Brett Phillips (OF, KC) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of leagues ANALYSIS: Brett Phillips hasn't put in quality work on offense at the major league level since 2017 when he produced four home runs, five stolen bases, and a .799 OPS for the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite that gap in MLB work, the goofy laughing Phillips is […]

Dillon Peters (SP/RP, LAA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: While his humdrum showing at Triple-A in 2019 didn't necessarily warrant a major league promotion, the Los Angeles Angels found themselves in need of a starting pitcher, and Dillon Peters has been a pleasant surprise in response. He has a 3.38 ERA and 1.26 […]

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 21

With so many schools starting back incredibly soon (if they haven't already), and so many of us being impacted by the changing of the seasons (whether you have kids in school, you teach, or you're a student yourself), it's important to take a moment to appreciate the days when we have spare time to spend […]

Nick Ahmed (SS, ARI) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: While Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has suddenly become a household name in Arizona, shortstop Nick Ahmed is flying almost completely under the radar. Despite that, Ahmed is having a career year. He is slashing .274/.333/.460 (all career-best marks), has hit 15 home […]

Luis Arraez (2B/3B/OF, MIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: Many words have already been written about the young offensive explosion that is taking place this season. Rookie hitters are mashing, and perhaps one of the most overlooked is Twins infielder Luis Arraez. Minnesota called him up back in May and he has been a […]

Leury Garcia (SS/OF, CHW) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: Sometimes players will fly under the radar because they don't stand out in any category but instead give you a little bit everywhere. Case in point, Chicago White Sox outfielder Leury Garcia, who is only 21%-owned in all Yahoo leagues despite being #179 on the […]

Josh VanMeter (2B/3B/OF, CIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Josh VanMeter entered Sunday's action on a six-game hitting streak. He's hit second in the lineup in three straight games after spending most of the year hitting in the middle-third or bottom-third of the order. As he's more of a contact […]

Kevin Newman (2B/SS, PIT) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh Pirates middle infielder Kevin Newman has had a quietly steady first full season in the majors. He's been a regular starter for the team since early May and has been slotting in as a leadoff hitter multiple times per week. While he doesn't […]

C.J. Cron (1B, MIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Despite having his breakout 30-home run season in 2018, Minnesota Twins first baseman C.J. Cron is still widely available on waivers across many fantasy leagues. And not only has Cron kept up his high home run pace from last year, he's exceeding 2018's power […]

Michael Pineda (SP, MIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Shssh...Michael Pineda has been quietly good over the past two months. Just don't say it too loud or too often, because anytime people start talking about Pineda being good then it's almost a guarantee he'll shortly be headed back to the injured list for some […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 21

Time marches on, and with it the 2019 fantasy baseball season. 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, eh? A reminder before we […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 21

The season rolls on and fantasy managers need to continue analyzing their roster with an eye on categories instead of just adding any random player. This week the primary focus for outfield additions will be to maximize venues. Some might cause a little tingle of concern when you read their name. Don't be afraid. Do […]

Anthony Santander (OF, BAL) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: Young Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander keeps progressing as a Major League player. In his rookie season of 2017, he saw only 31 plate appearances. In 2018, he logged 108 PA in 33 games. This season, he has already played 60 games and gone […]

Trent Grisham (OF, MIL) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: The artist formerly known as Trent Clark has fared exceptionally well in his brief big league cameo in Milwaukee. After getting recalled around the start of the month, Grisham is now slashing .308/.356/.590 with three home runs, eight runs scored and 10 […]

Sam Travis (1B/OF, BOS) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: The Red Sox replaced veteran Steve Pearce with Sam Travis as their short-side platoon bat off the bench, a valuable role as a lefty smasher that Boston has often utilized. Travis' overall season of .266/.314/.468 doesn't jump off the page, but the […]

Starlin Castro (2B/3B, MIA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 22% of Leagues ANALYSIS: As much as I'm a believer in Starlin Castro's abilities, I must acknowledge his stay in Miami hasn't been glorious. Although he finished 2018 with a 2.3 WAR (his best since 2014) and a wRC+ of 101, those numbers were nothing otherworldly. In 2019, […]

Freddy Galvis (2B/SS, CIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 32% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In a little bit of a puzzling move, the Toronto Blue Jays moved on from infielder Freddy Galvis and put him on waivers after finding no market for him at the trade deadline. The Reds pounced since Galvis was having a good season in Toronto. […]

Brett Gardner (OF, NYY) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: Brett Gardner came back from the injury list on August 2. Since then, he has patrolled New York's center field each and every day while hitting mostly down in the second half of the order (around the fifth or sixth spots). His numbers in August […]

Kyle Seager (3B, SEA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager has a reputation as a slow starter. While he's consistently finished with around 20 home runs, around 75 RBI and around a .270 batting average, it usually takes him a few months to heat up. His 2018 […]

Rowdy Tellez (1B/DH, TOR) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: The Blue Jays recalled slugging first baseman/designated hitter Rowdy Tellez from Triple-A Buffalo a few days ago, and manager Charlie Montoyo indicated that Tellez will get regular playing time down the stretch. That's bad news for Justin Smoak owners, but it also […]

Teoscar Hernandez (OF, TOR) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 11% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was a statcast darling last season, leading to many pundits to predict a big breakout for him in 2019. That has not even remotely been the case so far this year, as his hard-hit rate has plummeted […]

Christian Walker (1B, ARI) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of Leagues ANALYSIS: A popular sleeper pick prior to 2019, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker's 2019 has been a rollercoaster of hot and cold. He started out the year like a house on fire, hitting seven home runs in his first 20 games; but then the fire […]

Closers and Saves Report - Week 20 Waiver Wire

It wasn't a huge week in terms of bullpen news, which was actually kind of nice after two weeks of shuffling and hustling throughout Major League Baseball's bullpens. There were some smaller things that happened this week though, that could lead to bigger news down the road. Some trade deadline acquisitions don't look like they're […]

Digger Deeper: AL-Only Waiver Wire Report for Week 20

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Digging Deeper: NL-Only Waiver Report for Week 20

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 20

As we hit mid-August you may have already found a dependable catcher that you roll with week-in and week-out, but as we know, backstops are the most volatile position in fantasy baseball. With that being said, we should always be aware of the landscape of the position just in case a few too many foul […]

Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: It's a shame Kevin Kiermaier has lost time to injuries. Just this season he has been injury-listed three times, the last one in late July. It kept him out for the last 10 days of the month. Fortunately for him and Tampa, […]

Corey Dickerson (OF, PHI) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: In Corey Dickerson we have one of the few players that moved places this past July before the new "hard" trade deadline. Dickerson made the All-Star in 2017. He won a Gold Glove award last year playing for Pittsburgh. His fWAR has never been […]

Jason Kipnis (2B, CLE) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: Jason Kipnis has gone from a deep-league useful player to a staple in standard-sized and 12+ teams leagues. He's still being overlooked for someone with the production he's showing, so you may very well consider adding him to your lineup if you […]