Deeper Hitter Pickups for Fantasy Baseball: Waiver Wire Report for Week 20

August 6, 2023

Deeper fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters focused on deeper leagues with 12 or 14+ teams. Consider adding these free agent hitters for Week 20.

We are coming up on Week 20 of the fantasy baseball season. The calendar flips to August, and the fantasy baseball playoffs push to the forefront of our brains. But you can't let that stress you out. Fantasy baseball necessitates hyper-vigilance, especially in deeper leagues where the waiver wires are quickly stripped of talent. This weekly article will outline the upcoming schedule, two-start pitchers, and a few waiver targets rostered in less than 5% of leagues.

It’s good practice to maximize at-bats and starts. A quick look at upcoming schedules for the 20th week of the MLB season could give you the edge in this week’s play. There are plenty of two-start pitchers this week who should end up providing great value.

This article will discuss some deeper-league fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 20, August 7 through August 13. While the season may have settled in, the waiver wires are still hot. Rostered percentages can change quickly. So be quick to check your leagues for their availability. Key point -- this list will focus on rostered players in less than 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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Fantasy Baseball Schedule Outlook

This week has some great schedules to target for fantasy. There are only three teams with five games on their schedule. 11 teams have a full slate of games this week. And ring the alarm bells, the Atlanta Braves will play a whopping eight games this week.

In this week's weather report: mostly clear skies for most of the country, but a bit of rain in the Northeast on Monday and Thursday.

• Eight Games - ATL
• Seven Games - BOS, CLE, DET, MIN, TOR, COL, LAD, PHI, PIT, WAS, NYM
• Six Games - TEX, CWS, SD, KC, SF, TB, BAL, HOU, LAA, NYY, CHC, CIN, MIA, MIL, OAK
• Five Games - SEA, ARZ, STL

Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers

There are pitchers of varying quality on this week's two-start streamers list. For more insight, check out my article on this week’s two-start pitcher streamers.

• Spencer Strider (@ PIT, @ NYM)
• Yonny Chirinos (@ PIT, @ NYM)
• Drew Smyly (@ NYM, @ TOR)
• Brandon Williamson (vs. MIA, @ PIT)
• Peter Lambert (@ MIL, @ LAD)
• Kyle Freeland (@ MIL, @ LAD)
• Grayson Rodriguez (vs. HOU, @ SEA)
• Brayan Bello (vs. KC, vs. DET)
• Gerrit Cole (@ CHW, @ MIA)
• Zach Eflin (vs. STL, vs. CLE)
• Hyun Jin Ryu (@ CLE, vs. CHC)
• Dylan Cease (vs. NYY, vs. MIL)
• Gavin Williams (vs. TOR, @ TB)
• Tanner Bibee (vs. TOR, @ TB)
• Joey Wentz (vs. MIN, @ BOS)
• Eduardo Rodriguez (vs. MIN, @ BOS)
• Cole Ragans (@ BOS, vs. STL)
• Pablo Lopez (@ DET, @ PHI)
• Sonny Gray (@ DET, @ PHI)
• Framber Valdez (@ BAL, vs. LAA)
• Ken Waldichuk (vs. TEX, @ WAS)
• Dane Dunning (@ OAK, @ SF)
• Braxton Garrett (@ CIN, vs. NYY)
• Kodai Senga (vs. CHC, vs. ATL)
• Carlos Carrasco (vs. CHC, vs. ATL)
• Ranger Suarez (vs. WAS, vs. MIN)
• Josiah Gray (@ PHI, vs. OAK)
• MacKenzie Gore (@ PHI, vs. OAK)
• Jameson Taillon (@ NYM, @ TOR)
• Freddy Peralta (vs. COL, @ CHW)
• Osvaldo Bido (@ ATL, vs. CIN)
• Mitch Keller (vs. ATL, vs. CIN)
• Brandon Pfaadt (vs. LAD, vs. SD)
• Julio Urias (@ ARZ, vs. COL)
• Tony Gonsolin (@ SD, vs. COL)
• Seth Lugo (vs. LAD, @ ARI)
• Alex Cobb (@ LAA, vs. TEX)

Deeper Infield Waiver Wire Pickups

Brayan Rocchio (2B/SS), Cleveland Guardians - 1% Rostered

After slashing .329/.427/.463 in July for Triple-A Columbus, the Cleveland Guardians recalled shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

With Josh Naylor and Tyler Freeman on the injured list, Rocchio now stands to take everyday reps at the shortstop position. He's a great defender with a solid hit tool, above-average speed, and decent power, giving him a great chance to seize the shortstop role for the rest of the season.

MLB Pipeline's 50th-ranked prospect is well worth adding in deeper leagues.

Freddy Fermin (C), Kansas City Royals - 1% Rostered

Freddy Fermin has had a fantastic rookie season, slashing .302/.342/.496 with six home runs, 19 runs, and 24 RBI in 46 games with the Kansas City Royals. Inconsistent playing time has prevented the catcher from gaining widespread viability in fantasy baseball. He's picked up starts in five of Kansas City's last six games, making his playing time problems a thing of the past.

He's been a massive part of Kansas City's surprise seven-game win streak, slashing .370/.379/.667 with two home runs in his last seven games. With above-average defense and a .424 xwOBA on contact (the league average xwOBAcon is .368), Fermin has league-winner potential at the catching position.

Masyn Winn (SS), St. Louis Cardinals - 5% Rostered

In his last 50 games with Triple-A Memphis, Masyn Winn is slashing .316/.383/.574 with 12 home runs, three triples, 43 RBI, 55 runs, and five stolen bases.

It's incredibly apparent that Winn is ready for his first taste of the majors, but everyone will have to wait a few weeks. The Cardinals likely want to maintain his rookie status for 2024, so a promotion won't happen until late August at the earliest.

Once in the majors, Winn's elite defense, impressive speed, and solid hit tool should get him enough starts to contribute during the fantasy playoffs. Everyone will want to stash Masyn Winn over these next few weeks, so get him while he's still at a reasonable price.

Andruw Monasterio (2B/3B/SS), Milwaukee Brewers - 4% Rostered

After nine years in the minors, Andruw Monestario has made the most of his rookie season. The 26-year-old is slashing .290/.376/.387 with a home run, 10 RBI, 22 runs, and four stolen bases in 44 games. While he's a one-trick pony, the everyday third baseman is a blessing for those who need help in the AVG/OBP category.

Deeper Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups

Cade Marlowe (OF), Seattle Mariners - 3% Rostered

Just 14 games into his major-league career, Cade Marlowe has burst onto the scene for the Seattle Mariners. He's been instrumental in Seattle's recent resurgence, slashing .313/.421/.625 with two home runs, six RBI, six runs, two stolen bases, and a 15.8% walk rate.

The 2019 20th-round pick has carved out a strong-side platoon role in Seattle, making him a prize pickup in deeper leagues.

Alec Burleson (OF/1B), St. Louis Cardinals - 2% Rostered

After a rocky start to the season, Alec Burleson has settled in offensively. The rookie is slashing .333/.370/.551 with three home runs, nine RBI, and nine runs in 25 games since July 1.

He's picked up four starts at DH/1B in the last five games the Cardinals have played against right-handed pitchers. If his role as a strong-side platoon bat holds, he'll provide tremendous value in fantasy baseball.

Joey Wiemer (OF), Milwaukee Brewers - 4% Rostered

It's been a disappointing rookie season for Joey Wiemer; he is slashing .213/.292/.388 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 43 runs, and 11 stolen bases through 106 games. We may be seeing signs of life from the 24-year-old. Since July 25, he is slashing .281/.324/.438 with one home run, four runs, and seven RBI.

His elite speed and power can only be valuable in fantasy if he makes contact. With an 80% contact rate since July 25, Wiemer has unlocked his full potential.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers