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

Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
NHL

Dan Vladar Links Up with Flyers on Two-Year Deal
NHL

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact with Oilers
NHL

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
NHL

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NHL

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NHL

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
NHL

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
NHL

Vladislav Gavrikov Inks Seven-Year Deal with Rangers
NHL

Tanner Jeannot Moves to Boston
NHL

Corey Perry Joins Kings on One-Year Deal
K'Andre Miller

Hurricanes Pick Up K'Andre Miller
Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Houston Rockets

Jeff Green Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
ANA

Mikael Granlund Moves to Anaheim on Three-Year Deal
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
NJ

Jake Allen Signs Five-Year Extension With Devils
VAN

Brock Boeser Remains in Vancouver on Seven-Year Deal
Conor Garland

Signs New Six-Year Deal with Canucks
Thatcher Demko

Signs Three-Year Extension with Canucks
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary Agrees to Seven-Year Extension with Capitals
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
MLB

Brewers-Mets Postponed on Tuesday
MLB

Tigers-Nationals Postponed on Tuesday
Zach Neto

Returns to Tuesday's Lineup
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
MLB

Padres-Phillies Postponed on Tuesday
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Hunter Goodman

Back Behind the Dish on Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Jason Day

is a Fine Play With Limited Upside at John Deere Classic
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Luke Clanton

Looks to Have Another Strong Week at TPC Deere Run
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF