X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

NL-Only and AL-Only Waiver Wire for Week 12

Matt Wallach outlines his favorite week 12 waiver wire pickups and adds for deep leagues, and AL-only or NL-only fantasy baseball leagues for the 2021 MLB season.

Welcome back to the NL-only and AL-only pickups column. Each week, I'll look at five players who are under 15% rostered in Yahoo! leagues and who can be considered as options to add in deep-league formats, such as 15-teamers or AL or NL-only leagues.

I'll also include a recommendation for what to do with each player on your roster. And lastly, I'll take a look at some of my picks from the previous week to see how they're performing.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Luis Urias - 2B/3B/SS, Brewers

9% rostered
Recommended move: Add for the long haul

Urias has seen his roster rate spike in recent weeks, and for good reason. He's been playing well as of late, with a .270/.372/.541 slash line in the month of June. This hot stretch is helping to erase the slow start that he got off to when he had just a .221/.320/.379 triple slash from the start of the season through the end of May.

Urias looks a bit different at the plate this season, which is helping him go on this hot stretch. It starts first with him hitting the ball with more authority, as his hard-hit and barrel rates are both career-highs and easily trumping where they were previously. Additionally, Urias has set a new high in terms of maximum exit velocity, which at 111.5 miles-per-hour is a sharp increase from his previous high of 107.4 miles-per-hour and places him in the 81st percentile in the game, which is maybe not quite what would be expected from a hitter with Urias' profile. To go along with that, Urias has hit more fly balls this season (38.1%), which again, easily beats what he did last season (18.4). All these factors combined lead to the improved power output that Urias has displayed this year, with seven home runs and a healthy ISO of .181, with a new career-high in home run per fly ball rate.

Urias is doing a lot of things right at the plate right now, which is making him look more like the player that his prospect profile would have suggested that he is. It's been a welcome sight for a Brewers team that needed an offensive spark. For fantasy purposes, this new hard-hitting version of Urias should continue to provide some decent pop, although perhaps at the expense of batting average. There's also some potential stolen base upside, as he has swiped two bags this year, but probably won't contribute a crazy amount of them. All in all, Urias should remain a solid fantasy contributor while hitting at the top of the lineup and with his triple position eligibility.

 

Taylor Trammell - OF, Mariners

5% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks

Trammell opened the season with the Mariners, but was sent down in early May after posting a 71 wRC+ with a 43% strikeout rate. He stayed in Triple-A for about a month before being recalled. He initially did well upon returning, with a 137 wRC+ in his first seven games, but has struggled a bit since.

It is one of the downsides of being a rookie, as things tend to ebb and flow. It's still early in his career, and as a former top prospect, Trammell should have a bright future. For right now in fantasy, there are some bright spots. He has, to his credit, shown some good power, as he already has five home runs in just 38 games, with a solid 20.8% home run per fly ball rate and slightly above-average barrel and hard-hit rates. To go along with that, he has shown the speed that he was known for, as he has netted two steals in a small sample--of which more should come with playing time, which looks to be plentiful for now. Trammell has started five of the last six games, including a start against a left-handed pitcher, so the Mariners look likely to keep him in the lineup for the foreseeable future.

It's not a perfect profile, but at the least, Trammell has already shown flashes of a power-speed combo, all while playing pretty much every day. This is maybe more of a speculative pick rather than one you can pick up and throw into your starting lineup right away, but the hope should be that he gets better as the season goes on, in which, he would be a nice option to start every day in fantasy. Pick him up and keep him on your bench for a few weeks and re-assess.

 

Nick Gordon - 2B/SS, Twins

3% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks

Another speculative-type pick, Gordon is similar to Trammell in that he has shown glimpses of a viable fantasy profile, albeit in a smaller sample. In his first 33 plate appearances, he has a .344/.364/.438 slash line, with the kicker being that he already has five stolen bases. Don't expect much power from him, but it has so far been the batting average-speed combo that made him a top-five draft pick by the Twins back in 2014.

It's a more speculative pick however because the playing time just hasn't been there consistently for Gordon just yet. He started just two of the last six games for the Twins. One of those starts came in center field, which could mean he'll soon be triple-eligible, which is a plus, it maybe just isn't enough playing time to make him super fantasy-relevant just yet. Also, Byron Buxton (hip) is due back this week, and others will likely follow, so Gordon may not be long for the Major League roster. I do think he is still worthy of a pickup in deep formats like this just to see what might happen, as the steals are very juicy, but not everyone can likely afford to roster a part-time player. If you can though, Gordon could be a good option in the short term.

 

LaMonte Wade Jr. - 1B/OF, Giants

2% rostered
Recommended move: Add for this week. 

Wade looks to be in a straight platoon in left field for the Giants right now. That does limit his ultimate fantasy upside, but there is potential here for a savvy manager to look and take advantage of the matchups. The Giants are only scheduled to face one left-handed starter this week, which means that Wade should be in the lineup pretty much every day this week for the team, and they have a favorable matchup against the weak Diamondbacks.

That does bode well for Wade, as he looks like yet another player the Giants have pulled out of nowhere with his impressive .268/.359/.446 slash line, on the back of hitting the ball harder (91.3 average exit velocity, 43.9% hard-hit rate), and a good helping of fly balls and line drives (32.5% groundball rate), which has helped him pop three home runs in just nineteen games. This production maybe won't last for the long haul, but again, in a week-long spurt where the team is going to face a heavy dose of righties, he can be a good hitter to stream and see if he can net some good production. As another plus, he's been hitting leadoff for the team when he does start, thanks to his good on-base skills and plate discipline, which should help him get more opportunities and plate appearances.

 

Rowdy Tellez - 1B, Blue Jays

2% rostered
Recommended move: Add for this week. 

After coming into this season with quite a bit of fantasy hype, Tellez made a bad first impression this year when he had just a 33 wRC+ in April, as he was dropped, for good reason, from many fantasy teams. The rest of the Jays offense has had little issue picking up the slack, but Tellez has quietly rebounded in the weeks since, with a 108 wRC+ since the start of May, and he has been playing even better recently, with a .333/.375/.600 slash line in the last week.

He was taken off a lot of people's fantasy radars after a bad start, but he's probably under rostered right now, as he is now living more up to the type of player he was in the shortened 2020 season. His hard-hit rate (49.5%) is better than last year and in the 84th percentile. The same goes for his barrel rate (13.9%, 87th percentile), along with a maximum exit velocity market that ranks him in the 92nd percentile, along with a fine 21% strikeout rate and a low 38.6% groundball rate. Tellez is doing some good work at the plate, and while he had quite the hole to dig himself out of, he is doing a good job at that right now, and his overall batted-ball profile looks encouraging.

The downside is though that Tellez is a platoon player, which means he's not likely to face left-handed starters. Additionally, George Springer (quadriceps) is embarking on a rehab assignment this week and should be back soon, which could limit how much playing time there is for Tellez going forward. That's probably a week or so from happening though, so Tellez could still be a good option for this week. The Jays get matchups in hitter-friendly Buffalo and then Baltimore, where they are only projected to face two lefties, so Tellez should be in there most of the time, in which he can hopefully use his hard-hit ability to put up some solid counting stats before he maybe heads to the bench.

 

Reviewing Last Week's Picks

At the end of each week's post, I'll review what happened with last week's picks and offer a suggestion for them in the future.

Yonathan Daza (OF, COL)

Last week: 5% rostered. This week: 5% rostered. 

Daza is a hitter who is supposed to hit for a high batting average, with little else. He didn't exactly do that last week, with just a .238 batting average. It seems like a clear drop, but Colorado has nothing but home games this week, so it could be worth it to hold him through the end of the week to see if he can provide a positive in the batting average category.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Steven Duggar (OF, SFG) 

Last week: 4% rostered. This week: 4% rostered. 

Duggar didn't play all that well last week, with a wRC+ of just 11, and a 57.8% strikeout rate, but he still could've been recommended again this week. It's a similar circumstance to this week's recommendation in Wade in that he's a lefty on the Giants, who have a favorable schedule this week, so he should be in there most of the time. I would hold for this week to see if he can do better in favorable matchups.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Harold Ramirez (OF, CLE) 

Last week: 4% rostered. This week: 5% rostered. 

Ramirez received just 20 plate appearances last week, and had just four hits with few counting stats. However, the profile here remains strong, with his superb hard-hit ability and Statcast metrics. He should still provide a good batting average while hitting for decent power as well. Hold him for now.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Josh Reddick (OF, ARI)  

Last week: 4% rostered. This week: 2% rostered. 

Reddick went just 1-for-13 last week and has seen his playing start to get scaled back, partly due to the team seeing three left-handed pitchers last week, and due to his play. He got off to a good start, but he's been trending down for a while, and has just an 82 wRC+ on the season. This is a clear drop.

Current recommendation: Drop. 

Tony Kemp (2B/OF, OAK) 

Last week: 4% rostered. This week: 3% rostered. 

It was a good week for Kemp, albeit not quite in the way it would be expected, as instead of a high batting average, he walked 23.8% of the time, while hitting just .250. He's still pretty much in a straight platoon, but if you're rostering him, you're happy with his production. Keep him around for the time being.

Current recommendation: Hold. 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF