We have just one month remaining in the regular season, and this is where the big bucks are made. I have as much invested as anyone in my season-long fantasy leagues, and you better believe I will be zoned in on these streamers for the final four weeks. More bizarre occurrences happen in these closing weeks than at any time all year, and it’s the most essential time to get these streamers right and get a leg on your competition. I’m trying to achieve that here, but it’s a challenging schedule to get a read on.
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 23)
Home Runs
We crushed it with Jhonkensy Noel in this section last weekend, and we’re going right back to the well with another slugger. Rhys Hoskins hasn’t been as dominant as he’s been in the past, but we’re talking about a guy with a .482 career slugging rate (SLG) and .234 ISO. Those are some of the best power numbers in the sport, with Hoskins recording at least 27 homers in four of the last five seasons.
He’s only a handful away from reaching that threshold again, and he looks likely to achieve it since he has 11 of those bombs over the last 41 games. Having six home games against St. Louis and Colorado only adds to his intrigue, with the Rockies ranked last in ERA and WHIP while the Cards are 22nd in xwOBA.
RBI
Ryan O’Hearn (1B, OF – BAL): 17 %
The O’s rank in the top 10 in every offensive category, and it’s because of platoon players like Ryan O’Hearn. That becomes enticing this week because the O’s are projected to face four or five right-handers this week. That should have O’Hearn batting fifth or sixth nearly every day this week, which is the prime spot for RBI behind all of these studs. We’re talking about a hitter who has a .284 batting average (AVG), .339 on-base percentage (OBP) and .801 OPS against righties since the start of last season. He also has a series against three White Sox righties, who rank 29th in ERA and WHIP.
Runs
Whit Merrifield (2B, OF – ATL): 31%
Whit Merrifield was a sneaky addition by Atlanta, putting him in their leadoff spot since his signing. The former top-50 player went 0-for-21 over the last four games, but he was unstoppable in his first 25 games with the Braves. Merrifield had a .427 OBP, .450 SLG and .877 OPS in 25 games before this mini-slump, and that’s why Atlanta put him in the best spot for runs.
Hitting ahead of all of these studs should make Merrifield a great bet for runs, especially since they face the Rockies and Blue Jays. Colorado is last in ERA and WHIP, while Toronto ranks 25th in ERA and 27th in xwOBA.
Batting Average
You might see Jorge Polanco’s .212 AVG and wonder what we’re thinking, but bear with me. We’re talking about a hitter who had a .276 AVG through the first eight years of his career. Something has happened in Seattle to crush that number, but we’re seeing glimpses of this guy getting out of it.
Polanco has a .240 AVG, .340 OBP and .808 OPS across his last 27 outings. Those are steps in the right direction, but we can’t overlook these matchups for Seattle. They are one of the only teams with seven games and face Oakland and St. Louis. We already discussed how bad the Cards have been, but the A’s also rank 24th in ERA, WHIP and wOBA.
Steals
Jose Caballero (2B, 3B – TB): 40%
It’s hard to understand why Jose Caballero is still available in over half of leagues. This speedster has been moving up in the Rays order since the trade deadline, batting fifth or sixth regularly for this team. He’s also started in eight of the last nine games and is one of the league leaders with 37 steals. He’s got 12 of those over his last 27 games and should be in line for a few since the Rays have seven games against all righties this week. Caballero has collected 31 of his 37 steals against right-handers this year.
ERA
Nick Pivetta (SP – BOS): 65% (vs. CWS)
This is such a brilliant spot for Nick Pivetta. This guy is always much better than his ERA would say, with the righty registering a 3.48 xFIP, 1.16 WHIP and 30% strikeout rate. That means his 4.61 ERA is due for some positive regression. A matchup with one of the worst teams ever is a great way to get that going in the right direction. Saying the White Sox are one of the worst teams sounds like hyperbole, but they rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. That was on full display when Pivetta threw seven scoreless innings in their only matchup this year.
Strikeouts
Osvaldo Bido (SP – OAK): 43% (vs. SEA, vs. DET)
Osvaldo Bido has quietly been Oakland’s best pitcher, and we certainly can’t fade him in two home matchups like this. Let’s start there because Seattle sits 26th in runs scored, 27th in OBP, 28th in wOBA and dead-last in strikeout rate, while Detroit ranks 21st in strikeout rate and 28th in OBP. That’s terrifying in a pitcher’s park like Oakland Coliseum, especially since Bido has a 1.55 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 8.7 K/9 rate across his last five starts.
WHIP
Cody Bradford (SP – TEX): 38% (vs. LAA)
Cody Bradford had one bad showing as a reliever earlier in the year, but he’s been unstoppable as a starter. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in all nine of his starts, sporting a 2.50 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in those games. That 0.81 WHIP is on par with some of the best closers in baseball, and it should continue in a home matchup with the Angeles, who rank 26th or 27th in runs scored, OBP and wOBA.
Wins
Albert Suarez (SP – BAL): 34% (vs. CWS)
This might be the worst week of two-start streamers we’ve seen, so we will bet on Albert Suarez getting the win in a home matchup with the White Sox. We have already talked about how Chicago is last in every offensive category, but they also have just 31 wins in what could be a historically bad season. That’s rough against a team like Baltimore, with the O’s likely entering every game of this series as a -300 favorite or higher. Suarez has been solid all season, too, tallying a 2.45 ERA and 1.15 WHIP at home.
Saves
Detroit didn’t have a closer in the middle months of the season, but they chose to go back to Jason Foley recently. This guy was a breakout when he had 11 saves through May 24, but only recorded four saves over the next three months. The good news is that he’s hot and back to getting all the saves in Detroit. Foley has four saves in his last six appearances and hasn’t allowed a run since August 1st.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.