The calendar has turned to May and it’s time to stop ignoring the standings and see if your fantasy teams are contenders and if there are glaring needs. It’s important to remain active and consistently look for Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups. Keep a particular eye on saves and the percentage categories. Most of the counting stats can be attacked via trades, though bad ratios could be hard to recover from without blockbuster trades for superstar pitchers.
It’s also getting close to the point where it’s no longer “early” in the season. Yes, it’s hard to comprehend the unfathomable start Elly De La Cruz is on — on pace for 90+ steals — though it’s easy to see Juan Soto carrying his .325 batting average throughout the year while banging out 40+ homers and 125+ RBI. The weather hasn’t even warmed up in the Bronx, yet Soto’s already shuffling his way to a monster year.
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This is also the point when some pitching-for-hitting deals happen between unbalanced teams. With the plethora of hurt elbows and shoulders throughout the majors, drive a hard bargain when dealing arms. They’re so valuable right now.
Some good fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers are in this space. Keep mining the bad teams who might have some hidden gems that are being ignored by league mates. Add pitchers on good teams, even if they’re off to rough starts, as they could provide some help either in spot starts or potentially turn things around altogether and get a good stretch of pitching. So much is still possible in the next five months. It’s time for some deep sleepers.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 7
John Means (SP – BAL): 18%
John Means has been a pitcher I’ve stashed on some teams since early in the season and he just was activated from the injured list (IL). Since he hasn’t had a full starter’s workload since making 26 starts and throwing 146.2 innings in 2021 — to the tune of a 3.62 ERA and 1.03 WHIP — it might be too much to ask for him to anchor a fantasy staff.
If competent pitching is what you’re looking for, Means is a good dart throw at this point in the season, especially for fantasy rosters beset with pitching injuries. Keep in mind Means is pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, a team that catches the ball well and is tied with the Braves and Brewers for the fourth-most runs in the majors. That’s a good combo for some wins as long as Means pitches competently.
Graham Ashcraft (SP – CIN): 13%
In four of his six starts, Graham Ashcraft has given up two earned runs or less. Coincidentally, those four starts were all on the road. At Great American Ball Park, he’s allowed five earned runs in each game, though he did come away with victories in both games. This is a trend that needs to be followed.
In Ashcraft’s last start, he gave up two unearned runs in San Diego and got the no-decision. Now comes a return home next week against the Diamondbacks. Fantasy managers who add him may start him just in road games if the home/road splits continue.
Andrew Heaney (SP, RP – TEX): 9%
Yes, Andrew Heaney is 0-4 and has allowed three or more earned runs in three of his six starts. But in his last two, he’s struck out 11 batters without walking anyone. He did throw seven innings of one-run ball in his last outing against the Nationals. If that’s any indication he’s turning a corner, looking ahead to his next start he’ll take on the A’s in Oakland. If he pitches well there, his next start could be in Colorado (don’t risk it) or at home against the Guardians. At the very least, Heaney is worth streaming for the Oakland start.
Jordan Beck (OF – COL): 7%
The No. 4 prospect for the Rockies, according to MLB.com, Jordan Beck hit .303 with a .999 OPS at Triple-A Albuquerque, tallying five home runs and 28 RBI in 25 games. He added five steals and is a very good power-speed prospect. While Albuquerque is a hitter’s haven, playing home games at Coors Field is pretty good, too.
Beck went 3-for-11 in his first taste of the big leagues (three games), hitting in the bottom half of the lineup. He’s worth picking up as a speculative pick as Nolan Jones and Kris Bryant are on the IL. The rookie might bang his way into everyday action, playing half his games at mile-high altitudes.
Tyler Nevin (1B, 3B, OF – OAK): 6%
In nine games covering April 23 to May 1, Tyler Nevin hit .389 with a 1.145 OPS, four home runs and seven RBI. He was in the two-spot in the lineup for much of that time. Fantasy league mates have probably ignored Nevin because he’s in Oakland, but let them miss out. A home series against Miami is on tap this weekend. Oh yeah, he’s a three-position player, too, so what are you waiting for?
Wenceel Perez (2B, OF – DET): 3%
Wenceel Perez has an unexpected .298 average with a .961 OPS in 16 games for the Tigers. The switch-hitter has been a fixture toward the top of the Detroit lineup, hitting either second or third in every game for Detroit since April 19. Multi-position eligibility at second base and in the outfield is a rare combination, so pick him up and move him around your fantasy lineup as needed.
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