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 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 21
Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
Hitters
Rostered: 57%
Suggested Bid: 21%
Kerry Carpenter returned from the injured list (IL) this week and immediately reminded everyone of his fantasy relevance. Carpenter hit three home runs in his first two games, scoring three runs and five RBI. Before missing a few months due to a back injury, Carpenter hit .283 with eight home runs and 29 RBI over 50 games. Carpenter has a 17.9% barrel rate and 47% hard-hit rate on the season, proving the power is legit. Carpenter is one of the top-hitting adds this week for the four-category production he can supply the rest of the year.
Rostered: 20%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Joey Bart has been a brand new man since joining the Pirates. Since the All-Star break, he’s hitting .316 with five home runs, 12 runs scored, and 13 RBI. He’s barreling the ball 13% of the time with a 50% hard-hit rate. Bart is turning into the hitter most thought he would be when he was drafted as a top pick by the Giants. He makes for a great streaming catcher while he’s hitting this well.
Rostered: 16%
Suggested Bid: 7%
JJ Bleday is having a breakout season with the A’s. He’s swinging it so well that he now plays versus righties and lefties while hitting at the top of the A’s order. Bleday has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games for a .358 batting average. He has hit three home runs while scoring 11 runs, driving in three and stealing a base. Bleday is also showcasing strong plate discipline, walking 13.1% of the time while striking out 11.5% over the 15 games. The A’s play seven games next week, six versus right-handed pitchers, making Bleday an excellent stream for the week with the potential to stick on a fantasy roster while he’s swinging well.
Pitchers
Rostered: 37%
Suggested Bid: 8%
Nick Martinez has been working out of the Reds bullpen this season but is now transitioning into a starter. He’s made two starts for the Reds, throwing 12 shutout innings without a walk and striking out 12. He has an elite 28.6% K-BB with an 11% SwStr. Martinez faces the Jays next week and has a nice two-step the following week against the A’s and the Brewers. Martinez is worth adding now for his upcoming schedule.
Rostered: 16%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Martin Perez joined the Padres at the trade deadline and has been great over his three starts. He has allowed four earned runs over 18.1 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts. Since joining the Padres, Perez has made a significant pitch mix change, likely aiding his recent success. Next week, he has a two-step versus the Twins and Mets, making for an intriguing stream.
Rostered: 10%
Suggested Bid: 22%
Zebby Matthews was recalled this past week and made his MLB debut for the Twins. He threw five innings, allowing two runs and striking out five. He did walk a batter, but that carried over from the amazing control he showcased in the minors. Over 97 minor league innings, Matthews struck out 114 while walking seven. Matthews has a two-step this week versus the Padres and Cardinals. He’ll be one of the biggest pickups this week.
Closers
Rostered: 38%
Suggested Bid: 23%
First, it was Paul Sewald, then Ryan Thompson, and now it appears to be Justin Martinez as the closer in Arizona. Martinez has picked up three saves and a win in his last four appearances. On the season, he has a 1.89 ERA and 3.16 SIERA over 52.1 innings pitched with a 16.7% K-BB. Martinez has amazing stuff with some wonky control, but for now, he is the closer in Arizona, and that could lead to a lot of saves.
Rostered: 26%
Suggested Bid: 13%
Victor Vodnik has taken over closing duties and he’s been thriving. He has picked up seven saves over his last 13 appearances with a win and 13 strikeouts over 14 innings pitched. Vodnik has two losses over the 13 outings. It may be rocky for Vodnik, being a Rockies closer and all, but he’s the man with the role and can provide a handful of saves going forward.
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