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Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 12

Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points league waiver wire pickups for Week 12 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season, identifying free agents to add and pitchers to stream.

We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.

Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help.

These waiver-wire adds are for the week of June 14 - June 20, looking at players below 50% rostered for ESPN and Yahoo! Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Friday, June 11.

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

 

Know Your System

If you've read me even a little, you likely know what I'm going to say...You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Don't be fooled into believing you can just make rough adjustments in your head, bumping up guys with high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. Every point, in every category, counts.

For example, ESPN and Fantrax are virtually identical in their scoring for hitters and roster size. The only difference is that stolen bases are worth one more point on Fantrax and ESPN subtracts one point per strikeout. That's the difference between Ronald Acuna Jr. being a top-five hitter versus top-20.

If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.

For example, my home league started on a now-defunct platform before moving first to ESPN and is now at Fantrax. But our scoring is basically ESPN standard only with two points for stolen bases and a handful of other minor adjustments.

If you look above, you'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.

 

Waiver Wire Leaderboards

In addition to our overall waiver wire leaderboards, we're deep enough into the season that we'll also start doing a 14-day leaderboard (21 days for pitchers), as well, giving us a window into recent production. The charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. All leaderboards, overall and 14-day, are sorted according to the player's APR*, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.

*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)

 

 

First Base

Must Adds

  • Joey Votto, CIN - Our long, national nightmare is finally over, for underrated points king, Joey Votto has returned to the land of the healthy. Even after missing over a month, Votto is still a top-200 hitter by APR and has two home runs and six RBI in his four games since returning. Widely available.

Can/Desperate Adds

At this point, first base is just a wasteland on most waiver wires. Most of the following can be useful but all have big warts, particularly in regards to playing everyday playing time - or being on the Pirates. 

Me 

Here, Last Week

Notable IL

 

Second Base

Must Adds

  • Brendan Rodgers, COL - Healthy and getting a fair amount of playing time, Rodgers has played up to his prospect pedigree in June. In 33 PA, he's hit three home runs while slashing .357/.424/.714, with a .470 wOBA. Unfortunately, the better he plays, the more likely that the Rockies send him back to the minors.
  • Jonathan India, CIN - India has been batting leadoff for the past six games and since the start of June is slashing .323/.447/.581, with a .441 wOBA a 179 wRC+. As long as he's productive enough to bat leadoff, India is worth a spot.
  • Cesar Hernandez, CLE

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

Notable IL

 

Third Base

Must Adds

  • Nope. Wasteland.

Can Adds

  • Yandy Diaz, TB
  • Maikel Franco, BAL
  • Josh Fuentes, COL - Picking up eligibility at third base, Fuentes will be playing at home all week, ie. basically the only place you can use him. Fuentes has slashed .316/.371/.561, with a .392 wOBA at home and just .220/248/.331, with a  .252 wOBA on the road.
  • Hunter Dozier, KC

Desperate Adds

Notable IL 

 

Shortstop

Must Adds

  • J.P. Crawford, SEA - Batting leadoff since the start of June, Crawford has rewarded the Mariners by slashing .385/.447/.615, with a .442 wOBA over 47 PA, with one home run, six runs, and six RBI. It can't be overstated how valuable productive leadoff hitters will be in most point formats, even with ho-hum numbers. Long live the compilers.
  • Paul DeJong, STL - Back from injury, DeJong likely won't stay widely available for long.

Can Adds

  • Freddy Galvis, BAL - Galvis just keeps trucking along, collecting multiple hits in three of his eight games in June. He has an 88 APR over the last two weeks and a 90 APR for the year.
  • Amed Rosario, CLE - I'm not sure I'm ready for a world in which Rosario is a good hitter. This could be a trap.
  • Luis Urias, MIL
  • Willy Adames, MIL
  • Willi Castro, DET
  • Taylor Walls, TB

Desperate Adds

Notable IL

 

Outfielder

Must Adds

  • Justin Upton, LAA- Upton just won't stop hitting since being moved to leadoff, collecting at least one hit in 14 of his past 16 games and slashing .322/.423/.712 over those last 71 PA, with 6 HR, 17 R, and 12 RBI. It looks like the spot at the top is suiting him just fine. He has a 72 APR on the season and has been a top-10 hitter over the last two weeks. Somehow, still available in 40% of leagues.
  • Hunter Renfroe, BOS
  • Joc Pederson, CHC

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

Notable IL

 

Catcher

Must Adds

  • Omar Narvaez, MIL - Narvaez has a 148 APR on the year, with a 48 APR over the last two weeks. Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to catchers, so Narvaez might as well be hot as lava.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

  • All catcher adds are desperate adds.

Notable IL

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Two Start Weeks

Player Start One Start Two
Jake Arrieta @ NYM MIA
David Peterson CHC @ WSH
Tyler Anderson @ WSH CLE
Hunter Harvey @ CLE TOR
Jean Carlos Mejia BAL @ PIT
Vladimir Gutierrez @ MIL @ SD
Brett Anderson CIN @ COL
Matthew Boyd @ KC @ LAA
Brad Keller DET BOS
Adam Wainwright MIA @ ATL
Ryan Weathers @ COL CIN
Austin Gomber SD MIL
Jon Duplantier LAD
Randy Dobnak @ SEA
Marco Gonzales MIN TB
Tony Gonsolin PHI @ ARI
Jordan Montgomery @ TOR OAK
Tucker Davidson BOS STL
Shane McClanahan @ CHW @ SEA
Jake Odorizzi TEX CHW
Matt Peacock @ SF LAD

 

Must Add

  • Mike Minor, KC - Minor is coming off of an impressive win over Oakland, in which he locked up a top-10 offense vs LHP for seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight. This week he gets one of baseball’s worst teams vs LHP, with the Tigers posting just a .286 wOBA and 29.6 % K%.
  • Adam Wainwright, STL - It's a solid two-start week for Wainwright, who has a 21 APR over the last three weeks. The Marlins (.300 wOBA, 25.6% K%) and Atlanta (.320 wOBA, 25.5% K%) are both mediocre offenses vs RHP, with above-average strikeout-rates.
  • Tarik Skubal, DET - He's not really still available in 60-70% of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo, is he? Skubal has a 22 APR over the last three weeks and faces the Royals, who while stingy with strikeouts (21.0% K% vs LHP) has just a .305 wOBA against left-handers.

Can Add

  • Austin Gomber, COL - How much do you believe in Austin Gomber? Enough to start him at home in Colorado for a Week 12 double-tap? In four starts at home this year, Gomber has a 1.33 ERA (3.45 FIP) over 20.1 IP, allowing just a .233 wOBA, with a 25.05 K%. He’ll get San Diego first, who has just a .290 wOBA versus RHP, with a 23.3% K%. And it’ll be Milwaukee for the second start, who has a .314 wOBA and 28.3% K% vs RHP, which is the highest strikeout rate vs RHP in baseball. So, do you believe?
  • Patrick Sandoval, LAA - He's a decent left-hander facing Detroit. Good enough for me!
  • Jordan Montgomery, NYY
  • J.T. Brubaker, PIT
  • Matthew Boyd, DET
  • Garrett Richards, BOS
  • Brady Singer, KC -  Singer has a 54 APR over the last three weeks but his value varies quite a bit across platforms, ranging from a 40 APR on Fantrax to a 73 APR on ESPN. But while the Tigers are better against righties than lefties, let's not get carried away; Detroit has just a .298 wOBA and 27.2% K% vs RHP.
  • Tyler Anderson, PIT - Anderson has a two-start week but I'm passing if I can't sit him in his first start against Washington (.331 wOBA, 24.4% K%). However, in daily-move leagues, Anderson is absolutely a go against Cleveland in his second matchup (.292 wOBA, 23.1% K%).
  • Brad Keller, KC - Keller is in the same boat as Anderson, in that I'm in a love/hate relationship with his two-start week. We've already covered how appealing a matchup with Detroit is but his second start against Boston is most certainly not.
  • Shane McClanahan, TB - One more. I don't want anything to do with McClanahan vs the White Sox (.351 wOBA) but everything to do with his second start versus Seattle, who has a .281 wOBA and 27.6% K% vs LHP. And while Seattle handles four-seamers from lefties rather well (H-T foreshadowing), McClanahan only throws his four-seamer 40% and with extreme heat prejudice (97.3 mph average velocity).
  • Alex Cobb, LAA - Yes, Cobb does get to face Detroit but he had just as good of a matchup against the Diamondbacks in his last time out and still managed to allow five earned runs in three innings while striking out three.
  • Jameson Taillon, NYY
  • Jake Arrieta, CHC
  • Johnny Cueto, SF 
  • David Peterson, NYM
  • Jean Carlos Mejia, CLE
  • Jake Odorizzi, HOU

Desperate Adds

  • Ryan Yarbrough, TB - Yarbrough has been much better, as of late, posting a 2.56 ERA in his five starts since the start of May. But he continues to have a big home run problem, with a 2.09 HR/9 over those five starts, with a 1.38 HR/9 for the year. This might be an issue, considering his upcoming schedule, with a matchup with the lefty-crushing White Sox on the horizon. Chicago has a league-leading .351 wOBA and 126 wRC+ vs LHP.
  • Cole Irvin, OAK - Irvin and his paltry 17.1% K%might struggle to return positive value versus an Angels team that has a 22.1% K% and .329 wOBA vs LHP, both top-10 rates.
  • Martin Perez, BOS
  • Justin Dunn, SEA
  • Adrian Houser, MIL - The good news is that the Rockies only have a .287 wOBA vs RHP. The bad news is Coors.
  • Vince Velasquez, PHI - The good news is that the Giants have a 26.8% K% vs RHP and the game will be played in a pitcher-friendly park. The bad news is it's Vince Velasquez.
  • J.A. Happ, MIN - This may seem like a solid matchup for Happ, considering Seattle's poor numbers vs LHP. But given how often Happ throws his fastball (55%) and what the Mariners do against four-seamers from lefties (.422 wOBA, .399 xwOBA, and 1.4 RV/100 - all in the top-five), I maintain that this has all the makings of a classic Happ-trap.
  • Kyle Freeland, COL - Don't ever be this desperate.

Notable IL

 

Relief Pitchers

Keep in mind that with relievers, points scored can be deceiving. Most scoring systems make it pretty difficult for even the best non-closers to score elite points, making them very reliant on unpredictable wins. You simply need the save points to really do damage. AKA, when you see totally random names hit the leaderboard (particularly the 14-Day one), it's probably because they happened to get a few wins and/or a lot of usage. If a reliever doesn't have an established role, tread carefully.

One note about ownership; because ESPN uses nine open pitching slots, as opposed to dedicated slots for RP/SP, relievers tend to be lighter owned than on other sites.

 

Must Adds

  • Lucas Sims, CIN - With Tejay Antone (forearm) on the IL, Sims seemingly has the Cincinnati closer job to himself for the first time this season. While he does, he needs to be added.

Can Adds

  • Daniel Bard, COL - Since allowing four earned runs while recording just two outs on May 2, Bard has been excellent. In his 16 innings since that blowup, Bard has allowed just one earned run, picking up six saves. Unfortunately, the Rockies are at home this week. Tread carefully.

Notable IL



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More Points Leagues Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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Compare Any Players
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Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
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