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To help you dominate all of your 2018 fantasy baseball leagues, below are some 2018 fantasy baseball outfield (OF) sleepers & waiver wire pickups to consider adding to your fantasy baseball teams. Be sure to also use our other lineup resources and tools shown in the icons below.
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2018 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire by MLB Position
ALL - C - 1B - 2B - SS - 3B - OF - SP - RP
Jay Bruce (1B/OF, NYM) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: New York Mets first baseman/outfielder Jay Bruce has been a big disappointment this year. Bruce is normally known for his power and routinely provides 30 homers annually. Unfortunately, he has just nine this year. Bruce has slowly bounced back to give you the power your roster needs. It would not be wise to acquire him if you have a concern with batting average. In the last 14 days, he has three homers and 12 RBI, but...
Daniel Palka (1B/OF, CHW) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago White Sox first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka has been destroying pitching recently. He has six homers, nine RBI and a .273 average in the last 14 days. His 2018 rookie campaign has brought about 27 homers. Unfortunately, he does need to work on his plate discipline as he has a 33% strikeout rate. Also, he currently doesn’t use most of the field; he pulls the ball 44% of the time. Palka will have a full seven-game schedule...
Peter O'Brien (1B/OF, MIA) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: Miami Marlins outfielder/first baseman Peter O'Brien completely evaded my radar until I spun up my usual tools for finding and picking out waiver wire adds. However, while I usually would just chalk up a line like .294/.375/.647 and three dingers over his first 40 major-league plate appearances since 2016 as beginner’s luck, I was intrigued enough to dive in. A 28-year-old rookie on his seventh organization, O’Brien had six home runs on just 79 plate appearances heading into...
Kevin Pillar (OF, TOR) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar has been talked about a lot over the course of the 2018 season, so I won’t belabor the point. The Blue Jays’ centerfielder is one of the few players you need to watch for where he’s hitting in the order. Luckily for owners, he’s getting in good spots for him and filling up the stat sheet. The 29-year-old is the only option of this list where he has a good...
Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson is one of my favorite fantasy assets. He also happens to be one of the most misunderstood. The fact that his ownership percentage is at 18% is evidence of this fact. To their credit, the Dodgers have learned how best to utilize him, and fantasy owners should learn the same. Joc is a hard split asset. You deploy him against right-handed starting pitching and never against southpaws. There really isn’t any...
Lourdes Gurriel (2B/SS/OF, TOR) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of leagues ANALYSIS: Though a leg injury robbed Toronto Blue Jays infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of a few weeks and perhaps a bit of momentum (recall that at the time of the injury, he had recorded multiple hits in 11 straight games), Gurriel has had himself a nice year as a rookie. In 62 games, the 24-year-old is hitting .292/.320/.463 with 11 home runs and 64 R+BI. Three of those homers have come in the last three games, including a...
Franmil Reyes (OF, SDP) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Franmil Reyes showcased some impressive pop in his first taste of MLB action, but also an allergy to contact that made him a batting average anchor. Since returning to the big leagues after a brief midseason demotion, however, Reyes has drastically cut down on the strikeouts and the results have been impressive. The 23-year-old is hitting .333/.396/.603 with 10 home runs in 44 games since the All-Star break. During that time, he has struck out just 21.6% of the...
Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 12% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk has rebounded after a terrible start to the 2018 season. He hit just .106 in April after being acquired from the Cardinals and then missed the entire month of May due to injury. Since the All-Star break, though, Grichuk has a .281/.326/.562 slash line, hitting 13 home runs and tallying 57 R+BI. He has also been hitting either fourth or fifth in the Blue Jays lineup. Posting a career strikeout rate around 30%, Grichuk...
Joey Wendle (2B/3B/OF, TB) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays utility man Joey Wendle has a .302/.354/.439 slash line this season, coming out of nowhere to be a vital piece of the Rays and fantasy lineups. Wendle not only has a current five game hitting streak, but also has an extra base hit in each of those games as well. Since the All-Star break, Wendle is slashing .330/.386/.503, striking out in just 11.1% of plate appearances Over this mini five game spurt, Wendle has...
Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier is only slashing .222/.287/.380 over 358 plate appearances this season, but he has turned it on as of late. After posting a .276/.338/.450 slash line last season, he has a .255/.310/.457 slash line in the second half, including four steals and 21 extra base hits. Since the beginning of September, Kiermaier has a .352/.410/.685 slash line with nine extra base hits and 21 R+BI. Obviously, a lot of the interest in Kiermaier stems from...
Hunter Renfroe (OF, SDP) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe should be bought for his power, but he also has a hit in four of the last five gamesl. Roping a double and two home runs this week, Renfroe has a .221/.254/.559 slash line this month. Renfroe has continued his power surge this month as well, clubbing seven home runs in September. Since the All-Star break, Renfroe has a .558 slugging percentage, posting nine doubles and 17 home runs, and has also driven in 40...
Ramon Laureano (OF, OAK) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano has three consecutive multi-hit games and is now hitting .297 in 146 MLB plate attempts. Getting some opportunities at the top of the lineup, Laureano has 16 extra-base hits in his young MLB career and has seven R+BI over the last three games. He is also a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts and has 40 R+BI. Laureano does have some strikeout issues (27.4% strikeout rate), but his .370 OBP is more than passable...
Alex Gordon (OF, KC) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: It may not exactly be a banner-year for the five-time Gold Glove award-winner, but Alex Gordon is finishing the last two months of the season on a strong note amidst a slew of slams and steals. He has accrued five homers and eight stolen bases in 149 AB since the start of August with consecutive OPS of .754 and .785. Throughout the year, his strikeout and walk rates have remained consistent and manageable, so there has only really...
Scott Schebler (OF, CIN) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Although 2018 has been a largely up-and-down season for Scott Schebler, he has hit an excellent stride since the beginning of September, as he has managed to hit three HR with a slash of .273/.373/.500 over 44 AB. He has still been striking out a lot this month at a rate of 29.4%, but he has helped to supplement his improved OBP for this month with a walk rate of 9.8%. Schebler has been producing grounders at a...
Brandon Lowe (2B/OF, TB) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays utility player Brandon Lowe went deep again on Saturday, bringing his total to five homers in just 101 plate appearances since arriving in the big leagues. Tampa’s recent surge is too little, too late for them to force their way into a stacked American League playoff field, but Lowe is just one of their many intriguing infielders. Never a highly regarded prospect, he has nonetheless hit at every level and is currently slashing .247/.366/.494....
Adam Frazier (2B/OF, PIT) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: After a forgettable first half, Pittsburgh Pirates utility player Adam Frazier has had a post-break surge that has flown under the radar in most fantasy formats. The small number of owners who have rostered him over the past two months have enjoyed a .333 average and solid run production, along with what equates to a 20-homer pace over a full season. He parlays a high contact rate into plenty of hits from a prime spot near the top...
Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier is only slashing .225/.285/.386 over 328 plate appearances this season, but that does not speak to the player that Kiermaier is. After posting a .276/.338/.450 slash line last season, he has a .266/.312/.481 slash line in the second half, including three steals and 19 extra base hits. Since the beginning of September, Kiermaier has a gaudy .500/.516/1.036 slash line with seven extra base hits and 16 R+BI. Obviously, a lot of the interest in...
Franmil Reyes (OF, SD) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes has a current six-game hitting streak, seeing his batting average rise to .315 since the beginning of the second half. Reyes also has nine home runs in the second half, hitting four in a five game period at the end of August and early September, posting a .602 slugging percentage. Normally hitting fifth or sixth for the Padres, Reyes has 32 R+BI in the second half. Known for his power, Reyes only has...
Hunter Renfroe (OF, SDP) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe should be bought for his power, but he also has a hit in five of the last six games, including two multi-hit games as well. Roping a double and two home runs this week, Renfroe has a .275/.293/.675 slash line this month. Renfroe has continued his power surge this month as well, clubbing five home runs in September. Since the All-Star break, Renfroe has a .585 slugging percentage, posting eight doubles and 15 home runs,...
Brandon Lowe (2B/OF, TB) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe has made his mark on baseball over a short period of time. We don’t know where the Rays find these guys, but here’s another no-name utility player who has played a critical role in Tampa’s improbable run to threaten the Wild Card. A tool-less player with no standout abilities, Lowe does everything just well enough to have earned himself a spot with the cheap seat Rays. All he’s done in...
Yairo Munoz (OF/SS/2B/3B, STL) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Anyway, if you are not familiar with St. Louis Cardinals 23-year-old utilityman Yairo Munoz, he was the key piece that came back in the trade for outfielder Stephen Piscotty. Widely regarded as bat-first, he disappointed slightly in his rookie season. Plagued by injury and ineffectiveness, Munoz has collected just eight home runs, five steals, and 28 runs on a .281/.348/.438 in 276 plate appearances. When you’re a defensive liability, that’s not going to guarantee...
David Dahl (OF, COL) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 10% of leagues ANALYSIS: Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl was not one of our better calls in the pre-season. We argued that, with health, Dahl would be a solid value on his draft position. Unfortunately, the “with health” part didn’t pan out. Once again, Dahl succumbed to a variety of bumps and bruises, only playing in 58 games so far in 2018. Worse yet, the 24-year-old dealt with ineffectiveness when he was in the lineup, and his .264/.316/.494 season line...
Jay Bruce (OF, NYM) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: New York Mets outfielder Jay Bruce has had an up-and-down 2018 season. Bruce has been really bad, save for spurts of very good production that have led to a somewhat salvaged line of .227/.306/.365 with just six home runs and a .137 ISO on 284 plate appearances. Yeah, that’s salvaged. Don’t look now, but we’re on the hilltop with Bruce. Over the last two weeks, his line of .306/.390/.528 and a .222 ISO with a third of his dingers on...
Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/OF, DET) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Though his seven-game hitting streak came to an end on Saturday, Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum filled up the box score during that week. He homered three times, stole two bases, and scored seven runs while driving in an additional four. Goodrum’s rookie campaign has been a mixed bag, but he has tallied 16 homers and 11 steals. He also qualifies at every position save catcher, and that versatility is especially handy down the stretch. As we...
Trey Mancini (1B/OF, BAL) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 40% of leagues ANALYSIS: Some people are waiting for the 2017 Trey Mancini to return. It is likely that will be one of his career-best performances. However, the performance he had in the first half this year is also not indicative of his true talent. The skill he has displayed in the second half is more likely to be the player he becomes. He has a .345 wOBA with an improved hard-hit rate (39%). He is one short of matching his RBI output...
Michael Conforto (OF, NYM) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 44% of leagues ANALYSIS: New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto is a tough player to evaluate.As we often write, we do not often look to recent performance over a longer span of performance unless there is a reason to do so. With Conforto, there is a potential reason why that is the case. He was coming off of an injury to start the year, and the All-Star Break provided some rest. In 45 games since the break, he has posted a line of...
Phillip Ervin (OF, CIN) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: Phillip Ervin was a first-round pick in the 2013 draft. While he doesn’t have a star label on him, he did have a couple of minor league season that increased the hype and consequently the expectations. He has performed quite well since being called up this year. In 171 plate appearances, Ervin is batting .282 with four homers and 24 RBI. He is doing well to limit his strikeouts (20%) as well. Although he doesn’t have a tremendous...
Greg Allen (OF, CLE) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Greg Allen was an afterthought for most fantasy managers, as he seemed like just another speed option that provided zero power with a mediocre batting average. He is doing his best to change people’s opinion with his second-half performance. During that time (79 at-bats), Allen is batting .304 with 14 runs and eight stolen bases in nine attempts. He also has a very good strikeout rate (12.9%). Allen also tries to overcome his 48.5% groundball rate despite a...
Adam Frazier (2B/OF, PIT) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier has found a way into the lineup and onto the fantasy radar. The Pirates have fallen out of the playoff race in recent weeks, but it is not for lack of effort or results from Frazier. The utility man has found his way to regular at-bats and is making the most of them. Demoted to the minor leagues in June, Frazier has hit a scorching .344/.404/.602 with four homers and...
Joey Wendle (2B/3B/OF, TB) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Since June 28, Tampa Bay Rays utility man Joey Wendle has failed to record a hit in just eight of 50 games played, and one of those was just a pinch-hit appearance. A two-hit night on Saturday gave him 19 such efforts during the same span, and extended his current hitting streak to seven games. His counting stats this season have been modest, but Wendle has also been running more lately, with four steals in his...
Trey Mancini (1B/OF, BAL) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of leagues ANALYSIS: Patience is key, particularly with young sophomore players. Realistically, it isn’t patience as much as it is striking while the iron is hot in this case. Very few managers likely held onto Mancini during his rough patches this season (May-July). Mancini has rewarded those been an improved source of production and he was likely acquired off the waiver wire cheaply. In the month of August, he is batting .291 with seven homers and 20 RBI. For those that were delayed to jump...
Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 10% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk has rebounded after a terrible start to the 2018 season. He hit just .106 in April after being acquired from the Cardinals, then hurt himself trying to make a diving play in the field. Since the All-Star break, though, Grichuk has a .300/.351/.564 slash line, hitting eight home runs and tallying 39 R+BI. He has also been hitting either fourth or fifth in the Blue Jays lineup. Posting a career strikeout rate around 30%,...
Hunter Renfroe (OF, SDP) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe should be bought for his power, but he also has a hit in eight consecutive games games, including three multi-hit games as well. Roping a double and two home runs this week, Renfroe closed August with a robust .302/.322/.613 slash line. Renfroe now has 17 home runs for the season and is up to a .256 batting average in 336 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, Renfroe has a .557 slugging percentage, posting seven...
Kevin Pillar (OF, TOR) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays outfield Kevin Pillar is a tough player to evaluate for fantasy purposes (even if he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the league), but his hot streak of late needs to be considered. Posting a .253/.281/..419 slash for the season, Pillar might be wholly dismissed, but the combination of power and speed is still there. Up to 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases, there is a good chance that Pillar tops...
Jonathan Villar (2B/OF, BAL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles outfielder/second baseman Jonathan Villar is working to rehabilitate his career with a move to Baltimore. At this point, it seems fair to say that Villar’s incredible 2016 performance was an aberration. However, since returning to everyday player status after his trade to Baltimore, Villar has shown that he can still help fantasy owners. In 22 August contests, the veteran has hit .250 with four home runs, four stolen bases, and respectable run production. He has...
Cedric Mullins (OF, BAL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: While it is an extremely small sample size, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins had a 2.6 offensive WAR over the last seven days. He has pulled 48% of his balls in play, and his 30% hard-contact rate has contributed to one HR. Although his .400 BABIP from last week will not last, he has made contact 96% of the time against RHP with a 1.130 OPS in 24 at-bats. With playing time in his future over the final...
Trey Mancini (1B/OF, BAL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Orioles lineup, as a whole, is not one to get excited about. However, they do have an injection of youth that can suddenly catch fire. Additionally, they are a professional ball club. Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini is poised to take advantage, hitting in the middle third of the lineup. He does only have one HR, four RBI, and a .283 AVG in the last two weeks. On the season he is batting .236, however, he...
Jesse Winker (OF, CIN) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Dynasty Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker is purely a play in dynasty or keeper leagues, so stop reading now if you are in a full re-draft league. That being said, Winker is the dictionary definition of a professional hitter, and the 334 plate appearances he put down in 2018 have done nothing but confirm that label. A .299/.405/.431 line is borderline elite in OBP leagues, and he is one of the few players in the majors to walk more than he...
Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has a .193/.256/.307 line over 277 plate appearances and just four homers with a .114 ISO and a 25.6% strikeout rate, but he has looked better of late. Over the last week, the 28-year-old has hit .333/.360/.458 with a run and three extra-base hits over 24 at-bats. A week of work is a pretty thin rationale for sacrificing a roster spot, but Kiermaier has gone from zero to hero before. Last season, he was...
Phillip Ervin (OF, CIN) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds outfielder Phillip Ervin has made the most of Jesse Winker's injury and is now getting solid playing time for the Reds. Ervin has hits in eight of the last nine games, including three multi-hit games, and has two doubles and two home runs in the same time period. Since the beginning of August, Ervin has a .313/.373/.547 slash line, posting seven extra-base hits and 26 R+BI. In tandem with his solid slash line, Ervin...
Joey Wendle (2B/3B/OF, TB) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays super-utilityman Joey Wendle has a hit in five of the last six games, continuing on what has been a strong season. Wendle was a total unknown before this season and now has a .291 batting average in 417 plate appearances. Tallying only 30 extra-base hits, much of Wendle's value comes from his solid average Since the All-Star break, he has produced a .311/.367/.491 line while chipping in two steals, 12 extra base hits, 14 runs,...
Hunter Renfroe (OF, SDP) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 12% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe has a hit in three of the last four games, registering a multi-hit game on Saturday as well. Playing in Colorado this week, Renfroe made the most of his opportunity in elevation, hitting a homer and double in Denver. Renfroe now has 15 home runs for the season and is up to a .246 batting average in 314 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, Renfroe has a .527 slugging percentage, posting six doubles...
Melky Cabrera (OF, CLE) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: If your reaction to seeing Melky Cabrera as a recommended waiver wire add is, "Really?" you are not alone. I may or may not have said the same thing, in part because it seems like Melky should be about 50 years old by now (he's actually only just turned 34 this month). He was also designated for assignment in June and elected free agency rather than accept the demotion, but returned to the club after finding no...
David Dahl (OF, COL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of leagues ANALYSIS: Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl has been recalled to get run in left field in Colorado. At one time, Dahl was mentioned among the most exciting prospects in baseball, but a run of bad luck on the injury front has reduced the shine on the talented outfielder. Now, he returns to the Rockies hoping to recapture the magic that led to a .315/.359/.500 line across 237 at-bats in 2016. Since being recalled on August 5, Dahl is...
Ben Zobrist (2B/OF, CHC) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 38% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs second baseman/outfielder Ben Zobrist has had a really good year as an experienced veteran. He has gotten more playing time than usual, as he had filled in well for Kris Bryant while he recovered from his injury. Since Bryant has returned, Zobrist has mainly played second and has also found opportunities at the top of the lineup. He is slashing .307/.389/.461 this season and has a .367 wOBA. While he only has...
Harrison Bader (OF, STL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Cardinals' outfield logjam has been a consistent source of consternation for fantasy owners in 2018. Thanks to injury (Dexter Fowler), trade (Tommy Pham), and defensive concerns (Jose Martinez), Harrison Bader is finally getting everyday at-bats, and he is making the most of them. The rookie already has seven multi-hit games in August, helping him to a .319/.385/.551 line during the month with three home runs, three stolen bases, and...
Nick Williams (OF, PHI) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of leagues ANALYSIS: Despite posting an .811 OPS in his first MLB season, Nick Williams opened his second MLB campaign in a right field platoon with Aaron Altherr. While he hit below .200 in April, Williams has grabbed the right fielder's job in the City of Brotherly Love and is not looking back. Williams seized the starting job, Altherr found himself banished to the minor leagues, and the Phillies have reaped the rewards. Since the All-Star break, the 24-year-old has slashed...
Mark Trumbo (OF, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: At this point in his career, you know exactly what you're getting from Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo. The 6'4", 225 lb power-hitter has averaged a staggering 24.77 home runs per season dating back to his first full year in the MLB in 2011. This year, Trumbo has maintained his penchant for the long ball and has put up respectable numbers despite being a part of a punchless Orioles lineup. Trumbo is hitting .263/.317/.461 with...
Brandon Nimmo (OF, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo needs to be owned in more leagues, plain and simple. In 2018, he has a .265/.387/.503 slash line, chipping in 15 homers, 39 RBI, 65 runs scored, and eight stolen bases. Make no mistake, an on-base percentage of .387 is absolutely elite, ranking 13th in the MLB among qualified hitters. His ability to hit for power is backed up by his .238 ISO, which comes in at 23rd in...
Melky Cabrera (OF, CLE) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 2% of leagues ANALYSIS: Cleveland Indians outfielder Melky Cabrera is a rare example of the ballplayer that is better in fantasy than he is in real life. He is a terrible defensive outfielder and, despite attractive looking peripheral numbers, he has actually been a below replacement level hitter at the dish four of the last six seasons. However, of course, almost no fantasy league in the world counts WAR or other, more subjective advanced metrics. Over the last week, put up a pair of homers...
