We have made it through another week of fantasy baseball action and have some stats to give us an idea of players’ production. At this point of the season, it is all about playing the hot hand and great matchups in the coming weeks. The season is still young, so there will be a few players to track due to injuries, increased playing time, streaming starting pitchers and some new closers.
Each week, I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) process and fantasy baseball waiver wire, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others who may be better fits for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire & FAAB Targets: Week 13
Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
Hitters
Rostered: 44%
Suggested Bid: 22%
David Hamilton has been on an absolute tear since taking over the everyday shortstop job for the Red Sox. Over his last 12 games entering Friday, Hamilton has hit safely in nine games, with multiple hits in six games and a .356 batting average. Hamilton is a speed machine, tossing in five steals over this stretch. He’s even flexed his muscles with two home runs. Hamilton is striking out 30.4% of the time over the hot stretch with a .483 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), so some regression will come, but the tools are solid, and he should be a fantasy asset as long as he remains the starting shortstop.
Rostered: 40%
Suggested Bid: 8%
Mark Vientos rejoined the Mets on May 15 and took over the third base role with Brett Baty back in Triple-A. Since the 15th, Vientos has been hitting .297 with four home runs, 12 runs scored and 14 RBI. His plate discipline is good, as he’s walking 10.7% of the time while striking out 21.4%. Vientos has a nice .230 ISO and .896 OPS, and he’s hitting sixth most games. Corner infield help is getting harder to find on the waiver wire, making Vientos a great addition for the coming weeks.
Rostered: 30%
Suggested Bid: 17%
It was a slow start to the year for Andrew Vaughn, but his bat has come alive. He is not just hitting for average, but Vaughn is also hitting for power. He entered Friday hitting safely in 12 of his last 13 games for a .346 with four home runs. Vaughn is barreling the ball 11% of the time with a 52.4% hard-hit rate. His 1.016 OPS is elite, and he has a 187 wRC+. Vaughn is showcasing the skills that got him drafted third overall in 2019. He should be rostered in most formats.
Pitchers
Rostered: 58%
Suggested Bid: 22%
Hunter Brown’s start to the season could not have gone worse, causing many to suggest Brown would not be a fantasy asset this season. That has changed in a big way since the start of May. Over Brown’s last seven starts, including Friday night, Brown has thrown 45.1 innings, allowing 13 earned runs, with 52 strikeouts. Brown has been one of the best pitchers for over a month and should be rostered in all formats.
Rostered: 51%
Suggested Bid: 14%
Jake Irvin is having a great season and has been outstanding over his last five starts. He has allowed only five earned runs in over 30.1 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts. Irvin has even collected three wins over the five starts. He has a strong 21.4% K-BB with an 11.2% SwStr as he has taken care of the Braves twice, the Twins, the Guardians and the Tigers. Irvin has a nice two-step next week, which makes him a priority add this week, but he should also be rostered for the following weeks.
Rostered: 41%
Suggested Bid: 14%
Since rejoining the Rays rotation on May 10, Taj Bradley has made seven starts, allowing two earned runs or fewer in five starts. He has allowed 18 earned runs over 38.1 innings pitched for a 4.23 ERA but a 2.99 SIERA. Bradley has the strikeouts working well, with a 24.1% K-BB and a 14% SwStr. Bradley is showing his dominance this season, making him a strong addition in all formats.
Closers
Rostered: 52%
Suggested Bid: 16%
Yimi Garcia has taken over closing duties for the Jays while Jordan Romano is out with another elbow injury. Garcia has collected saves in three out of five outings, with wins in the other two. Garcia also has 11 strikeouts over 5.1 innings pitched. Garcia has the goods to keep the role while Romano is out, which may be for at least another few weeks. Garcia is one of the top adds if you are looking for saves.
Rostered: 14%
Suggested Bid: 7%
Ryne Stanek has been filling in as the Mariners’ primary closer, with Andres Munoz out with a back injury. Stanek has two saves and a win over his last four appearances. He did not allow a run in three outings while striking out three. Stanek is not dominant, but he’ll have plenty of chances for saves for the time being.
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