We’re nearing the quarter-mark of the season. How’s everyone feeling about their teams so far? It’s a legitimate time to start asking because this is coming up at the point of the year when you begin to fall behind. Whether it’s roto, H2H or points leagues you can fall behind quickly from this point forward.
That’s why things like waiver wire articles become so important. This is the time when you need to be paying the most attention. By now you should know the strengths and weaknesses of your current team. Finding ways to supplement your roster with talent to make up for those weaknesses is what you should focus on. You can only wait around on guys for so long before it becomes detrimental to your mental and roster health.
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I want to preface this week’s list by saying you need to know none of these players will be studs for the rest of the season. They’re players with short-term value that can be moved on from when their production fades. By this point, outside of shallow leagues, the waiver wire is pretty starved for rest-of-season stars.
With that being said, let’s get into it. As you know the drill by now, below you will find two players from each position group who are my current favorite waiver wire options. I hope you find it helpful.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (Week 6)
Catcher
CBS: 38%, Yahoo: 34%, ESPN: 11%
Since last season, Elias Diaz has been one of those Rockies players putting up consistent production but flying under the radar. Since April 5th, he’s hitting .344 with a .833 OPS, five XBH and 13 RBI. He’s traditionally someone who produces much better at home. The Rockies play zero home games this week, but he’s still hitting .244 away from Coors this season. The Rockies are set to face a depleted Marlins pitching staff and a Pirates pitching staff whose only real threat is Jared Jones. Diaz should do a good job of producing in multiple categories and producing well at home moving forward.
CBS: 55%, Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 18%
Ryan Jeffers is someone I haven’t been sold on up until this point. I was unsure if he’d play enough to be relevant. I was also unsure if he’d produce for more than a game or two at a time. He’s done a great job of proving he can, especially as of late. He just hit his second home run in the last three games (fifth on the year) and has made some contact changes that have really helped him. He’s making better overall contact raising his line drive rate and lowering his strikeouts. He has a history of hard contact (117.4 MPH max exit velo in 2023) and that should come back around soon. He’s producing enough to be worth it in everything bigger than a 10-team league. The sub-20 % strikeout makes him even more enticing in points leagues.
Corner Infield
CBS: 10%, Yahoo: 3%, ESPN: 1%
Two Rockies in the first few players is always fun. Hunter Goodman is someone I’ve liked since he first got the call at the end of the 2023 season. He is one of those guys who not only had video game-level numbers in the minors, but he produced in a way that pointed towards major league success. He has immense power and plays in Coors Field, a match made in heaven. The fun part is he’s a great line drive hitter to go with that power rather than being a big-hitting minor leaguer who relied solely on a high HR/FB ratio. Goodman will swing and miss his fair share, but the dude is a hitter with big power hitting in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. He’s worth an addition in any league you’re looking for a power boost.
106.5 MPH off the bat
448 feetHunter Goodman has scary raw power and plays at the incredibly hitter friendly Coors Field
Oh baby…
— Blake Meyer (@Buhhlockaye) April 25, 2024
CBS: 7%, Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%
With JP Crawford suffering a major injury, Josh Rojas is the Seattle Mariners’ new lead-off hitter. Something you can’t typically find at this point of the season. Getting a guy who’s proven he can get on base at a decent clip and is now leading off for a heating-up offense should be worth an add everywhere. Since joining the Mariners on August 1st last season, Rojas has hit .286 with a .777 OPS, 14 XBH, 33 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 198 plate appearances. The bad version of Rojas is no more. This version of Rojas should help in multiple categories, especially while leading off.
Middle Infield
Willi Castro (3B, SS, OF – MIN)
CBS: 18%, Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 2%
Two Twins and two Rockies. I try really hard to keep it as diverse a list as possible, but if they’re going to have such enticing players I must keep adding them. Castro is in the middle of an underrated hot streak and should be added while it’s still happening. He has hits in nine of his last 10 games. He’s had multiple hits in four of the last six games. Six of his hits in these last 10 games have gone for extra bases and he’s driven in seven and stole a base for good measure. He’s the prime example of a guy getting hot at the right time. Adding him for short-term value will only yield positive results.
CBS: 25%, Yahoo: 12%, ESPN: 1%
This addition is a bit different. Joey Loperfido will add zero value to your roster in the short term. His value comes from being on the verge of a call-up. When he gets to the majors it will be glorious. The Houston Astros have been struggling as a team and there’s becoming fewer and fewer roadblocks for him. In 23 Triple-A games this season he has 12 home runs, 27 runs scored, 26 RBI and he’s stolen three bases. Swings and misses always have been and will continue to be a problem, but he has legitimate big-league power. Add him now if you can stash him without consequences.
Outfield
CBS: 49%, Yahoo: 47%, ESPN: 15%
Please drop what you’re doing and add Wilyer Abreu. The Boston Red Sox have already gone out of their way to say they want Abreu in the lineup every day. At least against right-handers. And thus far he’s doing everything he can to show why. In his last eight games, he’s moved up to hitting in the heart of the order. He has an RBI in every game since then (10 in total) with seven XBH and a measly 9.4% strikeout rate. If the Red Sox continue to have this much faith in him, you should too. He’s a good mix of hitting ability and raw power. Abreu should be added in all 12-team or larger leagues.
CBS: 43%, Yahoo: 36%, ESPN: 15%
If you need a little power injected into your lineup, Mark Canha may be your guy. He’s on a hot streak lately and it deserves not only some recognition but an addition to your roster as well. He has two home runs this last week to go along with three multi-hit games and more RBI than games played. He’s not the sexiest choice. What he has shown, though, is over his career he can put up consistent production when given the chance. Detroit plays six games next week at home against the Cardinals and on the road in tiny Yankee Stadium. There’s an excellent chance he will find a way to go yard twice next week.
Mark Canha – Detroit Tigers (5)
pic.twitter.com/EVchiNsoft— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 24, 2024
Starting Pitcher
CBS: 43%, Yahoo: 38%, ESPN: 10%
Like Canha, Byrce Elder has never been much of a flashy choice. Only 128 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings last season will do that. The upside for Elder, though, is he excels at limiting runs when he’s firing on all cylinders. And he seemed to be doing just that in start one. He came up one out shy of a seven-inning, no run, no walk, four-strikeout gem of a game. This is the type of output you may be able to expect from him at least in the short term. If he keeps it up, the floodgates to add him will bust open. It’s likely better to get in now while you can.
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