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Nicklaus' fantasy baseball H2H points league waiver wire hitters to pick up for Week 10 (2024) from May 27- June 2. Free-agent hitters to add in points leagues.
Welcome RotoBallers to the Week 10 edition of our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters. These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of May 27 - June 2, looking at players below ~50% rostered on ESPN or Yahoo.
We'll be doing this points league roundup every week here at RotoBaller because we know points players get neglected and we're here to help. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits, with waiver wire targets being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems on ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Fantrax, and NFBC.
Position eligibility is taken from Fantrax and players are grouped by their most valuable fantasy position, using a hierarchy of C > 2B > OF > 3B > 1B > SS. Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, May 25.
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Early Season Waiver Wire Caveats
Roster% Thresholds
We use a combination of Roster% to assess who is in our target pool, relying mostly on Yahoo and ESPN. For some players, you'll notice a wide discrepancy between the two. This is because ESPN's Roster% is heavily weighted by points players, with guys who don't do well in their system (often because of an inflated K% but also sometimes, who really knows?) lagging behind the Yahoo Roster%. For this reason, you'll sometimes see players (especially early) who might make you question my sanity in including them in a waiver wire article but don't worry, it's just a necessary glitch for coverage purposes.
First Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
Ryan O'Hearn, BAL, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 19%) - O'Hearn always sits vs LHP but guess how many Baltimore is scheduled to face in Week 10. Hint: it rhymes with zero. In weeks when he's gotten plenty of PAs, O'Hearn has been a high-floor, medium-ceiling option and it shouldn't be any different this week. And if you're in a league with a strikeout penalty, O'Hearn (and his ridiculous 9% K% through 140 PA) has to be rostered, even if he's a drag in lefty-heavy weeks. Case in point; O'Hearn has a 165ish ranking on Yahoo and Fantrax (no K penalty), a better 133 APR on CBS (-0.5 per K), but an elite 80 APR on ESPN (-1 per K).
Jeimer Candelario, CIN, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 13%) - Candelario has finally come alive in May like his point-profile history has told us he would, slashing .257/.313/.432 in the month, with the 16% K% we knew he had in him. With a 92 APR so far in Week 9, Candelario is in position to turn in his fourth-straight top-100 week and will look to make in five in Week 10 with two series against the Cardinals and Cubs.
Nolan Schanuel, LAA, 1B (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 2%) - Schaunel has a top 85 APR in three of the past four weeks and is running an extremely points-friendly 16% but this his playing time and current role is what's really driving an increasing value. Schaunel has batted leadoff in every game he's played in April and has now started against the last five left-handers the Angels have faced after sitting for most of the earlier ones.
Next Choices
Josh Bell, MIA, 1B (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 31%) - Bell has been a bum in two of the past three periods, with a 33 APR sandwiched in the middle but his combination of a sub-20% K% and piles of PAs (223 PA) will continue to give him a higher floor under most scoring systems. Bell has a top-90 APR on every platform but NFBC.
Joey Meneses, WSH, 1B (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 4%) - Meneses was mostly a mess during April but has been quietly solid lately, with top-125 APRs in three of the past five weeks, and top-90 APRs in two of the past three. Like a discount Josh Bell, Meneses has a high-floor profile when at his best, driven by a low strikeout rate and plenty of PAs. With seven games in Week 10, Meneses should again collect 25 PA and have a chance to compile his way to being a top-10oish option.
Andrew Vaughn, CHW, 1B (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 6%) - Yet another player with a high-floor history in points that has turned things around in May after a disastrous April. Vaughn slashed .190/.259/.238 in April with a 28% K% and 45 wRC+ but has four home runs in May. Even though a .207/.261/.415 line isn't very inspiring, a 19% K% is a lot more like what we're used to seeing.
Desperate Choices
J.D. Davis, OAK, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%) - With three LHP on the schedule, a J.D. play is basically saying you hope he takes a couple of them deep, as Davis loves smashing lefties (52% HH%, 12.0% Brl%) but mostly does smashing vs RHP (43% HH%, 7.5% Brl%).
On the IL
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand, CIN, 1B (fractured wrist - 4 to 6 weeks)
- Brandon Drury, LAA, 1B/2B (strained hamstring - no timetable)
- DJ LeMahieu, NYY, 1B/3B (foot fracture - rehab assignment)
- Miguel Sano, LAA, 1B (knee discomfort - rehab assignment)
Second Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
Dylan Moore, SEA, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 12%) - Moore just keeps playing, starting the last 16 games and 22 out of the last 23, with the past four coming from the two-hole -- but also keeps hitting, with a 12 APR in Week 9, and top-60 APRs in Weeks 7 and 8. As long as he's an everyday, top-third of the lineup player, Moore and his 23% K%, and 13% BB% need to be rostered.
Davis Schneider, TOR, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 6%) - Schneider has turned things around in May somewhat and has posted respectable top-120ish APRs the past three weeks but he's still running close to a 30% K% that will continue to be a drag on his points value. Though, batting leadoff for seven straight starts is certainly a sign that Toronto also believes he's on the right track.
Next Choices
Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 31%, ESPN: 17%) - Donovan is up to a 94 APR for the season and has really only had one bad week (283 APR in Week 5), with his elite 13% K% driving his compiling power over 219 PA. And while three LHP on the board in Week 10 might make you pause on the left-handed Donovan, his splits haven't told a story with many differences.
Luis Garcia, WSH, 2B (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 11%) - Garcia has been a tale of extremes, posting three weeks with a top 50 APR (including a 24 APR in Week 9), but with another that has been post-250. The left-handed Garcia will only see one left-handed starter in Week 10 and should again compile enough PAs to set him up for success.
Desperate Choices
Nolan Gorman, STL, 2B (Yahoo: 54%, ESPN: 13%) - Gorman might have a top-50 APR in back-to-back periods but you're playing with fire if trying to leverage his 36% K% in a week when the Cardinals are scheduled to face lefthanders in three of six games.
Joey Ortiz, MIL, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 13%) - Ortiz remains a good long play but you might not want to roll him up this week, as he's really struggled vs LHP (.147/.293/.265) and the Brewers are scheduled to face three of them in Week 10.
On the IL
- Michael Massey, KC, 2B (strained back - no timetable)
- Brandon Drury, LAA, 1B/2B (strained hamstring - no timetable)
- Tommy Edman, STL, 2B/SS/OF (wrist surgery - no timetable)
- Geraldo Perdomo, ARI, 2B/SS (torn meniscus - 2 to 4 weeks)
- Justin Foscue, TEX, 2B/OF (strained oblique - no timetable)
Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
Tyler Freeman, CLE, 3B/OF (Yahoo: 32%, ESPN: 10%) - Freeman has a below-average 157 APR headed into Sunday's action but don't let the down week put you off of him, as he's has a really juicy setup for Week 10. The Guardians have four LHP on the books and two of them will come in a series on the Moon. Err, I mean, Colorado. But still -- the MOON!
Willi Castro, MIN, 3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 64%, ESPN: 21%) - He's mostly only available on ESPN, but Castro continues to be a points monster in May (excepting one bad Week 8 performance), with two top-70 APRs and two in the top-15.
Jeimer Candelario, CIN, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 13%) - Candelario has finally come alive in May like his point-profile history has told us he would, slashing .257/.313/.432 in the month, with the 16% K% we knew he had in him. With a 92 APR so far in Week 9, Candelario is in position to turn in his fourth-straight top-100 week and will look to make in five in Week 10 with two series against the Cardinals and Cubs.
Next Choices
Colt Keith, DET, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 6%) - The rookie doesn't have any power but an excellent 18% K% is helping drive his recent value, with two 130ish APRs in Weeks 7 and 8, and a 40 APR for Week 9. He plays every day near the middle of the order, plus the left-hander won't have to suffer any fellow wrong-handers, as Detroit isn't scheduled to face any in their six games.
Desperate Choices
Joey Ortiz, MIL, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 13%) - Ortiz remains a good long play but you might not want to roll him up this week, as he's really struggled vs LHP (.147/.293/.265) and the Brewers are scheduled to face three of them in Week 10.
J.D. Davis, OAK, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%) - With three LHP on the schedule, a J.D. play is basically saying you hope he takes a couple of them deep, as Davis loves smashing lefties (52% HH%, 12.0% Brl%) but mostly only does light petting vs RHP (43% HH%, 7.5% Brl%).
On the IL
- Anthony Rendon, LAA, 3B (strained hamstring - no timetable)
- DJ LeMahieu, NYY, 1B/3B (fractured foot - rehab assignment)
- Yoan Moncada, CHW, 3B (strained groin - likely out until All-Star break)
- Jon Berti, NYY, 3B/SS (strained calf - no timetable)
Shortstop Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
Dylan Moore, SEA, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 12%) - Moore just keeps playing, starting the last 16 games and 22 out of the last 23, with the past four coming from the two-hole -- but also keeps hitting, with a 12 APR in Week 9, and top-60 APRs in Weeks 7 and 8. As long as he's an everyday, top-third of the lineup player, Moore and his 23% K%, and 13% BB% need to be rostered.
Willi Castro, MIN, 3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 64%, ESPN: 21%) - He's mostly only available on ESPN, but Castro continues to be a points monster in May (excepting one bad Week 8 performance), with two top-70 APRs and two in the top-15.
Zach Neto, LAA, SS (Yahoo: 18%, ESPN: 5%) - I suppose I should take solace in the fact that at least Neto's Roster% rose slightly, but no! I won't do it -- no solace taken, damn it. Neto is in the midst of his fifth-straight top-100 week, with two coming in the top-80, and two in the top-40. Pick him up, please; if only to help out your ol' friend Nickaus's sanity.
Next Choices
J.P. Crawford, SEA, SS (Yahoo: 27%, ESPN: 46%) - Crawford hadn't done much of anything before his recent IL stretch but he's returned with a (kind of) respectable 151 APR so far in Week 9. As long as he's playing every day (and he's started every game but one since returning), Crawford's 21% K% and 11% BB% will let him compile his way to a top-120ish hitter.
Desperate Choices
Masyn Winn, STL, SS (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 6%) - Winn was pretty decent in the second half of April before hitting a skid in May but he's turned things around again and is on his way to a second-straight top-40 week in Week 9. The right-hander will see left-handed starters in three of his six games in Week 10 and is a solid bet if you need a band-aid.
Wenceel Perez, DET, SS/OF (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 6%) - Perez has laid an egg in Week 9 with a 297 APR but has been a top-30 hitter in two of the past four weeks. Unfortunately, he's been much better vs LHP and the Tigers aren't scheduled to face any in their upcoming six games against the Pirates and Red Sox.
Orlando Arcia, ATL, SS (Yahoo: 18%, ESPN: 16%) - It's looking like another top-100ish APR for Arcia in Week 9, his fifth of the season, with only Weeks 6 and 8 bringing an unusable level of points. You might want to brace yourself for Week 10 being one of the latter varieties as the Braves are scheduled to face three LHP -- against lefties this season, Arcia is slashing .182/.213/.250, with a .205 wOBA and .463 OPS.
On the IL
- Geraldo Perdomo, ARI, 2B/SS (torn meniscus - 2 to 4 weeks)
- Tommy Edman, STL, 2B/SS/OF (wrist surgery - no timetable)
- Trevor Story, BOS, SS (dislocated shoulder - no timetable)
- Nick Ahmed, SF, SS (sprained wrist - no timetable)
Outfielder Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
Tyler Freeman, CLE, 3B/OF (Yahoo: 32%, ESPN: 10%) - Freeman has a below-average 157 APR headed into Sunday's action but don't let the down week put you off of him, as he's has a really juicy setup for Week 10. The Guardians have four LHP on the books and two of them will come in a series on the Moon. Err, I mean, Colorado. But still -- the MOON!
Tommy Pham, CHW, OF (Yahoo: 18%, ESPN: 10%) - Sub-20% rostered? It's almost like y'all are trying to get a custom Tommy Pham-made slap to the face. Pham has done nothing but produce points since coming to the Southside dumpster fire, and is on his way to a fifth-straight top-75 period in Week 10. All jokes aside, if you don't roster him soon, you'll run the real risk of opening your door to find an angry Pham waiting on your doorstep. No one, and I mean NO ONE, should be asking for that level of smoke.
Willi Castro, MIN, 3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 64%, ESPN: 21%) - He's mostly only available on ESPN, but Castro continues to be a points monster in May (excepting one bad Week 8 performance), with two top-70 APRs and two in the top-15.
Max Kepler, MIN, OF (Yahoo: 47%, ESPN: 24%) - Herr Kepler cooled off last week (307 APR) after three straight elite weeks (#15, #37, #15) but has gotten back to it in Week 9, with an 88 APR. Now slashing .303/.369/.523 for the year, with a top-tier 16% K%, it's officially time to munch on some non-sour kraut.
Dylan Moore, SEA, 2B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 41%, ESPN: 12%) - Moore just keeps playing, starting the last 16 games and 22 out of the last 23, with the past four coming from the two-hole -- but also keeps hitting, with a 12 APR in Week 9, and top-60 APRs in Weeks 7 and 8. As long as he's an everyday, top-third of the lineup player, Moore and his 23% K%, and 13% BB% need to be rostered.
Davis Schneider, TOR, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 6%) - Schneider has turned things around in May somewhat and has posted respectable top-120ish APRs the past three weeks but he's still running close to a 30% K% that will continue to be a drag on his points value. Though, batting leadoff for seven straight starts is certainly a sign that Toronto also believes he's on the right track.
JJ Bleday, OAK, OF (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 7%) - Damn it, you got me again -- I fully expected to update my sheets and see Bleday finally get above 20% rostered. I mean, he had a 2 APR in Week 6, a 56 APR in Week 7, and after a bummer of a 244 APR in Week 8, has gotten right back to it so far in Week 9, running another top-10 APR headed into Sunday's game. You probably already know the formula: besides the impressive eight HR, Bleday has racked up a lot of PAs, with a 20% K% and 10% BB%. That's a recipe for points success, even in Oakland.
Next Choices
Ryan O'Hearn, BAL, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 19%) - O'Hearn always sits vs LHP but guess how many Baltimore is scheduled to face in Week 10. Hint: it rhymes with zero. In weeks when he's gotten plenty of PAs, O'Hearn has been a high-floor, medium-ceiling option and it shouldn't be any different this week. If you're in a league with a strikeout penalty, O'Hearn (and his ridiculous 9% K% through 140 PA) has to be rostered, even if he's a drag in lefty-heavy weeks. Case in point; O'Hearn has a 165ish ranking on Yahoo and Fantrax (no K penalty), a better 133 APR on CBS (-0.5 per K), but an elite 80 APR on ESPN (-1 per K).
Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF (Yahoo: 31%, ESPN: 17%) - Donovan is up to a 94 APR for the season and has really only had one bad week (283 APR in Week 5), with his elite 13% K% driving his compiling power over 219 PA. And while three LHP on the board in Week 10 might make you pause on the left-handed Donovan, his splits haven't told a story with many differences.
Lars Nootbaar, STL, OF (Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 19%) - Nootbaar has a ho-hum 144 APR in Week 9 after back-to-back top-40 weeks and may struggle again in Week 10, considering three of the Cardinals' six games are scheduled against left-handed starters. Facing LHP this season, Nootbaar is slashing just .182/.234/.273, with a 28% K%.
Desperate Choices
Wenceel Perez, DET, SS/OF (Yahoo: 13%, ESPN: 6%) - Perez has laid an egg in Week 9 with a 297 APR but has been a top-30 hitter in two of the past four weeks. Unfortunately, he's been much better vs LHP and the Tigers aren't scheduled to face any in their upcoming six games against the Pirates and Red Sox.
On the IL
- Josh Lowe, TB, OF (strained oblique - no timetable)
- Lane Thomas, WSH, OF (strained knee - rehab assignment)
- Nolan Jones, COL, OF (strained back - no timetable)
- Wyatt Langford, TEX, OF (strained hamstring - rehab assignment)
- Masataka Yoshida, BOS, OF (sprained thumb - no timetable)
- T.J. Friedl, CIN, OF (fractured thumb - no timetable)
- Michael Conforto, SF, OF (strained hamstring - no timetable)
- Esteury Ruiz, OAK, OF (strained wrist - no timetable)
- Tommy Edman, STL, 2B/SS/OF (wrist surgery - no timetable)
- Alek Thomas, ARI, OF (strained hamstring - no timetable)
- Justin Foscue, TEX, 2B/OF (strained oblique - no timetable)
- Austin Slater, SF, OF (concussion - no timetable)
- Avisail Garcia, MIA, OF (strained hamstring - no timetable)
Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups
Best Choices
David Fry, CLE, C (Yahoo: 62%, ESPN: 21%) - Okay, that's enough; I'm making the call -- It's officially David Fry SZN. Fry has had a top 160 APR for four weeks in a row but has been on proper fire recently, posting a 57 APR in Week 8, with a 9 APR for this week heading into Sunday. Let's tamp our future expectations some, as a .360 AVG backed by a .267 xBA and .417 BABIP is sure to stop dropping, as is a .476 wOBA with a .376 xwOBA behind it.
Also, counterpoint: even if it was a .267 AVG and .376 wOBA we'd still be sitting up to take notice. Putting expected stats and BABIP aside, Fry's 20% K% and 16% BB% give him a discipline profile that generally succeeds in point leagues, especially given his position. Especially in ESPN leagues (where he's most available) with their full-point penalty per strikeout.
Even if he wasn't currently lava, Fry would still be set up for success in Week 10, getting three games in Colorado and with lefthanded starters scheduled four of Cleveland's six games. Baseball often does baseball things and waiver wire catchers can be one of the toughest positions to surf but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone with more upside than our guy, Fry.
Danny Jansen, TOR, C (Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 12%) - After a down period in Week 8 (223 APR), Jansen has gotten right back to smashing points in Week 9, running a 47 APR headed into Sunday. That makes it a top-100 performance in four of the past five weeks, and a top-65 outing in three of the past four. Now a 4-5 games a week guy, Jansen remains a strong play as long as he stays healthy and will face some suspect pitching in Week 10 (@ CHW, vs PIT).
Next Choices
Patrick Bailey, SF, C (Yahoo: 8%, ESPN: 3%) - Since returning from the IL (concussion), Bailey has gotten right back to the hitting business, slashing .400/.438/.667 in his first 16 PA back, with a HR (a grand slam), four R, seven RBI, and one SB. Bailey has a points-friendly profile (21% K%, 9% BB%) but more importantly should again start compiling lots of PAs, as he had started eight of nine games before his IL stint and has now started the past three in his triumphant return. Getting low-key value from a points catcher often starts with good discipline and high playing time, and Bailey has both.
Shea Langeliers, OAK, C (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 21%) - Langeliers crashed back to earth in Week 9 (271 APR) but one bad week does not a banishment deserve. As long as Langeliers keeps his newfound plate discipline, his playing time and power potential will make him a useful starter in most leagues.
Desperate Choices
Elias Diaz, COL, (Yahoo: 39%, ESPN: 13%) - Diaz has an 82 APR in Week 9 and a top-85 APR in three of the past five weeks but we know where he's making his projected gravy for Week 10, right? Coors series, baby.
Mitch Garver, SEA, C (Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 12%) - We say it about every week; Garver's power gives him a lot of upside in any given week but a 32% K% and .177 AVG gives him just as much downside.
Tyler Stephenson, CIN, C (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 7%) - Stephenson is doing a whole lot of nothing in Week 9 but his plate discipline makes him useful (or, at least, not a disaster) if you're in a pinch for the week.
On the IL
- Francisco Alvarez, NYM, C (thumb surgery - July return)
- Jason Delay, PIT (knee surgery - no timetable)
- Tom Murphy, SF, C (sprained knee - no timetable)
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