We have made it through another week of action, and there continue to be endless injuries we need to account for on our rosters. Unfortunately, there have also been a lot of solid and slow starts from players that leave us wondering what to do with those roster spots.
We have yet another prospect get the call to the bigs with Eury Perez, and he will go for a pretty penny this weekend. Unfortunately, we also lost another big pitcher in Drew Rasmussen, so starting pitching has become more critical yet harder to obtain. Besides prospects, we will also have some bullpen changes and the usual streaming options, so do not go crazy with the bids, as we still have a long season ahead.
Each week I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly FAAB process, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others that may be better fitting for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter (@bdentrek).
Remember that we’ll be using Yahoo for player percentages, and we’ll keep our suggestion to players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
More Week 7 Advice:
- Top 50 Starting Pitcher Rankings
- Two-Start SP Rankings, Tiers & Targets
- Fantasy Baseball Category Pickups
- Fantasy Baseball Streaming Pitchers
- Deep Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups
- Fantasy Baseball Week 7 Waiver Wire Targets
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire FAAB Report: Week 7
Each suggestion below was rostered in no more than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues at time of writing.
Hitters
Christopher Morel (2B,3B,SS,OF – CHC)
Rostered: 53%
Suggested Bid: 13%
More was mashing in Triple-A and eventually forced the Cubs fan to get a call to the big club. In AAA, Morel was hitting .330 with 11 home runs and four stolen bases. Morel had one of the best OPS in AAA at 1.156 with a .400 ISO. Morel was striking out 30.6% of the time, which is always concerning, but the overall hit tool is excellent, and he deserved a chance to showcase that with the Cubs.
He entered Friday collecting two hits in the two games he started with a home run and a stolen base. Of course, it’s a tiny sample, but he has a 33.3% barrel rate, 83.3% hard-hit rate, and a great 112.1 mph maxEV.
Nico Hoerner was placed on the IL Friday, and Morel was scheduled to lead off for the Cubs. With regular playing time, he should provide some solid fantasy production. For now, he’s worth a friendly bid this weekend, and if he keeps hitting, it will be tough to send Morel back to AAA.
Rostered: 17%
Suggested Bid: 8%
The Giants have been struggling with injuries and called up Schmitt to help. Schmitt had a strong showing in Spring Training, where he almost beat out David Villar for the third base job. However, once Schmitt went to Triple-A, he primarily played shortstop and showcased great defense. He also produced a .313 batting average with one home run and three RBI. He did showcase much power but hit 21 home runs across three levels in the minors in 2021.
Since getting called up this week, Schmitt has been crushing. He collected eight hits over his first three games, with two home runs and two doubles. He also only struck out once with a 111.6 mpg maxEV. Schmitt will get some run all over the infield with the Giants’ injuries, and he could also provide a lovely offensive spark.
Rostered: 12%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Pratto was recalled on April 28 and has been quite an offensive surprise for the Royals. He is hitting .381 over the 13 games with five extra-base hits, including two home runs. Pratto has scored 11 runs with 12 RBI and a 12% walk rate. He has an exceptional 1.076 OPS with his 10.3% barrel rate and 44.8% hard-hit rate. Pratto plays nearly daily, and his positional flexibility brings even more value. He makes for a solid add in 12-team and deeper leagues.
Pitchers
Rostered: 56%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Ober was recalled on April 23 and has made four starts for the Twins. Four very good starts. He has allowed five earned runs over 24.1 innings pitched, suitable for a 1.85 ERA. He does have a 4.52 xFIP which suggests some regression, but not enough to concern us, especially with this pitching landscape. Ober has a 23.9% strikeout rate and 12.4% SwStr while collecting six strikeouts in three straight starts. With Tyler Mahle having Tommy John Surgery and Kenta Maeda out with an injury, Ober should be a staple in the Twins rotation and your fantasy rotation.
Rostered: 8%
Suggested Bid: 6%
Bello was hurt when the Red Sox made his debut in a wet marathon day game, and the results backed that up. However, Bello has been the pitcher we hoped he would be since that start. Over those last four starts, Bello has a 3.48 ERA and 3.41 xFIP. He has struck out 19 over 20.2 innings pitched, suitable for a 21.8% strikeout rate. Bello still has some issues with walks, but overall, he is a solid back-end option for all fantasy rotations in 12-team and deeper leagues. Get him now before he has a few more good outings and league-mates realize just how good he has been pitching.
Rostered: N/A%
Suggested Bid: 22%
Perez was solid in his major league debut Friday night. He went 4.2 innings while striking out seven and allowing two runs on two solo home runs. Perez had a 34% whiff rate to go with a 31% CSW while averaging 97.5 mph with his fastball. Before his promotion, the 20-year-old had a 2.32 ERA and 35.9% strikeout rate in Double-A. As a result, he will be pretty expensive this weekend and will be worth the bids if you need pitching.
Closers
Rostered: 59%
Suggested Bid: 9%
Smith took over the full-time closer’s role for the Rangers on April 23 and has collected six saves with a 3.86 ERA. Smith has a 30% strikeout rate with a 23.3% K-BB as he has been quite strong in the closing role. With most teams using committees, Smith has some extra value as he is the lone Rangers closer.
Rostered: 32%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Johnson held down the closer’s role while Daniel Bard was out to start the season. When Bard came back, Johnson went back to a set-up role. Bard has struggled again, and Johnson has resumed his role as the main closer. He has collected saves in three of his last four outings. Johnson has six saves on the season with a 32.4% strikeout rate. Closers, heck pitchers for the Rockies is never a great option, but if you need saves, Johnson could be a target for your fantasy teams.
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