1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

Time marches on, and with it the end of the 2019 fantasy baseball season grows nearer. With fantasy football kicking into high gear and many owners out of the running in baseball leagues, we can expect there to be fewer suitors for any waiver wire pickups moving forward. The owners who remain, of course, are […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

Week...20?! That can't be right, but somehow it is. With playoffs looming in head-to-head leagues, rotisserie formats barreling toward crunch time, and trade deadlines either near or already behind us, outmaneuvering your rivals on the waiver wire is of the utmost importance. Good thing you're reading this column. A reminder before we begin: This column […]

On The Value of Rankings

If you read my work last season, you may remember that 2018 was an uncommonly lean year in terms of personal fantasy success. Actually kinda hope you don't remember, because if you do that probably means I complained about it too often. Alas. Anyway, in reflecting on the root causes of these struggles, one of […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 19

It's frankly flabbergasting to find ourselves in August already, but here we are. With fantasy football kicking into high gear and many owners out of the running in baseball leagues, we can expect there to be fewer suitors for any waiver wire pickups moving forward. The owners who remain, of course, are generally of a […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 19

We're into August - the dog days of summer and the fantasy baseball season alike. The grind of a long season, along with the impending start of football, will siphon off the weak links in your league. That means less competition for waiver wire assets, but it also means that everyone still playing is in […]

Luis Robert (OF, CHW) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of leagues ANALYSIS: One of the top prospects in the game, Luis Robert has risen steadily through the ranks in 2019. He opened the year at High-A, and made an emphatic case for promotion with a 1.432 OPS, eight home runs, and eight stolen bases in just […]

Cavan Biggio (2B/OF, TOR) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cavan Biggio has amassed 230 plate appearances thus far in his rookie season, or roughly a third of a full campaign. At his current pace, given a full season's worth of playing time, he would put up a 25 HR/25 SB season and score […]

Kevin Newman (2B/SS, PIT) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Kevin Newman has been a pleasant surprise in a challenging season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The rookie shortstop slumped a bit at the plate in July, but is still hitting .312/.352/.430 overall with six home runs and nine stolen bases in 80 games. While […]

Joe Jimenez (RP, DET) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Shane Greene traded to Atlanta at the deadline, Joe Jimenez is likely to favorite for saves in the Motor City over the balance of 2019. The 24-year-old doesn't have great ratios (4.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) but has racked up 59 strikeouts in 42 innings, […]

Joint Fantasy Custody

As I've mentioned before, when I'm not managing my own teams or doing my best to help yours, I also do private consultations, either for drafts or season-long personalized advice. With one client, this is our third year working together on his weekly points league roster. The team is two games up on its closest […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

Another week has come and gone, and suddenly August is within view. Is it me, or has this season simply flown by? With the dog days looming, you can expect the waiver wire to be less of a bloodbath soon. Also-rans will lose interest as they turn their attention to fantasy football or enjoying what […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

August looms, which means that some owners will inevitably abandon their teams as they turn their attention to football season. This is less than ideal in many ways, but one benefit to those of us who follow through on our season-long commitment is that competition for waiver adds will be less fierce. We're not there […]

Farewell, Tulo

There are any number of ways in which baseball can serve as a metaphor for life. These have been explored, with varying degrees of skill, in plenty of creative works through the years. As I grow older and the sport skews in the opposite direction, baseball inspires more and more pensivity. The game belongs now […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

Another week has come and gone, and suddenly August is within view. Is it me, or has this season simply flown by? With the dog days looming, you can expect the waiver wire to be less of a bloodbath soon. Also-rans will lose interest as they turn their attention to fantasy football or enjoying what […]

Alex Dickerson (OF, SF) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 10% of leagues ANALYSIS: Remember this guy? Alex Dickerson got a little deep-league love back in 2016 after putting up a .788 OPS, 10 homers, and five stolen bases in a half-season with the Padres. Then he fell off the face of the earth, missing the next two […]

Enrique Hernandez (1B/2B/SS/OF, LAD) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: On a less stacked team, Enrique Hernandez might be a consistent everyday player. As it is, he's had to settle for being a super-utility guy on the team that has captured the last two National League pennants. Rough life, eh? The 27-year-old is actually on […]

Cavan Biggio (2B/OF, TOR) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cavan Biggio could be doing better; the rookie is hitting just .217/.351/.375 thus far. That said, he's putting up solid counting stats, with a rough full-season pace of 20 homers, 20 stolen bases, and 150 R+BI. The 24-year-old has also been a bit unlucky based […]

Oscar Mercado (OF, CLE) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: I had Oscar Mercado ranked as the top waiver wire pickup this week before he went 5-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and a stolen base on Friday. Even that explosion hasn't been enough to put him over the 35% cutoff, despite his excellent overall numbers. The […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

We're almost in August, which means that some owners will inevitably abandon their teams as they turn their attention to football season. This is, on balance, an unfortunate development - nobody should be that guy - but one benefit to those of us who follow through on our season-long commitment is that competition for waiver […]

Some Thoughts On Trade Etiquette

As I've often mentioned in my weekly waiver wire columns, the middle portion of the season is the toughest time to find free help. Combined with a sense of urgency as trade deadlines loom and time begins to run out on the season, that means owners are generally more amenable to exploring swaps to address […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

The second half of the 2019 regular season is underway. It'll be a few more weeks before fantasy football starts siphoning off the also-rans, which means extracting value from the waiver wire will continue to be a tough row to hoe. Tough - not impossible. Whatever your league depth, there are freely available players who […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

With the news that Max Scherzer is heading to the injured list with back issues, many fantasy owners are left combing the waiver wire for a replacement. Obviously, nobody you can pick up for free is going to give you what Mad Max can, but there are plenty of respectable options out there, no matter […]

Kevin Pillar (OF, SF) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: It isn't really surprising that Kevin Pillar remains unrostered in the vast majority of fantasy leagues. After all, 30-year-old outfielders with a career .696 OPS and current .275 OBP aren't exactly in high demand. If that weren't enough, he also plays half of his […]

Roberto Perez (C, CLE) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: There may be no stronger argument for the juiced ball than the fact that Roberto Perez has 16 home runs and a .527 slugging percentage. Entering the season, the 30-year-old backstop had just 21 homers and a .340 SLG. Due to this lack […]

Brett Gardner (OF, NYY) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: Expected to serve as the Yankees' fourth outfielder this season, Brett Gardner has instead been a fixture in the lineup due to a cavalcade of injuries to other Yankee outfielders. The latest malady for Giancarlo Stanton figures to keep Gardner playing every day for […]

Diego Castillo (SP/RP, TB) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: While the Rays are almost certain to continue mixing and matching in the late innings, Jose Alvarado's oblique strain opens up more opportunities for Diego Castillo. Activated from the injured list himself earlier this week, the 25-year-old had been excellent for most of the season, […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019: Midseason Review

This week is as good a time as any to pause and reflect on the 2019 baseball season thus far. Fortunately, it's been a much less challenging year than last for yours truly. Other than a hapless squad in The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational (15-team industry leagues are tough, and weekly lineups and waivers are […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

By the time you read this, the All-Star break will be underway. June and July tend to be the leanest months on the waiver wire, as most teams are still trying to win and fantasy football has yet to lure away any of the also-rans. Rest assured, however, that there are still players available who […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

The All-Star Break is nearly upon us. Being right in the thick of things as we are, this is possibly the most challenging time of year to be seeking help on the waiver wire. Fortunately, you've come to the right place for assistance. A reminder before we begin: This column focuses on players who are […]

Bryan Reynolds (OF, PIT) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: It's easy to be skeptical of Bryan Reynolds. A second-round pick by the Giants back in 2016, he was never highly regarded as a prospect and didn't even reach Double-A until last season, despite being rather old for A-ball. He's also sporting a ridiculous .426 […]