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 16

Matt Wallach outlines his favorite week 16 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:

 

Kole Calhoun - OF, Diamondbacks

10% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks

Calhoun recently returned from the injured list after an extended layoff due to a hamstring injury. It kept him out of action for all of May and June, but now healthy, he figures to be in the starting lineup for lowly Diamondbacks every day going forward.

Calhoun did get off to a good start for the team this season, hitting for average and showing some pop with a .292/.333/.479 slash line (119 wRC+), and with a whopping 48.6% hard-hit rate, showing that he, at least in the early going, had something still left in the tank. Historically though, Calhoun has been more of a power over average type of hitter, as from 2018 through 2020, he hit just .221, but had a .216 isolated power mark. That's likely the type of hitter that Calhoun will be going forward, as he should be a solid source of some cheap power, while likely not providing much else. That doesn't make for the most glamorous fantasy profile, but it is still a useful one, as he figures to get the majority of the playing time and at the top of the order, where he should be able to just go out there and do his thing, and put up solid if unspectacular results. Do keep in mind that he could very well be traded come the July 30th trade deadline, which could change his outlook. For now though, pick him up for at least the next couple of weeks and re-evaluate when/if he gets traded.

 

Brian Goodwin - OF, White Sox

2% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks

Goodwin continues to hit well for the injury-ridden White Sox, with a .267/.353/.511 slash line. Despite that, he's still being rostered at a low rate. It is true that Goodwin's Statcast metrics don't exactly back up his strong stats to this point, but even then, they're not bad, and do view more as a league-average type of hitter, but that's not exactly a bad thing. He's been a league-average type of hitter for pretty much his entire career, and he has been fantasy relevant in the past, so there's no reason why he shouldn't still be fantasy relevant right now.

At the least, even if his performance drops off going forward, he probably should be rostered if only because he hits in the middle of one of the game's best lineups--he's hit fourth for the last six games--which means he should accumulate a good number of counting stats, driving in and scoring plenty of runs. And while managers would likely prefer to sit him against lefties, it appears that the White Sox will only face two lefties in their next seven games, so Goodwin figures to be in the heart of the lineup for the team for most of those more-favorable matchups.

It's not the most glamorous profile again, but it is one that could be pretty useful in the right situation. However, the playing time situation figures to get a little messy with Eloy Jimenez on a rehab assignment and due to come back soon. Jimenez likely will take the DH spot over an outfield spot, but it still remains to be seen what impact it will have on Goodwin, plus it's not a secret that the White Sox are looking for outfielders to acquire. Consider Goodwin more of a short-term option right now. See what the situation is after the deadline before making a final decision on Goodwin. For now, though, he looks like a fine option.

 

Orlando Arcia - SS/OF Braves

2% rostered
Recommended move: Add for the long haul 

Arcia was acquired by the Braves earlier in the season and was immediately demoted to AAA upon the trade, which essentially killed his fantasy value. He got called up earlier this month though, and so far, he's played well, with a .333/.360/.500 slash line in just 25 plate appearances for the Braves. It's hard to take anything away from that, but it is encouraging that he's hitting the ball hard right now, at 48.1%, and that his barrel rate is a career-high 7.4%, but those are likely to fluctuate as he gets more playing time.

However, due to the unfortunate, recent injury to Ronald Acuna Jr., Arcia looks like he'll be sticking around in the Braves' lineup for quite some time. With an everyday role now settled, he does get some fantasy value back, and it could be worth it to find out if these new hard-hit highs for him are legitimate or not. It is perhaps notable that he was tearing up AAA, hitting .303/.380/.552, but it is probably not worth putting all that much stock in it, considering he is 26-years-old, but it does seem like that his hot hitting in AAA has so far carried over back to the Majors. He's worthy of a shot for those looking for a deep-league outfield option, and it does come with unique position eligibility, as there aren't many players that are eligible at both shortstop and the outfield, so there is some extra flexibility there too, it seems.

 

John Nogowski - 1B, Pirates

1% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks 

Nogowski was acquired by the Pirates from the Cardinals earlier in the year, and while he was never much of a prospect, he does have a decent minor league track record, as he did hit .295/.413/.476 in AAA in 2019, and notably with more walks than strikeouts.

Since debuting for the Pirates on July 5th, Nogowski has hit a ridiculous .500/.548/.571, which makes him one of the hottest hitters in the league over the last week or so. He's definitely going to come back down to Earth, but he does project to be an about league-average hitter for the rest of the season, and while it may not come with much power, it should be a profile that ends up helping more than it hurts. He should contribute a little bit in each category (except for steals), while not being an overall drag anywhere. Once again, it's not a glamorous profile, but it could work for those in need of a first base option. Nogowski also figures to be a part of the Pirates' lineup for the foreseeable future. The injuries to Philip Evans (concussion) and Colin Moran (wrist) are what got Nogowski on the roster in the first place, and if he continues to play well, there's no reason why he wouldn't be in the lineup on a consistent basis going forward.

 

Ramon Urias - 2B/SS, Orioles

1% rostered
Recommended move: Add for a few weeks 

Another recent call-up, Urias is hitting .333/.388/.533 since being recalled by the Orioles on June 27th. During that stretch, he's posted solid barrel and hard-hit rates at 10.8% and 43.2%, respectively, which has helped drive his hot power output. Urias got a shot briefly in 2020, and he did well then too, hitting for a 166 wRC+, and this year in the minors, he hit for a 118 wRC+, with a .225 isolated power metric, so he definitely looks to have been hitting well whenever he's had the opportunity in the recent past.

Things likely will come down a bit in the next few weeks, but Urias has shown good skills so far, and it is possible that he's something of a late-bloomer, since he is 27-years-old. Even if he is more of a league-average for the rest of the season, that will have fantasy value, especially since it comes with dual-eligibility at both middle infield spots. The Orioles, still rebuilding, likely will give Urias the majority of playing time for the remainder of the year while they try and evaluate what they have in Urias. Freddy Galvis (quad) will return at some point, but if Urias is hitting well, he'll be playing, whether it's at shortstop or second base yet, we don't know, but for now, Urias looks like a good deep league option at the middle infield spots. He's an interesting player, and I think he could be more than a league-average hitter.

 

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.

Starlin Castro (2B/3B, WAS)

Last week: 9% rostered. This week: 18% rostered. 

Castro continues to play well, as he hit .481/.500/.593, which sent his roster rate soaring. Overall, it's a 177 wRC+ since June 19th, and he's still trying to erase his slow start completely, as his whole-season wRC+ is still below 100, but if he keeps hitting like this, it won't be long before that changes. There still hasn't been much power from Castro, with just one home run in this hot stretch, but he's hitting too well to ignore. Hold him.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Jesus Sanchez (OF, MIA)

Last week: 8% rostered. This week: 6% rostered. 

It was a good week for Sanchez, as he hit for a 149 wRC+, and contributing three extra-base hits, including one homer. There wasn't much when it comes to counting stats, but it is still a good sign to see the youngster playing well after a rough start to the season. Personal favorite Garrett Cooper has been playing too well lately and earned more playing time, but that appears to have come at the expense of Adam Duvall, rather than Sanchez, which was a concern, but it seems like the Marlins will favor Sanchez more over Duvall going forward, which is nice from a fantasy perspective. Keep rostering Sanchez.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Luis Torrens (C, SEA)

Last week: 3% rostered. This week: 6% rostered. 

Torrens continues to impress, with a 170 wRC+ last week, and a scorching 191 mark since being called up on June 15th. Things get interesting though with top prospect Cal Raleigh called up and figuring to get most of the catching duties. The Mariners are technically carrying three catchers now with Raleigh, Torrens, and Tom Murphy, so perhaps they could get creative with playing time, and DH Torrens with Murphy as the backup. He did DH in Raleigh's first game, for whatever it's worth. For fantasy purposes though, he's simply hitting too well to ignore or drop, even with some potential playing time issues. Monitor the playing time, but you're definitely not dropping.

Current recommendation: Hold. 

Ryan O'Hearn (1B/OF, KCR) 

Last week: 1% rostered. This week: 1% rostered. 

It wasn't a great week for O'Hearn, as he had just three hits, and only contributed a single run in terms of counting stats. He did gain outfield eligibility though, but there are better options at both positions available right now. This seems like a drop.

Current recommendation: Drop.  

Phil Gosselin (1B/3B/OF, LAA)

Last week: 1% rostered. This week: 1% rostered. 

With the Angels set to face a heavy dose of left-handed pitching last week, Gosselin was recommended as a potential streaming option, considering his strong results against lefties. He didn't live up to that reputation last week though, as he had just a 42 wRC+. The opportunity is there to try this again, as the Angels are set to face the Mariners this weekend, and likely will see two lefty starters, but that's a gamble, and probably not one worth taking. This is a likely drop.

Current recommendation: Drop. 



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

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP