Last week was one of our best showings of the season, with almost all our hitters going off. It’s usually easier to predict the pitchers throughout the season, but that’s becoming more problematic with how wacky these rotations have become. That’s why recommending two-start streamers is tricky, but it’s critical to land on a few of these guys to get a leg up on your competition. Next week’s article will be our last, so let’s finish things strong.
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.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 25)
Home Runs
Joc Pederson needs to be rostered in every league this week. This guy hits third for the highest-scoring team in baseball when they face a righty, and they have six of them on the schedule this week. The splits speak for themselves, with Pederson posting a .399 on-base percentage (OBP), .548 slugging rate (SLG) and .947 OPS against right-handers this year. He’s also got a .468 OBP and 1.084 OPS over the last 40 games and gets three games at Coors against a Rockies team that ranks last in ERA and WHIP.
RBI
Rowdy Tellez has quietly turned his season around for the Pirates, hitting fifth whenever they match up with a righty. That’s a massive bump this week because Tellez is expected to tussle with seven righties in this seven-game week. That means we might get a rare full week of games for Tellez, which is tremendous since he has a .286 batting average (AVG), .496 SLG, and .829 OPS since June 2. It’s no scary group of pitchers, facing a shorthanded Cincy team and a St. Louis staff that sits 20th in xwOBA.
Runs
We always try to find a leadoff hitter for this section, and Masyn Winn is a sneaky option for St. Louis. The shortstop has been a sneaky source of batting average and runs all season, hitting .275 this year. His ability to get on base as a leadoff hitter should have him rounding the bases in this favorable seven-game week. Not only does he have seven home games, but he also faces struggling staffs like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Winn doesn’t have to face Paul Skenes, Jared Jones or Tanner Bibee for those teams either.
Batting Average
We had Matt Wallner in this section last week at 15% rostered. It’s hard to believe he hasn’t even bumped above 20%. This guy has been raking for months, posting a .299 AVG, .379 OBP and .977 OPS across his last 43 outings. Almost all that damage has come against righties, which looks even better since Wallner is projected to face six right-handers this week. The slugger has a .273 AVG, .393 OBP and .961 OPS against righties throughout his career.
Steals
Victor Robles has developed into a must-roster player since joining Seattle. The speedster has a .396 OBP over his last 51 games, recording 24 steals in that span. He’s been even more ridiculous recently, recording 11 steals over his last 16 fixtures while providing a .544 OBP and 1.154 OPS in that stretch. He should be rostered universally because of that stretch, but there’s no better source for speed on your waiver wire right now.
ERA
David Peterson (SP – NYM): 54% (vs. WAS)
The Mets always seem to churn out solid starters every season. David Peterson is another one of them. The lefty hasn’t allowed more than four runs in any of his 18 starts, generating a 2.98 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. The sub-3.00 ERA is what we really care about because Peterson has a favorable start at home. Citi Field has been a top-three pitcher’s park for three years, with Peterson posting a 2.80 ERA there since the start of last season. Washington is a wonderful matchup, sitting 23rd in runs scored and 24th in xwOBA.
Strikeouts
Reid Detmers (SP – WAS): 23% (vs. CWS, at HOU)
Riding a pitcher like Reid Detmers in the final few weeks is horrifying, but he has a ton of upside. The lefty started the year with a 1.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11.9 K/9 rate through the opening month but was sent to the minors after a miserable eight-start stretch. The good news is he appears to have recaptured that early-season form, totaling a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13.5 K/9 rate in two starts since his call-up. That makes the Chicago matchup one of the best of the season, with the White Sox ranked last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. If he throws 10 innings, Detmers should record at least 10-12 strikeouts behind his 10.6 K/9 rate.
WHIP
Matthew Boyd (SP – CLE): 50% (vs. MIN, at STL)
Matthew Boyd has been an impressive pitcher at times throughout his career, and he’s found something since coming off the injured list (IL). The lefty has allowed just one run in five of his first six starts, sporting a 2.18 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 rate. That sub-1.00 WHIP is less surprising since Boyd had a 1.23 WHIP between 2018 and 2022. That makes him a fantastic streamer in a two-start week, and these matchups with Minnesota and St. Louis aren’t too shabby. The Cardinals rank 24th in runs scored, while Boyd has a 1.10 WHIP in 23 career starts against Minnesota.
Wins
Albert Suarez (SP – BAL): 31% (vs. SF, vs. DET)
Predicting wins is one of the most challenging aspects of fantasy baseball, but this is a pretty profitable spot. The Orioles have been one of the best teams in baseball, and they’ll always be heavy favorites at home. Albert Suarez has been no slouch either, amassing a 3.39 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He’s also allowed three runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts while posting a 3.23 ERA and 1.24 WHIP at home this season. The matchups are solid, too, with San Francisco sitting 19th in runs scored and Detroit ranked 24th in wOBA and 28th in OBP. Don’t be surprised if he’s a -200 favorite in both of these.
Saves
Clay Holmes collapsed as the Yankees’ closer, forcing the hand of Aaron Boone. He removed Holmes from that gig. Luke Weaver looks next in line after being the set-up man for the entire season. The righty has picked up a win and two saves across his last four appearances, posting a 1.26 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 rate since August 10. That’s in line with his 3.09 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 rate for the year, which should have him in line for a few saves over the closing two weeks.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.