Points League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 9

Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points league waiver wire pickups for Week 9 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 May 24th - May 30th, 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.

Waiver Wire Leaderboards

In addition to our overall waiver wire leaderboards, we're deep enough into the season that we'll also start doing a 14-day leaderboard, as well, giving us a window into recent production. The charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships. All leaderboards, overall and 14-day, are sorted according to the player's APR*, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.

*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)

First Base

Must Adds

• Andrew Vaughn, CHW - He's listed on the outfielder chart but Vaughn is definitely a must-add first baseman as long as he's playing every day.
• Brandon Belt, SF - Belt's numbers are down after being sidelined for five days but he continues to put up steady points performance at a position currently wrecked by injuries.

Can Adds

• Pavin Smith, ARI
• Bobby Dalbec, BOS
• Josh Fuentes, COL - Fuentes has been hot the last few weeks but goes on the road all week. But keep an eye on him because Colorado will return home in Week 10.

Desperate Adds

• The usual part-timers; Seth Brown, Matt Beaty, etc.

Notable IL

• Colin Moran, PIT
• Joey Votto, CIN
• Mitch Moreland, SD
• Evan White, SEA
• Christian Walker, ARI
• Ronald Guzman, TEX

Second Base

Must Adds

• Cesar Hernandez, CLE - Hey, he remembered how to hit! Hernandez is one of the few available bright spots at what has been a brutal position so far in 2021 and is currently being hit hard by injuries. Hernandez has posted a .353 wOBA in May, up from a .249 wOBA in April, and went 3-for-11 this weekend, with a home run, double, four runs, and two RBI.
• Kolten Wong, MIL

Can Adds

• Kike Hernandez, BOS
• Jed Lowrie, OAK
• Luis Arraez, MIN
• Josh Harrison, WSH

Desperate Adds

• Jonathan Schoop, DET
• Jonathan India, CIN

Notable IL

• Ty France, SEA
• Wilmer Flores, SF
• Christian Arroyo, BOS
• Tommy La Stella, SF
• Chris Owings, COL

Third Base

Must Adds

• Jeimer Candelario, DET - Another week, another far too low rostering of Jeimer Candelario, who is presumably available in over two-thirds of leagues because he plays for Detroit and has a hard-to-say name. But it's actually not that hard to say and even playing for the loathsome Detroit, he shouldn't be ignored. Even slowing down over the last two weeks (156 APR), Candelario is still clocking in as a top-100 hitter.
• Yandy Diaz, TB - Diaz's excellent plate discipline and high contact rate make him an ideal point-league compiler. With a 92 APR over the last two weeks, he's been a borderline top-100 hitter on most platforms.

Can Adds

• Evan Longoria, SF

Desperate Adds

• Travis Shaw, MIL
• Brian Anderson, MIA
• Maikel Franco, BAL

Notable IL

• Asdrubal Cabrera, ARI
• Phillip Evans, PIT 
• Edwin Rios, LAD
• J.D. Davis, NYM

Shortstop

Must Adds

• It took long enough but Miguel Rojas is finally over 50% rostered! So, nobody else. Ok, maybe one...
• Nico Hoerner, CHC

Can Adds

• Jose Iglesias, LAA
• Niko Goodrum, DET

Desperate Adds

• Ehire Adrianza, ATL
• J.P. Crawford, SS

Notable IL

• Paul DeJong, STL

Outfielder

Must Adds

• Avisail Garcia, MIL
• Willie Calhoun, TEX
• Alex Kirilloff, MIN - Back from a wrist injury, if Kirilloff has been dropped, snatch him up.

Can Adds

• Adam Duvall, MIA
• Josh Naylor, CLE
• Manuel Margot, TB
• Jordan Luplow, CLE
• Hunter Renfroe, BOS
• Joc Pederson, CHC
• Adam Eaton, CHW

Desperate Adds

• Corey Dickerson, MIA
• Justin Upton, LAA
• Michael A. Taylor, KC

Notable IL

• Kole Calhoun, ARI
• Tyler O'Neill, STL
• Jason Heyward, CHC
• Nick Senzel, CIN
• Aaron Hicks, NYY
• Brandon Nimmo, NYM
• Kevin Pillar, NYM

Catcher

Must Adds

• William Contreras, ATL - Little brother has started off by posting a 65 APR, with a .399 wOBA and .412. Even if he flames out, you have to try and ride that lighting at catcher for as long as you can.
• Jacob Stallings, PIT - Stallings has been an excellent compiler and continues to be far too low-owned. He's been the #9 catcher by APR, with a balanced .362 wOBA and .363 xwOBA.
• Mike Zunino, TB - Maybe you're missing it but Zunino just refuses to stop hitting monster bombs. He now has 10 home runs on the season and is the #12 catcher by APR.

Can Adds

• Tucker Barnhart, CIN
• Omar Narvaez, MIL

Desperate Adds

• All catcher adds are desperate adds.

Notable IL

• Alejandro Kirk, TOR
• Roberto Perez, CLE

Starting Pitchers

Two-Start Options

Must Add

• Rich Hill, TB - Hill has been on absolute fire, as of late, with a 0.98 ERA and 0.80 WHIP over his last five starts. He'll face the Kansas City Royals, who have just a .296 wOBA vs LHP in 2021. If he's still available, this might be your last chance to roster the ancient one.
• Yusei Kikuchi, SEA - Kikuchi would've been a must-add even before a late scratch on Sunday (under the weather) didn't make him a two-start pitcher this week. He still has a home run problem but Kikuchi has two pretty excellent matchups, first going to Oakland, who has a .308 wOBA vs RHP and 23.8% K%, before heading back home to face the woeful Rangers (.309 wOBA and 26.6% K% vs RHP).
• Mike Minor, KC - Minor stumbled versus the Tigers in his last start (6 IP, 4 ER, 8 K) but has a sneaky good matchup versus Tampa Bay. The Rays are a top-five offense versus RHP but are decidedly not so versus LHP. Their .294 wOBA vs LHP is the sixth-lowest in baseball, while their 30.8% K% is the second-highest.

Can Add

• Shane McClanahan, TB
• David Peterson, NYM - Peterson does have a two-start week but Atlanta has a .331 wOBA vs LHP (10th-highest), while Colorado has a .345 wOBA vs LHP (2nd-highest).
• Spencer Turnbull, DET - Turnbull gets a two-start week following his no-hitter but it's a mixed bag. Everyone loves facing Cleveland (.293 wOBA) but the Yankees have a .312 wOBA and have heated up, winning six in a row and 16-of-21 games in May.
• JT Brubaker, PIT - Getting a win from a Pirate is always dicey and Brubaker got blown up for seven runs in five innings by the Cardinals. But Colorado only has a .289 wOBA vs RHP (5th-worst), so if you're looking for a low-ceiling stream...
• Matt Shoemaker, MIN - Baltimore has a league-worst .282 wOBA vs RHP.
• Austin Gomber, COL - The Mets have a .289 wOBA vs RHP (6th-lowest).
• Cole Irvin, SEA - Irvin has been up and down but Seattle is absolutely horrible vs LHP. Their .272 vs LHP is the second-lowest and their 30% K% is the third-highest.
• Jake Arrieta, CHC - "At Pittsburgh" is about all you need to read.
• Chi Chi Gonzalez, COL - Wait!...Hear me out. Gonzalez has only allowed a total of two earned runs in his last two starts (13.1 IP) and the Mets are pretty terrible versus RHP, with a .289 wOBA and 87 wRC+.
• James Kaprelian, OAK - I have a soft spot for Kaprelian and don't want to risk jinxing him. But Seattle has a .286 wOBA vs RHP (2nd-lowest) and 25.8% K% (7th-highest).
• Jon Gray, COL - At Pittsburgh.
• Steven Matz, TOR
• Griffin Canning, LAA

Desperate Adds

• Spencer Howard, PHI - I love the stuff and love the matchup versus Miami (.287 wOBA vs RHP) but Howard continues to struggle with control and is unlikely to have more than a 3-4 inning leash.
• Tarik Skubal, DET
• Carlos Martinez, STL
• Antonio Senzatela, COL
• Trevor Williams, CHC - At. Pittsburgh.

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. AKA, when you see totally rando names hit the leaderboard (particularly the 14-Day one), it's probably because they happened to get a few wins and/or a lot of usage. If a reliever doesn't have an established role, tread carefully.

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 Add

• Michael Fulmer, DET

Can Add

• Jake Diekman, OAK
• Hansel Robles, MIN
• Jordan Romano, TOR

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