Welcome to The Game Day’s weekly Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report, which features a detailed breakdown of the latest free agent recommendations.
This column will feature a description of each player provided, including recent performance and upcoming matchups. Since league formats can vary, I will include a description of where it’s best to pick up each player instead of FAAB projections.
The only players included on this page are those rostered in less than 35% of Yahoo! leagues.
So without further ado, let’s get right into the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire report for Week 13.
Stats included in the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report are as of Sunday, June 23 at 4 p.m. E.T.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top Pickups
Catchers
Shea Langeliers (33%)
Shea Langeliers provides you with high-end power at the catcher position, hitting 14 home runs this year. The A’s catcher has mostly hit in the five-spot, giving him RBI opportunities.
Patrick Bailey (25%)
Patrick Bailey has gone 10-for-25 (.400) with four runs and two homers in his last six games. The Giants catcher has mostly hit in the three spot, giving him a lot of upside for counting stats (R+RBI).
Ben Rice (22%)
Ben Rice is eligible at catcher in Yahoo! formats despite playing first base for the Yankees. The rookie has hit safely in four of six games since being called up to the big leagues.
Corner Infielders
Matt Vierling (32%)
Matt Vierling is eligible at 3B and OF. The Tigers leadoff hitter deserves to be rostered in more leagues, especially deeper formats.
Mark Vientos (31%)
Mark Vientos has a .771 OPS in June, starting in 11 of his last 12 games for the Mets. This is a young hitter with some power, so give him a shot if you need homers.
Carlos Santana (29%)
Carlos Santana has been scorching hot this month, slashing .333/.408/.619 with four home runs and two stolen bases. Ride the wave while he’s rolling.
Josh Bell (28%)
Josh Bell is slashing .294/.339/.453 with a 120 wRC+ since May 1. The veteran plays every day and could find himself on the move to a contender at the deadline.
Noelvi Marte (25%)
Noelvi Marte is set to return to the Reds on June 27. However, it’s worth noting that he’s struggled on his rehab assignment so far, slashing .156/.156/.178.
Jose Miranda (8%)
Jose Miranda has been quite good in June, putting up a .318/.375/.576 slash with three home runs in 20 games. It wasn’t too long ago that Miranda was highly touted, so give him a shot.
Middle Infielders
J.P. Crawford (28%)
J.P. Crawford has remains in this article because he’s still not rostered in enough Yahoo! leagues. This is a leadoff hitter who has hit safely in five of his last six games.
Paul DeJong (19%)
Paul DeJong has gone .247/.295/.521 with six home runs in June. The veteran shortstop now has 11 homers since May 1. Pick him up in a deeper league if you need some power.
Luis Garcia (17%)
Luis Garcia has homered twice with one steal in his last three games. It’s been a cold month for Garcia, but he was solid in April and May, so perhaps he’s getting back on track.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (16%)
Isiah Kiner-Falefa can be deployed at 2B, 3B, SS, OF in Yahoo! leagues. The veteran is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, which has moved him to the leadoff spot for the Blue Jays.
Colt Keith (9%)
Colt Keith is on a five-game hitting streak, which includes a 4-for-5 game with one home run on Sunday. Perhaps the rookie is finally starting to find his footing in MLB.
Spencer Horwitz (5%)
Spencer Horwitz homered twice for the Blue Jays on Sunday. The rookie has hit in the one or two spot atop the lineup, so there’s some upside for counting stats here.
Outfielders
Wilyer Abreu (34%)
Wilyer Abreu is back in the lineup for the Red Sox. Pick him up if he was dropped in your league, but understand that he’ll be on the bench vs left-handed pitchers.
Chas McCormick (27%)
Chas McCormick went off for two homers and one steal on Saturday. The Astros outfielder has started in five of their last seven games, so pick him up in what looks like a hot streak.
Jose Siri (18%)
Jose Siri has three homers in his last 12 games. This is a streaky hitter, so you want to hop on this train at the right time, which appears to be right now.
Miguel Andujar (18%)
Miguel Andujar is hitting .317 with two homers in 25 games with the A’s this season. The veteran has been a fixture in the three-spot, which is great news for his upside.
Jacob Young (16%)
Jacob Young three multi-hit games in his last seven. This is a player with 17 stolen bases on the season, so make sure to pick him up if you need speed.
Sal Frelick (12%)
Sal Frelick has started in eight consecutive games, so he’s a nice pickup in a deeper format if you’re looking for volume. The Brewers’ outfielder has two steals in his last seven.
Starting Pitchers
Jameson Taillon (29%)
Jameson Taillon is coming off his best outing of the season, where he allowed one run in seven innings with zero walks and 10 strikeouts. Taillon takes on the Giants this week.
Max Meyer (26%)
Max Meyer should be called back up to the Marlins sooner than later, especially with Braxton Garrett now on the injured list. Stash him, especially if you have an NA spot.
DJ Herz (15%)
DJ Herz has 18 strikeouts and zero walks across 9.2 frames in his last two starts. The Nationals’ lefty has a good matchup against the Padres, who struggle vs lefties.
- Read our Daily MLB Props to find out the best bets of the day.
Spencer Schwellenbach (14%)
Spencer Schwellenbach has a respectable 4.17 SIERA with two starts on tap this week: @ STL, vs PIT. While the game against the Cardinals is tough, the Pirates matchup looks good.
Griffin Canning (10%)
Griffin Canning has two terrific matchups this week: vs OAK, vs DET. While Canning has been inconsistent this year, it’s likely that we’ll see two quality starts here.
Kyle Hendricks (3%)
Kyle Hendricks has pitched 14.1 scoreless innings in his last four appearances out of the bullpen. The veteran will be starting for the Cubs against the Giants and Brewers this week.
Relief Pitchers
- Check out our Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings to help find out who could be the next hot pickup for saves in your league.
Find the top MLB player props
Want to bet on some of your favorite Fantasy players? Find our top odds for MLB player prop bets.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Tips And Strategies
Stay Ahead of the Pack
We will provide you with actionable advice on who to pick up on your fantasy baseball waiver wire each week, allowing you to get ahead of the competition.
It’s always a good idea to look ahead to each player’s schedule to pick up a player before he becomes a hot ticket item in your league.
Save your FAAB
If you’re playing in a FAAB league where you make bids on the waiver wire, make sure not to use up too much of your budget too early in the year.
You’re going to need every one of those dollars as you compete down the stretch. Saving money can allow you to get whoever you want when it comes to August or September.
Balance a Long-Term and Short-Term View
It’s important to balance between taking players who can have long-term value while also looking for short-term help.
You don’t want to always be looking for players who can stick on your roster. It’s also helpful to boost your stats with streamers who have great matchups.