RADIO
Here we are halfway through June and we’ve still got plenty of fresh faces on the watch list to go along with some repeats who just won’t seem to go away.
Whether it’s an injury replacement like John Hicks or a forgotten-about multi-category asset such as Kevin Kiermaier, there are again a wide variety of names you should be keeping a close eye on. There’s help out there at every position, it’s just a matter of identifying it first.
Here is this week’s waiver wire watch list.
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Players to watch in 10-team leagues
John Hicks (C, 1B) - 32% owned
Hicks should now be owned in standard mixed leagues and is nearing must-own territory in all formats. After the season-ending injury to Miguel Cabrera earlier this week, Hicks is in sole possession of the first base job in Detroit. With a .296/.335/.453 slash line and catcher eligibility, Hicks has immense value. Be ready to act quickly if you suddenly need help behind the plate in shallow leagues.
Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) - 38% owned
Talk about an ownership spike. Last week Pederson was merely a potential target in deep leagues at 4% owned and now he sits at 38% after continuing to tear the cover off the ball. A refined approach seems to be benefitting Pederson immensely and it’s possible he’s starting to figure things out after a down year in 2017. With a .906 OPS through 160 at-bats he can’t be overlooked.
Carlos Rodon (SP, CWS) - 34% owned
Rodon is still a household name in dynasty leagues but he’s a forgotten man in yearly leagues after a slew of injuries the past few seasons. He’s healthy now and held his own last weekend against the high-powered Red Sox, tossing five innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts. He followed that up with a so-so outing against the Indians, again completing five innings with two earned runs while walking three and fanning four. With his prospect pedigree, he’s someone to keep close tabs on as he has some of the best strikeout stuff among starters.
Seth Lugo (SP/RP, NYM) - 43% owned
This may be your last chance for Lugo. With Noah Syndergaard sidelined, Lugo appears to be the man to take his spot in the rotation. Against the Yankees last Sunday, Lugo went six scoreless innings allowing just two hits and striking out eight. He’s slated to toe the rubber again Friday in Arizona.
Players to watch in 12-team leagues
Dylan Covey (SP/RP, CWS) - 17% owned
Covey has seemingly come out of nowhere and is on quite the roll of late having won his last two starts. Over his past three turns, he’s allowed just two earned runs and has struck out 19 in 17 innings. One thing to note is his high BABIP of .333 that’s contributing to his less-than-stellar 1.30 WHIP. Normally this would be regression waiting to happen but with a 61% ground ball rate, that BABIP could very well stay high.
Ketel Marte (2B/SS, ARI) - 20% owned
Shortstop depth falls off a cliff after the top-tier options these days and Marte is becoming a potential option with his recent play. He’s got nothing left to prove at the Triple-A level and he’s started to heat up over the last 14 days with a .410 average, 13 R, 3 HR, 12 RBI and a steal.
Matt Duffy (2B/3B, TB) - 8% owned
After missing all of 2017 due to injury Duffy has been a forgotten-about man in Tampa but he’s enjoyed a solid start to 2018. Over the last week he’s really turned it on, hitting .375 with a homer and a steal to go along with five runs and three RBI. He doesn’t possess the typical power you’d see from a third baseman but his xBA of .285 provides a solid floor. He hit 12 HR and stole 12 bases in 2015 with the Giants, so we know the skills are there somewhere.
Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - 18% owned
Kiermaier broke his thumb back in April and wasn’t expected back until around the All-Star break so it’s a perfect time to start noting his performance as he rehabs in the minors. The Gold Glover was off to a miserable start prior to getting hurt but perhaps the extended time off could serve as a reset on his season, similar to last year. There’s power and speed to be had here if he can stay healthy.
Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) - 13% owned
Eflin was mentioned here way back in week six and he’s continued his solid run. He struck out nine Brewers last Sunday over six innings of two-run ball and is up to 40 strikeouts in 39.2 innings with a 3.63 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. With an xFIP of 3.82 and a SIERA of 3.71 he looks like a decent back end rotation piece in deep leagues and is pushing for consideration in standard mixed leagues as well.
Players to watch in deeper leagues (14-team or AL/NL only)
Jake Bauers (1B, TB) - 7% owned
Bauers makes his second appearance in a row on the watch list as his ownership has doubled in the last week following a nice little stretch that included a monster game against the Blue Jays. Bauers went 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two RBI, two walks and three runs scored and sports a .276/.364/.483 line heading into Friday’s action.
Tom Murphy (C, COL) - 2% owned
Catcher help is hard to find so any time a backstop makes a splash, it’s noticeable. Murphy came out swinging in his 2018 debut going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Tuesday and was back in the lineup Wednesday recording another hit. Murphy has always possessed power so if the Rockies give him playing time, he could become a factor in deep or two-catcher leagues.
David Fletcher (SS, LAA) - 1% owned
Fletcher debuted on Wednesday and made quite the impression, going 3-for-4 with a triple and a pair of RBI while playing third base. He’s currently eligible at SS which makes him an even more appealing option should he continue to receive playing time and produce.
Graduated
Max Muncy (1B/3B/OF, LAD) - 66% owned
To say Muncy has salvaged the Dodgers season would be a strong statement, but he’s been one of the most valuable players on the roster through the first two months. Muncy homered in four straight games from Friday to Tuesday and now sports a .277/.399/.631 triple slash on the season. He shouldn’t be on your waiver wire.
