X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Head-to-Head Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 26

Players to target or add from the waiver wire in Week 26 for fantasy baseball H2H (head-to-head) leagues. Nicklaus Gaut identifies the top pickups of the week based on rising fantasy value.

There are plenty of strategies that fantasy managers explore in hopes of getting an advantage over their opponent. Heavy lineup, heavy starting pitchers, no catcher, all (or mostly) reliever staff, no reliever staff, etc. Even if you play a balanced lineup, injuries can cause holes. A few weeks without a key player won’t kill a season, but why accept losing when you can stream?

Streaming can be a risky business. If you do it right and check the necessary boxes, you can win the week. This column will do most of the work for you. It’ll cover weekly recommendations for when you need: steals, home runs, average, strikeouts, wins, and/or ratios (ERA/WHIP).

All position eligibility and ownership percentages are based on Yahoo! Fantasy leagues.

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

 

Steals – Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Jon Berti (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA) - 18% Owned

You better believe I'm touting Miami Marlins super-utility man and column-favorite Jon Berti in this final week. Sure, Berti has only three stolen bases and a .239 AVG in September but the Marlins have seven games in this final week of regular season baseball and four of them are against the Mets. As in, the Mets that has he of the noodly appendage behind the dish, Wilson Ramos. The same Wilson Ramos that has allowed 88 stolen bases - or 21 more than Yasmani Grandal sitting in second place. Berti is usually batting leadoff these days is in the final game of an unlikely season in which he exceeded everyone's expectations. You don't think he's going to run against a bad catcher any opportunity he gets? I do. Run Berti, run.

Garrett Hampson (2B/SS/OF, COL) - 18% Owned

How about that? We're finally starting to see some of this speed we've heard so much about in regards to Colorado infielder Garrett Hampson. The 24-year-old rookie has now stolen three bases in his last four games and has six in the past 30 days, after taking advantage of Wilson Ramos for those three bags in his last series. Hampson will get another turnstile catcher in his final series of the year, as Yasmani Grandal (67 stolen bases allowed) and the Milwaukee Brewers come to Coors for three games over the weekend. In much the same situation as Berti above, Hampson is a speedy youngster likely looking to impress against a substandard catcher in his last chance of the season. Plus, Coors!

 

Home Runs – Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Brandon Nimmo (OF,NYM) - 19% Owned

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is back and crushing it but is still being widely ignored since returning from a neck injury on September 1. Since his return, Nimmo is slashing .297/.481/.703 with a .468 wOBA and four home runs in 52 plate-appearances, along with 10 RBI and nine runs scored. Having seven games at Citi Field (97 Park Factor for LHB home runs) in this last week isn't ideal but sometimes you ride the hot hand. And a hot hand who's smashing a .405 ISO and gets to face the cellar-dwelling Marlins four times is a good one to pick.

Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - 34% Owned

When streaky Toronto outfielder Randal Grichuk gets hot, he usually gets really hot. And right now Grichuk isn't just hot, he's gone plain nuclear, hitting five home runs in his past six games, with 10 RBI and six runs scored. And with Toronto lined up for a seven-game homestand to end the season, Grichuk has a good chance to keep this meltdown from cooling off. Grichuk will end the week facing tougher pitching, as Tampa Bay will come into town likely fighting for their playoff lives. But the Jays open the week up by welcoming the Baltimore Orioles to town and their substandard starting pitching. Which will include home run bingo-machine Dylan Bundy, so just go ahead and start Grichuck with one home run, mmm-kay?

 

Batting Average – Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Luis Arraez (2B/3B/OF, MIN) - 13% Owned

Minnesota Twins rookie Luis Arraez continues to flash the future 60-grade hit tool he was slapped with in the minor leagues and is continuing to hit with a vengeance, with six multi-hit performances in his last 10 games. Even after going 0-for-8 in his last two games, Arraez is still slashing .394/.459/.515 with a 164 wRC+ over 74 plate-appearances in the month of September. Arraez is eligible at three positions and lately has been batting either leadoff or sixth in a powerful Minnesota lineup that's in the midst of their most important stretch of games this year, as they look to hold off the Cleveland Indians and capture their first American Central title since 2010. In this final week, Arraez and the Twins should be helped in the offense department by playing seven games against the lowly Tigers and Royals.

Howie Kendrick (1B/2B/3B/OF, WSH) - 33% Owned

How much does Washington Nationals infielder Howie Kendrick need to hit before we take the renaissance of the 36-year-old seriously? How much has he hit? Try slashing .343/.393/.577 in 346 plate-appearances with a .401 wOBA and 146 wRC+. Read that line again. Surely 346 PA is enough to judge that Kendrick isn't going to suddenly stop hitting, especially since he's saved his best for last by absolutely crushing September. As in, crushing it to the slash-tune of .436/.476/.692 with three three-hit games, and five multi-hit games overall. Fighting for their playoff lives, the National's schedule is fully loaded in Week 26 with a seven-game homestand against the Phillies and the Indians.

 

Strikeouts – Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Dylan Bundy (SP, BAL) - 12% Owned

Let's wind back the tape and recommend Baltimore Orioles starter Dylan Bundy against the Toronto Blue Jays for strikeouts for the second week in a row. Facing Toronto last Wednesday, Bundy piled up eight strikeouts in five innings, allowing just one earned run. But he also did Dylan Bundy things, walking five and allowing five hits for a cool 2.oo WHIP. Bundy sets up for two starts in this final week of baseball, first getting those same Blue Jays on Monday night in Toronto. Our northern neighbors have struggled with their whiffery against right-handers as of late, carrying a 27.3% K-rate against righties since the beginning of August. Bundy's next start is surely dicier, going to Boston to face the Red Sox in the last game of the regular season. If you fear for your ratios, that's one you'll probably want to avoid, with Bundy almost guaranteed to give up a home run or two. Farewell, sweet Dylan. May your offseason be filled with rumors of a velocity increase and tales of being in the best shape of your life.

Tanner Roark (SP, OAK) - 38% Owned

Oakland starting pitcher Tanner Roark may not be known as a strikeout artist but it seems almost any right-hander these days can become one as long as they're facing the Seattle Mariners, who are a carrying a league-worst 28.2% K-rate against righties since the beginning of August. Roark and the Reds will face the Mariners in Seattle on Saturday after getting a little roughed up in his last start, allowing four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision versus Kansas City. But Roark also struck out eight Royals and now has 17 strikeouts in his last 17 innings. Besides the horrible K-rate, Seattle has floundered in other ways when facing right-handers, posting just a .689 OPS and 84 wRC+ against them since August 1.

 

Wins - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Vince Velasquez (SP, PHI) - 14% Owned

Anyone else love to play the game where you try to guess when Philadelphia pitcher Vince Velasquez will pitch a gem and when he'll burn the stadium down with his gas hose? Me too! For example, Velasquez last pitched on the road against Atlanta's fierce offense, so it's an obvious gas can night, right? Nope! Five innings, one earned run, eight strikeouts, and the win. What about the certain gem on August 3 when he faced the pitiful Marlins at their pitcher-friendly park? 2 1/3 innings, seven earned runs, two strikeouts. Never mind those facts, let's chase. Velasquez gets those same bad Marlins in Week 26, this time at home on Friday. Miami has now lost eight of their last 10 games and has an 87 wRC+ against right-handers since August 1, so obviously this will be a Velasquez gem that ends in a win, right? Don't answer.

Gio Gonzalez (SP, MIL) - 14% Owned

With the news that Milwaukee starter Gio Gonzalez will stay in a "piggyback" role for the remainder of the regular season (Gonzalez most recently followed a returning Brandon Woodruff last Tuesday), the veteran left-hander could be in a better position to snag a win or two. Gonzalez has always struggled going deep into games as a traditional starter, so entering later may suit him well especially seeing how well he's pitched of late. In four appearances(three starts) since September 1, Gonzalez only went more than four innings once but still had a 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over his 15 innings. You'll need to keep an eye on what exactly the Brewer's plans are for his usage but fighting for a playoff spot, Milwaukee should only deploy him when the situation most behooves them.

 

ERA/WHIP - Head-to-Head Category Streamers

Aaron Civale (SP, CLE) - 44% Owned

We can do deep analysis, we can do a shallow analysis. But sometimes you need to just check out the bottom line. And the bottom line of Cleveland starter Aaron Civale through his first nine starts in the majors is more impressive than you probably think. Because through nine starts and 54 1/3 innings since he came up on June 22, Civale has gone 3-3 with a 1.82 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Small sample be damned because the only pitchers since then who've thrown at least 50 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP are Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, Jack Flaherty, and Sonny Gray. Not bad company, rook. Civale has two starts on the road this week, going first to Chicago to face the White Sox, who have a 26% K-rate and 89 wRC+ versus right-handers since August 1. Next is a start in Washington on the final day of the regular season, where both teams will still likely be fighting for their playoff lives, so be aware that Civale could have a shorter leash than usual.

Seth Lugo (SP/RP, NYM) - 45% Owned

Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, Seth Lugo is a reliever. But you may not realize just how dominant Lugo has been over the past month and if you need some ratio help in this final week, then Lugo might just be your man. Since allowing seven earned runs in less than an inning against the Braves on August 14th, Lugo has basically been unhittable in his 17 innings (11 appearances) since, allowing just one run and two walks. That's good for a 0.52 ERA and 0.56 WHIP, along with a 2-1 record and three saves. While it's always dicey to count on reliever-usage, Lugo usually manages to get four innings or so per week and with the Mets still in playoff contention, there likely won't be thoughts of compunction as it relates to his usage.

More Streamers and Head-to-Head League Columns




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF