X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

Top Five Injured Players To Stash In Fantasy Baseball - Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11

CJ Cron - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Welcome to our top fantasy baseball injury stashes for Week 11, looking at IL players as of June 9th. Today's list of injured MLB players to consider stashing off the fantasy baseball waiver wire includes C.J. Cron, Alex Wood, Lars Nootbar, Jose Quintana and Brandon Lowe.

In case you're not yet familiar, this list is a weekly article series will highlight the top five hitters and pitchers to hold in your IL spots in re-draft fantasy baseball leagues. As players injured early in the season begin to make their way back to their respective teams, it's time to check who is coming back sooner than later.

These five players are rostered in less than 60% of leagues and have the opportunity to make an impact in fantasy the rest of the way. Make sure to check if these players are available to be picked up in your leagues!

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association including Baseball Writer of the Year, Football Writers of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year and many more! Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!

 

Top Fantasy Baseball IL Stashes for Week 11

C.J. Cron - 1B/DH, Colorado Rockies

Like Brandon Lowe, C.J. Cron is a big power hitter who has often been injured, but not nearly to the same extent. Through nine seasons, Cron has only eclipsed 140 games three times. The 33-year-old was consistently productive in those three seasons, averaging nearly 30 home runs and 30 doubles while batting over .250. There is no reason to believe that Cron can't continue being productive upon his return from the IL. 

One of the biggest reasons to assume Cron will be okay is the ballpark he plays at. Coors Field is one of baseball's most hitter-friendly environments, especially for home runs. The high altitude of Denver, Colorado, makes balls in the air travel farther than they usually would elsewhere. In his career, Cron has hit fly balls 40% of the time nearly every season. Combined with 42% HardHit% and 95th percentile Barrel%, Cron is a dangerous hitter at home.

 

The Rockies' first baseman is dealing with back soreness and is still a week or two away from returning. The slugger may not hit for the highest average, but he makes hard contact and sends balls a long way. Cron is rostered in 71% of Yahoo and 59% of ESPN leagues. First base has been a mixed bag this season, so Cron can be an underrated IL stash before his activation.

 

Lars Nootbaar - OF, St Louis Cardinals

St Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar significantly improved from his first year in the majors to his second. Nootbaar was able to improve his plate discipline and quality of contact metrics. Across the board, Nootbaar was showing signs of progression and was a hyped sleeper heading into the 2023 draft season.

The 25-year-old's best asset has to be his ability to get on base, which he showcased during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The young outfielder recorded a .424 OBP for Japan as they went undefeated. All signs were pointing toward Nootbaar taking the next step in his development. This season, Nootbaar has increased his walk rate again and raised his batting average significantly before being injured.

Nootbaar was placed on the IL with a lower back contusion nearly a week ago. There have been little to no updates on his condition, but a contusion is a much less significant injury than a strain or a fracture. The young left-handed hitter could return to the team within a week or two. Nootbaar is only rostered in 60% of Yahoo and 20% of ESPN leagues. Nootbaar is a decent option in points leagues due to his low strikeout rate, and a great option in OBP leagues. Fantasy managers should look to stash Nootbaar because he has the potential to keep getting better.

 

Jose Quintana - SP, New York Mets

New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana is an interesting pitcher to analyze. Early in his career, Quintana was a reliable Chicago White Sox rotation member with a decent ERA and the ability to eat innings.

Following his rookie season, the Southpaw threw 200 more innings four seasons in a row. 2017 Quintana was traded across town to the Chicago Cubs and began his run of five straight mediocre years. Quintana performed noticeably worse in a Cubs uniform and had an ERA over 4.00 every season. It seemed the left-hander's best years were behind him until 2022.

In 2022, Quintana turned back the clock to have, arguably, one of the best seasons of his career. He made 32 starts and recorded a 2.93 ERA in 165 2/3 innings pitched. Quintana was back to his reliable self and could be in for a big season until his injury. During the off-season, Quintana picked up a stress fracture in his rib cage, which required surgery. The injury pushed back his 2023 debut, but he could return soon.

The 33-year-old is set to begin throwing live batting practice. Quintana is only a few months removed from his rib surgery, so it makes sense that he would need time to build up, but throwing to live hitters is a big step in the right direction. Quintana is only 3% rostered in Yahoo and 1.4% rostered in ESPN leagues, so there is a good chance he is available in your league. Fantasy managers should stash Quintana for a few weeks if he can perform near the level he did last season. 

 

Alex Wood - SP, San Francisco Giants

Alex Wood is a funky pitcher. His delivery is unorthodox, which makes his stuff more deceptive. The left-handed pitcher had some decent years early in his career with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers before imploding on the Reds. The southpaw is now on the San Francisco Giants, an organization known for getting the best out of the veteran starting pitching. The talent and stuff have always been there for Wood, but his health has not.

Wood is the type of pitcher that is nearly guaranteed to have multiple stints on the IL throughout a season, but he is typically an above-average pitcher when healthy. Wood is a good ground ball pitcher at his best, inducing ground balls in around 50% of plate appearances in nine of his 11 seasons in the majors. The 32-year-old is also a decent strikeout pitcher, earning over 9 K/9 every season for the last four seasons.

Wood was placed on the IL on June 4 with a back strain, but initial reports speculate that he will return as soon as his 15 days are up. Wood is rostered in 6% of Yahoo and 2.5% of ESPN leagues, so it's plausible he is available in yours. Fantasy managers dealing with injuries or looking for pitchers to stream can stash Wood and reap the benefits while he is healthy.

 

Brandon Lowe - 2B, Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe may have been dropped in many leagues when he was placed on the injured list or due to his poor performance. Lowe is currently rostered in 66% of Yahoo and 60% of ESPN leagues.

Lowe is your prototypical power hitter that racks up a ton of home runs and strikeouts. One of the issues involved in rostering Lowe is his extreme streakiness. Lowe is batting .199 this season with nine home runs and 63 strikeouts. The home runs usually come in bunches, and the droughts can last for weeks at a time, but when he's hot, Lowe is one of the most dangerous power bats in the league.

The 28-year-old second baseman is known for his contributions in the power department but has yet to have the chance to contribute for an entire season. Lowe has been in the league for over five seasons and has only played over 100 games once. However, in the one entire season he played, he hit 39 home runs. The main issue Lowe tends to run into is injuries. His current IL stint is due to lower back inflammation.

Brandon Lowe was placed on the injured list on Monday, but back inflammation is not an issue requiring a long-term IL stint. There is a chance that Lowe stays on the IL for the minimum, but that all depends on how he feels over the next week.

Lowe has a legitimate downside, but the upside is 30 plus home runs from the second base position. Lowe could be a decent source of home runs for fantasy managers willing to take a chance on him.



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 Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kenley Jansen2 hours ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout2 hours ago

Hits Off Tee
Deon Jackson3 hours ago

Colts Release Deon Jackson
Yordan Alvarez4 hours ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB4 hours ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB4 hours ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado4 hours ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara4 hours ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller5 hours ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom5 hours ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson5 hours ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe5 hours ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers5 hours ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley6 hours ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
6 hours ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green6 hours ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart6 hours ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham6 hours ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan6 hours ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris7 hours ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
DK Metcalf10 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Brandon Lowe13 hours ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Salvador Perez14 hours ago

On Track For Return On Sunday
Andy Dalton14 hours ago

To Start In Week 3
Triston McKenzie14 hours ago

Set To Return For Sunday's Start
Jaden McDaniels15 hours ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics16 hours ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina16 hours ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum16 hours ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Randy Arozarena17 hours ago

Leaves With Right Quad Tightness
Isiah Pacheco19 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Brandin Cooks19 hours ago

Set To Return In Week 3
David Montgomery19 hours ago

Doubtful To Play In Week 3
Ha-Seong Kim20 hours ago

Returns To The Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.20 hours ago

Rejoins The Lineup On Friday
Zay Jones20 hours ago

Ruled Out For Sunday Against Houston
Luis Arraez20 hours ago

Back In The Lineup On Friday
Puka Nacua20 hours ago

Back At Practice On Friday
Rasmus Dahlin21 hours ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Joe Burrow21 hours ago

Limited In Friday's Practice
Connor Hellebuyck21 hours ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
DK Metcalf21 hours ago

Questionable For Week 3
Trevor Zegras21 hours ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Jaylen Waddle21 hours ago

Questionable With Concussion
Andrew Cogliano21 hours ago

Hoping To Be Cleared For Season Opener
Amon-Ra St. Brown21 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 3
Alexander Barabanov21 hours ago

Prefers To Remain In San Jose
Austin Ekeler21 hours ago

Ruled Out Again
Mattias Ekholm21 hours ago

Roughly A Week Away From Skating
Matt McLain22 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Orion Kerkering22 hours ago

Phillies Promote Prospect Orion Kerkering Friday
Michael Kopech22 hours ago

Undergoes Surgery, Placed On Injured List
Luke Raley22 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Jamaal Williams22 hours ago

Ruled Out With Hamstring Issue
Royce Lewis22 hours ago

Goes On Injured List
DeAndre Hopkins22 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Against Browns
Christian Yelich22 hours ago

Back In Brewers Lineup
Amari Cooper22 hours ago

No Longer On The Injury Report
Deebo Samuel23 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day With Rib Injury
Odell Beckham Jr.23 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against Colts
Damian Lillard23 hours ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell23 hours ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
Justice Hill24 hours ago

Ruled Out With Turf Toe
24 hours ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Christian Watson24 hours ago

Questionable To Make Season Debut
Buddy Hield24 hours ago

Mavericks, 76ers, Bucks Have Shown Interest In Buddy Hield
Aaron Jones24 hours ago

Officially Questionable For Week 3
Kelly Oubre24 hours ago

Jr. Expected To Sign With 76ers
Mateusz Gamrot1 day ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Max Fried1 day ago

Braves Place Max Fried On 15-Day Injured List
Evgeny Kuznetsov1 day ago

Sees New Head Coach As "Perfect Match"
Mark Scheifele1 day ago

Open To Staying With Jets
BUF1 day ago

Buffalo Sabres Reportedly Eyeing Patrick Kane
Alexander Romanov1 day ago

100 Percent For Training Camp
Jack Quinn1 day ago

Not Close To Returning
Christian Dvorak1 day ago

Out Until November
Jusuf Nurkic2 days ago

Heading To Phoenix?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Could Be Moved Before Training Camp
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss
VEG2 days ago

Daniil Miromanov Ruled Out Long-Term
Chris Wideman2 days ago

Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Mason McTavish2 days ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Brooklyn Nets3 days ago

Jordan Hall Signs With Nets
Xavier Moon3 days ago

Signs With Clippers
Aleksej Pokusevski3 days ago

To Miss Next Six Weeks
Buddy Hield3 days ago

Pacers Attempting To Trade Buddy Hield
Alexa Grasso5 days ago

Retains Flyweight Title With Split Draw
Valentina Shevchenko5 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Jack Della Maddalena5 days ago

Pulls Out Close Decision Win At Noche UFC
Kevin Holland5 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Knocks Out Terrance Mitchell In 54 Seconds
Fernando Padilla6 days ago

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC
Kyle Nelson6 days ago

Pulls Off Another Upset Win
Christos Giagos6 days ago

Gets Submitted At Noche UFC
Daniel Zellhuber6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At Noche UFC
Terrence Mitchell6 days ago

Loses In Under A Minute
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Snatches Victory At Bristol
Chris Buescher6 days ago

Bounces Back With Fourth-Place Finish At Bristol
NASCAR6 days ago

Bubba Wallace Barely Makes Second Round In NASCAR Chase
Martin Truex Jr6 days ago

. Avoids Elimination Saturday Night

RANKINGS

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