Dominic Smith (1B, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12- and 14-Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% Yahoo! ANALYSIS: The Mets shipped slugger Jay Bruce off to Cleveland Wednesday, paving the way for Dominic Smith, the club’s No. 2 prospect, to make the jump to the big leagues. Smith will debut on Friday against the Phillies, and figures to be a […]

Freddy Galvis (SS, PHI) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Freddy Galvis is posting a remarkably similar stat-line this season to his breakout 2016 campaign. While he will likely fall short of a 20-20 season, he has been a valuable contributor in home runs and stolen bases at a position that has […]

Nick Williams (OF, PHI) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: Nick Williams was always able to post gaudy counting stats at each level of the minor leagues. The concern about his transition to the big leagues when he was called up in late June stemmed from his plate discipline, as he […]

Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: After a less than  impressive start to the season, Josh Bell has put together an impressive stretch of 185 at-bats spanning the months of June and July. Though not known for his power while working through the minor leagues, Bell posted […]

Steve Pearce (1B/2B/OF, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 8% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: It is hard to ignore a player when they hit a walk-off grand slam. It becomes even harder to do so when they do it twice, in the same week no less. The Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce did just that, vaulting […]

Mallex Smith (OF, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 11% of Yahoo! Leagues ANALYSIS: Mallex Smith shows up on fantasy rosters for one reason and one reason only: his stolen base potential. Smith has 16 stolen bases on the year, with seven of them coming in his last 24 games. While his .287 batting average and […]

Brad Hand (RP, SDP) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 59% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Somewhat surprisingly, Brad Hand was not among the hundreds [citation needed] of relievers dealt at yesterday's trade deadline. The Padres opted to hang on to their relief ace, and with Brandon Maurer now in Kansas City, Hand should be expected to receive the lion's share of their […]

Gerardo Parra (1B/OF, COL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 45% Yahoo ANALYSIS: After a difficult first season in Denver, Parra was supposed to be buried on the depth chart. Instead, he’s hit .354/.376/.531 with eight home runs and 81 R+RBI in 65 games. As you can tell from that low number of games played, Parra hasn’t […]

Neil Walker (2B, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 22% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Neil Walker has always been underappreciated in fantasy circles. Some of that has to do with the fact that he's only managed a full season's worth of plate appearances twice in his career, and some of it is that he doesn't really excel in any one area […]

Zack Godley (SP, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 63% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Coming into the season, there were significant questions about the Diamondbacks' rotation. With virtually all of their starters coming off tough 2016 campaigns, it was clear that Arizona needed to catch a few breaks to contend this season. A lot of attention has gone to Robbie Ray's breakout […]

Ian Kennedy (SP, KCR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 45% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Ian Kennedy has always had issues with the long ball, and this season has been no exception. Despite calling one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the league home, Kennedy has surrendered 19 home runs in as many starts. Early in the season, he was also having […]

Odubel Herrera (OF, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 57% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Odubel Herrera got off to a rough start in 2017. Fresh off a breakout campaign in which he hit .286/.361/.420 with 15 home runs, 87 runs, and 25 stolen bases, the Phillies' center fielder stumbled to a .218/.262/.326 mark through the first two months of this season. He […]

Manuel Margot (OF, SDP) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Manuel Margot is quietly having a solid rookie season, hitting .281/.321/.431 with eight home runs and 11 stolen bases. Part of the reason he's flown under the radar is that he missed about a month of action with a calf strain. Since returning from that […]

Shane Greene (RP, DET) - Closers and Saves Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Earlier today, Tigers closer Justin Wilson was officially traded to the Cubs in a package deal. Shane Greene will now take over as the new Detroit closer, and manager Brad Ausmus confirmed that earlier today. Greene has pitched well this season with a 2.74 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 50:25 […]

Corey Spangenberg (2B/3B/OF, SD) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: After battling injury for much of 2016, Corey Spangenberg has come back healthy in 2017 and is quietly having a nice season for fantasy purposes. That performance is headlined by eight home runs to go along with six stolen bases and […]

Steve Pearce (2B/3B/OF, TOR) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: Steve Pearce’s season-long numbers don’t look gaudy at first glance, but when he has been on the field he has been very productive. He will likely be a hot name for the waiver wire this week as he slugged two game winning […]

Jerad Eickhoff (SP, PHI) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: After a tough two month stretch, Jerad Eickhoff has rebounded in his four starts since returning from the DL with a back strain. In that stretch he has surrendered just eight earned runs in 22 innings pitched to go along with […]

Brad Ziegler (RP, MIA) - Closers and Saves Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: On Friday night, Marlins closer AJ Ramos was traded to the Mets in a surprising move. Brad Ziegler should now take over as the new Marlins closer, although it's possible that he may not end the season in that role. Ziegler hasn't had the prettiest season (6.52 ERA, 1.83 […]

Amed Rosario (SS, NYM) - Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12 Team Leagues, Monitor in All Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Another young prospect with a good chance to make an impression on owners is the Mets' Amed Rosario. It seems that Rosario is the one prospect who just hasn't gotten a glimpse of the MLB no matter how ravaged the Mets have […]

Cesar Hernandez (2B, PHI) - Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-14 Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Hernandez roared out of the gate this season, posting a .323/.375/.531 line in April. The next two months weren't so kind to him, as he scuffled and then went on the disabled list for five weeks with an oblique strain. Since returning after the All-Star […]

Jose Reyes (SS/3B, NYM) - Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12 Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: After going 0-for-4 in the first game of a doubleheader on June 10, Reyes had gone hitless in his last 24 at-bats. His season line at that point: .184/.257/.294, 3 HR, 7 SB. In the six weeks since, however, Reyes has been quietly great. […]

Paul DeJong (2B/3B/SS, STL) - Waiver Wire Adds

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 61% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: #CardinalsDevilMagic strikes again. Though St. Louis is currently under .500 and a long shot to make the postseason, they're enjoying yet another great performance from an unheralded farmhand. DeJong has emerged to take the place of last year's model, Aledmys Diaz. He's hitting .290/.310/.575 with 14 […]

Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Rookie Josh Bell keeps climbing up the fantasy rankings, but not necessarily in ownership. His second half numbers show improved plate discipline and the power hasn't evaporated with it. Bell is up to 18 home runs and 55 RBI on the season, which […]

Alex Claudio (RP, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Alex Claudio has inherited the closer job in Texas by default. The team had about five candidates ahead of him earlier this season, but they've all faltered. Claudio has held his own so far, picking up four saves and seven holds on the […]

Josh Reddick (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 53% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Josh Reddick hit a three-run homer on Friday and drove in five on the night, giving him 10 HR, 53 RBI on the season. Those aren't overwhelming power numbers, but Reddick is contributing even more in the less exciting categories, such as runs scored, and […]

Mike Clevinger (SP, CLE) – Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 59% of Yahoo! Leagues   ANALYSIS: Prior to a rough outing on Tuesday July 25th, Clevinger had posted four consecutive games in which he completed six innings without allowing more than one earned run. He also racks up plenty of strikeouts as he has posted a very […]

Nick Castellanos (3B, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 40% Yahoo ANALYSIS: His pedigree, swing, and batted ball data has led plenty of folks to dream on the upside of Nick Castellanos. Early this season, though, the results just weren't there. Through the end of the May, the 25-year-old was hitting a pitiful .209/.283/.353 with just four home runs. It's […]

Trevor Cahill (SP, KCR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 30% Yahoo ANALYSIS: From toiling in the minor leagues to helping the Cubs win a World Series to a contender trading for him at the deadline, it's been a long, strange trip for Trevor Cahill over the last two years. A former second-round pick and top prospect for the Athletics, Cahill […]

Marcus Semien (SS, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% Yahoo ANALYSIS: This isn't the first time I've sung the praises of Marcus Semien, and it probably won't be the last. Last season, Semien was the only shortstop to hit at least 25 home runs and steal at least 10 bases. Sure, he only hit .238, but that […]

Josh Reddick (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 53% Yahoo ANALYSIS: Josh Reddick, like basically every hitter on the Astros, is having a good season. While his production has dipped a bit in July, the 30-year-old is hitting .305/.351/.489 with nine homers, seven stolen bases, and 106 R+RBI in 87 games. That across-the-board production has made him […]