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I hope this piece finds you still in your playoffs! I advanced past Week 1 with my highest score of the season, in part because of a couple of waiver gems. Let's try to duplicate that feat!
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. These pickups will help you win this week since there is no tomorrow if we lose! Roster percentages and positions are taken from ESPN.
Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Gavin Stone, LAD (43.4% Rostered)
Stone got smacked by the Diamondbacks last week. The Dodgers are giving him more rest between starts, but he is slated to start again this weekend against Cleveland. This is a great situation for a bounce-back start from Stone. The extra rest should help.
Cody Bradford, TEX (39.6% Rostered)
Bradford has strung together four straight quality starts. His matchup against the Angels tonight should be No. 5. The Angels have cut down on their strikeouts, but they are still middle-of-the-pack in every meaningful metric against LHP in the last month.
12-Team Leagues
Brayan Bello, BOS (29.3% Rostered)
Bello has had a couple of rough starts lately, but he draws the bad Sox on Sunday to end the week. The White Sox are the worst team we have seen this century and they seem pretty damn proud of it. Enjoy a possible matchup-winning start from Bello to close the week.
Ryne Nelson, ARI (24.3% Rostered)
Ryne Nelson last 12 games (11 starts)
5-0
2.76 ERA
3.03 FIP
75 IP
75 Ks
14 BBs— Dbacks Nation (@DbacksNation98) September 4, 2024
Nelson has six or more strikeouts in six of his last seven starts. He has only allowed 13 earned runs in those seven starts. His slow start to the season is a distant memory by now. We can trust him for a strong finish to the week against Houston on Sunday.
Deep Leagues
Osvaldo Bido, OAK (16.4% Rostered)
Bido was dropped in my league after a subpar start against Seattle. If your league mates did the same, go get him! Bido has a great matchup against the Tigers at home on Saturday. He should bounce back nicely.
Patrick Corbin, WAS (4.6% Rostered)
No, this isn't a typo. Corbin has only allowed three runs in 17 2/3 innings over his last three starts with 22 strikeouts. Corbin is pitching like it's 2018. The Pirates are striking out at a staggering 33.8% rate (worst in the majors) over the last month against LHP.
It's a risk because of how poorly Corbin has pitched in the last three years, but his matchup doesn't get any better than the Pirates on Sunday. If you're in a pinch, Corbin could deliver a win for you.
Also consider:
- Michael Wacha, KC (31.8% Rostered), Sunday vs. MIN
- Luis Severino, NYM (27.9% Rostered), Sunday vs. CIN
- Tobias Myers, MIL (18.8% Rostered), Saturday vs. COL
- Luis L. Ortiz, PIT (7.6% Rostered), Friday vs. WAS
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Tyler Stephenson, CIN (47.5% Rostered)
Stephenson "only" hit .364 last week after hitting .455 the week before. He is on a multi-week hot streak and playing almost daily for the Reds. The strikeouts hurt a little on ESPN, but the reward is worth the risk.
12-Team Leagues
Shea Langeliers, OAK (21.6% Rostered)
Langeliers has three homers in the last week, but he has done little aside from that. If your catcher is struggling or not playing daily, Langeliers is worth looking at on your regular catcher's day off.
Deep Leagues
Ivan Herrera, STL (1.1% Rostered)
Herrera has been getting good playing time lately for a team trying to make it to the postseason. Herrera has three RBI and three runs scored in the last week. Those are solid numbers at a thin position like a catcher.
Also consider:
- Keibert Ruiz, WAS (48.1% Rostered)
- Sean Murphy, ATL (33.4% Rostered)
- Austin Wells, NYY (11.4% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Infield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, ARI (31.8% Rostered)
Suarez has four homers in the last six games with eight RBI and nine runs scored in that span. He also has a nice series coming up with Houston after the Snakes are done in San Francisco.
More early offense for the D-backs, who score one in the first and get another from this Eugenio Suarez home run.
That's 6 HRs in Suarez's last 12 games and 24 on the season. pic.twitter.com/SttFmfjmq2
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) September 5, 2024
Josh Jung, 3B, TEX (30.4% Rostered)
Jung was hurt then started slow when he finally did get on the field. He is getting hot at the right time. Jung has two homers and five RBI in his last four games. With the Angels coming to town for four games starting tonight, it could be a nice weekend for Jung.
12-Team Leagues
Zach Neto, SS, LAA (20.9% Rostered)
The rest of the Angels are getting hot, so why not Neto? He has stolen a base in two straight and scored two runs in the last three games. We'd like to see some of that 20-homer power resurface. Maybe it will in Arlington this weekend.
Carlos Santana, 1B, MIN (16.8% Rostered)
Santana is playing hits like he did in the 70s with two homers in the last two games. With one more game in Tampa and a weekend series with the Royals on tap, Santana could be in line for a nice weekend.
Deep Leagues
Ty France, 1B, CIN (5.4% Rostered)
France has provided the Reds with solid numbers at first. He's not hitting for power, but he did steal his first base of the season this week. The main thing for France is that he has only struck out twice in the last nine games. Not losing points can be just as important as gaining them.
Addison Barger, SS/3B, TOR (1.5% Rostered)
Barger has two homers and four RBI in the last three games alone. He sat out with a sore knee yesterday, but he should be back in the lineup for the weekend.
Also consider:
- Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, STL (46.7% Rostered)
- Jonathan India, 2B, CIN (28.8% Rostered)
- Junior Caminero, SS/3B, TB (23.7% Rostered)
- Gavin Lux, 2B, LAD (17.4% Rostered)
- Geraldo Perdomo, 2B/SS, ARI (15.6% Rostered)
- Amed Rosario, 2B/SS/3B, CIN (10.7% Rostered)
- Brendan Rodgers, 2B, COL (6.8% Rostered)
Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups - Points Leagues
Shallow Leagues
Lawrence Butler, OAK (46.6% Rostered)
Butler's hit streak is now up to 14 games and yesterday was his ninth consecutive game with an extra-base hit. How is he still available in this many leagues? By the way, Butler is one of the guys I mentioned in the intro who paved the way for my huge week. He's still cooking, folks!
Lawrence Butler now has an extra-base hit in NINE straight games!
That's a new @Athletics franchise record 👏 pic.twitter.com/blvmWXWPH0
— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2024
Taylor Ward, LAA (39.7% Rostered)
Ward has homered in three straight games (two of those against the Dodgers). Not everything the Angels touch is bad. Ward finishes the week with a four-game set in Texas where it's still nice and toasty. Fitting for Ward, who has four homers this week.
12-Team Leagues
Jesse Winker, NYM (13.2% Rostered)
Winker is more known for speed than power, but he has homered twice this week with seven RBI in the last six games. He also doesn't strike out much, which is very important in ESPN leagues.
Lars Nootbaar, STL (12.9% Rostered)
If Nootbaar has a nine-game hitting streak, does anyone notice? Few have if his rostered percentage is any indication. Nootbaar has a homer, six RBI, four runs scored, and a steal in that span. He is a nice boost in points leagues right now.
Deep Leagues
Randal Grichuk, ARI (1.8% Rostered)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. landed on the IL a couple of days ago, which means consistent at-bats for the white-hot Grichuk. Grichuk is hitting a sizzling .563 with four homers and nine RBI in the last week ... and he's under 2% rostered!
Mickey Moniak, LAA (1.7% Rostered)
The former top prospect for the Phillies is finally showing what all the fuss was about. Moniak has five homers and 10 RBI in the last eight games. A weekend series in Texas looks tantalizing. Just keep in mind that he may sit against lefties.
Also consider:
- Wyatt Langford, TEX (39.4% Rostered)
- TJ Friedl, CIN (29.6% Rostered)
- Josh Lowe, TB (28.9% Rostered)
- JJ Bleday, OAK (24.4% Rostered)
- Victor Robles, SEA (3.1% Rostered)
- Mike Yastrzemski, SF (1.2% Rostered)
- Garrett Mitchell, MIL (1.1% Rostered)
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