We have made it through another week of action and are now in the second half of the season. At this point, it is all about playing the hot hand and having great matchups in the coming weeks. We are nearly two-thirds of the way through the season, so there will be a few players to track due to injuries, increased playing time, streaming starting pitchers and some new closers.
I highlight a few players to target each week in your weekly free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) process and fantasy baseball waiver wire. 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 19
Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
Hitters
Rostered: 57%
Suggested Bid: 21%
After a cold spell, Colton Cowser has been red-hot coming out of the All-Star break. He entered Friday riding a 14-game hitting streak in which he was hitting .385. Cowser has hit four home runs with 13 runs scored and 13 RBI while recording two stolen bases as the leadoff hitter for the Orioles. He’s making great contact with a 15% barrel rating and 47.5% hard-hit rate. Cowser should be rostered in all formats.
Rostered: 55%
Suggested Bid: 14%
After a rough first half of the season, Jake Burger has woken up at the plate since the All-Star break. Entering the weekend, Burger had hit safely in 10 out of 13 games for a .326 batting average. More importantly, Burger’s power has returned with five home runs, a .391 ISO and a 1.132 OPS. Burger’s power is supported by outstanding quality of contact metrics, as he’s barreling the ball 17.6% of the time with a 58.8% hard-hit rate since the break. Burger needs to be rostered in all formats.
Rostered: 30%
Suggested Bid: 6%
In a fantasy world with so many disappointing fantasy catchers, Austin Wells is proving he’s worth rostering in most formats. With Jose Trevino on the injured list (IL), Wells has become the primary catcher for the Yankees and has taken full advantage of the opportunity. Since the All-Star break, Wells has hit .316 with two home runs while walking 16% of the time and striking out 18%. He’s barreling the ball 12.5% of the time with a 43.8% hard-hit rate. The production has also moved Wells into the cleanup spot. He’s currently playing as a top-10 fantasy catcher.
Pitchers
Spencer Schwellenbach (SP – ATL)
Rostered: 52%
Suggested Bid: 26%
Spencer Schwellenbach had a great July, which locked him into the Braves rotation. In four July starts, he allowed six earned runs over 26 innings and recorded 28 strikeouts. He had a great 2.08 ERA and 2.95 SIERA to go with a 27.8% K-BB rate. He backed up his July production with seven strong innings on Friday night, where he allowed three runs and struck out 10. Schwellenbach has become more than a streamer and should be rostered in most formats.
Rostered: 49%
Suggested Bid: 6%
Brayan Bello has figured things out of late. He has allowed 11 earned runs over his last four starts for a 4.18 ERA and 3.97 SIERA. Bello has 21 strikeouts over 23.2 innings pitched for a 15.2% K-BB rate. He has three quality starts over his last four starts, proving he can be utilized in the right matchups going forward.
Rostered: 25%
Suggested Bid: 23%
There are always winners and losers after the trade deadline. Hayden Birdsong is a big winner. With Alex Cobb traded to Cleveland, Birdsong will re-join the Giants’ rotation and should stick around for a little while. Birdsong has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five July starts for a 2.45 ERA and 3.56 SIERA. Birdsong has struck out 33 over 25.2 innings pitched for a solid 20.2% K-BB rate. Birdsong is a top priority this week if you need starting pitching.
Closers
Rostered: 45%
Suggested Bid: 11%
Many thought Chad Green would be traded at the deadline, but that did not happen. As a result, Green remains locked in as the Jays’ closer. Since taking over as the Jays’ closer in July, Green has a 2-1 record with five saves. He has allowed three earned runs over 13.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. The Jays may struggle to pick up wins, but when they do, Green should be the man on the mound in the ninth.
Rostered: 7%
Suggested Bid: 14%
Gambling on Rockies closers is never fun, but Victor Vodnik has taken over that role and has been quite solid. In July, Vodnik collected four saves and two wins with a 2.51 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 14.1 innings. It’s usually a wild ride rostering a Rockies closer, but Vodnik has been good enough to deserve a roster spot on most fantasy rosters.
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