Here is The Game Day’s Week 10 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top Free-Agent Pickups. Set these key Week 10 MLB Pickups for your waiver wire list this weekend, then follow along with our full fantasy baseball tips page all MLB season.
Week 10 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top MLB Pickups To Target
Week 10 MLB Waiver Wire: Top Pickups
Nick Madrigal, 2B, Chicago White Sox (43% rostered on Yahoo!)
Nick Madrigal’s game is tailor-made for table-setting, and he’s done so with some consistency against lefties, regularly hitting second for the Chicago White Sox. However, with Tim Anderson dealing with a thumb injury, he was slotted atop the lineup against a righty on Wednesday, directly in front of Adam Eaton, and a southpaw on Thursday.
Eaton was out of Thursday’s lineup with hamstring soreness, and he’s struggled at the dish this year, hitting .199/.310/.346. Could he get Wally Pipped if Madrigal hits in his opportunity atop the order? I think it’s possible.
The left-handed-hitting, contact-oriented second baseman’s hit .301/.345/.404 this year, striking out in only 6% of his plate appearances. He’s hit just one homer and added one stolen base. Still, his batting average, which is a robust .317 through his first 277 plate appearances in the majors, can move the needle. Additionally, claiming one of the top two spots in the order would award him massive run-scoring upside.
- Nick Madrigal Waiver Wire Tip: You don’t need to break the bank to add Madrigal, but a 15-18% FAAB bid could pay off handsomely if he cements himself in the second spot in the order against righties in addition to his two-hole duties against lefties.
Michael Fulmer, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers (42%)
Michael Fulmer’s in this space for back-to-back weeks. Typically, I’ll drop a player featured as a top free-agent pickup down to one of the lower categories in the subsequent week. The thinking is, if he’s still available, you can probably add him for cheap.
That’s not necessarily the case with Fulmer, as he added another save (his fourth of the year) since I suggested him last week. Kev Mahserejian lists Fulmer as the closer in the Week 9 Fantasy Closers: Bullpen Depth Chart News & Baseball Saves Tips. I’m inclined to agree.
According to FanGraphs, Fulmer’s dazzled to the tune of a 2.70 ERA, 2.71 SIERA, 1.00 WHIP, 4.8 BB%, 30.1 K%, and 29.1 CSW% in 14 relief appearances spanning 20 innings this season.
- Michael Fulmer Waiver Wire Tip: Fulmer’s been electric in the bullpen, and he’s worthy of a FAAB bid in the 25-30% range.
Tony Gonsolin, SP/RP, Los Angeles Dodgers (41%)
If you heeded my advice a few weeks ago and nabbed Tony Gonsolin when I suggested stashing him with a 6-15% FAAB bid, kudos to you. If not, you’ll have another chance. However, it’s likely going to cost you a larger FAAB bid.
Gonsolin’s return is on the horizon. He made his first rehab start at the Triple-A level on Sunday, holding the opposition scoreless in three innings on one hit, zero walks, and three strikeouts. According to MiLB.com, he threw 30 of his 38 pitches for strikes.
Eric Stephen of SB Nation wrote before that start, Gonsolin’s expected to pitch two or three rehab games before he’s stretched out for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation. The young righty is a priority add, owning a 2.33 ERA, 4.09 SIERA, 0.89 HIP, 5.9 BB%, 24.9 K%, and 27.5 CSW% in 14 career starts totaling 69.2 innings.
- Tony Gonsolin Waiver Wire Tip: Gonsolin’s a player who should be universally rostered, and gamers should be willing to crack open the coffers and pony up 30-35% of their FAAB budget to claim him.
Soon returning from the injury list, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin should immediately join the rotation. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Week 10 MLB Waiver Wire: Sleeper Pickups (6-15% FAAB)
- Adbert Alzolay, SP, Chicago Cubs (30% rostered)
- NEW - Tyler O’Neill, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (41%)
- Tejay Antone, SP/RP, Cincinnati Reds (43%)
- NEW - Luis Garcia, SP, Houston Astros (37%)
- NEW - Shane McClanahan, SP/RP, Tampa Bay Rays (42%)
- Willie Calhoun, OF, Texas Ranges (12%)
- Joc Pederson, OF, Chicago Cubs (30%)
- Evan Longoria, 3B, San Francisco Giants (20%)
- Jurickson Profar, 2B/OF, San Diego Padres (31%)
Adbert Alzolay’s on a few more rosters, but he’s still grossly under rostered. He pitched his longest outing of the year in his last turn, holding the St. Louis Cardinals to two runs on five hits, zero walks, and six strikeouts in seven innings. He should be universally rostered.
NEW - Unlike a fellow member of MLB’s all-body-builder team Yandy Diaz, Tyler O’Neill is using his muscled-up frame to launch bombs. He’s already set a new single-season high with 10 blasts, launching a pair in his first two games off of the injured list. He’s also set a career-high with four stolen bases. The power and speed are his calling cards, making his high strikeout rate and accompanying batting average risk (he’s a career .235 hitter and batting .257 this year) worth stomaching.
NEW - Someone was getting moved to the bullpen with Framber Valdez’s return on Friday, and it ended up being Cristian Javier, not Luis Garcia. Garcia’s value as a starter remains intact. In eight starts totaling 40 innings this year, he has a 3.15 ERA, 3.69 SIERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.3 BB%, 29.0 K%, and 30.6 CSW%.
NEW - The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing to handle Shane McClanahan with kid gloves. However, he’s pitched at least five innings in three straight starts. Even as a five-and-dive starter, for the time being, he’s worthy of rostering in leagues as shallow as 12-team mixers with his 3.29 ERA, 3.15 SIERA, 1.13 WHIP, 6.5 BB%, 29.6 K%, and 34.4 CSW% in six starts totaling 27.1 innings.
Tejay Antone’s another mainstay in this space. At this point, though, you can likely get away with a smaller bid to add him if he’s still available. He hasn’t gone on a saves heater, so he’s essentially still the same multi-inning reliever with superb ERA, WHIP, and strikeout contributions he was a week ago.
Willie Calhoun is entrenched atop the order against righties, and he hit fifth the last time the Texas Rangers faced a southpaw. Both are fantasy-friendly lineup spots in an offense that’s in the middle of the pack, ranking 17th in wRC+ (96) this year. He’s striking out at a career-low 12.9% rate this year, and his batted-ball data’s responsible for a .290 xBA, significantly higher than his .262 batting average. I’m buying into positive regression.
Joc Pederson is a leadoff hitter as well, albeit a platoon one who’s routinely shielded from southpaws. The left-handed-hitting outfielder’s in a groove. Over the last 30 days, he’s slashing .343/.385/.543 with three homers and a palatable 21.8 K%.
Evan Longoria’s slashing only .217/.316/.337 over the last 30 days. Still, he’s retained his newfound plate discipline (12.6 BB% during that timeframe) and is continuing to lace the ball (44.1 Hard%). According to Baseball Savant, out of 308 players with a minimum of 50 batted-ball events this year, Longo ranks tied for 52nd in Barrels per Plate Appearance percentage (8.1 Brls/PA%), 57th in max exit velocity (113.2 mph), and sixth in fly-ball/line-drive exit velocity (99.3 mph).
Jurickson Profar’s versatility has helped him total 168 plate appearances on a loaded San Diego Padres team. He’s hitting .246/.343/.317 with only one homer, but it’s his speed that drives his fantasy baseball utility. He’s stolen nine bases in ten attempts. He’s also seen a value boost hitting first or second in his last six starts, most with outfielder Trent Grisham on the injured list. Grisham could be back next Tuesday, but Profar will continue to enjoy a value lift in the interim.
Week 10 MLB Waiver Wire: Depth/Streamers (0-5% FAAB)
- James Kaprielian, SP/RP, Oakland Athletics (30% rostered)
- Brendan Rodgers, 2B/SS, Colorado Rockies (7%)
- Brad Miller, 2B/3B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies (28%)
- Kyle Zimmer, RP, Kansas City Royals (3%)
I’m not fully on board the James Kaprielian bandwagon, as his 4.27 SIERA is only okay. However, I also can’t completely ignore three starts spanning 17.2 innings in which he’s recorded a 1.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 8.6 BB%, and 27.1 K%. Put in a small bid, but let them have him if someone is willing to bid more.
Brendan Rodgers made his season debut on May 21. He’s started five of seven games since his activation from the injured list. It remains to be seen how playing time will shake out, but he’s worth a small bid for a six-game homestand next week.
Brad Miller isn’t an everyday player. However, his versatility and above-average bat (.305/.365/.505, five homers, three stolen bases, and 140 wRC+) net him starts all over the diamond. He’s started five straight games, playing right field twice and getting single starts at second, third, and left field. He could be in line to continue finding his way onto the lineup card a little extra in the short term while Bryce Harper is on the injured list with a bruised forearm.
I think Kev nailed it, calling the Kansas City Royals closer situation a committee and pointing to Kyle Zimmer’s peripherals as grounds for speculating on him. I’ll piggyback his analysis by noting Zimmer’s ripped off a 1.89 ERA, 3.54 SIERA, 0.95 WHIP, 10.5 BB%, 28.7 K%, 50.6 GB%, and 30.2 CSW% in 29 relief appearances spanning 38 innings since last year.
(UPDATE: 5/29/2021, 5:30 p.m. ET: Josh Staumont was placed on the injured list on Friday, enhancing Zimmer’s chances of receiving save opportunities in the short term. If he handles the job with aplomb, he could run away with it the remainder of the year.)
After reading our Week 10 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire, make your pick for these Week 10 MLB pickups over at Monkey Knife Fight. Play DFS at MKF and get an Instant First-Time Deposit Bonus of up to $100 with the code “GAMEDAY”.
