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

The Waiver Wire Watch List: Week 10

Bill Dubiel's list of fantasy baseball free agents to watch in Week 10 of the 2019 season. These are players to monitor and could be potential pickups off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.

So we're two months into the season, and a lot of pictures are becoming more clear. Maybe you hitched your wagon to Joey Votto and are in need of a corner infielder? Perhaps you've been riding George Springer to success but are now stuck without your best outfielder for weeks. No matter the situation, it could be time for a roster refresh--but not just the hum-drum obvious waiver wire adds.

Throughout the season, you want to get the jump on your competition and sniff out the breakout players before they break out. That's what this list is all about--using some in-depth research and advanced analytics to find the players who aren't quite there yet but are on their way. Some of these may suit your needs for an immediate pick-up depending on your team's situation.

This is not necessarily a list of players you should add right away at the start of week 10 - it is a list of players to keep a very close eye on in most leagues as we further into May, and to consider picking up in deeper formats. In some cases, we will even caution you not to pick up a widely-added player, and steer you away from the fool's gold. Use it to build your own watch list.

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

 

Pitchers to Watch in 12+ Team Leagues

Jake Junis (SP, KC)

Don't look at Junis' season-long numbers, because they'll make you cringe. In 67.1 innings, Junis has posted a 5.35 ERA with a career-worst 8.5% walk rate and a WHIP that correlates to it. Homers were the big issue for Junis in 2018 and he's not yet figured that part out--he's nearly matching his 1.63 HR/9 mark with a 1.60 mark in 2019. There is some reason for optimism though, as Junis has now rattled off two quality starts in a row, striking out seven in each.

We are very much in wait-and-see mode with Junis, as the aforementioned red flags can cut an outing short for him at any time, and he has one of baseball's least explosive offenses behind him. If he can take a step forward with the control (and hopefully the location of his pitches), Junis could be a viable fantasy starter as he was in 2017.

Touki Toussaint (SP/RP, ATL)

Toussaint is currently no more than a low-leverage option for the Braves bullpen, but he's likely going to be the first one called upon should a rotation spot open up due to injury or poor performance. The rookie's season-long numbers are unimpressive, as he sports a 3.91 ERA across 23 innings pitched. However, a sizable chunk of that ERA comes from his disastrous April 20th start in which he lasted just 1.1 inning and allowed seven earned runs. If you take that one outing out of his pitching log, he has a 1.25 ERA along with a decent 23:9 strikeout to walk ratio.

Toussaint is one of Atlanta's top pitching prospects, and his swing-and-miss stuff is undeniable. He flashed that upside in his brief stint in the bigs last year, and we're quietly seeing it again in 2019, despite the low-leverage role he's been handed. Toussaint is definitely a guy you'll want to stash if you have room or be ready to pounce on, because he has true top-of-the-rotation potential in the long-term.

Brett Anderson (SP, OAK)

It feels like Brett Anderson has been around forever, and he kind of has. The former Athletics prospect spent time with the Rockies and Dodgers before winding up back in Oakland, and he's locked into a rotation spot in the up-and-coming team as a solid yet unspectacular veteran. In 2019 Anderson has pitched his way to a modest yet respectable 3.86 ERA along with a 6-3 record, and has flirted with fantasy usefulness as he's done in the past.

Three of Anderson's last five starts have been promising, as he allowed just one earned run in each. Sandwiched in there are two bad outings in which he allowed four earned runs each, so this is admittedly not the hottest watch list add we've ever seen. Keep an eye on him as an option in deeper leagues to do pretty much what he's doing for the real-life Athletics--hold down a spot, collect a few wins and not screw things up too badly.

 

Batters to Watch in 12+ Team Leagues

Garrett Cooper (OF, MIA)

The big Marlins outfielder is actually 28 years old, which I genuinely would not have guessed given that he's seen such limited time in the majors. After starting the year with an ice-cold slump and then a stint on the IL, it's taken Cooper some time to get into the swing of things. It appears that he's figuring things out, as he's got three homers and a .305 batting average over his last 10 games.

Cooper doesn't bring as much power to the table as you'd expect for a guy who's 6'6", but he's likely capable of 15-20 homers if he stays healthy the rest of the way. He should have an everyday role with the Marlins, and if he can cut back on the strikeouts this year (which he seems to be doing with a swinging strike percentage of just 9.6%) he will definitely have some mixed league potential.

Hanser Alberto (SS/2B/3B, BAL)

Former Texas Rangers project Hanser Alberto has settled into a comfortable yet varied starting role for the Orioles, who are quite clearly in rebuilding mode. He's had some pedestrian weeks in 2019, but a recent hot streak has Alberto on my radar. He's never been a top-of-the-line prospect, but in his extensive travels in the minor leagues he's showed the potential to swipe 15 bags, hit 10 homers and contribute with a .270-.290 batting average. None of this screams fantasy starter, but this is the watch list column, not the immediate waiver wire add column.

As long as Alberto is hot he'll be useful, as his multi-positional eligibility will keep him in the Orioles lineup almost every day. He'll swipe a few bags, bang in a few runs in Camden Yards, and won't kill your batting average while he does it.

Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL)

The 24-year-old shortstop is not far removed from being one of Milwaukee's better prospects. While Arcia had a monster postseason in 2018, the peripherals surrounding his regular season play were uninspiring to say the least. In 2019 though, he's shown some major adjustments that may indicate that he's starting to adapt to major league pitching. The big factor is his patience at the plate--in 2018, Arcia posted an abysmal 4.1% walk rate, and swung and missed a ton (14.4 SwStr%). In 2019 he has more than doubled his walk rate (9.7%) and actually dropped his strikeout rate from 23.8% to 19.8%.

Arcia is still very young and has plenty of room to grow. He's showing some true plate discipline progress, and starting to flex a bit with six homers already after hitting just three in 119 games last year. Very little indicates that this could be luck, and I advise you be ready to get in on the ground floor of a true breakout.

 

Recapping The Waiver Wire Watch List

In the section, I will review the progress and current outlook of players that I wrote about in previous articles in this series.

Pitchers

Andrew Cashner (SP, BAL) - Still Watching: Pretty much as soon as I had written about him in this column, he went out and got shelled twice and once by the Giants of all teams. May have been fool's gold.

Felix Pena (SP/RP, LAA) - Add Now: Continues to put up solid numbers in the bulk reliever role, but still isn't starting games and likely won't in the near future. Understand that your potential for wins and quality starts is capped here.

Jose Urena (SP, MIA) - Add Now: Another great outing against the Nationals, is fourth straight quality start in a row.

Jalen Beeks (RP, TB) - Still Watching: Will still continue to provide solid ratios acting as the bulk-inning pitcher behind the Rays' typical openers.

Corbin Martin (SP, HOU) - Dropped: Doesn't provide the length, strikeout potential or ratios to be useful in any format.

Gio Gonzalez (SP, MIL) - Still Watching: Starting to falter, and still not making it out of the sixth. The arrow is trending down.

Griffin Canning (SP, LAA) - Add Now: Hasn't had to face a truly elite offense yet, but he's putting up the necessary numbers against the teams he should beat.

Tanner Roark (SP, CIN)Add Now: His ERA continues to drop, and he has 16 strikeouts in his last 10 innings.

John Means (SP, BAL) - Add Now: Came up big against the Tigers this past week, and has kept that ERA under 3.00. If you're willing to take a chance on an Orioles starter, this is likely the one you want.

Daniel Norris (SP, DET) - Dropped: Norris is tough to trust with little to no upside.

Jeff Samardzija (SP, SF) - Still Watching: Average in just about every way. You've gotta be desperate to add him permanently, but streaming him in the right matchup is a possibility. Those home/away splits are tantalizing.

Pablo Lopez (SP, MIA) - Still Watching: What did I say--EVERY OTHER START.

Eric Lauer (SP, SD) - Add Now: One ER in each of his last three starts, and the most recent was AT Yankee Stadium. You'd love to see him go longer, but he's putting himself in a position to pick up a W almost every time out.

Batters

Mark Canha (1B/OF, OAK) - Add Now: The cheap, easy power and a clear path to playing time make Canha the ideal fill-in at the corner infield or outfield.

Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT) - Add Now: Riding a 10-game hitting streak as of this writing, Reynolds is still hitting .339 and contributing in some way night-in and night-out.

Jose Iglesias (SS, CIN) - Still Watching: Hitting over .300 with a surprising amount of pop lately.

Jarrod Dyson (OF, ARI) - Still Watching: Add him for the speed in roto, but in points we're holding tight. Seems to have slipped into a timeshare despite David Peralta's absence.

Willy Adames (SS, TB) - Still Watching: Batting average continuing to climb, would love to see him activate a bit more speed and power.

Melky Cabrera (OF, PIT) - Dropped: Batting average is about all he's good for right now, and seems to be losing time to the ascendant Bryan Reynolds.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




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

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
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
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