
Carson Kelly is a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 21 of the 2021 MLB season. Consider adding the C if he's a free agent in your leagues.
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 21% of leagues
ANALYSIS: Kelly was a hot commodity at the start of the season as he got off to a blazing start. He hit .338/.491/.613 with six home runs and 19 RBI over the first 28 games of the year before fracturing his toe in mid-May. He was activated in late May and struggled at the dish (.519 OPS over 77 plate appearances) before hitting the injured list again with a fractured wrist. He returned from that injury in late July and got off to a sluggish start but has hit .381/.435/.524 with three RBI over the last seven contests. Overall, the 27-year-old backstop is slashing .261/.386/.440 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, and 28 runs scored over 184 at-bats. He's been slow to regain his footing after missing so much time but he could get back on track next week.
The D-backs host the Phillies for three games before heading to the friendly confines of Coors Field for a three-game set. They'll face a few tough pitchers in Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez but Kyle Gibson shouldn't be too difficult of a matchup. Kelly has a .327 OBP with three home runs and 12 RBI against righties this season but he's excelled against left-handers. He's slashing .328/.474/.655 with five homers and 15 RBI over 76 plate appearances vs. southpaws. He gets a bump in OBP leagues but the Rockies series should be good for Kelly as he's shown career success against both Kyle Freeland (two home runs in nine at-bats) and Jon Gray (.286 BA/.375 OBP in seven at-bats). Despite his recent struggles, Kelly has a .259 xBA, .374 xwOBA, and .455 xSLG. He's also sporting a career-best 15.7% Walk Rate and 9.5% Barrel rate. He has a low floor but the catcher options on the waiver wire are pretty limited this time of year. You could do much worse.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Chandler Simpson - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Unlike many players currently in the minor leagues, Chandler Simpson has proven he can be a valuable fantasy player at the MLB level. In his time in the majors, he hit .285 with 19 stolen bases in 35 games. Unfortunately, being a valuable fantasy player […]

Brady House - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: The Nationals went viral on social media this week for making a fun call-up. They called up their bat dog from Triple-A. While this was very cute and should improve the vibes a little bit in Washington, I don't think Bruce the Bat Dog will help […]

Samuel Basallo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: Samuel Basallo might be the best hitter in the minors right now, and he has catcher eligibility. What more do you need to know (I know catcher is super deep this year, but still)? Basallo has been an age-to-level monster for the majority of his pro […]

Andrew Painter - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: Painter's last two starts don't give a ton of confidence that he is ready to be in the majors. It may not even be before the All-Star break before we see him, but that does not mean we are in stash territory. The good news is, […]

Colby Thomas - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: The A's continue to lose, and Colby Thomas continues to hit homers in Triple-A. The A's just got swept by the Angels, bringing their record to 26-44. While plays like Denzel Clarke's HR robbery can generate a spark for a team, the A's might need […]
Download Our Free Waiver Wire App
Like what you see? You can download our free fantasy baseball mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more waiver wire recommendations at every position, 24x7 player news, notifications, injury alerts & daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!

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