AL-Only and NL-Only: Deeper Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13 (2024)

June 16, 2024

Dave's AL-only and NL-only fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 13 (2024). These are deeper league free agents to add from June 17 through June 23.

Welcome RotoBallers to our AL-only and NL-only deeper fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 13 -- June 17 through June 23. The waiver wire can be difficult to navigate. Knowing who to add and when is a game within the game of fantasy baseball. Doing this in a mono league where the player pool is half the size of a full league makes it even more challenging. Every drop and add is significant.

One of the keys to success with roster management is opportunity. A player given the chance to get on the field and produce is one of the first signs of potential. After all, they can't accumulate statistics if they're sitting on their team's bench. These opportunities can arise because of either a promotion from the minor leagues, an injury to another player, or simply because the team has moved on from another player. Whatever the case may be, these players are now given a chance to shine.

It's important to note that these players are on a short leash to see if they can produce. If they don't, then they can be dropped for the next man up. All that being said, here are some of the best players with opportunities.

Spencer Schwellenbach - SP, Atlanta Braves

6% owned

This season hasn't gone as planned for the Atlanta Braves. They've lost key pieces from their successful 2023 season and have had to make it up elsewhere on the roster. One such place has been their rotation, where the team has tried to stop their opponents from scoring runs in order to help their struggling offense do just enough for a win. While most of their starters have done an admirable job all season, it's the backend of their rotation that could use some stability. They may have found some in rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, who gets another chance to do the job for the Braves this week.

Spencer Schwellenbach of the @Braves pitched well against the Orioles yesterday (6IP 4H 2ER 2BB 3K). His splitter, thrown 13 times, did not result in a single hit and won our Starting Pitcher Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/j8x85ae04H

— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) June 13, 2024

After two mediocre starts to his career, Schwellenbach came back with a resounding effort against a red-hot offense in Baltimore. He limited them to just six base runners over six innings of work while striking out three. The aforementioned splitter has yielded a .125 BAA all season and has been a weapon for him resulting in a 46.7% whiff rate. Pairing that with a nasty slider, he offers two additional pitches that can put away batters. It's his fastball that hasn't been effective and is something that he has thrown less and less each game. This week he gets the Tigers at home, which is the perfect opponent to keep his momentum rolling.

Cavan Biggio - 1B/2B/3B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

3% owned

The Dodgers made a small splash last week, trading for Cavan Biggio after he was released by the Blue Jays. The move makes sense for the Dodgers while Max Muncy is out injured, and to help give Mookie Betts a chance to play elsewhere in the field and potentially give him some rest. As such, there's a good chance that the team will give Biggio a shot right away to see what they have.

Cavan Biggio with his first hit with the Dodgers and dad is not impressed pic.twitter.com/Auqps0lQiI

— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) June 13, 2024

This week the Dodgers play four games at Colorado, and this is a prime spot for him to make a good impression. While he's struggled for years to mimic anything close to his debut season with the Blue Jays, he's always had a good eye at the plate with the ability to elevate the ball and get on base. He's not a power hitter by any means, but he does have an opportunity to shine this week for a very smart and hands-on organization.

Cade Povich - SP, Baltimore Orioles

7% owned

Cade Povich arrived with the Baltimore Orioles just in time to not only make an impact but likely stick with the big league team. With injuries to the rotation, the Orioles are in desperate need of a healthy arm to pitch for them. Last time around, Povich threw six innings of shutout baseball, limiting the Braves to just five hits while inducing 14 swings and misses.

Cade Povich in his 2nd start in the big leagues

6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks,
6 strikeouts, 89 pitches

The Orioles might have another Ace for the Future 👀 pic.twitter.com/xJcdQJ9RgM

— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) June 13, 2024

The biggest knock on Povich is that he typically walked a lot of batters in the minors. While his Triple-A 14.7% walk-rate in 2023 was reduced to 9.1% this season, he still wound up giving up four free passes in his major-league debut. His last outing was a masterpiece, however, as he nibbled the corners of the strike zone and significantly limited the damage. The warning here comes in that his next outing is at the Yankees, where this could all come crumbling down. However, if you want to take a chance on a high-rated prospect who has already produced, you may want to add him now, since the price may never be lower. He does have some season-long appeal here too, if you're able to overlook his next outing.

Jose Miranda - 3B, Minnesota Twins

5% owned

The Twins' lineup is starting to break through with an offensive onslaught. This past week alone, they scored 26 runs in a three-game series at Coors Field before continuing to produce against the Athletics. One of the reasons for their success all season has been the resurgence of Jose Miranda, who has come through time and again.

Jose Miranda gets the Twins some insurance!! pic.twitter.com/exIG2zvxZW

— Twins Central (@TwinsCentral1) June 12, 2024

Miranda worked hard in the offseason after recovering from surgery on his shoulder. He said himself that he came into this season with a fresh new mindset to put last season's health woes behind him, and he's done so thus far. He's already doubled last season's home run total and is sitting at a career-high in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. He is listed here a week later than he should have been. There was some concern about where he would fit into the lineup because of a returning Royce Lewis. It's evident that his bat and abilities are going to keep him in the lineup regardless of who else is there.

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