2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11

Injuries have been a plague upon Major League Baseball from the jump this year; middle infielders haven't been spared, so things are looking a bit thin out there on the ol' waiver wire. You can still find help, though, and that's the goal of this exercise. Most of the players who will be written up […]

Hunter Renfroe (OF, BOS) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: After a horrific April (.485 OPS), Hunter Renfroe has turned his season around. He homered on May 1, kicking off a stretch in which he's slashed .316/.337/.592 with six homers, 19 runs, and 16 RBI over his last 101 plate appearances. Boston's status as […]

Scott Barlow (RP, KCR) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Josh Staumont on the injured list, the Royals' closer role is once again up for grabs. While the team's only save opportunity since Staumont suffered a knee sprain was granted to veteran Greg Holland, Scott Barlow has been Kansas City's best reliever in […]

J.P. Feyereisen (RP, TBR) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Time is running out for fantasy managers to add the Rays' J.P. Feyereisen as his rostered rate has rocketed upward in the last couple of days. That'll happen when a pitcher is handed each of his team's last three save opportunities. He remains available on […]

Manuel Margot (OF, TBR) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Manuel Margot has never quite lived up to his prospect hype from back in the day, but he's become a useful outfielder all the same. And while his .247 batting average doesn't move the needle much even in the current environment, he's contributed enough […]

Luis Garcia (SP, HOU) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 41% of leagues ANALYSIS: Luis Garcia's rostered rate has doubled over the weekend, but he remains free to add in nearly six of ten Yahoo leagues. The 24-year-old has emerged victorious in each of his past three starts, including his most recent turn against the Dodgers. That start was […]

James Kaprielian (SP, OAK) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: A former first-round pick back in 2015, James Kaprielian pitched fewer than 30 innings in his first four years as a prospect due to elbow and shoulder problems. Now healthy, he's gotten off to a great start in 2021 with a 1.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10

Injuries have been a plague upon Major League Baseball from the jump this year; middle infielders haven't been spared, so things are looking a bit thin out there on the ol' waiver wire. You can still find help, though, and that's the goal of this exercise. Most of the players who will be written up […]

Friday Focus: The Cavalry Is Coming

Last week, we discussed the sheer number of injuries that have befallen the MLB in 2021. The deluge has continued unabated since then, with Corey Kluber (shoulder), Lance McCullers (ditto), Marcell Ozuna (fingers), Zach Plesac (broken thumb from "aggressively removing his shirt" because hey, why not), Kyle Gibson (groin), Luke Voit (oblique), Franmil Reyes (ditto), […]

Brad Miller (2B/3B/OF, PHI) - Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Brad Miller's rostered rate has skyrocketed this week, but he remains available to add in nearly three-quarters of Yahoo leagues. The versatile 31-year-old entered play on Thursday carrying a hefty .319/.380/.527 line, with five home runs and three stolen bases in just 100 plate […]

Ji-Man Choi (1B, TBR) - Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 8% of leagues ANALYSIS: Though he just made his 2021 debut last week after knee surgery in March kept him sidelined, Ji-Man Choi looks to be in midseason form. The 30-year-old has hit .345/.472/.655 with a pair of home runs, seven runs, and eight RBI in nine games. […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9

Injuries have been up around the league, and middle infielders haven't been spared, so things are looking a bit thin out there on the ol' waiver wire. You can still find help, though, and that's the goal of this exercise. Most of the players who will be written up in this feature won't be the […]

Rich Hill (SP, TBR) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 47% of leagues ANALYSIS: At 41 years old, Rich Hill just keeps on chugging along. After allowing four runs in each of his first four starts, the lefty has allowed just three opponents to cross the plate in his five turns since. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is […]

Josh Staumont (RP, KCR) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 48% of leagues ANALYSIS: On May 1, the Royals routed the Twins by a score of 11-3, giving them a division-leading 16-9 record. They didn't win again until May 14, losing 11 straight before taking the first game of a doubleheader against the White Sox. This run of futility […]

Friday Focus: License to IL

Even before Mike Trout (calf) suffered a calf strain that will keep him out of action until the season's second half, the debate was raging amongst fantasy managers: How many injured list slots should there be? It often feels like the players are landing on the trainer's table more than ever before, but that's actually true […]

Alek Manoah (SP, TOR) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 11% of leagues ANALYSIS: If you missed out on recently promoted young arms like Shane McClanahan and Logan Gilbert, Alek Manoah could be a great consolation prize. The 23-year-old is off to a tremendous start at Triple-A Buffalo, allowing just five baserunners (none of whom scored) and striking […]

Michael Fulmer (SP/RP, DET) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Though Michael Fulmer never lived up to the promise he showed early in his career as a starter, a move to the bullpen has made him an appealing option for fantasy managers. The 28-year-old has solid ratios overall (3.34 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.5 K/9) but they're […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

The trendiest names may be gone from your league's waiver wire, but there is still help to be found out there - if you know where to look. That's the goal of this column. Most of the players who will be written up in this feature won't be the next breakout star. Some may only […]

Andrew Vaughn (1B/OF, CHW) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: A popular late-round pick in drafts this spring, Andrew Vaughn's slow start left him languishing on many waiver wires. That trend has reversed this week, as his rostered rate has nearly doubled. Fantasy managers are back in thanks to the rookie finally breaking through […]

Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/SS/OF, DET) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 39% of leagues ANALYSIS: Niko Goodrum has been one of the most popular adds in fantasy baseball over the last few days. The versatile 29-year-old has four home runs and six stolen bases in 32 games after reaching double digits in both categories in 2018 and 2019, and […]

Logan Gilbert (SP, SEA) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 49% of leagues ANALYSIS: One of the top prospects in baseball, Logan Gilbert made his debut on Thursday night. While he only completed four innings and allowed four runs, there was plenty to like about his performance. He struck out five batters without issuing a walk, generating 10 whiffs […]

Friday Focus: Buy Or Sell Pitchers?

Last week, we took a look a few position players who have greatly exceeded expectations in the season's first month and change. This time around, the focus is on pitchers who fall into that bucket. There are always a handful of players who blow away our expectations in the early stages of any given season. Whether […]

Luis Patiño (RP, TBR) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Much like teammate Shane McClanahan, Luis Patiño is a highly-regarded young arm whose nontraditional usage clouds his rest of season outlook. Just as with McClanahan, however, it's worth betting on the skills and letting the role sort itself out. Patiño was the centerpiece of the […]

Adbert Alzolay (SP, CHC) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Adbert Alzolay got a bit of sleeper love this spring, but even with his rostered rate doubling in the last couple of days, he remains available to add in three-quarters of Yahoo leagues. The 26-year-old has struck out 36 batters while walking only seven […]

Domingo Germán (SP, NYY) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ROSTERED IN: 46% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Yankees have struggled to score runs, but they've been among the best teams in baseball at preventing them. The recent performance of Domingo Germán has been a help to them in that department. After a couple of clunkers to open the season, Germán has […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7

The trendiest names may be gone from your league's waiver wire, but there is still help out there. It just requires a bit more digging to find. That's where this piece comes in. Most of the players who will be written up in this feature won't be the next breakout star. Some may only be […]

Josh Harrison (2B/3B, WAS) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Josh Harrison hit his third home run of the year on Friday, bringing his overall line to a zesty .325/.416/.494. Because he's a career second-division starter and utility infielder who will turn 34 in July, you might be tempted to write this off as […]

Dane Dunning (SP, TEX) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Rangers are under .500 and expected to finish in the basement of the AL West for the third time in four years. They do have a few things going for them, however, one of which is the performance of Dane Dunning. Acquired from […]

Cole Irvin (SP/RP, OAK) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: One of the most popular adds on the Yahoo platform in the last few days, Cole Irvin has allowed just four runs in his last four starts. The 27-year-old lacks high-end velocity, but has plus command of a five-pitch arsenal. He leans heavily on […]

Friday Focus: Buy Or Sell Hitters

On Thursday, the news broke that the Angels had designated Albert Pujols for assignment. At 41, the former MVP hasn't been fantasy relevant in years, and his days as a perennial monster more or less ended when he left St. Louis a decade ago. This development made me feel old, as Pujols debuted when I […]