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Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 6

We'll be doing this roundup of point league happenings 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 April 26 - May 2, looking at players below 50% ownership for ESPN and Yahoo!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup 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-25.

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.

The following charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. Clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version. Players are ordered by their average points scored across the four platforms.

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

 

Waiver Wire Leaderboards



First Base

Must Adds

  • Joey Votto, CIN - Ho-hum, don't mind Joey Votto. He's only the #74 overall hitter by APR and is also one of the most consistent, coming in as #73 or #74 on all four platforms and currently outscoring the likes of Paul Goldschmidt and Pete Alonso.
  • Christian Walker, ARI - He's dipped below 50% ownership but should be back from injury soon.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Second Base

Must Adds

  • Adam Frazier, PIT - If Frazier is still laying around, snatch him up. He has seven hits in his past five games and has been a waiver-wire bright spot at a garbage position.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Third Base

Must Adds

  • Evan Longoria, SF - Longoria has a 154 wRC+ and .397 wOBA (.443 xwOBA) in his first 23 games, with four home runs, 13 runs, and 12 RBI. Playing almost every day, batting in the middle of a decent Giants offense, and running an elite walk-rate (16.3%), Longoria is a high-floor compiler and is an easy plug-and-play.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Shortstop

Must Adds

  • Nope

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Outfield

Must Adds

  • Alexander Kirilloff, MIN - If he's somehow still available, the Minnesota rookie won't be for long after hitting three home runs in two games.
  • Tyler O'Neil, STL
  • Jordan Luplow, CLE - Luplow has a .383 xwOBA and has hit three home runs in the last 15 days, continuing to play every day for Cleveland. In his 46 PA over the last two weeks, he's posted a 20% K% and 20% BB%.
  • Corey Dickerson, MIA - Dickerson has a .447 wOBA over the last 15 days, with a 188 wRC+.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Catcher

Must Adds

*Update - Kirk was put on the IL on Sunday and should not be added.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

  • All catcher adds are desperate adds

 

Starting Pitchers



Must Adds

    • Nick Pivetta, BOS - It's always a dangerous game to mess with someone who occasionally turns into the human torch but Pivetta has a solid two-step coming up. Baltimore's .275 wOBA versus RHP is the worst in baseball, while Detroit's .282 wOBA is third-worst.
    • Madison Bumgarner, ARI - I'm not sure if he's "back" but a matchup in Miami is definitely playable.
    • J.A. Happ, MIN - There is no excuse for Happ still being on some waiver wires. Not a lot of strikeouts but Happ has a 1.96 ERA through four starts and has yet to allow more than two earned runs in an outing. He has a great two-start week, facing Detroit and their .215 wOBA vs LHP (worst in baseball), as well as the Rangers' .279 wOBA vs LHP (4th-worst).
    • Jakob Junis, KC
    • Yusei Kikuchi, SEA - Next four likely starts: vs BAL (19th in wOBA vs LHP), vs CLE (23rd), vs DET (30th), and TEX (27th).
    • Chris Flexen, SEA - The curveball is for real.

* Update - Junis has been (annoyingly) moved back to the bullpen. No need to add.

Can Adds

Two-Start Options

PITCHER TEAM % ROST Start One Start Two
Aaron Sanchez SF 13% @COL  SD
Adam Wainwright STL 31% NYM  COL
Adrian Houser MIL 5% @PHI  @MIA
Cole Irvin OAK 9% TOR  TB
Dane Dunning TEX 25% @MIN  SEA
Domingo German NYY 32% HOU  WSH
Huascar Ynoa ATL 47% @WSH  PHI
J.A. Happ MIN 19% TEX  @DET
Jakob Junis KC 15% CLE  CHW
Matt Moore PHI 0% MIL  @ATL
Michael Wacha TB 8% @LAA  @OAK
Mike Minor KC 20% CLE  CHW
Nick Pivetta BOS 14% DET  @BAL
Tyler Anderson PIT 6% @SD  @CHC

 

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.

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

        • Tejay Antone, CIN - Whether in long relief or at the back of games, at this point, Antone has been so good that his role doesn't matter. Over 14 innings, Antone has a 0.64 ERA and a 37.7% K% and picked up his first save on Saturday night, with the back of the Reds bullpen still chaotic. If Antone starts getting more cracks at saves, he could be a monster but even if not, his workload (and talent) will still make him rosterable in most formats.

Can Adds

      • Giovanny Gallegos, STL - Alex Reyes is still the closer in St. Louis but Gallegos is would be the first man up if Reyes were to go down (as what happens in most seasons). And Gallegos might still be worth a spot considering how dominant he's been. He has a 2.30 ERA (2.39 FIP) over 15.2 IP, with a 36.2% K%.
      • Garrett Whitlock, BOS
      • Jose Alvarado, PHI


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More Points Leagues Analysis


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kent Johnson17 mins ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Dorian Finney-Smith20 mins ago

Uncertain To Face The Sixers
Yaroslav Askarov23 mins ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts25 mins ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Nicolas Claxton27 mins ago

Questionable Versus Philly
Nikola Jokic30 mins ago

Absent From Practice On Thursday
Mikael Granlund32 mins ago

Good To Go Thursday
Cam Thomas34 mins ago

Probable On Friday Night
Alexandar Georgiev40 mins ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope45 mins ago

Out On Thursday Night
TB47 mins ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
DeMar DeRozan54 mins ago

Intends To Make His Return Friday Versus Clippers
Frederik Andersen56 mins ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson57 mins ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta1 hour ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Terry Rozier1 hour ago

Could Return For Sunday's Matchup With Dallas
Sam Darnold1 hour ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco1 hour ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift2 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
Luka Doncic2 hours ago

Expected To Miss At Least A Week
CeeDee Lamb2 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey2 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans2 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith3 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger4 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks4 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb4 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
4 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers5 hours ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans6 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson7 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson7 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist7 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies8 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund8 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine8 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Ausar Thompson8 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Thursday
Walker Kessler8 hours ago

Still Missing For Jazz
Jordan Clarkson8 hours ago

Questionable To Face Spurs
Devin Vassell8 hours ago

To Miss Third Consecutive Game
Chris Paul9 hours ago

Considered Probable For Thursday's Game
Khris Middleton9 hours ago

Medically Cleared To Play
Chris Sale19 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal19 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George19 hours ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson20 hours ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson20 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins21 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat21 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English21 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy21 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams21 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson21 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama21 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Josh Jacobs22 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith22 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Seth Jones1 day ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold1 day ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts1 day ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram1 day ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson1 day ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen1 day ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb1 day ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch1 day ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta1 day ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle1 day ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
Ludvig Aberg1 day ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole1 day ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
Connor Bedard1 day ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart1 day ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez4 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
4 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

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