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We are on to the playoffs in many points leagues. This is what we have worked for all season and there is no tomorrow. We need to be more active on waivers than usual. For instance, I'm against the guy who has Brayan Bello and Spencer Arrighetti this week. Those two had their best games of the season in the week I played against them. I'm going to be more active on waivers than usual.
It's important to know your league's scoring. It will be harder to unearth the pitcher to swing your matchup in the next three days. Points league scoring vastly differs on ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!, and Fantrax. Most leagues also have start limits. Remember that when deciding whether to go after 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!
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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. These pickups will help you win this week. Roster percentages and positions are taken from ESPN.
Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Gavin Stone, LAD (47.4% Rostered)
Arizona doesn't strike out a lot and it has mashing righties, but it's not often you see a guy with 11 wins and a 3.33 ERA in waivers in your fantasy playoffs. Stone struggled a bit in late July/early August, but he has only allowed two runs in 19 innings over his last three starts with 23 strikeouts. He should hold his own against Arizona.
Bowden Francis, TOR (36.2% Rostered)
Francis hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his five starts this season. He has only allowed four runs in his last four starts spanning 25 innings. He has struck out 34 in that span. Fenway isn't a great place to pitch, but with Francis racking up strikeouts like he is, he won't give up runs if he's not allowing contact.
Bowden Francis’ last 3 starts:
🔹 3-0
🔹 0.82 ERA
🔹 0.36 WHIP
🔹 .070 BA
🔹 27 Ks pic.twitter.com/05u3m9Kv9k— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 24, 2024
12-Team Leagues
Cody Bradford, TEX (26.6% Rostered)
Bradford has been cruising lately, allowing only seven runs in 24 innings over his last four starts. He draws an Oakland team over the weekend that has been better, but still not very good, against RHP. He won't dazzle you with strikeouts, but he should record a lot of outs with only one or two runs allowed.
David Peterson, NYM (20.4% Rostered)
Peterson has only allowed six earned runs in 31 2/3 August innings. The 23 strikeouts are a little low and Arizona isn't striking out a lot, but Peterson has proven to be a good fantasy commodity. He's not flashy, but he can help you in deeper leagues.
Peterson has faced Baltimore, an Angels team that is good against lefties now, a surging Oakland team, the Padres, and the Rockies in Coors for his five August starts. If he can hold his own in those situations, I like his chances against an Arizona team that is better overall against RHP.
Deep Leagues
Martin Perez, SD (8.1% Rostered)
Perez isn't much of a strikeout artist anymore (to be fair...he never was), but he's a veteran who knows how to get out of bad situations. That limits the damage done. He faces the Rays tomorrow, who are striking out at a bloated 28.1% clip against LHP in the last month. They are also in the bottom five of nearly every metric against LHP in that span.
Joey Estes, OAK (3.4% Rostered)
Estes ends the week with a start in Arlington. Texas isn't striking out a ton, but it has the third-worst wRC against RHP in the last month with a .139 ISO that leaves much to be desired. Estes isn't going to put up a huge game, but he has a 2.86 ERA in his last eight starts since getting clobbered by Boston. He's a solid way to end your week in deep leagues.
Also consider:
- Yusei Kikuchi, HOU (49.6% Rostered), Saturday vs. KC
- Colin Rea, MIL (36.8% Rostered), Friday at CIN
- Michael Wacha, KC (30.1% Rostered), Friday vs. PHI
- JP Sears, OAK (22.8% Rostered), Friday at TEX
- Ryne Nelson, ARI (21.1% Rostered), Today vs. NYM
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Tyler Stephenson, CIN (42.9% Rostered)
Stephenson is hitting .455 over the last week and has four more games at home to finish this week. Sign me up!
12-Team Leagues
There's not one in this tier that is anywhere close to Miguel Amaya. Just grab him.
Deep Leagues
Miguel Amaya, CHC (7.5% Rostered)
Miguel Amaya since he changed his batting stance pic.twitter.com/65st0dzXVf
— Cody Delmendo (@Cody_CHGO) August 27, 2024
Amaya is hitting a ridiculous .591 with two homers and 13 RBI in his last six games. The Cubs can't afford to be without his bat. He'll likely start all three games again this weekend in Washington for a Cubs team trying to chase down a playoff spot.
Also consider:
- Keibert Ruiz, WAS (49.8% Rostered)
- David Fry, CLE (35.9% Rostered)
- Adrian Del Castillo, ARI (8% Rostered)
- Alejandro Kirk, TOR (5.7% Rostered)
- Kyle Higashioka, SD (1.3% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Infield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, DET (34.5% Rostered)
Torkelson was a candidate for the biggest fantasy bust about a month ago, but he is starting to come around. Three of his seven homers on the season have come in the last week with two of those in the last three days. They close the week with one more against the Angels before three against Boston. Torkelson's hot hitting should continue.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, COL (26.6% Rostered)
Tovar has two homers in two games since he got back to Coors, which is where he finishes the week. You know the drill! Pack those Rockies in for the weekend!
12-Team Leagues
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, ARI (23.9% Rostered)
Suarez has driven in 10 runs in his last six games with a pair of homers. He has struggled against the Mets so far, but he draws lefty David Peterson today and we all know how much Eugenio likes lefties.
Eugenio Suarez since July 1st:
177 PA
.311 AVG
.362 OBP
.633 SLG
.995 OPS
14 HR
47 RBI
36 Runspic.twitter.com/IT9TRC35uX— Kirk Snyder (@dynastyinfo411) August 26, 2024
Colt Keith, 2B/3B, DET (19% Rostered)
The entire Detroit offense is hitting right now as the Motor City Kitties have won five in a row. Believe it or not, the Tigers are above .500 and are showing no signs of slowing down. Keith's hit streak ended at nine games in the first game of this series, but he still has eight RBI and eight runs scored in the last week.
Deep Leagues
Connor Norby, 2B/OF, MIA (9.3% Rostered)
It isn't just the Coors boost. Norby is hitting .348 with eight runs scored, a steal, and a pair of solo homers in the last week. None of those came at Coors. He'll have one more chance today before heading to San Francisco to close out the week.
Addison Barger, SS/3B/OF, TOR (0.5% Rostered)
Barger is hitting .400 with two homers, three runs scored, and five RBI during his modest six-game hitting streak. Never underestimate the importance of multi-position eligibility, either. Barger can help you win the week if you have a struggling player at any of these positions.
Also consider:
- Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, STL (40.2% Rostered)
- Junior Caminero, SS/3B, TB (23.1% Rostered)
- Connor Joe, 1B/OF, PIT (13.7% Rostered)
- Masyn Winn, SS, STL (17.7% Rostered)
- Zack Gelof, 2B, OAK (10.7% Rostered)
- Matt Vierling, 3B/OF, DET (9.9% Rostered)
- Ramon Urias, 2B/3B, BAL (2.5% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (30.7% Rostered)
Stanton is a cheap way to get a piece of a cooking Yankees offense. It doesn't hurt that three of his five hits this week have left the yard. Stanton is an all-or-nothing guy, but there could be more all than nothing in a weekend series against the Cardinals with tomato cans Kyle Gibson and Miles Mikolas on the docket.
James Wood, WAS (30.7% Rostered)
Wood has four steals in the last two games. He's The Mask..."Somebody stop me!!"
12-Team Leagues
Bryan De La Cruz, PIT (16.9% Rostered)
De La Cruz has eight RBI in his last six games. He finally hit his first home run as a Pirate against the Cubs yesterday despite playing every day since his acquisition at the deadline. If this is the start of something, I'm along for the ride.
Lawrence Butler, OAK (15.3% Rostered)
Butler hit the skids after a hot start, but he is riding a modest eight-game hitting streak. He has homered three times in his last five games, so the power is coming back, too. The A's still have one more game in Cincy before heading to the Devil's armpit in Texas. He should keep hitting for the rest of the week as well.
Deep Leagues
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC (9.5% Rostered)
Pete Crow-Armstrong past 25 games:
.333 BA
4 HR
7 SB
17 Runs
16 RBI
5 doubles
2 triples pic.twitter.com/mCRCvvKbq2— Underdog MLB (@Underdog__MLB) August 28, 2024
...and he's still available in over 90% of leagues. We have a potential league winner on waivers right now. Go get him!
Jacob Young, WAS (5.4% Rostered)
Young is hitting .417 over the last week with a homer, two RBI, two steals, and five RBI. He has also walked more than he has struck out, giving him a nice little boost in leagues that dock for strikeouts.
Also consider:
- Jackson Chourio, MIL (49.9% Rostered)
- Nolan Jones, COL (33.2% Rostered)
- Heliot Ramos, SF (29.3% Rostered)
- Jhonkensy Noel, CLE (14.6% Rostered)
- MJ Melendez, KC (5.5% Rostered)
- Parker Meadows, DET (3.7% Rostered)
- Jesus Sanchez, MIA (1.9% Rostered)
- Seth Brown, OAK (0.9% Rostered)
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