Last week’s article wasn’t my best showing, but that’s going to happen at times. I felt it would be a challenging week when evaluating the schedule because it took me forever to make my picks. The players usually stand out in each position when I do research, which was the case 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 fantasy baseball waiver wire additions.
- Weekly Trade Value Chart
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 16)
Home Runs
Mark Vientos (2B, 3B -NYM): 64%
Mark Vientos is still available in nearly 40% of leagues, and it’s hard to understand why. The Mets’ third baseman has been going off since his call-up, collecting a .291 batting average (AVG), a .568 slugging percentage (SLG) and a .914 OPS. He’s also got 11 bombs through just 42 games, connecting on six of those dingers over his last 13 outings. We love that since New York has seven games this week, facing a subpar Washington staff and a Colorado team that ranks last in ERA and WHIP.
RBI
Jake Fraley has been hitting fifth for the Reds throughout the season and should get plenty of RBI chances since they have one of the best schedules all season. Despite sitting the last few games due to a family emergency, Fraley is expected to be ready for this seven-game schedule. Not only does Cincy get seven games at home, but they also get to face Miami and Colorado. The Rockies have the worst staff in baseball, while the Marlins rank 27th in ERA and 26th in wOBA. That should bode well for Fraley, providing a .796 OPS at home since 2021. He’s also been batting fifth recently — a prime RBI spot for the highest-projected offense of the week.
Runs
We always need to use a leadoff hitter when recommending someone for runs, and JP Crawford is a great option when evaluating Seattle’s schedule this week. Let’s start there because Seattle gets games against the Padres and Angels. San Diego is missing most of its rotation due to injuries, while Seattle sees an L.A. team four times this week that ranks 28th in ERA and xwOBA. That should bode well for Crawford, providing a .386 on-base percentage (OBP) over his last 10 outings. If the leadoff hitter is getting on base at a 40% clip against these pitching staffs, he should be in line for a few runs despite Seattle’s struggles.
Batting Average
St. Louis has been one of the hottest teams in baseball. Moving Masyn Winn to the leadoff spot sparked this sensational stretch. The shortstop is now hitting .294 but has a .306 AVG since May 10. That’s a massive boost, given how low the league average is right now, especially since he should get 30-40 at-bats in this seven-game week. It’s not like the opposition is scary either, facing guys like Michael Wacha, Alec Marsh, Kyle Hendricks, Hayden Wesneski, Mitchell Parker and a minor league arm that will be called up for a doubleheader.
Steals
Stuart Fairchild (OF – CIN): 4%
Stuart Fairchild is available in almost every fantasy league out there, but he’s been playing almost every day since TJ Friedl got injured. What’s made Fairchild a valuable asset for Cincy is his speed. The outfielder is up to 11 steals this season, recording a steal in four of his last 10 outings. That sort of ability should rise when evaluating the Reds’ schedule because they have one of the best seven-game weeks of any team all year. The Reds run more than almost any club and we expect them to lead the league in stolen bases this week with a schedule like this.
ERA
Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN): 51% (vs. COL, vs. MIA)
Andrew Abbott’s advanced statistics tell us some negative regression is right around the corner, but it’s not likely to happen this week. The lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 of his 17 starts, generating a 2.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP if you take out those stinkers. He’s also surrendered two runs or fewer in all but two of those and should keep that run going against Colorado and Miami. The Rockies rank last in every offensive metric on the road in three of the last four years, while the Marlins sit 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA.
Strikeouts
Brayan Bello (SP – BOS): 44% (vs. OAK, vs. KC)
Brayan Bello was a good streamer last week, but he’s an even better option for this two-start week. The youngster had a bounce-back start, returning to the stud we saw earlier in the season. He had a 3.13 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through his first six starts and allowed just one run across 6.2 innings in his last start. More importantly, he’s got an 8.6 K/9 rate since the opening two weeks and had a 31% strikeout rate in the minors. He should be in line for double-digit strikeouts in these two home starts because Oakland ranks 29th in strikeout rate and Kansas City has been one of the worst offenses in baseball over the last month.
WHIP
Christian Scott (SP – NYM): 25% (at PIT, vs. COL)
Christian Scott is a talented young pitcher, so it was shocking to see him sent down earlier in the year. He had nothing left to prove at that level, tallying a 2.59 ERA and 0.87 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A. That’s the WHIP you usually see from an elite closer, but it’s carried over behind his 1.14 WHIP through his first six starts with the Mets. We’d use him against most teams, but Colorado and Pittsburgh couldn’t be better matchups. We already talked about how the Rockies are the worst road team in baseball, while Pittsburgh sits 25th in runs scored, 27th in strikeout rate and 28th in wOBA.
Wins
Colin Rea (SP – MIL): 32% (vs. PIT, vs. WAS)
Colin Rea isn’t the most exciting pitcher, but he’s quietly having an excellent season for Milwaukee. An 8-2 record speaks loudly, thanks to his 3.34 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. The 8-2 record is what we care about because Rea is pitching for one of the hottest teams in baseball. He has four wins in his last five starts and should enter both home matchups as a sizable favorite. We just talked about Pittsburgh’s pitiful offensive numbers, but Washington ranks 19th in runs scored, 22nd in OBP and 24th in wOBA. We wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a -200 favorite in both of these, which is incredible since he’s reached the five-inning threshold in 14 of his 17 starts.
Saves
We don’t have many options for saves on the waiver wire, but Chad Green looks like the fill-in option in Toronto. With Jordan Romano and Yimi Garcia on the injured list (IL), Green has picked up the last three saves for the Blue Jays. He’s also got a 1.31 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in what’s been a sparkling season and should get some chances against mediocre teams like Arizona and San Fran. There’s also a chance Garcia will be activated this week. He’s worth watching if Toronto wants to pivot back to him.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
