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.
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.
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Hitters
Mike Tauchman (OF – CHC)
Rostered: 43%
Suggested Bid: 8%
We’ve all been waiting for the Tauchman hot stretch to cool down, but it hasn’t. Since the All-Star break, Tauchman is hitting .364 with 12 extra-base hits, including four home runs. He has scored 19 runs, driven in 20, and even stole two bases. Tauchman’s plate discipline has continued to be an asset, as he’s walking and striking out 12.4% of the time. Tauchman hits leadoff versus RHP and should continue to be a great asset in the run-producing department for one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Mike Moustakas (1B,3B – LAA)
Rostered: 12%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Most have written off Moose from a fantasy perspective due to his lack of production in recent years. Moustakas was injured most of those seasons, but now he is healthy and producing. Moustakas was traded to the Angels, made his debut on June 26, and has been producing. Since the 26th, Moose has been hitting .285 with seven doubles and seven home runs. He has scored 18 runs and driven in 25 to go with a .814 OPS. Moustakas is locked in, plays regularly, and has plenty of fantasy viability in 12-team and deeper leagues.
Jake Bauers (1B,OF – NYY)
Rostered: 5%
Suggested Bid: 2%
Bauers may not be the best batting average asset, but he can provide some sneaky power and run-producing upside. Over his 11 games, he is hitting .238 with four home runs and seven RBI. He is striking out 41.3% of the time, which is horrendous, but he also has a .333 ISO, 25% barrel rate, and 70.8% hard-hit rate over this stretch. With Anthony Rizzo on the IL with concussion symptoms, Bauers should continue to play daily, potentially supplying some significant fantasy upside.
Pitchers
Andrew Heaney (SP – TEX)
Rostered: 52%
Suggested Bid: 11%
Heaney can be a frustrating player to roster for fantasy, but lately, he’s been quite effective. Over his seven starts since July 2, Heaney has a 3.60 ERA, 4.00 xFIP, and 37 strikeouts over 35 innings pitched. He has allowed zero runs in four starts, with 14 earned runs in the other three. Proving just how tilting Heaney can be for fantasy. Heaney is your guy if you need strikeouts and wins, supplying excellent ratios for now.
Jack Flaherty (SP – BAL)
Rostered: 43%
Suggested Bid: 8%
It’s been an up-and-down season for Flaherty, but he looks like a new pitcher since he was traded to the Orioles. The pitch mix has been changed, and Flaherty’s velocity has also increased. In his two starts with the Orioles, Flaherty has thrown 11 innings while allowing four runs and striking out 16. Flaherty looks like a brand-new man and should be rostered in most formats.
Grayson Rodriguez (SP – BAL)
Rostered: 35%
Suggested Bid: 9%
I wrote up Greyson last week; he dealt against the Astros and is still not rostered in nearly enough leagues. Since Greyson was recalled on July 17, he has made five starts, allowing 11 earned runs over 28.2 innings with 24 strikeouts. Rodriguez has a 3.45 ERA and 3.82 xFIP since his recall, with a 21.2% strikeout rate. Rodriguez has been great and looks like a fantasy stud for the rest of the season.
Closers
Kyle Finnegan (RP – WAS)
Rostered: 40%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Finnegan has quietly been one of the best closers in baseball over the last few weeks. Since taking over for the injured Hunter Harvey, Finnegan has collected seven saves over his last 11 appearances. He has not allowed a run over 10.2 innings with 12 strikeouts and even managed a win. Finnegan has been great and should be considered in more formats.
Trevor May (RP – OAK)
Rostered: 16%
Suggested Bid: 3%
After a rough start to the season, May has become one of the better closers in baseball since the All-Star break. May has made eight appearances, collecting six saves over 8.2 innings with seven strikeouts. Playing for the A’s may limit May’s overall potential for saves, but for now, he is getting the job done and could be rostered for those looking for saves.
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