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The Waiver Wire Watch List: Week 13

Bill Dubiel's list of fantasy baseball free agents to watch in Week 13 of the 2019 season. These are players to monitor and could be potential pickups off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.

So we're two and a half months into the season, and a lot of pictures are becoming more clear. Some players have been lost to injury time, plenty are underperforming, and there are of course new faces rising. No matter the situation, it could be time for a roster refresh--but not just the hum-drum obvious waiver wire adds.

Throughout the season, you want to get the jump on your competition and sniff out the breakout players before they break out. That's what this list is all about--using some in-depth research and advanced analytics to find the players who aren't quite there yet but are on their way. Some of these may suit your needs for an immediate pick-up depending on your team's situation.

This is not necessarily a list of players you should add right away at the start of week 13 - it is a list of players to keep a very close eye on in most leagues as we further into June, and to consider picking up in deeper formats. In some cases, we will even caution you not to pick up a widely-added player, and steer you away from the fool's gold. Use it to build your own watch list.

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

 

Pitchers to Watch in 12+ Team Leagues

Homer Bailey (SP, KC)

Homer Bailey is probably still the Homer Bailey you know and loathe, but there are some signs that he's not going to be completely useless for the rest of the summer. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I'm not sure what is. Bailey IS currently riding a streak of three quality starts in a row, and he actually has a 1.37 ERA in that time frame.

A hot streak is all well and good, but in 2019 the 33-year-old has actually shown some fairly consistent improvement when compared to recent years. His 20.7 strikeout percentage is the highest mark since 2013 (technically it was better across the six starts he made in 2016), although he hasn't been healthy for a majority of the last five years. He's worth rostering in deep leagues, but you need to be very careful about when you roll him out.

Elieser Hernandez (SP, MIA)

The Marlins have nothing to lose at this point, and they're using the rest of the season to see what kind of assets they've got in the organization. Elieser Hernandez was underwhelming in 65.2 innings last year (starting and in relief) but he's flashed some fantasy potential in his first few outings in 2019.

Through 13.2 innings he's got a solid 13:2 strikeout to walk ratio, and he's allowed just one home run. A decidedly small sample size, but Hernandez showed off his strikeout stuff at each stop in the minors. So far this year he's only faced the Giants and the shockingly subpar Cardinals lineup, so wait and see a couple more starts before you consider actually adding him.

Michael Pineda (SP, MIN)

Pineda has missed large chunks of the last decade with various injuries, including the entire 2018 season. He's managed to hold down a rotation spot with the upstart Twins, and besides a few blemishes he's been mostly usable for fantasy purposes. His season-long numbers are underwhelming, because while four of his last six outings have been quality starts, he's given up three earned runs or more in all but four starts this year.

Understand what you're getting with Pineda. He won't help your ratios, he's currently posting the second-lowest strikeout percentage of his career, and he's still falling victim to the long ball as often as he has for most of his career--which is often. But he truly does give his team (and your fantasy team) a chance to win just about every time out.

 

Batters to Watch in 12+ Team Leagues

Ryan McMahon (1B/2B, COL)

McMahon has thrived as a cog in the suddenly red-hot Rockies lineup, and with Garrett Hampson back down in the minors it looks like McMahon might have some staying power. As of right now McMahon is riding a seven-game hitting streak, and he's driven in 10 runs in his five games.

As long as McMahon has a regular spot in the Rockies lineup, he'll have fantasy value. The numbers are clear about the value of Coors Field, and McMahon has always had a plus hit tool to begin with. You're perfectly justified to try and get in on his current hot streak, but I'm not quite at the point where I find him a must-own in anything but the deepest leagues.

Jason Kipnis (2B, CLE)

Remember when Jason Kipnis was a fantasy stud? Yeah, me either, it's been a while. In the back half of his career, Kipnis has sacrificed contact for power, but the power isn't anywhere near enough to make up for his horrendous batting average. Through three months of baseball, those trends have been holding steady, and Kipnis was heading towards another underwhelming season.

Kipnis missed a couple games last week with hip tightness, and since then he's actually picked it up significantly at the plate. He's hitting .421 over his last five games with three homers and 10 RBI, and he's pretty much locked-in as an everyday player for the Tribe. See if this is more than just a momentary surge for the veteran.

Francisco Mejia (C, SD)

Francisco Mejia has been one of the most touted prospects in baseball for a couple of years, but he's simply never panned out in the big leagues. He's just 23, and has flashed his superb hitting abilities throughout the minor leagues, so it's very much about patience at this point.

There isn't anything I can point to in his major league stat sheet that indicates he's about to explode onto the scene, but this is the watch list, not the waiver wire list. He hit a homer in his first game back in the bigs this week, and with his kind of talent he's worth keeping a close eye on in the immediate.

 

Recapping The Waiver Wire Watch List

In the section, I will review the progress and current outlook of players that I wrote about in previous articles in this series.

Pitchers

Shaun Anderson (SP, SF) - Still Watching: Hit around a bit by the powerful Dodgers, but still fell just one out short of a quality start.

Steven Brault (SP, PIT) - Still Watching: Shut out (impressive) the Miami Marlins (less impressive) for six innings last time out. Pitching well enough to stay in the rotation, but his future is still cloudy.

Tommy Milone (SP/RP, SEA) - Still Watching: Working incredibly well behind an opener, and looks like he will continue to do so.

Cal Quantrill (SP, SD) - Still Watching: No start this past week. Keep an eye on him.

Framber Valdez (SP/RP, HOU) - Still Watching: Frambermania is NOT running wild, brother. Got touched up in Yankee Stadium this week, but hey, isn't everyone?

Brett Anderson (SP, OAK) - Add Now: Four quality starts in his last five outings. He's nothing special and never will be, but he's got fantasy appeal as a back-of-the-rotation guy.

Andrew Cashner (SP, BAL) - Add Now: Back-to-back great outings against the Astros and A's, and he's pretty much settled in as that guy who has a decent shot at a QS, but is prone to the occasional blow-up.

Batters

Todd Frazier (3B, NYM) - Still Watching: Has been raking for a couple weeks, but I'm not sure I buy this offensive turnaround just yet.

Kevin Newman (SS, PIT) - Add Now: Riding a nine-game hitting streak and has his average up to .316 as of this writing. You aren't going to do much better with your MI spot or as a backup.

Kevin Pillar (OF, SF) - Still Watching: His overall numbers are still weighed down by an unsightly BABIP, and he may be normalizing at long last.

David Bote (2B, 3B) - Still Watching: When he's in the lineup, he hits. Problem is, he's not always in the lineup.

Jarrod Dyson (OF, ARI) - Still Watching: With David Peralta back Dyson is merely a part-time player and doesn't merit much consideration unless you're looking for steals in a roto league.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
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
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Brad Keselowski

Likely to Brush Past Chicago Street Course to Focus on Daytona
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek One of the Best Underdog Options After Strong Runs at Mexico City and Last Year
Cole Custer

Strong Mexico City Run and Xfinity Series Chicago Win Make Him a Solid DFS Option
Erik Jones

Likely Not Good Enough on Road Courses for DFS Consideration Despite Poor Qualifying Result
Noah Gragson

May Be Better Than Other Cheap DFS Options
Riley Herbst

Despite Decent Mexico City Run, Don't Expect Riley Herbst to Contend at Chicago
Cody Ware

Is a Road Course Veteran, but It's Rarely Helped Him in NASCAR
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Is The Heavy Favorite to Win at Chicago Street Course
Christopher Bell

Should Be Strong Despite Practice Struggles at Chicago Street Course
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
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
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF