Here is The Game Day’s Week 14 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top Free-Agent Pickups. Set these key Week 14 MLB Pickups for your waiver wire list this weekend.
Week 14 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top Pickups
Carlos Carrasco, SP, New York Mets (57% rostered on Yahoo!)
Sometimes, rules are made to be broken. When looking over player availability on Yahoo!, I was flabbergasted to learn Carlos Carrasco’s dipped under 60% rostered. Usually, I refrain from including anyone on more than half of Yahoo! rosters. Carrasco’s an exception, as his upside can change the outcome of pitching matchups in head-to-head leagues. That could have a seismic impact on league outcomes if he’s back in typical form by the fantasy baseball playoffs.
The New York Mets acquired the supremely talented righty in the blockbuster trade for Francisco Lindor. However, he’s spent the entire season on the injured list, tending to a torn right hamstring. It’s been a start-and-stop process. However, he resumed throwing about a week ago.
Carlos Carrasco has resumed his throwing program: pic.twitter.com/QzPgClxobb
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 16, 2021
A timetable for return hasn’t come into focus yet. Still, Carrasco’s a high-upside, priority stash — especially in head-to-head leagues, where even an August return could pay sizable dividends.
- Carlos Carrasco Waiver Wire Tip: Carrasco’s worth a 15-20% FAAB bid in roto leagues, and he’s worth a 20-25% FAAB bid or higher if you’re hoarding FAAB in head-to-head formats.
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Tejay Antone, SP/RP, Cincinnati Reds (47%)
Tejay Antone has routinely appeared in this space. He was reinstated from the injured list on Tuesday, and he earned a win retiring two of the three batters he faced that day. For the season, he’s been nothing short of brilliant, often being deployed as a muti-inning relief ace. He has managed to snag three saves along the way.
He may be presented more save opportunities in the wake of an injured list trip for Lucas Sims. Sims is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with an elbow injury. So the door’s open for Antone to be used in a more traditional closer role, and he’s talented enough to run away with the job.
However, manager David Bell could still opt to use him in high-leverage situations earlier in the hopes of the ninth presenting a less challenging situation to a lesser reliever.
- Tejay Antone Waiver Wire Tip: The sky’s the limit for Antone if he’s able to add saves to his glowing contributions in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, making him worthy of a FAAB bid in the 30-35% range.
Jonathan India, 2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds (44%)
Jonathan India’s bat came alive in the middle of May with a trip to Colorado. In 149 plate appearances between May 13 and June 22, he slashed .295/.419/.459 with 19 runs, five homers, 15 RBIs, and five stolen bases, per FanGraphs. Beyond the eye-catching box-score numbers, he’s also notably walked in 15.4% of his plate appearances and struck out at only an 18.8% clip.
India’s hot bat has helped him ascend to the top of the lineup for the Cincinnati Reds. Don’t expect the bat to cool off next week. The Reds play a full complement of seven games next week, and all of them are at their hitter-friendly home park, Great American “Small" Park. The Reds have performed like a well-oiled machine at home, ranking fourth in wRC+ (122), second in ISO (.215), and first in wOBA (.357) in home games.
- Jonathan India Waiver Wire Tip: Gamers should be willing to pony up a FAAB bid in the 20-25% range to add India to their roster.
C.J. Cron’s Colorado Rockies play 7 home games this coming week, making Cron a tantalizing fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 14. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Week 14 MLB Waiver Wire: Sleeper Pickups (6-15% FAAB)
- C.J. Cron, 1B, Colorado Rockies (44% rostered)
- Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers (45%)
- Ross Stripling, SP/RP, Toronto Blue Jays (28%)
- Shane McClanahan, SP/RP, Tampa Bay Rays (40%)
- Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners (38%)
- Kolten Wong, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers (31%)
- Michael Fulmer, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers (31%)
- Steven Duggar, OF, San Francisco Giants (20%)
- NEW - Luis Arraez, 2B, Minnesota Twins (17%)
The Colorado Rockies are home for seven games next week. C.J. Cron’s feasted at home this season, hitting .299/.385/.607 with eight homers, 20 runs, and 24 RBIs in 122 plate appearances. Cron’s hit well enough to have staying power beyond next week’s homestand.
Tarik Skubal and Logan Gilbert are back again this week. I’m lumping them in this section rather than suggesting bidding more aggressively because Shane McClanahan and Ross Stripling are also widely available, and they’re all roughly in the same tier. Since May 24, McClanahan’s 4.03 ERA brings up the rear. Still, he’s struck out 29.5% of the hitters he’s faced, and his 3.23 SIERA is the best of the group. The worst SIERA in the group during that stretch is Gilbert’s 3.67 SIERA. So stick in the same bid for each of these hurlers, and be delighted with whoever you land. For clarity, though, I have them listed in my order of preference.
Kolten Wong is a nice alternative for those unwilling to or unable to snag India. In 203 plate appearances this year, he’s produced 28 runs, six homers, 19 RBIs, and five stolen bases while hitting .281/.340/.459 and sitting atop the order for the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee’s offense isn’t as potent as Cincinnati’s, and their home park isn’t in the same hitter-friendly tier as GABP. Still, he’s a viable middle infield option in 12-team mixers that can chip in across the board.
Here’s your weekly reminder. Even closers on bad teams save games, and Michael Fulmer is the closer for the Detroit Tigers. He’s recorded Detroit’s last two saves. He’s allowed two earned runs (both in one appearance) on five hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts in four appearances spanning four innings since returning from the injured list. Fulmer’s nails working in relief, recording a 2.73 ERA, 2.68 SIERA, 1.22 WHIP, 5.4 BB%, 31.3 K%, 29.9 CSW%, and six saves in 20 appearances spanning 26.1 innings.
Steven Duggar survived the roster crunch with players returning from the injured list for the San Francisco Giants. The left-handed-hitting outfielder sat when the Giants faced southpaw Andrew Heaney on Tuesday night, but he’s been a mainstay down the order against righties. He’s earned his spot in the lineup, hitting .325/.385/.577 with 25 runs, six homers, 22 RBIs, and five stolen bases. After back-to-back weeks in the Depth/Streamers section, the time’s come to bump him up to this section.
NEW - Luis Arraez returned from the injured list on June 14, recording an out in a pinch-hit appearance. Otherwise, he’s been his usual high-average self, hitting .371/.395/.600 in 38 plate appearances. He offers nearly nothing in the homers and stolen base categories. However, he moves the needle in batting average and can chip in runs and RBIs.
Week 14 MLB Waiver Wire: Depth & Streamers (0-5% FAAB)
- NEW - Wilmer Flores, 1B/2B/3B, San Francisco Giants (15% rostered)
- Myles Straw, SS/OF, Houston Astros (18%)
- Abraham Toro, 3B, Houston Astros (11%)
- Caleb Smith, SP/RP, Arizona Diamondbacks (15%)
- Keston Hiura, 1B/2B, Milwaukee Brewers (33%)
- NEW - Alejandro Kirk, C, Toronto Blue Jays (4%)
NEW - Wilmer Flores has raked since being reinstated from the injured list on May 29. In 70 plate appearances since rejoining the San Francisco Giants, he’s totaled 13 runs, four homers, and 10 RBIs while hitting .328/.371/.594 in 70 plate appearances, with gaudy batted-ball numbers. Ride his hot streak, and enjoy his three-position eligibility.
The Houston Astros are scheduled to play seven games next week with drool-inducing pitching matchups. Alex Bregman is a few weeks from returning, awarding Abraham Toro a path to continued playing time at the hot corner in the interim. Myles Straw was bumped up to the top of the order for Thursday’s game, with Jose Altuve receiving a breather. However, he’s carved out an everyday role toward the bottom of the order. Both are excellent streamers for the forthcoming scoring period.
In five starts spanning 26.1 innings since returning to the rotation, Caleb Smith has spun a 2.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and punched out 24.8% of the batters he’s faced. His 12.8 BB% and 4.77 SIERA provide reasons for pessimism. However, he’s proven capable of working around his free passes when things are clicking in the past. Thus, he’s a short-term addition to see if things stick.
I whiffed on Keston Hiura entering the year. He’s stunk to the high heavens. He’s torched Triple-A pitching this year, though. Can he turn things back around in The Show? I remain skeptical. However, the cost of finding out is cheap for a guy who hit .266/.338/.505 with 81 runs, 32 homers, 81 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases in his first 594 plate appearances in the majors.
NEW -Alejandro Kirk is a top-shelf stash in two-catcher formats. The backstop’s bat is his calling card. He’s hit .281/.352/.516 in an admittedly small sample of 71 plate appearances in the bigs, adding four homers for good measure. He’s nearing a return from the 60-day injured, and he’s first eligible to be activated on Thursday, July 1.
After playing in some games at extended spring training, Alejandro Kirk is now in Trenton with #BlueJays’ triple-A team per manager Charlie Montoyo. He’ll play some triple-A games and Jays will “see how he does.” Eligible to return from 60-day injured list next Thursday, July 1.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) June 26, 2021
