Getting a week off during the baseball season is always strange, but I’m excited to be back. It should be an interesting two-week stretch because these teams must decide what they want to do before the trade deadline. Some of these clubs need to make a push or they will have to become sellers. It will undoubtedly make some alterations in the fantasy world, but we probably won’t see any significant moves until late next 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 17)
Home Runs
Eugenio Suarez (3B – ARI): 31%
Eugenio Suarez has been among the best sluggers over the last decade, ranking in the top 10 in home runs since the 2017 season. He has 218 homers in those eight years but is clearly at the back end of his career. Power never completely disappears, though, and he appears to be finding some of it in the second half. Suarez has four homers and 14 RBI over his last nine outings, posting a .727 slugging rate and 1.088 OPS in that span. These matchups aren’t too shabby either, with the Royals ranked 21st in xwOBA and getting to avoid Paul Skenes and Jared Jones in the Pirates’ rotation.
RBI
Michael Conforto (OF – SF): 16%
San Francisco players need to be picked up this week. They’re the only team with eight games with four of them against a Rockies team that ranks last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA. They also face a Dodgers club with nearly every starter on the injured list (IL). The Giants should be the highest-projected offense of the week. That’s massive for Michael Conforto as the regular five-hole hitter, collecting five doubles and 10 RBI over his last 10 outings. It also looks like five or six of those starters will be righties, which is fantastic since Conforto has much better splits against them throughout his career.
Runs
Jarred Kelenic (OF – ATL): 51%
This is far from an exciting option, but Jarred Kelenic has been a sneaky find in Atlanta. He was a bust as one of Seattle’s top prospects, but he’s having a revival season with the Braves as their everyday leadoff hitter. We’re always looking for a leadoff hitter when digging for runs and Kelenic is a solid one for one of the best lineups in baseball. He’s flirting with a .800 OPS in this newfound role over the last two months and should continue to hit leadoff with Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris still out. He’s also got a .750 OPS against righties and is projected to face six of them in this seven-game week.
Batting Average
LaMonte Wade (1B, OF – SF): 9%
We already talked about how San Francisco has eight games this week. LaMonte Wade might get on base more than any player in the league over the next seven days. He always bats in the heart of this lineup, posting a .308 average, a .433 on-base percentage (OBP) and a .852 OPS this season. His ability to get on base should have him rostered everywhere, but Wade is amazingly available in nearly every league out there. Wade is one of the best waiver wire options when searching for average, but he’s a must-roster player if you play OBP.
Steals
Jose Caballero has been dropped in numerous leagues over the last few weeks because he only has one steal over his last 17 games. We’re willing to overlook that because this speedster had 24 steals through his first 64 outings. That was the third-highest total in baseball at the time. He should have plenty of opportunities this week since Tampa plays seven games versus pitching he can exploit with Toronto ranked 25th in ERA and wOBA while the Reds send out two lefties to oppose the Rays. Caballero has a .752 OPS against left-handers and should have plenty of chances to swipe some bags this week.
ERA
Albert Suarez (SP – BAL): 28% (at MIA, vs. SD)
It’s hard to understand why the fantasy community has been disrespecting Albert Suarez. Baltimore has done an excellent job of churning out starters recently and Suarez has been a revelation. The righty is pitching for the first time since 2017, but he has a 2.82 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in a bounceback campaign. He’s also allowed two runs or fewer in all but four appearances and should keep that streak going against these teams. Miami ranks 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA, while San Diego should only be projected to score four runs in Baltimore without Fernando Tatis Jr.
Strikeouts
Jon Gray (SP – TEX): 27% (vs. CWS, at TOR)
Jon Gray has been on and off the waiver wire all season, but that’s strange since he was one of the best pitchers in the opening two months. The righty had a 2.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through his first 11 starts and was only dropped because he allowed 17 runs across two starts after an IL stint. We expect him to return to that early-season form in these matchups because Chicago sits last in nearly every offensive category, while Toronto ranks 22nd in wOBA and 25th in runs scored. Facing offenses like those should lead to Gray recording double-digit strikeouts despite having a subpar strikeout rate.
WHIP
Jordan Montgomery (SP – ARI): 48% (at KC, vs. PIT)
This might look strange when you look at Jordan Montgomery’s season-long numbers, but he is better than his stats indicate. The lefty had a 3.34 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over the previous two years and was starting to get going before a knee injury sent him to the IL. Montgomery had a 2.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in his three starts before suffering that knee injury against Minnesota. We’re willing to bet he carries that form over in these two matchups, with the Royals ranked 23rd in runs scored over the last 30 days, while Pittsburgh sits 25th in strikeout rate, 24th in OBP and 27th in wOBA for the season.
Wins
Michael Lorenzen (SP – TEX): 23% (vs. CWS, at TOR)
Texas has been a disappointment this season, but we still trust that they’ll finish strong. Michael Lorenzen is one of the guys who should help them get above .500, providing a 3.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. More importantly, he’s thrown at least five innings in all but three starts since the beginning of last season, which is the threshold you need to grab a win. He could be in line for two wins against these offenses because Chicago sits last in every offensive metric while Toronto is 21st in wOBA and 25th in runs scored. That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising if Lorenzen is a favorite in both of these matchups, likely entering the White Sox matchup as a -200 favorite.
Saves
This is one of the only questionable closer situations out there because Jordan Romano is going to be out for at least a month. That’s led to Chad Green taking over the ninth inning, recording four saves over his last eight appearances. He also has a 2.00 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, pitching the ninth inning exclusively since Yimi Garcia also went on the IL. Garcia did return and there’s a chance he might get some save opportunities. Both players need to be rostered until we know more.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
