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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 who suffered an injury, and most of the suggestions are gone? Our mid-week pickups are geared towards finding players on a hot streak and riding the week out with them instead of a struggling starter on our team.
It's important to know your league's scoring. Points league scoring vastly differs on ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!, and Fantrax. Most leagues also have start limits. Remember those when deciding whether to pounce on a streamer this week. For example, pitchers gain two points for a win on ESPN but also lose two points for a loss. Yahoo gives eight points for a win, and losses don't count against you at all!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:
- Fantasy baseball injury reports
- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- Daily MLB starting lineups for fantasy baseball
- Fantasy baseball BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- Fantasy baseball PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball player comparisons
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts, bullpens, saves
- Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard, daily leaderboards
We're not saying to drop a key piece of your team for these guys, but dropping a bench player for a guy on a heater could be the difference between winning and losing your matchup in a points league. It's okay to be patient in roto and category leagues. Points leagues are a different animal. Roster percentages and positions are taken from ESPN.
Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Jack Flaherty, SP, DET (48.9% Rostered)
By this time next week, Flaherty should graduate from this list. He posted another quality start while striking out nine last week against the Jays. He is tentatively scheduled to pitch in Boston tomorrow, which is another strong matchup for Flaherty. Flaherty is going to give up two or three runs, but he'll flirt with double-digit strikeouts. His career-best 33.3 K% and 3.7 BB% are a recipe for continued success.
Erick Fedde, SP, CWS (37.8% Rostered)
Fedde is a former top prospect in the Nationals organization who never quite figured it out at the major league level. That's my theory on why his rostered percentage is so low. Of course, blow-ups against the Cardinals, Guardians, and Jays will have people scratching their heads in bewilderment, especially when he has dominated the likes of Baltimore and Minnesota.
I'm still taking Fedde with a grain of salt, but he has a very nice matchup on Friday in Milwaukee. If you're searching for a streamer this week, this is a good place to start.
12-Team Leagues
Reese Olson, SP, DET (21% Rostered)
Oh, the evils of pitching for a bad team. Olson's ERA on the season is a sparkling 1.92, but he didn't get his first win of the season until last week. That makes Olson much more valuable on ESPN since they don't emphasize wins, and giving up runs hurts less than on other sites. Olson has another winnable game coming up against the Red Sox at home. Olson has allowed just two runs in 27 2/3 innings at home this season. He's valuable on any site, but more so on ESPN.
Ben Lively, SP, CLE (11.9% Rostered)
Lively still hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start this year. That likely won't change this weekend against the Nationals. Lively is more valuable on sites that don't emphasize strikeouts as much, like CBS and Fantrax. Both of those sites also emphasize wins, which Lively has four of in his last five starts. He's a solid streamer on ESPN and Yahoo, but make him a priority on CBS or Fantrax.
Ryan Weathers, SP, MIA (11.6% Rostered)
Don't look now, but Weathers has five consecutive quality starts in May after a bumpy April. He has only allowed seven runs in 33 innings this month with 27 strikeouts. He draws Texas at home on Saturday. The Rangers have scored just 44 runs in the last 16 games, which included a three-game set at Coors Field. This offense is in a tailspin, and Weathers is coming off the best month of his career. This is a great spot for a streamer this week.
Deep Leagues
Cal Quantrill, SP, COL (8.7% Rostered)
Please call this man Quality Cal Quantrill.
He’s a lock for at least six innings and three or less runs each time out.
Quantrill does it again today against the Phillies: 6 IP, 2 R on 98 pitches.
It’s his fifth quality start in a row and eighth over his last nine starts.
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) May 26, 2024
Another week and Quantrill is still out there in nearly every league. I get it. He pitches at Coors Field for a living. The show goes on the road this week when Quantrill gets a start in L.A. Unfortunately, it's against the Dodgers. Still, Quantrill has turned in five consecutive quality starts, allowing just six earned runs in 31 1/3 innings while striking out 32. I'll buy into the hot streak, especially on Yahoo, where a loss won't count against him.
Jose Soriano, SP, LAA (4.7% Rostered)
Soriano's volatility showed last week against Cleveland where he gave up four runs (on just four hits) in six innings to Cleveland. The good news is that he struck out eight, giving him a solid fantasy score. The Mariners are striking out at an alarming 32% clip against right-handed pitching this year. Soriano will give up a few runs, but the strikeouts will stack up points in a hurry. Fantrax is the place to have Soriano since runs and walks won't nick his score.
Also consider:
- Bryan Woo, SEA (41.3% Rostered) vs. LAA
- Hunter Brown, HOU (38.9% Rostered) vs. MIN
- Brandon Pfaadt, ARI (27.6% Rostered) at NYM
- Tyler Anderson, LAA (25.3% Rostered) vs. NYY
- Zack Littell, TB (21% Rostered) at BAL
- Michael Wacha, KC (11.7% Rostered) vs. SD
- Austin Gomber, COL (9.8% Rostered) at LAD
- Chris Paddack, MIN (7% Rostered) vs. KC
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Keibert Ruiz, WAS (44.5% Rostered)
Ruiz is surprisingly still on this list after he had four multi-hit games in five starts last week. Even more importantly, Ruiz has not struck out since May 21! That's saving you a boatload of points on ESPN! Even the Braves haven't struck him out in the first two games of this series.
David Fry, CLE (41.3% Rostered)
Fry was picked up in nearly 36% of leagues last week. That's what happens when a catcher hits .444 with two homers in a week. Fry is still picking up some starts in the outfield for the Guardians, so he plays a little more than most catchers. He is now hitting .357 with seven homers and 23 RBI in just 98 at-bats this year. This may be your last chance to get Fry for free in most leagues.
12-Team Leagues
Logan O'Hoppe, LAA (24.1% Rostered)
O'Hoppe has slowed down a little, but his percentage shouldn't be dropping. Three of his five homers on the season have come in his last 10 games, and he's still hitting .269 in that stretch. You can do worse from a catcher.
Danny Jansen, TOR (12.8% Rostered)
Jansen has taken the job from Alejandro Kirk with a .299 average on the season. The five homers in 97 at-bats are a nice touch as well. Jansen is hitting right behind a white-hot George Springer in the new-look Jays order. More RBI opportunities should be on the horizon.
Deep Leagues
Patrick Bailey, SF (4.8% Rostered)
His return from a concussion couldn't have gone much better for Bailey. He is hitting .375 with a homer, eight RBI, and a steal in eight games since his return. If you're hanging on to a struggling catcher, Bailey is a nice replacement option. He is hitting .299 on the season, but most dropped him when he went on the IL.
Also consider:
- Travis d'Arnaud, ATL (19.6% Rostered)
- Elias Diaz, COL (13.0% Rostered)
- Connor Wong, BOS (9.9% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Infield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
J.P. Crawford, SS, SEA (45.3% Rostered)
Crawford missed a month with an injury, but he is back batting leadoff for the Mariners. He is hitting .273 since his return, with a solo homer and five runs scored. He does have hits in seven of the last eight games, so it appears Crawford is back on track. Crawford hit 19 homers in 145 games last year and led the league with 94 walks. His walk rate is nearly as high as last season, so Crawford will provide sneaky points for the rest of the week and maybe the rest of the season.
12-Team Leagues
Josh Smith, SS/3B, TEX (19.4% Rostered)
Those of you on Yahoo should take notice. Smith has stolen two bags in the last three games. He has been hitting for a solid average (.316) over the last two weeks but doesn't have much for counting stats since he doesn't hit for power, and his teammates aren't getting on base. The stolen bases provide a lot of hidden value in points leagues if he keeps running.
Jeimer Candelario, CIN, 1B/3B (12.5% Rostered)
Candelario missed a couple of games with a stiff neck last week, so he fell off the radar a bit. He celebrated his return with a homer, his second in his last five games. Candelario finishes off the week at Wrigley, so he should continue his little hot streak. Candelario has five hits in the last five games.
Deep Leagues
Masyn Winn, SS, STL (8.2% Rostered)
Here we have another guy who recently took over the leadoff slot, thanks to hot hitting. Winn is riding a 15-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .351 with two homers, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. He's one of the few bright spots in the Cardinals lineup right now.
Davis Schneider, 2B, TOR (6.1% Rostered)
The newly-minted leadoff hitter for the Jays has driven in 10 runs in the last six games and scored four times. He has added a homer and a steal for good measure. The Toronto lineup has been cooking with gas lately. It's absurd that the leadoff man is available in 94% of leagues. He can be a matchup winner on Yahoo this week with the premium placed on RBI there.
Highest AL OPS since August 4, 2023 (min. 300 plate appearances)
Aaron Judge 1.001
Kyle Tucker .948
Davis Schneider .914 #TOTHECORE pic.twitter.com/CMnusCh7uT— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 29, 2024
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B/3B/OF, TOR (3.5% Rostered)
Kiner-Falefa is hitting a blistering .407 during his seven-game hitting streak with three doubles, two homers, six runs scored, and a steal. He has outscored every infielder except Jose Ramirez on ESPN over the last week. Best of all, acquiring his services won't cost you anything; he is eligible for multiple positions on every site.
Also consider:
- Carlos Correa, SS, MIN (46.9% Rostered)
- Matt Chapman, 3B, SF (46.3% Rostered)
- Ryan Mountcastle, 1B, BAL (34.9% Rostered)
- Jonathan India, CIN (9.5% Rostered)
- Edmundo Sosa, SS/3B, PHI (4.9% Rostered)
- Jorge Mateo, 2B/SS, BAL (2.3% Rostered)
- Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF, CWS (2.1% Rostered)
- Brett Wisely, 2B/OF, SF (0.5% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (38.1% Rostered)
It's wild to me that Stanton is still available in nearly 62% of leagues. Stanton has slowed down a bit, but he still has four homers and seven RBI in the last 11 games. He drew the dreaded golden sombrero on Sunday, so he's back to striking out at a clip that might keep you away in ESPN leagues. However, his 51.7% hard-hit rate is encouraging, and so is the .514 xSLG. That's his highest mark since 2020. Better days should be on the horizon for Stanton, according to predictive metrics.
Brenton Doyle, COL (20.6% Rostered)
Doyle has value, but not for the reason that most Colorado players do. Doyle has swiped five bags in the last six games, but he's struggling to keep his average above the Mendoza line. He's likely not worth the effort on ESPN and CBS due to the points docked for strikeouts, but he has great value on Fantrax and Yahoo, where strikeouts don't matter and steals are king.
12-Team Leagues
Kerry Carpenter, OF, DET (18.4% Rostered)
Carpenter lit up the Jays with two homers, four RBI, and four runs scored in the four-game set that just concluded. The Tigers haven't played since Sunday due to a rainout yesterday, so Carpenter will play six games the rest of the week. That's more than anyone else. There is great potential for him to finish with many points this week.
Wilyer Abreu, OF, BOS (15.1% Rostered)
Abreu has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games. He is hitting .379 in that span with two homers, seven RBI, five runs scored, and two steals. Those numbers play across every site, especially since he has cut down on the strikeouts.
Deep Leagues
Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B, MIN (3% Rostered)
When Kirilloff is at his best, he's flashing some power and drawing walks. That's where we are at recently. Kirilloff has two homers and five RBI in the last four games with a walk. He's still sitting against lefties, but the Twins have four games against righties the rest of the week. He'll be off on Saturday but has good matchups between KC and Houston on the other four days.
Nelson Velazquez, OF, KC (2% Rostered)
Velazquez has been a streaky hitter throughout his time in the majors, so you need to get him while he's hot or right before he gets there. Velazquez has two homers in the last six games, but the intriguing thing is the four walks. He's seeing the ball well enough to get some free passes, but the hits haven't come in bunches yet. He's worth a prospective add in deep leagues since he's not costing points anymore.
Also consider:
- Jorge Soler, SF (47.9% Rostered)
- Connor Joe, PIT (41.8% Rostered)
- Dylan Moore, SEA (17.4% Rostered)
- Byron Buxton, MIN (14% Rostered)
- JJ Bleday, OAK (13.1% Rostered)
- Jesse Winker, WAS (8.3% Rostered)
- Charlie Blackmon, COL (6.1% Rostered)
- Adam Duvall, ATL (2.4% Rostered)
- Matt Vierling, DET (1.9% Rostered)
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