, and the same can be said for his .408 xSLG which is significantly better than his .384 mark. The rookie has steadily improved as the season has progressed after he got off to a miserable start in April. With good matchups, solid batted ball data, and excellent plate discipline, Keith is a sneaky starter for those in need of a second baseman.
Brandon Lowe, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays (45% rostered)
Confession time, Brandon Lowe has graced this column many times this season, but I have not been able to roster him in any of my leagues. Well, he was dropped in one, and this author is ecstatic about having the slugging second baseman heading into this week's semifinal matchup.
Why all the enthusiasm? Let's take a look at the power production from Lowe, who plays a position not traditionally associated with big sluggers.
| Brandon Lowe | Games | Home Runs | SLG |
| 2021 | 149 | 39 | .523 |
| 2022 | 65 | 8 | .383 |
| 2023 | 109 | 21 | .443 |
| 2024 | 89 | 16 | .465 |
As we can see, Lowe's year-to-year production is a bit inconsistent as he's dealt with a myriad of injuries in his career. However, the one thing that's never been in question is his power abilities when healthy. Among all 2B, Lowe ranks second in average exit velocity (90.7 MPH), third in barrels-per-PA (7.9), and first in launch angle sweet-spot percentage (40.7%).
Those are some fancy stats, but the gist of it is that Lowe has big power and should continue to hit home runs. He should be added in any league where he's available.
**Note: Lowe (finger) was out of the lineup on Saturday. Manager Kevin Cash indicated he's available, but his presence in the starting lineup should be monitored before setting fantasy lineups.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Colorado Rockies (23% rostered)
Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers has had a strong bounce-back season in 2024 after he was a fantasy afterthought last season. Rodgers has 13 homers on the season, is slashing a sturdy .273/.315/.416, and has been even better in the second half as he's batting .293 with a .807 OPS since the All-Star break.
As is the case with most Rockies hitters, Rodgers is much better at home where he has an excellent .889 OPS. The Rockies have three home games next week, but Rogers has been start-worthy most of the second half even away from the friendly confines of Coors Field.
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Brendan Rodgers
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PA | BA | HR | SLG | OPS |
| Second Half | 175 | 0.293 | 7 | 0.476 | 0.807 |
Paul DeJong, SS, Kansas City Royals (12% rostered)
If power is what you seek, look no further than Paul DeJong, who has launched 24 homers on the season. It's been a turn-back-the-clock season for DeJong who looked cooked from a fantasy standpoint over the past two seasons, but the 31-year-old proved he's still got something left in the tank with a .447 slugging percentage this season.
DeJong's game is not without warts, however, specifically a massive 32.3% K-rate that has his batting average down at only .234. He's not recommended for everyone, but if you can live with DeJong's all-or-nothing approach, he could pay dividends down the stretch in the form of home runs.
Kansas City will be in Yankee Stadium for three games next week, there are worse bets to make in fantasy than starting DeJong and his 32.5% fly-ball rate in a very homer-friendly venue.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Watch List
Will Wagner, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays (4% rostered)
At this point in the season, there's no reason to sit around and watch, so let's look at a super-deep option who could be a sneaky starter for those desperate to fill out a lineup. Will Wagner has been a platoon bat thus far, as he's been on the bench against left-handed pitching. However, he's been really good when in the lineup slashing .328/.348/.516 through his first 19 career games.
This includes a 5-for-6 performance last week in which he had three extra-base hits. In daily lineup leagues where you can start Wagner on the days he's playing, Wagner has sneaky sleeper appeal and is widely available in fantasy.
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