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

Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups (NL Edition): Week 6

by David Kadlubowski, azcentral sports

Lou Cappetta recommends waiver wire sleepers and pickups for deeper fantasy baseball leagues in week 6, like NL Only (national league) formats. Target these hidden gems.

We have officially put the first month of the baseball season in the books, and plenty of waiver wire sleepers have already developed for all league formats including NL-Only and AL-Only leagues. That seemed to go rather quickly, but like they say, time flies when you're having fun. This is usually about the time when less experienced fantasy owners begin to panic when one of their top picks is still not producing. The baseball season is incredibly long, and while a poor month for a top fantasy pick disappointing, it's still roughly only one-sixth pf the season.

 

Don't Overreact 

Take Mark Reynolds' 2013 season for example. Reynolds had a scorching April last year, belting eight home runs with 22 RBI and a .301 batting average. With his average up, and strikeout rate down for the month, there were rumblings that Reynolds had finally found his stroke in Cleveland - Terry Francona had figured something out with the super streaky third baseman, and that Reynolds may have found a home with the Tribe.

Then May came, and Reynolds' numbers dipped to five home runs, 19 RBI, a .219 batting average, and 34 whiffs in 30 games. The next month he struck out 40 times in 26 games. By August, Reynolds was filling a bench role for the Yankees after being granted his outright release from Cleveland. After an April and May that produced a .255 batting average with 13 home runs and 41 RBI, Reynolds would bat only .195 with eight home runs and 26 RBI.

In other words, it is not smart to get too high or too low on players after only one month of the baseball season. That said, it's still wise to keep an eye on your waiver wire , just in case a cold start turns into a season long slump. This is especially important in league specific formats where the number of available players is cut in half.

 

Waiver Wire Sleepers for NL Only Leagues

Luckily, Rotoballer  is here to guide you towards some possible hidden gems that may still be on your waiver wire. Check here every week for some NL-Only guys to watch, players who may still be available in your league.

 

Nate McLouth, Washington Nationals, OF

5% owned CBS, 3% owned Yahoo!

Owning Nate McLouth can be maddening, as he is not only one of the streakiest players to have during a season, but it's difficult to even know what you'll get from him year to year.

McLouth looked on the fast track to stardom during his days in Pittsburgh, before disappearing almost completely after being traded to Atlanta in 2009. After becoming a fantasy afterthought, McLouth bounced back as a top-50 fantasy outfielder in 2013 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

At his best, McLouth is an exciting combination of 20-homer, 30-steal potential. At his worst, McLouth is an injury risk who's free swinging and strikeout rate will kill your batting average. Last year we saw the good, as McLouth's  12 homers, 30 stolen bases, and 76 runs scored easily made him one of the more valuable waiver additions in fantasy.

This year, McLouth is in a fourth outfielder role in Washington, and the bad Nate McLouth is what we've seen so far. With Bryce Harper on the shelf for the next two months or so, however, McLouth becomes an interesting add, especially in NL-only leagues, as a guy who could get in a groove with regular playing time. Any player who offers a quality power/speed combo has the chance to become instant gold in fantasy leagues.

If you need an outfielder in NL-only leagues, McLouth becomes a guy you need to keep an eye on. I would even venture to call him a must add for anyone who lost Bryce Harper.

 

Brandon Hicks, San Francisco Giants, 2B/SS

6% owned CBS, 2% owned Yahoo!

Need some pop, or having some issues at your middle infield? Well, meet the Brian Dozier of NL-Only leagues.

Getting a chance at playing time due to Marco Scutaro's injury, Hicks has shown some major pop in Scutaro's abscence, as he's belted five home runs, while driving in nine, and scoring 11 times. That's pretty solid production, but when taken in to account that Hicks has done this in only 64 at-bats, it becomes really eye opening.

There are two downfalls with Hicks that will keep me from calling him an NL-Only must add. First, Hicks is surely going to return to a bench role when Scutaro returns. And second, Hicks is currently batting less than .220, a bi-product of his astronomical strikeout rate. Not only has Hicks struck out a whopping 25 times in the aforementioned 64 at-bats, but he's had at least one K in all but five games. That's getting into Mark Reynolds territory.

If you can survive the obvious batting average hit, Hicks is worth a look due to the fact that home run production can be sparse at the second base and shortstop position. In fact, only three NL middle infielders (Troy Tulowitzki, Jhonny Peralta, and Neil Walker) have hit more home runs than Hicks so far this year. Even if it's a short run, a hot Hicks could really help your power output.

 

Brandon McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks, SP

16% owned CBS, 5% owned Yahoo!

by David Kadlubowski, azcentral sportsIf owners in your league have left Brandon McCarthy on waivers, don't follow suit, and definitely don't be scared off by a first month that saw the Arizona righty go 0-5 with a 5.54 ERA. When you look past the numbers, there is a lot to like here with McCarthy, and I'm willing to call him a must add in all NL-Only leagues.

McCarthy has been throwing the ball much harder this season, and it's caused an uptick in strikeouts. With 34 Ks in 37 innings, McCarthy is averaging close to a strikeout per inning. That's elite territory, and somewhere that McCarthy has never been.

So what's wrong here? Well, McCarthy has been a victim of the long ball. He's already given up a league leading seven of them through his first six starts. Is it a problem? Sure, but it's a problem that has been seen with plenty of pitchers who discover increased velocity. Almost half of the seven home runs McCarthy has allowed came in his second start of the season, when he was tagged three times by the Rockies in Colorado. I'm willing to bet that, even if McCarthy allowes more dingers than he has in the past, that he settles down to a HR/9 that fantasy owners can live with.

If you're looking for evidence that McCarthy has figured it out before you add him, you may have already seen it in his last loss. Despite allowing only two earned runs, and striking out 12 batters through seven innings, the Diamond backs were shutout.

Now is the time to add McCarthy if he is still available in your league for the chance that he's on the upswing. The Diamondback's starting rotation has been decimated, meaning that even if McCarthy has a few more rough starts, he's has little chance to lose his rotation spot. In NL-Only leagues, where pitching can get thin quickly, adding McCarthy speculatively makes a lot of sense.

 




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

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
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
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF