Formulating this article is always fun, but this week was challenging. This is one of the shortest schedules we’ve had all season, with only a handful of teams playing seven games. Exploring those teams will be critical in a week like this, so you better believe we’ll recognize many of those players from those seven-game weeks.
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 fantasy baseball waiver wire additions.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 12)
Home Runs
It’s funny that Joc Pederson has developed into a platoon player because he’s one of the best in the game. Joc Jams has a .383 on-base percentage (OBP) and .875 OPS against right-handers this season, typically batting third in those circumstances. That becomes an exciting development this week because Arizona faces five righties in this six-game week. The list of pitchers he faces is sensational, too, squaring off with Jose Soriano, Griffin Canning, Chris Flexen, Jake Woodford and Erick Fedde.
RBI
It’s going to be difficult to fade Minnesota bats this week. Not only are they one of the few teams that get seven games, but they also get home matchups with the Rockies and A’s. Colorado ranks last in ERA and WHIP, while Oakland is 19th in ERA and 21st in WHIP. It’s simply two of the worst teams in baseball. These Minnesota bats could be in line for 50 runs this week. That should put Kepler in an excellent place for some RBI, batting cleanup recently. The last two weeks have been disappointing for Kepler, but he had a .368 OBP and .912 OPS through May 22. We expect him to recapture that form in a week like this.
Runs
Let’s keep rolling with Twins bats in the form of Trevor Larnach. What makes him intriguing is that he’s been hitting leadoff against righties recently. We love that when examining the schedule because Minnesota matches up with guys like Dakota Hudson, Cal Quantrill, Luis Medina, Mitch Spence and Joey Estes this week. That’s the ultimate list of no-name pitchers, and it should have Larnach scoring numerous runs for the highest-projected offense of the week. He’s earned the leadoff spot when evaluating his splits, sporting a .795 OPS against righties this season. If he bats leadoff five games this week against those pitching staffs, Larnach could be one of the league leaders in runs.
Batting Average
Josh Rojas is not an exciting fantasy option because of his lack of speed and power, but he can hit against righties. That’s all that matters when talking about an average booster, with Rojas registering a .289 batting average (AVG) and .794 OPS against righties this year. That always has him hitting second for Seattle in these circumstances, and we’re not scared about matchups with Texas and Chicago. The White Sox rank 29th in ERA and WHIP, while Texas is missing most of their rotation, ranked 23rd in xwOBA. That’s massive since five of those are against righties in this seven-game week.
Steals
Jake McCarthy never seems to find a consistent role in Arizona, but he showcases speed whenever he’s out there. The good news is that he’s been playing nearly every day recently, starting in 11 of the last 15 games. That role has led to McCarthy recording six steals over his last 12 games. He also had 26 steals last season and 23 in 2022, despite playing fewer than 100 games in both. There aren’t many guys with this speed, and we already discussed how tasty the Diamondbacks matchups are this week. McCarthy has recorded 42 of his 58 steals against righties in that span and could be in line for a few this week against such pitiful pitching.
ERA
Lance Lynn (SP – STL): 26% (vs. PIT)
Lance Lynn is not the ace we remember from the past, but he can still limit runs. The veteran has a 3.58 ERA in what’s turning into a bounce-back season, but he showcased that once he was traded from Chicago last year. Lynn allowed two runs or fewer in six of his final 10 starts last season. The WHIP hasn’t been pretty, but this guy has the uncanny ability to leave players on the basepaths. That should be easy to accomplish against Pittsburgh’s putrid offense, with the Pirates ranked 23rd in OBP, 19th in runs scored and 27th in xwOBA.
Strikeouts
Spencer Arrighetti (SP – HOU): 7% (at SF, vs. DET)
Spencer Arrighetti was awful through the opening month, but this highly-touted prospect is finally pitching well. He’s allowed just one run across his last two starts, generating a 3.55 ERA and 10.7 K/9 rate over his last five starts. That strikeout stuff is what we care about this week because he’s flirting with a 30% career strikeout rate when you look at his minor-league averages. It’s not like San Fran and Detroit are scary matchups, with the Tigers ranked 23rd in strikeout rate, 25th in wOBA and 26th in OBP, while the Giants sit 18th in wOBACON.
WHIP
Reese Olson (SP – DET): 44% (vs. WAS)
Reese Olson was obliterated in his last two starts, but that is an outlier. The Tigers youngster hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his previous eight starts before those stinkers, registering a 1.17 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in that span. That might look flukey on the surface, but Olson also had a 1.12 WHIP last year. It’s clear this kid is elite at limiting baserunners, and we’d anticipate a bounceback start at home against such a woeful Washington offense. Olson has a 0.85 ERA and 0.60 WHIP at home in that eight-start stretch, while the Nats rank 22nd in OBP, 25th in runs scored and 28th in wOBA.
Wins
Chris Paddack (SP – MIN): 14% (vs. COL, vs. OAK)
It isn’t easy to look at Chris Paddack’s averages and get excited, but these matchups are gorgeous. You couldn’t have better oppositions in a two-game week, with Oakland and Colorado ranked bottom five in runs scored and OPS. They also have two of the worst records in baseball, with Paddack likely entering both matchups as a -200 favorite. This guy has allowed 21 runs in starts against the Yankees and Orioles, but he’s taken care of business against inferior competition. Paddack has a 3.02 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in his other nine starts. Look for two quality starts and at least one win in these matchups.
Saves
With Jordan Romano out for the next few weeks, Yimi Garcia should get all the save chances in Toronto. That’s what we’ve seen the last week, recording two saves in his last three appearances. While they were some of his worst performances of the year, the righty still has a 2.16 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 11.9 K/9 rate in what’s turning out to be a stupendous season. Matchups with Milwaukee and Cleveland are challenging, but close games should lead to more save opportunities.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.