When we recommend 10 players each week, the article will be full of hits and misses. That’s the nature of this article, but the goal is to help individuals with particular categories they need help with. That’s one of the beauties of fantasy baseball because it’s a puzzle unlike any other fantasy sport. That’s why it’s my favorite fantasy sport to play and I truly enjoy creating this article every week.
This list comprises the 10 main categories in roto leagues. Under each category, you’ll find a player who can specifically help you with that individual stat. Most players will offer help in more ways than one, but their primary contributions should come under the category in which they are listed.
I’ll be putting out a similar piece every week, so check back every Sunday, as I’ll have a new list of players not previously mentioned. Without further ado, here are this week’s category-based waiver additions.
When we recommend 10 players each week, the article will be full of hits and misses. That’s the nature of this article, but the goal is to help individuals with particular categories they need help with. That’s one of the beauties of fantasy baseball because it’s a puzzle unlike any other fantasy sport. That’s why it’s my favorite fantasy sport to play and I truly enjoy creating this article every week.
This list comprises the 10 main categories in roto leagues. Under each category, you’ll find a player who can specifically help you with that individual stat. Most players will offer help in more ways than one, but their primary contributions should come under the category in which they are listed.
I’ll be putting out a similar piece every week, so check back every Sunday, as I’ll have a new list of players not previously mentioned. Without further ado, here are this week’s category-based waiver additions.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 6)
Home Runs
Brent Rooker (OF – OAK): 18%
Brent Rooker won’t get on base much, but his power potential is brilliant. Rooker had a .488 SLG and .817 OPS last season. He has hit five dingers over his last 11 outings. That equates to a .366 OBP, .743 SLG and 1.109 OPS. Rooker hits third or fourth every day, which is massive when looking at his upcoming schedule. Oakland faces Pittsburgh and Miami this week, with half of those guys pitching from the left side. Rooker had a .874 OPS against lefties last season.
RBI
Lars Nootbaar (OF – STL): 39%
Lars Nootbaar has moved up in the Cardinals’ order, batting third whenever they face a right-hander. That’s an optimal spot between Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, but it’s a desirable variable this week. We say that because St. Louis faces five righties in this six-game week, squaring off with guys like Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Reese Olson, Jonathan Cannon and Erick Fedde. That’s amazing as Nootbaar has a .380 OBP and .831 OPS against righties since last season.
Runs
Mike Tauchman (OF – CHC): 6%
Mike Tauchman had one of the most incredible catches I’ve ever seen a few years ago, but he’s not so shabby with the bat either. The outfielder has a .295 AVG, .434 OBP and .909 OPS this year. That’s turned him into an everyday player, moving up to the two-hole in the absence of Seiya Suzuki. That’s a prime spot to score runs, especially since he’s getting on base at a 43% clip. He’s also got a .529 OBP over his last nine games and should get plenty of chances to round the bases in this seven-game week.
Batting Average
Bryan De La Cruz (OF – MIA): 53%
We have to use Bryan De La Cruz this upcoming week. Facing Oakland and Colorado is hard to overlook, with both teams ranked bottom-10 in nearly every pitching category. De La Cruz faces Jake Irvin, Ryan Feltner, Dakota Hudson, Peter Lambert, JP Sears, Paul Blackburn and Joe Boyle. That’s unbelievable, especially since he has been hovering between a .250 AVG and .300 AVG in all but three games this year. Before going 2-for-16 this week, De La Cruz had a .278 AVG and should be able to duplicate that in these favorable matchups.
Steals
Johan Rojas (OF – PHI): 8%
Johan Rojas is the Phillies’ everyday centerfielder and will run whenever he gets on base. The speedster has recorded a steal in six of his last 11 games and is tied for eighth with seven steals this season. Matchups with the Angels and Giants are far from concerning, mainly since he avoids Reid Detmers and most lefties from these rotations.
ERA
Javier Assad (SP – CHC): 50%
Why is this guy still at 50% rostered? Javier Assad finished the 2023 season with a 2.26 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over the last three months and has backed it up with a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through the opening month of this year. That’s over 100 innings of dominance, with Assad allowing two runs or fewer in all but three of those starts. A road matchup with the Mets shouldn’t stray us away as they are ranked 15th in runs scored while playing in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball.
Strikeouts
Jon Gray (SP – TEX): 30%
Jon Gray has quietly had an amazing three weeks. Since struggling in the opener, the Rangers starter has a 1.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 12.9 K/9 rate. That strikeout rate entices us here because Gray gets two starts against two of the weakest offenses in baseball. He faces Washington and Kansas City in these games, with the Nats sitting 28th in total offense while the Royals have scored three runs or fewer in five of their last six games. Two quality starts are in play, meaning 10-15 Ks should be in order across 10-15 solid innings.
WHIP
Garrett Crochet (SP – CWS): 54%
Garrett Crochet has been steadily dropped in numerous leagues, allowing 17 runs over his last three starts. We’re still encouraged because Crochet has a 1.18 WHIP and 2.94 xFIP. That means his 6.37 ERA is due for some regression, and the wonderful WHIP will help him lower that number. It’s much more likely in this two-start week where he faces Minnesota and St. Louis. The Cards rank 25th in OBP and 27th in wOBA, while Minnesota ranks 26th in OBP and 27th in xwOBA. We could throw Crochet in any of these sections because he will likely have a tremendous two-start week.
Wins
Trevor Rogers (SP – MIA): 5%
This is a wild prediction from me, but something tells me Trevor Rogers is in line for a win in this two-start week. The lefty is 0-3 this season, but he has a 3.31 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across his last three starts. Two of those were against Atlanta. Matchups with the Nationals and A’s could get him at least one victory and some solid peripherals. Oakland has been 29th or 30th in every offensive category since the start of last season, while Washington is 28th in runs scored this year.
Saves
Hector Neris (RP – CHC): 47%
The Cubs have taken the closer gig from Adbert Alzolay and handed it to Hector Neris. The former Phillies closer has three saves in his last three appearances and flirted with multiple 30-save seasons in his days with the Phillies. He also had a 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP last year. He could run away with this gig if he keeps locking down these saves.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
