Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 5

Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points league waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season, identifying free agents to add and pitchers to stream.

We'll be doing this roundup of point league happenings every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.

Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help.

These waiver-wire adds are for the week of April 26th-May 2nd, looking at players below 50% ownership for ESPN and Yahoo!

• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
• Daily MLB starting lineups
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
• Fantasy baseball injury reports

Know Your System

If you've read me even a little, you likely know what I'm going to say...You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Don't be fooled into believing you can just make rough adjustments in your head, bumping up guys with high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. Every point, in every category, counts.

For example, ESPN and Fantrax are virtually identical in their scoring for hitters and roster size. The only difference is that stolen bases are worth one more point on Fantrax and ESPN subtracts one point per strikeout. That's the difference between Ronald Acuna Jr. being a top-five hitter versus top-25.

If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.

For example, my home league started on a now-defunct platform before moving first to ESPN and is now at Fantrax. But our scoring is basically ESPN standard only with two points for stolen bases and a handful of other minor adjustments.

If you look above, you'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.

The following charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. Clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version. Players are ordered by their average points scored across the four platforms.

Waiver Wire Leaderboards

First Base

Must Adds

• Joey Votto, CIN - "Last call!...La-aaast call for old man Joey Votto!". Votto is somehow still just under 50% owned, even though he has an average platform ranking of 74th among all hitters and has now hit four home runs in the last 14 days. He only has a .312 wOBA (.403 xwOBA) but has a .400 wOBA, and 150 wRC+ over the last two weeks. By average platform ranking, Votto is the #12 first baseman, sandwiched between Jose Abreu and Rhys Hoskins.
• C. J. Cron, COL - If someone in your league has already given up on Cron after only two home runs and a .310 wOBA (.347 xwOBA) through his first 17 games, hop on over and get yourself rocky mountain high on some of that Cron(ic). Cron has shown recent signs of waking up, with both of his home runs coming in the past 14 days while posting a .335 wOBA and 97 wRC+. Still, not exactly great. But Cron still smashes lasers and plays his home games in baseball's biggest hitter's paradise. One hot streak and that 40% ownership is rocketing right back up.

Can Adds

• Jesus Aguilar, MIA - Aguilar is still worth picking up if you need a plugin for your corner-infielder but he has slowed down considerably over the last 14 days. Over his last 11 games (46 PA), Aguilar has one home run, with a .333 wOBA and 114 wRC+.
• Brandon Belt, SF
• Pavin Smith, ARI
• Bobby Dalbec, BOS

Desperate Adds

• Albert Pujols, LAA
• Mitch Moreland, OAK

Second Base

Must Adds

• Jurickson Profar, SD - "Hi! I'm Jurickson Profar and I still get no respect even though I've started the last 19 games for the Padres and am the #77 hitter by average platform ranking. You should pick me up!". Profar is just one of those guys built for point leagues, posting lines that look very average in roto but score really well under most point systems. He has a .311 wOBA (.297 xwOBA) over his first 84 PA, with 11 runs, 6 RBI, and 3 SB, slashing .254/.366/.328. Impressive, no? But that line, along with a 1.0 BB/K that is 20th among qualified hitters, makes Profar the #11 second baseman by average platform ranking, coming in just ahead of Ozzie Albies, D.J. LeMahieu, and Brandon Lowe.
• Luis Arraez, MIN - Arraez is the #104 hitter according to average platform rank, although he has slowed down over the last two weeks, posting a .304 wOBA and 96 wRC+. But he has continued to show elite plate discipline (1.2 BB/K over the last 14 days) and still has an elite hit tool. That's enough to grab in most leagues, especially considering the dumpster fire currently burning at the keystone.

Can Adds

• Jonathan India, CIN - The rookie started off hot but has nosedived over the last 14 days (41 PA), posting a .245 wOBA and 51 wRC+, with just one home run and a .147 AVG.
• Cesar Hernandez, CLE

Desperate Adds

• Josh Rojas, ARI
• Rougned Odor, NYY - I'm only putting him here as a ruse, in order to throw everyone off the scent. Me and Eric Samulski are getting that Odor hype train right back rolling again and we're bringing it to a town near you. It'll kind of be like the Power Team but instead of barnstorming across the country ripping phone books in half, we'll be socking Jose Bautista right in the jaw.

Third Base

Must Adds

• Evan Longoria, SF - From the creator of ignoring Joey Votto in point leagues, we now bring you Longoria being ignored even as he continues raking. Longoria is the #7 third baseman by average platform ranking, posting a .407 wOBA (.459 xwOBA) over  64 PA, with four home runs. He's slowed down some lately, with a .361 wOBA and 130 wRC+ over the past 14 days but keeps putting up steady production at yet another weak position.
• Maikel Franco, BAL - Even more ignored than Longoria, Franco comes in just behind him as the #8 third baseman by APR. Franco only has a .325 wOBA (.304 xwOBA) through his first 79 PA in his new Baltimore home but has heated up as of late. Over the last 14 days, Franco has a .302 AVG, .390 wOBA, and 156 wRC+, with two home runs and 11 RBI.

Can Adds

• Austin Riley, ATL - Riley is heating up lately, posting a .387 wOBA and 142 wRC+ over the last two weeks (44 PA), with an 18.2% K% and 15.9% BB%. I still worry about his long-term value but he's a nice fill-in while running hot.
• Phillip Evans, PIT - Evans started the season off crushing lasers but has started to fizzle. Over the last 14 days, Evans has a .298 wOBA and 88 wRC+ and is starting to fade from CI consideration.
• Jeimer Candelario, DET
• Yandy Diaz, TB

Desperate Adds

• Travis Shaw, MIL - Don't look now but Shaw has recently turned back into a Travis Shaw-shaped pumpkin, as news of his revival seems to have been greatly exaggerated. Over his past 51 PA, Shaw has a .272 wOBA, 70 wRC+, with a .191 AVG and 30% K%.

Shortstop

Must Adds

• None. Zip. Nada.

Can Adds

• Miguel Rojas, MIA - When you post a 1.67 BB/K over the last two weeks, you might be useful in points. Rojas has a .380 wOBA and 144 wRC+ over that time but also plays for one of baseball's worst offenses.
• Freddy Galvis, BAL - Galvis is the #116 hitter by APR (#13 SS) but has mashed enough over the last two weeks to justify an add while he's hot. Since April 10, Galvis has a .351 AVG over 41 PA, with a .450 wOBA and 197 wRC+.

Desperate Adds

• Everyone else. Shortstop on the wire is kind of a mess.

Outfield

Must Adds

• David Peralta, ARI - Why is Peralta on the wire a must-add? Mostly because he's the #36 hitter (hitter, not outfielder) by APR, slashing .268/.342/.465 to start the year, with a .340 wOBA. Not overly impressive in total but over the last two weeks, Peralta has been on fire. He has a .412 wOBA and 159 wRC+ over his last 48 PA, with two home runs, 10 runs, 14 RBI, and is currently the #12 OF by APR.
• Justin Upton, LAA - Like the aforementioned Peralta, boring Justin Upton is being needlessly ignored. He's the #91 hitter by APR and has a .430 wOBA and 184 wRC+ since April 10.
• Adolis Garcia, TEX - The 28-year-old rookie has been positively on fire since moving into an everyday role on April 13. Garcia has a .421 wOBA and 177 wRC+ over his first 43 PA, working himself up to the #116 hitter by APR, in half the time as the rest of the list. He doesn't walk (4.7% BB%) and strikes out a whole mess (32.6% K%) but when you hit five home runs in your first 10 games, we should probably pay attention.

Can Adds

• Avisail Garcia, MIL
• Raimel Tapia, COL
• Austin Slater, SF
• Andrew Benintendi, KC

Desperate Adds

• Tim Locastro, ARI
• Jordan Luplow, CLE

Catcher

Must Adds

• Carson Kelly, ARI - For seemingly the first time this season, we have some viable catchers on the wire! Kelly has been blistering hot, hitting five home runs in his last nine games, posting a .542 wOBA and 242 (not a typo) wRC+ and coming in as the #33 overall hitter by APR. That's right; Carson Kelly.
• Omar Narvaez, MIL - Narvaez continues his renaissance in Milwaukee, currently clocking in as the #97 overall hitter by APR. Since April 10, Narvaez has a .403 wOBA and 154 wRC+ over 35 PA, only hitting one home run but posting a .367 AVG.

Can Adds

• Jacob Stallings, PIT - What Stallings lacks in upside, he makes up for in playing time. His 61 PA are the 7th-most by a catcher and his 17 games are the third-most. Sometimes a low-budget compiler is just what you need behind the dish.

Desperate Adds

• All catcher adds are desperate adds.

Starting Pitchers

Two-Start Options

Relief Pitchers

Keep in mind that with relievers, points scored can be deceiving. Most scoring systems make it pretty difficult for even the best non-closers to score elite points, making them very reliant on unpredictable wins. You simply need the save points to really do damage.

One note about ownership; because ESPN uses nine open pitching slots, as opposed to dedicated slots for RP/SP, relievers tend to be lighter owned than on other sites.

Must Adds

• Josh Staumont, KC - This is still speculative but Staumont seems to be gaining a hold on the Royals closer job, getting the save on Saturday night after handling the ninth with a four-run lead the night before. After striking out two of the three batters he faced on Saturday, Staumont still only has a 22% K%, but don't be fooled. He has elite stuff, posting a 33% K% in 2020. The job isn't yet his but he needs to be added just in case Kansas City is ready to put Greg Holland out to pasture.
• Kendall Graveman, SEA - Graveman seemed to be getting a grip on Seattle's closing job, picking up back-to-back saves last week, even with Rafael Montero available. But the job is still shuffling and Graveman hasn't gotten a save opportunity since, while Montero has. However, Montero still looks shaky while Graveman keeps locking down high-leverage situations and has still only allowed one hit in his 8.2 IP, posting a 34.5% K%. This feels like its only a matter of time.

Can Adds

• Giovanny Gallegos, STL
• Garrett Whitlock, BOS

More Points Leagues Analysis