Josiah Gray (SP, WSN) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: One of the centerpieces of the deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to Los Angeles, Gray has gotten off to a decent start in his Nationals career, going 0-1 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.045 WHIP and 24.4 percent strikeout rate over 22 innings. […]

Nick Pivetta (SP, BOS) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 51% of leagues ANALYSIS: Pivetta has been somewhat inconsistent all season long, as he currently sports a 9-6 record, 4.43 ERA and 1.286 WHIP with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate over 126 innings of work. His last four starts highlight that inconsistency perfectly, as in […]

Hot Fantasy Prospects To Watch For Week 21

When I write this column, I always try to make sure I talk about a different group of guys each week. I mean, what good is it going to do for you all if I kept writing every week about guys like Jarren Duran or Wander Franco? I'd just be repeating myself at that point […]

Griffin Jax (SP, MIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Don't pay too much attention to Jax's current 5.45 ERA and 1.211 WHIP. After getting off to a rough start this year out of the bullpen followed by a disastrous first start, Jax has been pitching very well over his last […]

Antonio Senzatela (SP, COL) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Senzatela missed some time recently after testing positive for COVID-19, but he has started to show small improvements from his season line over his last five outings, where he has posted a 4.40 ERA, 1.500 WHIP and 18.8 percent strikeout rate. […]

Cal Quantrill (SP, CLE) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 59% of leagues ANALYSIS: Quantrill has had a nice year so far, going 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA, 1.229 WHIP and 18.5 percent strikeout rate over 97 2/3 innings of work. But over his last seven starts he's been particularly lights out, going 3-0 with a […]

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Week 21

TIM FREAKING ANDERSON. That's all that needs to be said about the Field of Dreams Game. Man, what an ending! That matchup sure lived up to the hype, but how did the pitchers on the last two columns hold up? Going back to Week 19, Chris Flexen was the clear winner from that column, going […]

Hot Fantasy Prospects To Watch For Week 20

This column is always focused on the future when we look at the new prospects coming up through the various farm systems each week. Today I get to see a piece of baseball history when I go to my first ever game at Wrigley Field this afternoon. And even as a die-hard White Sox fan, […]

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Week 20

It's amazing how fast this season has flown by. I swear just last month was Opening Day, and yet here we are now just two months away from the end of the 2021 fantasy season. It's time for that last minute push to try and come back and win your league, and two-start streamers are […]

Carlos Hernandez (SP, KCR) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Hernandez has had back-to-back good performances in his last two outings against the White Sox, and that makes him worth considering as a deeper format streaming option. He allowed seven runs over 6 2/3 innings in his first two starts of […]

Alec Mills (SP, CHC) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Now you can look at Mills' 4.41 ERA, 1.442 WHIP and 16.4 percent strikeout rate for the year and think that he would not be a good streaming option this week. However if you look at his numbers since joining the […]

J.A. Happ (SP, STL) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Happ is 5-6 on the year with a 6.62 ERA, 1.568 WHIP and 17.4 percent strikeout rate. But managers should bank on a turnaround for Happ now that he's with St. Louis, especially after his Cardinals debut this past week in which […]

Jake Odorizzi (SP, HOU) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: It's been quite the inconsistent year for Odorizzi. He's currently 4-6 with a 4.95 ERA, 1.209 WHIP and 21.4 percent strikeout rate over 63 2/3 innings of work, and while his 4.77 xERA suggests he's been slightly unlucky on the mound, […]

Zach Thompson (SP, MIA) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Miami has been having a good year with their young pitching staff, and Thompson has been one of the highlights for the Marlins. Over the first nine starts of his major league career, Thompson is 2-4 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.102 […]

Hot Fantasy Prospects To Watch For Week 19

Boy that was an insane trade deadline wasn't it? We saw a lot of prospects end up on the move, including Keibert Ruiz who I just wrote up about in last week's column. In this week's column we're going to take a look at four prospects who didn't get moved at the deadline. Last week's […]

Max Scherzer to the Dodgers - Fantasy Impact

Max Scherzer made it to southern California by the trade deadline — but it wasn't to the team everyone had expected. After early reports said he was heading to the Padres, hours later suddenly the story flipped to Scherzer going to Los Angeles, and next thing you know not only was Scherzer joining the Dodgers, […]

Michael Wacha (SP, TBR) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 14+ teams ROSTERED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: If you're looking for a risky play this week, Wacha is your guy. He's been inconsistent all season long, and through nine appearances in May and June he only pitched more than four innings in a start one time. However things […]

Dane Dunning (SP, TEX) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 12% of leagues ANALYSIS: Dunning has had a solid performance in the month of July, going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and 19.5 percent strikeout rate across 20 innings of work. Those numbers do come with the caveat though that three of his […]

Adrian Houser (SP, MIL) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: While he may not have high strikeout numbers, Houser has been having a good month in July where he's gone 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA, 1.273 WHIP and 16.7 percent strikeout rate over 22 innings of work. He'll look to kick […]

Johnny Cueto (SP, SFG) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cueto is in the midst of a nice bounce-back year on the mound following disappointing campaigns in 2019 and 2020. He's currently 7-5 with a 3.84 ERA, 1.249 WHIP and 21.1 percent strikeout rate over 93 2/3 innings of work. Cueto […]

Chris Flexen (SP, SEA) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 47% of leagues ANALYSIS: After several years of struggling with the Mets, Flexen finally seems to be figuring things out this year with the Mariners after spending 2020 in the KBO. Over 19 starts this year, he has gone 9-5 with a 3.81 ERA and […]

Joey Gallo to the Yankees - Fantasy Impact

The Yankees got the left-handed power-hitting bat that they've been looking for in outfielder Joey Gallo. After spending the first seven years of his career in Texas, Gallo is heading to the Big Apple as the Rangers look to start a rebuild. Here's how the trade broke down: Yankees receive: OF Joey Gallo, LHP Joely […]

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Week 19

Wow, that was a crazy trade deadline. It seemed like every other player was getting traded on Friday. Now that things have settled down we can begin to analyze how all these moves will impact fantasy leagues, but one thing they haven't changed are this week's two-start streamers. First thing's first, let's recap the last […]

Adam Frazier to the Padres - Fantasy Impact

We're heading into the final stretch before the deadline, and another major trade target has been dealt in Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier, who now heads to the west coast to join the San Diego Padres. Here's how that trade broke down: Padres receive: 2B Adam Frazier, cash considerations Pirates receive: INF Tucupita Marcano, OF […]

Hot Fantasy Prospects To Watch For Week 18

We're days away from the Trade Deadline, which means we're about to see a lot of prospects on the move to new organizations. So far we've seen Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman go from the Rays to the Twins, Tucupita Marcano headed to Pittsburgh from San Diego, and then on Monday the Pirates acquired Hoy […]

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Week 18

It's F5 season folks, as we are just seven days away from the Trade Deadline. We just saw the first domino fall yesterday in Nelson Cruz, who heads to Tampa Bay after being acquired from the Twins for a couple prospects. Strap yourselves in folks, because from all accounts this next week could get wild. […]

Andrew Heaney (SP, LAA) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 52% of leagues ANALYSIS: Heaney has been plagued with inconsistency all year long, but when he has pitched well he's been able to provide decent fantasy value. His biggest value driver this year has been the strikeouts, as his 27.9 percent strikeout rate and 29.5 […]

Michael Pineda (SP, MIN) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams ROSTERED IN: 37% of leagues ANALYSIS: Ever since joining the Twins, Pineda has been putting up the best numbers of his career — and 2021 has proven to be no different. While not flashy, Pineda has been a solid pitcher with a 3.93 ERA, 1.221 WHIP and […]

Kyle Muller (SP, ATL) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams ROSTERED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: Despite the 1-3 record, Muller has had a solid start to his major league career in 2021, posting a 3.20 ERA, 1.119 WHIP and 28.4 percent strikeout rate over 19 2/3 innings of work. Muller only tossed four innings his last […]

Nelson Cruz to the Rays - Fantasy Impact

We're less than a week away from the Trade Deadline and the Hot Stove is officially on after the Minnesota Twins traded designated hitter Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays. Here's how the deal broke down: Rays receive: DH Nelson Cruz Twins receive: RHP Drew Strotman, RHP Joe Ryan With Minnesota sitting 16 1/2 games […]