I write many articles every week but this one helps me with my season-long leagues more than any other. I play in dozens of leagues and use these recommendations with my teams. I was excited when I was assigned this piece at the beginning of the season because it forced me to do some extra work, which shows in my season-long results. With that in mind, let’s dive into the waiver wire pickups we love for this 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.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
Home Runs
Mitch Garver hasn’t done much hitting this year but has one of the best power swings among all catchers. Between 2021 and 2023, Garver generated a .347 OBP, .479 SLG and .829 OPS. He also has an ISO well above .200 in that span, which doesn’t even include a 31-homer season in 2019. We love that this week because Garver gets seven games against Oakland and Minnesota. He’s also typically been hitting cleanup for the Mariners. That sort of opportunity is hard to overlook for an under-rostered catcher.
RBI
Josh Smith (3B, SS, OF – TEX): 30%
I feel like there have been dozens of Josh Smiths since I started watching sports 20 years ago, and we’re treated with another one here. This Rangers utility man has developed into an everyday player, hitting sixth for Texas. That’s quite the RBI opportunity behind these studs, recording a .304 AVG, .407 OBP and .885 OPS this season. He couldn’t have better matchups in this seven-game week, facing the A’s and the Rockies. Colorado is last in runs scored and WHIP, while Oakland sends out a Triple-A roster every night.
Runs
This might sound like a risky option on the surface, but Josh Rojas has been Seattle’s leadoff hitter whenever they face a righty. That’s a massive development this week because the Mariners match up with six righties in this seven-game week. That means Rojas could get 30 at-bats with the platoon advantage in his favor. In 75 at-bats against righties this season, Rojas has registered a .354 AVG, .444 OBP, .569 SLG and 1.009 OPS while recording 11 runs, three dingers and two steals. If he keeps that going, Rojas will be a remarkable streamer this week.
Batting Average
Richie Palacios is developing into a regular in this article. It’s hard to believe he’s still so widely available. This young outfielder has been Tampa’s best bat this season, batting between first and third every day. That newfound role has led to Palacios providing a .333 AVG, .436 OBP, .500 SLG and .936 OPS since April 1. He also had three homers and four steals in that span and developed into a 20-20 type player. We also can’t overlook that he faces five righties this week, posting a .446 OBP and .931 OPS against them this year.
Steals
We just mentioned that Tampa faces five righties this week. That’s always beneficial for a base stealer. Jose Caballero is just that, collecting a .276 AVG and nine steals so far this season. That’s one of the highest totals in the league, attempting six steals over his last 12 games. Finding steals on the waiver wire is one of the most demanding tasks but Caballero should compile at least a couple this week.
ERA
Tyler Anderson (SP – LAA): 39%
Tyler Anderson has quietly been a solid pitcher for the Angels. The lefty has a 2.23 ERA and 1.07 WHIP this year but also had a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 2022. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any start this year. He should have two more quality starts this week. Anderson faces the Royals and Pirates, two teams struggling mightily over the last three weeks.
Strikeouts
Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE): 57%
Triston McKenzie is pitching with a torn UCL, but he’s starting to find it. The Guardians righty has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, providing a 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 rate across his last three fixtures. That strikeout stuff has always been there, with McKenzie amassing a 26% strikeout rate throughout his career. That strikeout stuff is scary in these matchups, squaring off with Chicago and Detroit. The White Sox rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA, while the Tigers rank 21st in strikeout rate, 24th in OBP and 23rd in wOBA.
WHIP
Bryse Wilson is a converted reliever. Those sorts of guys always do a great job of limiting baserunners. That’s what we’ve seen from Wilson, generating a 2.68 ERA and 1.05 WHIP since the start of last year. He has a 1.00 WHIP in three starts this year and should continue that success in this two-start week. He faces Kansas City and St. Louis, with both offenses freefalling down the offensive rankings. The Royals rank 18th in wOBA while the Cards sit 27th in wOBA and 28th in runs scored.
Wins
This is risky since Andrew Heaney usually has his pitch count topped off at 90 pitches, but he’s been rolling recently. The Rangers lefty has a 4.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP across his last three starts, completing at least five innings in each. Reaching that five-inning threshold makes him eligible for a win, and that’s a huge factor this week. We say that because he faces the A’s and the Rockies, likely entering both magical matchups as a massive favorite. Colorado has the worst xwOBA in baseball, while Oakland ranks bottom three in runs scored and OBP since the start of last season.
Saves
Justin Lawrence (RP – COL): 9%
There haven’t been many closer developments this week except for Justin Lawrence running away with this job. He’s picked up two saves in his last four appearances and seemingly has the closer gig for the worst bullpen in baseball. He might be a good option for saves this week because Colorado gets six games at home. They should win at least one or two home games. We have to imagine those will be close games based on how bad this Rockies team is right now. Only do this if you’re desperate.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
