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Players to watch and target on the waiver wire. Chris Doyle identifies fantasy baseball free agent adds for various leagues in Week 4 of the 2018 MLB season.
Every Monday we’ll be checking in on some names to keep an eye on and add to your watch list. Some may require quick action while others are simply options to keep in mind down the road.
We're still in the very early stages of the season but every bit of additional data helps.
Here's who you should be watching this week on the fantasy baseball waiver wire, for week three of the 2018 season:
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Players to watch in 10-team leagues
Tyson Ross (SP, SD): 5% owned
Ross has the ownership percentage of someone who appears like a deep league target, but this is a sneaky-good pitcher who really could be a viable option in even the shallowest of leagues very soon. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning Friday at Arizona and struck out 10 while walking three and sits at a 2.81 ERA (3.23 FIP, 3.22 xFIP) through 25.2 innings. Ross was fantasy gold in 2014 and 2015 throwing nearly 200 innings each season and finishing with ERAs of 2.81 (3.11 xFIP) and 3.26 (3.15 xFIP), respectively. He may not be on your list for much longer if he keeps this up.
Dustin Pedroia (2B, BOS): 19% owned
He’s not what he once was, but Pedroia can still hit and get on base. If he returns in May healthy he’ll have plenty of chances to score atop a potent Red Sox lineup. If you’re in need of some help in the average or runs department or in your middle infield slot you could do a lot worse.
Willie Calhoun (OF, TEX): 14% owned
Rangers GM Jon Daniels came out this week and said Calhoun wasn’t yet ready for the majors, which is precisely why it’s a good time to add him to your watch list (if he’s not already on there). Calhoun already has the ability to hit at the big league level, he simply needs show improvement in his outfield defense before being considered for a call up. The hype train will be off the tracks once that promotion is announced, so it’s best to be following him closely. If he goes on a hot streak at the plate it may force Daniels’ hand sooner than expected.
Steven Matz (SP, NYM): 39% owned
Matz has had trouble staying healthy but when he’s right, he’s effective. He’s had issues with the long ball this season (2.45 HR/9) but that’s destined to come down eventually. His 3.28 xFIP (4.42 ERA) bodes well for some ERA regression as well. Finding starters on the waiver wire who strike out more than a batter per inning with respectable ratios are rare. Be ready to act.
Players to watch in 12-team leagues
Jeremy Jeffress (RP, MIL): 1% owned
Jeffress could find himself in the mix for saves if he maintains his hot start (0.77 ERA, 63.3 GB%). Milwaukee has had a tough time finding a closer in the wake of Corey Knebel’s injury, so Jeffress is worth a watch.
Denard Span (OF, TB): 2% owned
Span is getting on base at a .369 clip despite a .259 average because of his ability to take a walk. His 13.8 BB% is well above his career 8.6% which bodes well for his stolen base potential (he’s 2-for-2 so far). He won’t sustain his RBI pace (17 in 17 games) but he’s still got double-digit homer and steal potential and is someone to watch for now in case you need a back-end outfielder as an injury replacement.
Brandon McCarthy (SP, ATL): 10% owned
The 34-year-old McCarthy has turned back the clock thus far with wins in three of his four starts and a tidy 2.91 ERA (3.44 xFIP). His peripherals look similar to his 200 inning 2014 season in terms of ground ball percentage (52.6% in 2014, 50.0% in 2018) and strikeout rate (7.88 K/9 in 2014, 7.48 in 2018). He’s a back-end starter if he stays healthy.
Trevor Cahill (SP/RP, OAK): 0% owned
Cahill headed back to Oakland in the offseason after an up-and-down 2017 and was excellent in his first start last Tuesday. The righty struck out eight over seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks in the process. Cahill was excellent through 11 starts last season with San Diego (3.35 xFIP, 10.29 K/9, 56.8 GB%) before getting hurt, and he struggled in 10 games with the Royals after being dealt prior to the deadline. Cahill also has dual-position eligibility which gives him extra value. See how he looks his next time out.
Francisco Liriano (SP/RP, DET): 11% owned
He’s one of the more volatile arms in the game, but when he’s on he’s a fantasy asset. Liriano struck out seven over five frames last Tuesday and punched out six in 5.1 innings Sunday, allowing three runs on two hits and four walks. He has a 3.13 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through four starts as he tries to re-establish himself as a legitimate starter.
Players to watch in deeper leagues (14-team or AL/NL only)
Jesus Aguilar (1B, MIL): 1% owned
It’s tough to recommend Aguilar in anything more than the deepest of leagues due to his lack of regular playing time. He’s got Eric Thames ahead of him at 1B and a logjam in the outfield (which pushes Braun to first at times), so regular at-bats are tough to come by. There’s no denying his hitting ability, though. After his pinch-hit, game-winning homer Saturday he’s hitting .419 with a 1.131 OPS in 35 plate appearances. He mashes lefties, too. Monitor very closely.
C.J. Cron (1B, TB): 3% owned
Cron is not likely to be a person of interest in standard or shallow leagues but he’s quietly putting together a nice start to the season that could see him holding value in deeper formats. The 28-year-old bashed three homers over the weekend and continues to hit the ball hard (42.0% hard hit) and in the air (46.0 FB%). A cheap power source to keep an eye on.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (2B/LF): 0% owned
Gurriel likely won’t have much impact early on due to playing time inconsistencies, but he’s started well with a 3-RBI game in his MLB debut against the Yankees. He’s been in the starting lineup three straight games to begin his big league career, so the Blue Jays may have no choice but to keep rolling him out there if he continues to produce.
Joey Wendle (2B, TB): 1% owned
Looking for a really cheap source of power and speed? Wendle has been a double-digit homer and steal guy in the minor leagues and he’s finally getting a chance to play regularly in the majors at age 28. Wendle went 3-for-4 with a triple and a pair of runs scored Saturday and is showing increased patience at the plate with a 11.5 BB%.
Adam Cimber (RP, SD): 0% owned
San Diego is a place where players can often go under the radar and that could be the case for Cimber. The 6’4 righty has thrown 15 innings out of the bullpen already and has struck out 19 batters. His 2.40 ERA is solid, but his 1.21 FIP and 1.62 xFIP hint at even better things to come. He has given up a couple of runs in his last two IP but his usage bears watching. Even if he stays clear of the late innings he could be a valuable strikeouts source in the mold of a Chris Devenski.
Other players to watch:
Michael Kopech (SP, CWS): 11% owned
Mike Soroka (SP, ATL): 1% owned
Luiz Gohara (SP, ATL): 9% owned
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, PIT): 8% owned
Ryon Healy (1B/3B, SEA): 8% owned
Notable updates from last week's list:
Miles Mikolas (SP, STL) - Mikolas threw his second straight quality start Sunday, firing seven innings of one-run ball with six punchouts. He’s at 3-0, 3.46 with a 20:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio through four starts.
Stephen Piscotty (OF, OAK) - Piscotty was hitting .333/.375/.571 for the week with five runs and five RBI before another multi-hit performance Sunday. He’s officially heating up.
