Tim Kanak | Sat, Aug 31st 2024, 11:58am EDT

Fantasy Baseball Roundup: News, Injuries, Waiver Wire & Prospects

Welcome back to the best weekly column on the internet, as we enter week 23 of the fantasy baseball season. (sorry, I know it’s been a couple of weeks, but the updated Top 150 Prospect rankings column was a monster).

The goal of this column for us to give you the most fantasy baseball-relevant information all in one place for a variety of league types to hopefully be your one stop shop, or at least the shop you have to hit on the way to all the other shops for fantasy baseball information from news, to lineup and roster notes, injury updates, waiver recommendations for different lead types, prospect rankings, moves we made and a weekly deep dive into something relevant.

Fantasy Baseball Roundup

I hope you enjoy! Please subscribe to the Fantasy Aceball podcast and follow me on Twitter @fantasyaceball for more fantasy goodness!

Fantasy Baseball Lineup & Roster Notes

Baltimore Orioles:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Eloy Jimenez is starting at DH and hitting sixth.
  - It should be noted Gunnar Henderson has slowed down a bit over the last month, hopefully he picks it back up soon.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Zach Eflin is returning to the rotation this weekend, so it will be interesting to see if Cole Irvin is knocked out of the rotation or someone else.
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Boston Red Sox:
- Lineup Notes:
  - It’s strange Cedanne Rafaela is still hitting ninth, he’s been very good this year.
  - I messed up bad this year trading a cheap Jarren Duran for a more expensive Lars Nootbaar at the beginning of the season.
- Rotation Notes:
  - The Red Sox pitching has really fallen off over the last month, which isn’t much of a surprise considering all of the injuries they have dealt with this season.
- Pen Notes:
  - No update.
Chicago White Sox:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Andrew Benintendi is hitting third and has a 162 wRC+ with a .259/.355/.593 slash line over the last month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - It’s a mess – avoid.
Cleveland Guardians:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Jhonkensy Noel has worked his way into being a full-time starter, hitting sixth with a .264/.338/.603 slash on the season with a 161 wRC+ and 12 homers in 44 games as a 22-year-old. The power is legit and he has 1B/3B/OF eligibility in yahoo leagues.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Gavin Williams has been solid lately, while Alex Cobb is returning this weekend.
- Pen Notes:
  - Why wasn’t I drafted Emmanuel Clase as the RP1 this year?
Detroit Tigers:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Parker Meadows has a .321/.353/.568 slash with a 156 wRC+ and hitting leadoff this month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Ty Madden is in the rotation and was actually pretty bad in his first start, despite surviving against a bad White Sox team. I would avoid him in the playoffs.
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Houston Astros:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are burying how good Yordan Alvarez has been this year. Alvarez has a .390/.490/.732 slash line and 237 wRC+ over the last month.
  - Alex Bregman has also had a strong month hitting .330/.370/.607 with a 166 wRC+ getting back into the three hole now that he’s healthy again.
  - Kyle Tucker is project to possibly return next week.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Spencer Arrigheti has arguably been the best starter in baseball over the last month with a 30.1 K-BB% and 2.60 SIERA – as I have been pounding him in my top pickups for weeks.
- Pen Notes:
  - No update.
Kansas City Royals:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Looks like Salvador Perez will be playing first with Vinnie Pasquantino out for the year.
  - Bobby Witt Jr. is still hot with a .324/.395/.686 slash and 189 wRC+ this month.
  - The only injury worth mentioning this week is Vinnie P, who is out for the season with a broken thumb.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Ignore Brady Singer’s 5.53 ERA, he has a 2.88 SIERA and 21.8 K-BB% over the last month.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Los Angeles Angels:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Nothing new.
- Rotation Notes:
  - The Angels called up Caden Dana and Samuel Aldegheri to pitch in the rotation this weekend, it should be interesting to watch.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Minnesota Twins:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Matt Wallner has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last month with a .290/.424/.609 slash line this month and 191 wRC+. He also now has an over 1.000 OPS on the season over 51 games.
  - Royce Lewis has had a rough couple of weeks, but hopefully he bounces back soon.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
New York Yankees:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Sounds like Jasson Dominguez will be up next week.
  - Aaron Judge is ridiculous with a .415/.556/.927 Barry Bonds slash line this month with a 293 wRC+… the next highest is Yordan at 237.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Carlos Rodon has been the Yankees best pitcher this season despite only mediocre numbers. He has a 18.8 K-BB% and 3.90 SIERA over the last month.
- Pen Notes:
  - No update.
Oakland Athletics:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Lawrence Butler has been insane this year, but with his contact rates he might be the 2024 Nolan Jones – so be careful next year in drafts. He has a .255/.313/.503 slash with 19 homers and 12 steals in 100 games.
  - JJ Bleday has fully broken out and has a .295/.380/.557 slash and 168 wRC+ on the month.
  - Jacob Wilson is back in the lineup and hitting ninth.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Seattle Mariners:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Nothing worth noting.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Bryce Miller is fifth in K-BB% this month at 28% with a 2.77 SIERA.
  - Logan Gilbert is sixth at 26.1% with a 2.85 SIERA.
  - Bryan Woo is sixteenth at 22.2% with a 3.29 SIERA.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Junior Caminero is hitting third in the lineup already and Josh Lowe is hitting fifth.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - Pete Fairbanks is likely out for the season. Edwin Uceta should be the closer, he’s really good.
Texas Rangers:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Corey Seager has had an underrated great season with a .293/.336/.677 slash with a 176 wRC+ over the last month and he now has 30 bombs on the season.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Nate Eovaldi has been great this season and has continued it this month with a 22.4 K-BB% and 3.26 SIERA.
  - I’ve been talking about Andrew Heaney as a solid flier all season and he’s done it again this month with a 19% K-BB rate and 3.69 SIERA this month.
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Toronto Blue Jays:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Vlad Guerrero Jr. has quietly fixed his power swing and has a .379/.464/.705 slash with a 223 wRC+ (good for third in baseball) over the last month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Bowden Francis has a 29.7 K-BB% (second in baseball) and 2.67 SIERA over the last month.
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Joc Pederson has been great this year, what a good buy for the D Backs. He has a .295/.476/.623 slash and 202 wRC+ this month (fourth in baseball).
  - Jake McCarthy’s hot streak is over.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Ryne Nelson is still rolling with a 24 K-BB% and 3.11 SIERA on the month.
- Pen Notes:
  - Justin Martinez is closing and he’s pretty solid, throwing over 100 MPH with a near 30% CSW and an over 17% K-BB rate.
Atlanta Braves:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Marcel Ozuna continues to roll with a .337/.397/.567 slash with a 163 wRC+.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Chris Sale is third in baseball with a 28.3 K-BB%, tied with teammate Spencer Schwellenbach this month. Schwellenbach has the better SIERA at 2.57 vs. 2.61.
- Pen Notes:
  - No update.
Chicago Cubs:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Ian Happ is hitting .267/.365/.556 this month with a 155 wRC+ putting up a good season since June.
  - Seiya Suzuki has been very good when healthy this season with a .304/.375/.533 slash and 149 wRC+ over the last month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Justin Steele is hot right now with a 24.1 K-BB rate and 3.00 SIERA.
- Pen Notes:
  - Jorge Lopez is closing for the Cubs.
Cincinnati Reds:
- Lineup Notes:
  - N/A
- Rotation Notes:
  - Rhett Lowder made his debut Friday with 6 Ks, 4 BB and 1 R in 4 innings.
- Pen Notes:
  - Nothing new.
Colorado Rockies:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Blah
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Los Angeles Dodgers:
- Lineup Notes:
  - N/A
- Rotation Notes:
  - Jack Flaherty has continued doing his thing with a 22.1 K-BB% and 3.42 SIERA over the last month.
  - Gavin Stone has bounced back this month with a 21.8 K-BB% and 3.34 SIERA.
- Pen Notes:
  - Even Phillips with the save yesterday, so it looks like it’s just a committee at this point.
Miami Marlins:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Jake Burger has had a nice renaissance over the second half and has a .294/.381/.637 slash with a 174 wRC+ over the last month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - Calvin Faucher is the closer.
Milwaukee Brewers:
- Lineup Notes:
  - William Contreras has had a great season as a catcher with a .301/.398/.634 slash and 180 wRC+ this month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Colin Rea is usable down the stretch with a 20.8 K-BB% and 3.74 SIERA this month.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
New York Mets:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Francisco Lindor has been ridiculous since May and has a .330/.370/.580 slash with a 166 wRC+ the last month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Sean Manaea has been under the radar ridiculous the last month with a 25.2 K-BB% and 3.02 SIERA.
  - Luis Severino has also had a nice bounceback season and has a 21.8 K-BB% and 3.31 SIERA.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Philadelphia Phillies:
- Lineup Notes:
  - N/A
- Rotation Notes:
  - Zack Wheeler is a stud and has a 26 K-BB% and 2.94 SIERA.
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
Pittsburgh Pirates:
- Lineup Notes:
  - N/A
- Rotation Notes:
  - Jared Jones is back!
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
San Diego Padres:
- Lineup Notes:
  - How is David Peralta doing it? He is hitting .329/.393/.566 with a 170 wRC+ this month.
  - Jackson Merrill has been absolutely ridiculous and keeps getting better. He’s hitting .311/.354/.667 with a 177 wRC+ this month.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - N/A
San Francisco Giants:
- Lineup Notes:
  - N/A
- Rotation Notes:
  - Blake Snell is back to being Blake Snell with a 25.4 K-BB% and 3.13 SIERA this month.
- Pen Notes:
  - Camilo Doval is back, but Ryan Walker is really good and seems to have taken the closer role by storm. He has a 27.9 K-BB% on the season with a 2.29 SIERA.
St. Louis Cardinals:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Tommy Pham was released and Jordan Walker was called back up, he is supposed to get full time playing time finally.
- Rotation Notes:
  - Sonny Gray has been good with a 21.9 K-BB% and 3.31 SIERA against a 4.50 ERA this month.
- Pen Notes:
  - Ryan Helsley is leading baseball in saves with 41.
Washington Nationals:
- Lineup Notes:
  - Dylan Crews is hitting seventh, but could quickly move up the lineup as he has gone 5/16 with 2 homers, 4 XBH and a steal already since coming up.
  - James Wood is hitting .318/.423/.511 with a 163 wRC+ this month, good for 19th in baseball.
- Rotation Notes:
  - N/A
- Pen Notes:
  - No update.

Tim’s Top 5 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Adds (12 Team Leagues)

NOTE: Under 50% Owned (CBS)

OF Matt Wallner (Twins) 27% – Wallner is no longer a platoon bat and is hitting .275/.402/.609 with 10 homers in 51 games and has been insane since coming back on July 7th. The K rate and swinging strike rate is still terrible, but the power has been good enough to make up for it as he’s looking like a prime Joey Gallo.
1B/3B/OF Jhonkensy Noel (Guardians) 49% – Big Christmas has brought presents early this year as he has a .264/.338/.603 slash and has similar strikeout problems to Wallner, but he makes such hard contact with 13 homers in 45 games on the season now and a near 116 max EV.
SS Jacob Wilson (Athletics) 27% – Wilson has insane contact tools and just got back from injury after hitting .396 at AAA. If you need to make up for batting average, add Jacob Wilson.
SP Ryne Nelson (Diamondbacks) 40% – Since July 1st, Ryne Nelson has a 20.4 K-BB%, 2.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.
SP Caden Dana (Angels) 9% – Dana makes his big league debut on Sunday. I’m not sure what to expect with him jumping from AA to the bigs as a 20-year-old, but he has some good stuff, is very efficient and has been good at limiting hard contact in the minors. He’s worth a flier.

Tim’s Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Prospects

1. OF Jasson Dominguez (Yankees)

2024 AAA: .299/.351/.453 | 6.8 BB%, 18.9K% | 12 XBH, 4 HR, 13 SB (34 games)

Age: 21
ETA: Early September

fScores: 104 fContact, 78 fDiscipline, 119 fPower, 147 fSpeed

Comp: Switch hitting Mookie Betts-light

Prime Skills: Dominguez has top notch plate skills, while also demonstrating he can be a game changer on the base paths. He smashes pitches high in the zone from both sides of the plate, but needs to work on lifting pitches low in the zone instead of smashing them into the ground. He was doing a good job of this before the injury at the major league level in 2023.

2. 2B Matt Shaw (Cubs)

2024 AAA: .254/.389/.441 | 13.9 BB%, 18.1 K% | 5 XBH, 3 HR, 3 SB (18 games)

Age: 22

ETA: Early 2025

fScores: N/A (need AAA statcast data)

Comp: Jonathan India with more speed

Prime Skills: Really great plate approach with above average power and speed. Should be one of the better second basemen in the majors sooner, rather than later and has the power and speed combo to put up some 20/20 type seasons.

3. SP Tink Hence (Cardinals)

2024 AA: 74 1/3 IP | 25.5 K-BB%, 16.1 SwStr%, 31.2 CSW% | 2.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP

Age: 21

ETA: September 2024 (cup of coffee)

fScores: N/A (need AAA statcast data)

Comp: Dylan Cease

Prime Skills: Tink has some serious ride on his fastball (but not Espino ride) that averages in the mid 90s – guys swing under it a lot. The curve is pretty sick and to counter the riding fastball, guys swing over it a lot. He has to work on the consistency of his third and fourth pitches to achieve his top of the rotation potential.

Honorable Mention: 1B Deyvison de los Santos (Marlins), C Agustin Ramirez (Marlins), 2B/OF Luisangel Acuna (Mets), SP Quinn Mathews, OF Owen Caissie (Cubs), OF Colby Thomas (Athletics)

Fantasy Baseball Moves I Made This Week

- CBS Memorial Magazine League (12 Team 5×5 Roto):
  - N/A
- CBS NL Only Analyst League (12 Team 5×5 Roto):
  - N/A
- TGFBI (15 Team 5×5 Roto):
  - N/A

- Fantasy Aceball Invitational (16 Team Ottoneu H2H Points):

- - Added $1 SS/3B Jose Tena for $1 Tommy Pham
  - Added $1 RP Matthew Liberatore for $1 Michael Grove

- Ottoneu Podcaster’s League (12 Team Ottoneu 5×5 Roto):

- - N/A

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