X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16 (National League)

Pierre Camus analyzes some National League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 16. These NL-Only targets can be sleepers.

The trade deadline looms and some teams have already begun making moves (really just Boston). Some NL-only options have now become AL-only options, so choose wisely in the coming days before making waiver moves if you are in a single league format. 

This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues, or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster. Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller offers the best Premium MLB Subscription - only $1.99 per week. All the tools you need to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Under-the-Radar Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, plus daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

National League Waiver Wire Targets

Hitters

Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B/SS, NYM) - 8% owned - Utility man extraordinaire Wilmer Flores has carved out a role for himself in the Big Apple during a season where the Mets will take the all the help they can get. Over the past month Flores is hitting .322 with six HR and 15 RBI. His ability to play every single infield position makes him a great fit in NL-only leagues. He isn't an everyday player, so he fills more of a utility role on fantasy rosters as well, but he has seen extended time at third base since David Wright was ruled out for the majority of the season.

Ryan Schimpf (2B/3B, SD) - 1% owned - On Wednesday, Schimpf hit his sixth home run in 73 at-bats, giving him an incredible .319 ISO. Schimpf will stick at second base as long as he is hitting, since the Padres have no other viable options at the moment. His average still sits at .219, but that's mostly a result of a rough start after his call-up in June. He is batting .295 is July and his power potential makes him a solid streaming option at either 2B or 3B in deep leagues. NL-only managers should have already taken note of him when his power surge began before the break.

Adonis Garcia (3B, ATL) - 2% owned - Garcia is still teasing fans and fantasy owners by flashing power every so often, including two homers since the All-Star break. Still, he is only up to seven HR and 28 RBI on the year. He is making better contact lately, with a .339 average in his last 15 games, but hasn't put together an extended hot streak this season. He may be worth streaming while he is hitting well, especially since he gets a four-game set in Coors Field starting today.

Ramiro Pena (2B/3B/SS, SF) - 0% owned - Pena isn't a huge offensive threat, but he has filled in for Matt Duffy and Joe Panik to the tune of .348/.377/.500 with nine RBI in 66 AB. Pena is a temporary stop-gap at best, but if you need someone who is multi-position eligible and won't hurt your average, this is a potential option. His run-scoring potential stems from the fact he plays on a quality team.

Tommy Pham (OF, STL) - 4% owned - Pham is a modest offensive prospect, hitting .258 over 11 minor league seasons and .263 in his Major League service time of three seasons. He is making the best of his chance since being recalled a few weeks ago and has three HR, five RBI in the last seven games. He is slashing .279/.354/.558 in July, although he just recorded his first stolen base of the year. He is best suited for the deepest of NL-only leagues.

A.J. Pierzynski (C, ATL) - 2% owned - It is with great reluctance that I put Pierzynski's name on here, but it was slim pickings this week. Tyler Flowers suffered a broken hand and will be out at least six weeks, meaning the Braves have no choice but to throw Pierzynski out there. He has responded well, with a modest seven game hitting streak and his first homer of the season on the 16th. He has a .294 AVG in July, but don't expect too much more.

 

Pitchers

Zach Davies (SP, MIL) - 24% owned - Davies continues to be undervalued this season and fantasy owners aren't buying into his success because of one rough outing against the Dodgers back on June 30th. Since then, Davies has only walked one batter and allowed two ER in his last 13.2 IP. He blanked the Reds for seven innings in his first outing after the All-Star break and now holds a 3.79 ERA on the season. His value is limited due to a modest 7.4 K/9 and six wins for a mediocre Brewers team. His ratios can help deep league owners, however, as he has shown no signs of wearing down yet.

Archie Bradley (SP, ARI) - 16% owned - Bradley keeps jumping in and out of fantasy relevance, as he is yet to display any sort of consistency. He may be getting there, as he has given up just three ER in his last two starts and has a 3.72 ERA in his last five starts. The lack of wins (3) is disturbing, but he strikes out nearly a batter per inning and has the potential to dominate when his control is on. If he can keep his pitch count down, he may be stretched out more in the second half and improve his chances at winning.

Brett Anderson (SP, LAD) - 1% owned - Maybe Anderson can be a better stash-and-play than teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu was. With Ryu, Clayton Kershaw and pretty much every Dodgers starter getting injured, they will gladly welcome Brett Anderson's impending return. He will likely need a couple more weeks, but a mid-August return is looking realistic. Anderson has a career 3.72 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a modest 5.8 K/9, making him relevant in NL-only formats, but not much else.

Edwin Jackson (SP, SD) - 0% owned - Well, that came out of nowhere. Edwin Jackson was called up as a desperation starter for the Padres after the Drew Pomeranz trade and promptly no-hit the Giants for six innings. His bid for a second no-no was quickly erased by a pinch-hit three-run homer, but Jackson still wound up with a quality start, if not the win. He has been successful in the past, but hasn't kept a sub-4.00 ERA as a starter since 2011. Jackson had a 5.91 ERA with Miami this year before being traded and a 7.93 ERA in the minors before being recalled, so tread carefully.

Mauricio Cabrera (RP, ATL) - 6% owned - Jim Johnson blew his third save chance of the year on Tuesday, which only improves Cabrera's outlook. Although the veteran Johnson is currently in the closer role while Arodys Vizcaino is on the disabled list, Cabrera may soon take over the reins if Johnson struggles again. The Braves have absolutely nothing to lose by giving their young arms a long look at this point. Cabrera may wind up with more saves down the stretch than Johnson or Vizcaino. He makes for a decent speculative add if you need saves and have the bench space.

Sergio Romo (RP, SF) - 9% owned - When Santiago Casilla gave away a 6-5 lead in the 10th inning against San Diego, it marked his fifth blown save of the year. Although a move may not be imminent, speculation is increasing about who the Giants could turn to down the stretch during a tough pennant race. Romo may be the best candidate, given his experience (80 career saves) and success this year (1.35 ERA, seven holds in eight games). If you are in a league that counts holds, you should add Romo anyway, but he is a strong handcuff add as a possible closer-in-waiting.

 

Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)

Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF