🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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

Points Leagues Waiver Wire - Week 4

Matthew Stamper recommends some waiver wire adds at each position for fantasy baseball owners in points leagues. These players could be sleepers for 2017.

As we close in on the last week of the first month of the season, let's remember one thing: there is a lot of baseball left to be played! A lot of waiver wire guys are out there for a reason, so let's try to find some diamonds in the rough. Maybe some of these diamonds shine for the rest of the season and maybe some of them get dull after a few weeks, but it's always worth the dig!

Here are a few guys who can contribute in points leagues, one at each position to consider for the next week. All of these guys have ownership numbers between 30% and 50% so if you're not picking them up, target them in a trade! These are your points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 4. Let's get to it.

Note: All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

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

 

Points League Waiver Wire Adds - Week 4

C - Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates - 21% owned 

I know Cervelli doesn't meet the minimum of 30% ownership number, but there's no one in that range that I feel like I can safely recommend this week. He's only hitting .214, but we don't care in points leagues! The 31-year-old catcher has already mashed five doubles this year in 61 plate appearances after hitting 14 in almost 400 last year. He's hit a couple of home runs too, which is something he hasn't really done in the past. If he can keep this up, he can be a sneaky play at catcher with some newly found power.

1B - Greg Bird, New York Yankees - 45% owned 

Yes, Greg Bird has been awful since his red-hot spring, but bear with me. Bird finally busted out of his slump last week with a big game, in which he hit a homer, a double, a single and walked once too. Since last Sunday he's struck out less and he's been on base a few more times, but most importantly, he's just missing, which in time should turn into something. I've held onto my Bird shares in my points leagues waiting for the big breakout, but many owners have dropped him, so this is your chance to grab him and give him a shot. The minuses for strikeouts should slowly decrease and he'll hopefully hit a more consistent stride. This is a guy you need to hang on to because of his huge upside.

2B - Brandon Phillips, Atlanta Braves - 44% owned

Phillips has been the definition of consistency in the first month of the season. There's only been a single game where he didn't record a hit or pick up a walk. A guy like Phillips is great in your lineup so you know you're guaranteed to see some points. An even bigger plus is that Phillips moved up in the lineup on Sunday, which can hopefully give him a chance to score some more runs, and add to his four stolen bases.

3B - Yulieski Gurriel, Houston Astros - 28% owned 

Gurriel was a late draft pick in a lot of leagues because of the potential he showed in the Cuban and Japanese leagues. He averaged .335 across his 15 seasons outside of the MLB. However, he disappointed many owners out of the gate with a slow start, as it took him seven games to record an extra base hit and nine to pick up an RBI. This past week though, Gurriel has started to turn it around as he hit his first home run of the year on Tuesday, smashed two doubles on Friday, and reached base three times on Sunday. Gurriel is almost 33, but with the track record he's had elsewhere, he's bound to show some sort of promise with Houston. Give him a few weeks to see if he can continue the hot streak.

SS - Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds - 40% owned

Cozart is another member of the "Consistency Club", but his performance in the past few weeks makes him worthy of a short-term pickup. I don't think that Cozart will keep up his .370 average, seeing as his career average is around the .250 mark, but he's already hit three triples and five doubles this year, which definitely plays well in points leagues. He hasn't shown tons of power this year after hitting 16 homers last year, but he plays in a hitter-friendly ballpark so there's a chance that he can find the seats at a similar rate this year. I'd give Cozart a shot for at least a week, and maybe a few more, although his nagging wrist injury may complicate matters.

OF - Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays - 36% owned 

Kiermaier and the Rays have been drawing lots of attention this year with their hot start, so it's surprising to see such a low ownership number. A guy like Kiermaier will never hit for tons of power, but his prime spot in the two hole in the Rays lineup has led to him getting on base a lot and being driven in. His singles may only give you one point, but if he gets to first a few times a game and then comes around to score a few more, you're looking at six or seven points each game. If he can stay healthy, he'll be a source of solid points, as he's ranking in the top 100 players in Yahoo right now.

SP - Wade Miley, Baltimore Orioles - 29% owned 

This has turned into the "two-start" section, as having a second start for the week can give you tons of extra points. It also helps to use your other moves for the week or the year on other bats, or another streamer. Miley is an intriguing option this week, with starts against Tampa Bay at home and against New York in Yankee Stadium. Tampa has been hitting well, but doesn't worry me, since they're striking out at the third-highest rate against lefties. Miley, being a lefty, will also have an advantage on lefty hitters at Yankee Stadium, since they would be the ones using the short porch the most. The veteran's 24 strikeouts in 19 innings should also bump up your points totals.

RP - Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox - 50% owned 

Another week, another non-closer to recommend. Unlike Hector Neris last week, Jones won't have the opportunity to win the closing job anytime soon. David Robertson has a firm grasp on the White Sox gig with a scoreless 5.2 innings so far this year. The reason I'm recommending Jones is because of the likelihood that Robertson gets moved in a trade. The White Sox won't be competitive for a while, and they know it, giving them incentive to move a closer, especially while he's got elite stats. Robertson has also been involved in trade talk since the MLB winter meetings, so he should get traded at some point this year, which will open the door for Jones to take over. If you have room to hold him, grab him, but be warned, it might be a while for a trade to happen.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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

RJ Barrett

Unavailable Wednesday
Landry Shamet

Out for Wednesday
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Questionable for Wednesday's Matchup With Milwaukee
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Considered Questionable for Tuesday
Jauan Jennings

Won't be Suspended
Draymond Green

Will be Questionable for Wednesday Against the Rockets
Goga Bitadze

Downgraded to Questionable
Dereck Lively II

Will Miss At Least 7-10 Days
Paul George

Will Not Play Tuesday against the Magic
Tyrese Maxey

Will Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Omarion Hampton

Chargers Open Omarion Hampton's Practice Window
Joel Embiid

Ruled Out Against Orlando
Lamar Jackson

Returns to Practice
DK Metcalf

D.K. Metcalf Will Be Limited Early in the Week
Isiah Pacheco

Set to Return on Thursday
J.T. Realmuto

Red Sox Showing Interest in J.T. Realmuto
Sonny Gray

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
Brian Thomas Jr.

Expected to Make his Return in Week 13
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Have "Great Optimism" Aaron Rodgers Will Play in Week 13
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Jayden Daniels

has Been Throwing, Return Timeline Unclear
NFL

As Many as Three NFL Teams Could Have Interest in Hiring Bill Belichick
Tre Johnson

Out Indefinitely With Hip-Flexor Strain
Goga Bitadze

Active Tuesday in Philadelphia
Wendell Carter Jr.

Cleared To Play Against 76ers
Jalen Suggs

Ready to Return Tuesday in Philadelphia
Luke Kennard

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game Against Wizards
Adem Bona

Will Not Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Marvin Bagley III

Listed as Questionable vs. Hawks
Kyshawn George

Could Miss Tuesday's Game
Sam Reinhart

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Adam Fox

Delivers Two Assists in Monday's Win
Brandon Hagel

Tallies Three Points Against Flyers
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Extends Winning Streak With Shutout Performance
Logan Cooley

Erupts for Five Points in Monday's Win
Mathieu Olivier

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Monday
Zach Werenski

Hurt Against Capitals
Paolo Banchero

Remains Out Tuesday
Deandre Ayton

Won't Play Tuesday
Jalen Suggs

A Mindset Shift for Orlando Magic's Jalen Suggs in 2025-2026 Season
Isiah Pacheco

Targeting a Return on Thursday
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Lamar Jackson

Now Dealing With a Toe Injury
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Tuesday
Ridly Greig

Still Out Monday
Baker Mayfield

Dealing With Low-Grade Shoulder Sprain
Thomas Chabot

Misses Monday's Matchup
Kirill Marchenko

Out Monday
J.T. Miller

Unavailable Monday
Brayden Point

Out Against Flyers
Nikita Kucherov

Good to Go Monday
Chris Godwin

Buccaneers Plan to "Ramp Up" Chris Godwin's Usage
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Ankle Injury isn't Severe
Jayden Daniels

to Practice This Week, Considered a Long Shot for Week 13
C.J. Stroud

Remains in Concussion Protocol
Mike Evans

Could Return Before End of Regular Season
J.J. McCarthy

in Concussion Protocol
Tyrod Taylor

to Remain the Jets' Starting QB
Shedeur Sanders

to Make Another Start for Browns in Week 13
Tee Higgins

Won't Play on Thanksgiving
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
Scott Wedgewood

Gives Avalanche Second Consecutive Shutout
Macklin Celebrini

Makes History During Multi-Point Performance
Joey Daccord

Posts Shutout in Losing Effort
David Rittich

Keeps Kraken Quiet
Jesper Wallstedt

Picks Up Third Shutout of the Season
Rasmus Andersson

Extends Point Streak With Three Assists
NHL

NHL DFS Picks and Heat Map (Premium Content) - November 24, 2025
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP