Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 27

September 25, 2021

Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points league waiver wire pickups for Week 27 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season, identifying free agents hitters to add.

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. And as we head into the final week of action, let me thank everyone who keeps coming to RotoBaller for all of their point league needs. And know that we're not stopping and there is already a lot of exciting things in the pipeline to help you dominate in 2022. So keep checking back in the offseason, the content will be aplenty. Stay handsome.

These waiver-wire adds are for the week of September 27 - October 3, looking at players below 50% rostered for ESPN and Yahoo! Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Saturday, September 24.

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, 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 roster%, 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)

The Hansels

Let the recency bias wash over you because these players are just so hot, right now. So, just for fun, let's start making a chart of the players in the top-100 of APR over the last two weeks before diving into the position-by-position analysis.

First Base

Must Add

• Bobby Dalbec, BOS - Dalbec only has a 119 APR over the last two weeks but he hasn't stopped hitting the ball with authority, posting a .396 wOBA and .397 xwOBA.

Can Add

• Nathaniel Lowe, TEX - Lowe's APR keeps creeping up but a lot of his value is tied up in a continuing pile of plate appearances, as he still has a very pedestrian .335 wOBA (.322 xwOBA) for the season.

Desperate Adds

• Lewin Diaz, MIA - Since getting called up from the minors on September 8, Diaz is slashing .268/.293/.500, posting an 86 APR over the last two weeks. But that's driven by his three home runs and not much else, as his .368 wOBA over that period is backed by just a .294 xwOBA.

Notable IL

• Rowdy Tellez, MIL
• Mitch Moreland, SD

Second Base

Must Adds

• Enrique Hernandez, BOS - When Hernandez gets hot, it can get blistering and things have started heating up just in time for championship week. He has a 67 APR over the last two weeks and has multi-hit performances in three of his last five games.

Can Adds

• Kolten Wong, MIL - In an injury-plagued season, Wong has mostly disappointed but does have a 40 APR over the last two weeks. But while he does have three home runs in September, a slash line of .239/.299/.437, with a .316 wOBA, isn't much to write home about.
• Tommy La Stella, SF - The Giants have been facing a lot of RHP and La Stella has consequentially been racking up a ton of playing time, with 50 PA in the last two weeks. But the 20 APR over that period is only driven by his playing time, as La Stella has hit four home runs, posting a .447 wOBA (.393 xwOBA). As the schedule sits now, the Giants are only set to face one LHP in the coming week, so the La Stella should continue to play.

Desperate Adds

• Garrett Hampson, COL - Hampson is just 3-for-29 over his last seven games but gets three games at home in Week 27.
• Josh Harrison, OAK

Notable IL

• Cavan Biggio, TOR
• Mike Moustakas, CIN
• Jon Berti, MIA
• Michael Chavis, PIT

Third Base

Must Adds

• Evan Longoria, SF - One of the few Giants that is guaranteed to play every day, Longoria now has a .380 wOBA (.364 xwOBA) over 265 PA in 2021.
• Jeimer Candelario, DET - Candelario is basically the same as always; a top-75 bat that racks up playing time and bats in the middle of the order, albeit on a bad team. He only has a 100 APR over the last two weeks but that comes with a .390 wOBA that is backed by a .454 xwOBA.

Can Adds

• Patrick Wisdom, CHC - Wisdom is a fine add, just so long as you don't have a strikeout penalty, given his 40.8% K%.
• Yoshi Tsutsugo, PIT - The power has waned but Tsutsugo continues to produce, running a 99 APR over the last two weeks. Unfortunately, he doesn't play every day and his .382 wOBA over that period is backed by just a .302 xwOBA.
• Hunter Dozier, KC - Dozier has hit four home runs in the past two weeks, with an impressive .442 wOBA. But a .369 xwOBA brings him back down to earth.

Desperate Adds

• Matt Duffy, CHC - Duffy has a modest five-game hitting streak, and hits in eight of his last nine games. Over those 37 PA, he's slashing .364/.432/.667, with a .461 wOBA and 190 wRC+.
• Yandy Diaz, TB

Notable IL 

• Nope

Shortstop

Must Adds

• Brendan Rodgers, COL - Rodgers has hit four home runs with an impressive .409 wOBA over the last two weeks but a .343 xwOBA is a few levels down. However, three games at home this week can help him level back up and one of those games will likely involve a few at-bats against Patrick Corbin, who is allowing three walks and two home runs per nine innings.

Can Adds

• Alcides Escobar, WSH - I joked about Escobar being driven by someone's stolen life force but now I'm starting to question whether it might actually be true. The (formerly?) light-hitting shortstop is currently on a 10-game hit streak, slashing .375/.392/.542 over 51 PA, with a .395 wOBA and 146 PA. Regardless of how long it lasts, I'm just glad we figured out what happened to Paul DeJong.
• Gavin Lux, LAD - Lux has now started the past six games, slashing a bonkers .429/.520/.714 over 25 PA, though three games did come in Colorado. Lux has a 29 APR over the last two weeks, with a .495 wOBA but that's only backed by a .352 xwOBA. And keep in mind the tough pitching the Dodgers are lined up to finish against, ending with Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and the red-hot Eric Lauer, who has a 1.15 ERA over his five starts in September.
• J. P. Crawford, SEA

Desperate Adds

• Jack Mayfield, LAA - Before you get too excited by a 68 APR and .340 wOBA over the last two weeks, take a gander at his more pedestrian .302 xwOBA.

Notable IL

• Nope

Outfielders

Must Adds

• Lane Thomas, WSH - Still available in ~70% of leagues, huh? Thomas has a 12 APR over the last two weeks, hitting three home runs and stealing two bases in 66 PA.
• Jarred Kelenic, SEA - Kelenic comes into the weekend cold, having gone 1-for-20 over his last five games but has been flashing what got his hype train going in the first place by hitting six home runs in September.
• Harrison Bader, STL - A big part of the Cardinals' resurgence, Bader has multiple hits in three of his past four games and is slashing .365/.400/.635 over the past two weeks, with a .436 wOBA and 178 wRC+ over 55 PA.

Can Adds

• Jesus Sanchez, MIA - The Miami rookie has now hit seven home runs over 84 PA in September, with a .377 wOBA and .928 OPS.
• Bryan De La Cruz, MIA - Another bright spot in Miami, De La Cruz has a 90 APR over the past two weeks but his .352 wOBA is backed by a more impressive .385 xwOBA.
• LaMonte Wade Jr., SF - Wade just keeps doing what he's done all season, posting a .352 wOBA (.348 xwOBA) over the last two weeks and a .360 wOBA (.352 xwOBA) for the season.
• Max Kepler, MIN - Kepler has an 85 APR over the past two weeks, with an impressive .399 wOBA backed by a bonkers .460 xwOBA.

Desperate Adds

• Brandon Nimmo, NYM - I still believe. Kind of. I guess...Sigh.

Notable IL

• Tyler Naquin, CIN
• Jo Adell, LAA
• Darin Ruf, SF
• Michael A. Taylor (Bereavement)
• Seth Beer, ARI
• Jason Heyward, CHC
• Yadiel Hernandez, WSH (Paternity leave)

Catchers

Must Adds

• Dalton Varsho, ARI - Also getting time in the outfield, Varsho is racking up PAs and points. But it's not just the playing time that is driving Varsho's value, as he has hits in 12 of his past 14 games and has a .354 wOBA over the past two weeks.
• Keibert Ruiz, WSH - Ruiz is starting to flash part of what gave him his prospect pedigree, collecting three hits in four of his past seven games and running a .479 wOBA over the past two weeks.

Can Adds

• Mike Zunino, TB
• Travis d'Arnaud, ATL

Desperate Adds

• All catcher adds are desperate adds.

Notable IL

• Austin Nola, SD
• Jorge Alfaro, MIA
• Jacob Stallings, PIT
• Wilson Ramos, CLE

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