The trade deadline is around the corner, and that means we may get some new faces in some new places, but also some new opportunities for others. This week, it may be hard to find all of those waiver wire moves, but it’s definitely something to monitor in the coming weeks. We have seen Tyler Naquin go to the Mets, Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees, and recently Luis Castillo to the Mariners. More will come, and there will be more notes on what to do throughout FantasyPros.
Looking at the waiver wire this week, some intriguing options are not highly rostered in Yahoo leagues. However, some players need to be rostered in more leagues, so the time to pounce is now. Try and beat your league-mates to some of these players before they break out and are no longer available to acquire.
FAABulous Four: Top Waiver Wire Targets
Josh Naylor (1B/OF – CLE) 44% Rostered
After a quick start to the season, Naylor quieted down a bit offensively. But, have no fear as Naylor is raking once again. In July, Naylor is hitting .333 with five home runs while only striking out 13.5% of the time. In addition, he has an impressive .275 ISO, .974 OPS, and 173 wRC+ for the month. With the low strikeout rate, Naylor is putting the ball in play a decent amount, and his 11.7% barrel rate and 48.3% hard-hit rate are outstanding. Additionally, Naylor is hitting cleanup for the Guardians and should be added in nearly all formats while swinging a hot bat like this.
Luis Urias (2B/SS/3B – MIL) 42% Rostered
Urias has returned to the Brewers and appears healthy, as he is mashing of late. He entered the weekend riding a six-game hitting streak, and since July 8, he has been hitting .289. Over those 13 games, he has hit three home runs while driving in 11. Urias has a .222 ISO with a .904 OPS and 149 wRC+. Urias is striking out 25% of the time, which is less than ideal, but he is also walking 14.3% of the time, so he is showcasing solid OBP skills and some nice power. Additionally, Urias has excellent positional eligibility and fantasy viability in 12-team and deeper leagues.
Braxton Garrett (SP – MIA) 44% Rostered
After two great starts versus the Pirates, Garrett went into Great American Small Park and struggled a bit. He allowed five runs over five innings, but after allowing most of those runs early, he settled down and still struck out eight. Garrett has 26 strikeouts over his last three starts while walking four and allowing one home run. On the season, he has an excellent 19.6% K-BB to go with a 40% O-swing and 12.7% SwStr. For now, Garrett looks locked into the Marlins’ rotation and should be locked into most fantasy lineups.
Steven Kwan (OF – CLE) 40% Rostered
Kwan has been quite the fantasy problem this season as he started red hot, cooled down tremendously, and is now raking again. He entered the weekend riding an 11-game hitting streak and, since July 6, is hitting .357. As with Kwan, he is not supplying much power with one home run and a .119 ISO, but you are strictly rostering Kwan for his batting average and runs upside. He is leading off for the Guardians and, since the 6th, has scored 14 runs. Kwan is your man if your team is fine in the power department and needs batting average help.
Priority Pickups – <40% Rostered
Alec Bohm (3B – PHI) 38% Rostered
Bohm has been performing quite well over the last month or so. Since June 24, he has been hitting an impressive .419, but he only has two home runs to show for it. Bohm has scored 15 runs while striking out only 14.3% of the time. His .472 BABIP is unsustainable, but his 40% groundball rate and 44.6% hard-hit rate will help him collect plenty of singles. Bohm will provide more total fantasy production than someone like Kwan, so enjoy the hot hitting and hope the power improves.
Jorge Mateo (2B/SS/OF – BAL) 35% Rostered
Mateo has been a great source of stolen bases this season, but the other fantasy categories have been inconsistent. That has changed of late, and Mateo has been quite a fantasy asset. Mateo has hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games with two home runs and eight extra-base hits. He has scored eight runs and stolen three more bases. He has a surprising .311 ISO, .992 OPS, and 175 wRC+. There’s a good chance Mateo does not continue with the power surge, but the speed is legit, and any help in the other categories is outstanding.
Kolten Wong (2B – MIL) 34% Rostered
Wong had cooled down tremendously heading into July and was droppable in most shallow formats. However, he is beginning to hit again, with hits in five of six games since the All-Star break. He had three extra-base hits, including a home run, with a 12% walk rate, and eight runs scored. He is not leading off anymore, which was huge for his fantasy value, but he is still hitting fifth or sixth, which will supply plenty of run-scoring opportunities.
Brandon Belt (1B – SF) 29% Rostered
As always, it comes down to health for Belt. When he is playing, he is a fantasy stud. The problem is, he is injured a lot. Nevertheless, he plays almost every day, making him a player that should be rostered in more than 29% of leagues. Since July 8, Belt has been hitting .326 with three home runs. His .261 ISO, .954 OPS, and 169 wRC+ are all outstanding. Not to mention a 25% barrel rate and 53.1% hard-hit rate. Belt is a monster fantasy asset, so do not let him sit on the waiver wire any longer.
Aaron Ashby (SP – MIL) 28% Rostered
Ashby hit a bit of a snag after a great start to the season but may be working things out again. Over his last four outings, Ashby has thrown 17.1 innings while striking out 19. His 24.7% strikeout rate and 11.1% SwStr are nice, but he needs to improve on the 7.4% walk rate. Nevertheless, things have slowly been getting better for Ashby, and the time to jump back on the Ashby train is now before his roster rate leaves the station.
Jose Miranda (1B/3B – MIN) 25% Rostered
Miranda appears to be getting comfortable at the big-league level, but fantasy managers are not noticing. Since June, Miranda has been hitting .349 with seven home runs and 30 RBI. His .230 ISO, .972 OPS, and 177 wRC+ are outstanding, but his 17.8% strikeout rate is excellent for a young player that is getting accustomed to big-league pitching. Miranda is locked in at the plate and playing nearly every day for the Twins. He should be rostered in way more than 25% of Yahoo leagues.
Brady Singer (SP – KC) 24% Rostered
It is finally happening!!!! Brady Singer is turning into a fantasy stud on the mound. In his five July starts, Singer has allowed seven runs over 30.2 innings while striking out 42. His 35% strikeout rate and 25.8% K-BB are next-level elite numbers. Singer is doing this with a slight pitch mix change and increased velocity. I am a believer in Singer, and more than 24% of leagues should also be a believer.
Adam Frazier (2B/OF – SEA) 21% Rostered
Frazier has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games with a .353 batting average. We do not expect a lot of power from Frazier, but he has one home run over this stretch and, more importantly, has stolen three bases. So if you are not interested in a player like Kwan, Frazier is a friendly alternative for help in the batting average department with more speed than Kwan will supply.
Reid Detmers (SP – LAA) 19% Rostered
Since getting recalled on July 8, Detmers has been outstanding. His increased slider usage has been the ticket and has led to some great success. Detmers has allowed only two runs over 17 innings while striking out 19 in those three starts. Since his return, he has a 20% K-BB rate and has not allowed a home run. If Detmers can continue striking all these bats out, he could be a significant fantasy stud down the road.
Carson Kelly (C – ARI) 17% Rostered
Since returning from the IL in June, Kelly has been a hitting machine. July has been even more impressive, though, as he is hitting .370 with four home runs and a nice 15.3% strikeout rate this month. His .333 ISO, 1.127 OPS, and 210 wRC+ for July are amazing. Kelly has also been making great contact with a 13.3% barrel rate and 51.1% hard-hit rate. Kelly hits leadoff from time to time for the DBacks, and, more importantly, plays nearly every day. He is one of the best offensive catchers at the moment and should be rostered in all formats.
Deep-League Targets – <10% Rostered
Jeimer Candelario (3B – DET) 9% Rostered
I have been waiting for Candelario to get hot and showcase some power. Finally, the time is now for the Candy Man. Since July 8, Candelario has been hitting .333 with five home runs and 13 RBI. He has a .354 ISO, 1.060 OPS, and 198 wRC+. Candelario is barreling the ball 16.2% of the time, and with a flyball rate of 45.9%, Candelario may just find his way to more home runs the rest of the season.
Kutter Crawford (SP – BOS) 9% Rostered
Crawford joined the Red Sox’s rotation on June 12 and has made six starts. He has allowed 12 runs over the 37 innings while striking out 38. Crawford has allowed three runs or less in five starts while throwing at least five innings. He has a solid 19.4% K-BB with an 11.1% SwStr. Crawford has been nasty and should continue to showcase the fantasy goods for the next month or so in Boston’s rotation.
David Peralta (OF – ARI) 5% Rostered
We have hit the deep-league portion of the article. Peralta is not sexy, but he provides some deep-league value. He is a batting average asset with a bit of power to boot. Since July 1, he has been hitting .278 with three home runs and 12 RBI. Peralta has a .259 ISO and 127 wRC+ while barreling the ball 11.4% of the time with a 45.5% hard-hit rate. Do not sleep on the veteran, who may also be traded in the coming days, and find an even better (or worse) fantasy situation.
Darick Hall (1B – PHI) 5% Rostered
While everyone was falling all over Vinnie P a few weeks ago, I grabbed Hall on the cheap. Since he was called up, he has been hitting .256 with five home runs, 14 runs scored, and 11 RBI. The 30.6% strikeout rate is not ideal, but the power is real, and the .280 ISO and 123 wRC+ support his fantasy production. Hall is barreling the ball 21.4% of the time with a 44.6% hard-hit rate while hitting fourth in the Phillies’ lineup. Hall has way more fantasy value than Yahoo’s 5% roster rate.
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