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

Week 14 Waiver Wire Watch List

Welcome to Week 14 of The Watch List. We have had a few iterations already, but here’s a friendly reminder for those who forgot: Each week we’ll be updating this list full of players who you maybe aren’t quite ready to pick up (depending on league size, of course), but who need to be on your radar regardless. We’ll look at several players in-depth each week and keep tabs on players “graduating” into the waiver wire pickups category, as well as players demoted off the list entirely. (Reminder, these are Yahoo ownership and positions.)

With the season beginning to stabilize a bit, there are simply fewer players graduating and being demoted each week. With that in mind, we’ll no longer have a set number of eight players highlighted each week, but rather somewhere in the five to eight range. However many players graduate/are demoted will be replaced and the new players will be highlighted.

Once again, if there are any names who you’d like to see highlighted next week, or even just added to the list as a whole, feel free to at me on Twitter (@FantasyBaseTurv). Let’s get this show on the road.

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

 

Players to Watch in 10-team Leagues

Jed Lowrie (Oak, 2B): 21% owned

Last week was a great sign for Lowrie believers, as he returned from injury to put up some of the same numbers he was posting earlier this year. He hit .333 with an OPS over 1.000.

Jarrod Dyson (Sea, OF): 19% owned

Two more steals for Dyson brings him up to 19 on the season. His average is up to .253 and his .331 OBP makes him one of the most undervalued steals options, especially in on-base leagues.

Keone Kela (Tex, RP): 14% owned

Kela is in a strange spot right now. He missed action recently with a biceps injury which obviously sounds less than great. But his teammate, Matt Bush, has recently been demoted from the closer role and Kela’s injury wasn’t really that bad. Rumor has it Kela may be the closer when he returns, which should be soon.

Sean Newcomb/Mike Foltynewicz (Atl, SPs): 34%/24% owned

We’ll slot these two Atlanta pitcher together for now. They both have been very good of late, but can struggle with their command, leading to blowups at certain times. Newcomb is yet to have any blowup starts at the MLB level, as he has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his four starts this season. That’s part of the reason he has the higher ownership than Folty, but he’s also the shiny new toy, the Braves prospect who could be the next big thing. As for Folty, his flirtation with a no-hitter in his most recent outing will be drawing plenty of potential owners back into his death ray, but both of these guys are wait-and-see guys for the time being. I just don’t trust Newcomb’s opponents (NYM, Mia, SF, SD), or Folty’s poor strikeout rate despite high velocity. I’d love to be wrong on both.

 

Players to Watch in 12-team Leagues

Tommy Pham (StL, OF): 10% owned

Pham moves way up the ranking thanks to a three-steal week in which he scored nine runs as well. Pham is sporting a wRC+ of 123 (before Sunday Night Baseball), and he is nearly at the 10/10 mark in HR and SB, with ten homers and nine steals. He’s a lowkey great option these days.

Bradley Zimmer (Cle, OF): 14% owned

Zimmer got more at bats than almost any previous week, but he was less productive than he was in many of his part-time weeks. With zero homers and steals and only a .192 average, Zimmer may slide back into his part-time role. Hopefully not, though, as the young Cleveland outfielder clearly has the talent for a full-time role.

Sam Dyson (SF, RP): 38% owned

Dyson was just picked up by the Giants after being DFA’d by the Rangers, and he has already moved into the closer’s role, supplanting Hunter Strickland while Mark Melancon (learns to stretch with the team) recovers from an elbow injury. Dyson has been poor by all accounts this season, sporting an ERA of 8.64, a FIP of 6.62, and an xFIP of 5.00. He has walked nearly as many batters (15) as he has struck out (18), and his previously-impeccable ground ball rate has dropped to just kind-of-high. He’s allowing harder contact than any previous season, and his HR/FB rate is through the roof. So why is he here? Because saves are gold, baby. Any closer will get fantasy attention, and it appears as though Dyson is the man in San Fran these days.

Archie Bradley (Ari, SP): 33% owned

Bradley continues to linger just behind Fernando Rodney in the Arizona bullpen, pitching far better than Rodney (1.23 ERA; 2.67 xFIP). He’s striking out over 10 batters per nine, and is pitching better than Rodney by all accounts. He’s still not closing, though, so his value is limited.

Max Kepler (Min, OF): 20% owned

Kepler went deep for the first time since June 13 last week, and he has only two long balls since back-to-back games with homers on June 2 and 3. Kepler did have a three-double double-header on Saturday, and hopefully he can get his power stroke going in July. The 34.4 percent hard hit ball rate and 41.0 percent fly ball rate suggest it could definitely happen.

Tommy Joseph (Phi, 1B): 19% owned

Joseph had only three hits last week but two were homers, leaving owners smiling and satisfied. This was a return to more typical production from Joseph who had been getting hits but without pop in recent weeks. This is more what to expect. The OBP (and plate discipline as a whole) is still the biggest hang up here.

Alex Meyer (LAA, SP): 12% owned

Meyer posted another strong outing, tossing six shutout innings against the Dodgers. He allowed only one hit, but he also walked five and struck out just four. It’s easy to keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but you might miss all the fun if you do insist on doing so.

Matt Davidson (CHW, 3B): 17% owned

Davidson had a heinous week, going 1-for-20 without a single run or RBI. This is the downside of having a hitter of Davidson’s ilk. When he doesn’t hit homers, he’s an absolute drain on your offense. He is a good power source, but he’s nothing more.

 

Players to Watch in 14+ team Leagues

Dinelson Lamet (SP, SD): 15% owned

Lamet has an ERA of 5.35 on the season, but almost of all that is due to back-to-back seven-run outings in early June. While it would be foolish to ignore those starts entirely, he has been excellent outside of those two duds, and the 24-year-old rookie is showing some real potential. His strikeout rate alone (12.16) is enough to demand a spot on rosters in league with K/9 rates as a stat, and his xFIP (3.76) suggests that soon he may be rosterable in even shallow leagues. Lamet ran a train on Atlanta his last time out, striking out eight for the fourth time this season (just seven starts), and allowing zero runs for the first time in his young career. His next outing (in Cleveland) will be telling as to just how trustworthy he is right now.

Lucas Duda (NYM, 1B): 11% owned

Duda was out for a few games in the middle of the week, limiting him to just 14 at bats, but he was productive with those at bats, leaving the yard once and scoring four runs on five hits. I still like Duda more than the average pundit thanks to his solid OBP and steady HR production.

Sean Doolittle (Oak, RP): 22% owned

Doolittle didn’t shine with the momentum he had, as he gave up run in back-to-back high-leverage outings last week. He’ll need a bounceback to stay on this list.

Mallex Smith (TB, OF): 23% owned

If we had a “Last Chance” section in this article, Smith would be there. He’s just 4-for-his-last-24 with two runs and no RBI over that stretch. He was certainly playing a bit over his head for a few weeks there, so it will be key to see how he adjusts to this relative swoon.

Danny Valencia (Sea, 1B/3B/OF): 20% owned

Valencia had four hits, one of them a homer, in just 14 at bats last week. Valencia showed he could still homer after his recent wrist injury, which is a good sign for owners who stuck with him despite the potentially-troubling injury.

 

Players to Watch in AL or NL-Only Leagues

Delino DeShields (Tex, OF): 7% owned

DeShields had only three hits last week, but he scored three runs, and I like him in a loaded Rangers lineup. Add in his strong stolen base potential, and he’s likely under-owned, especially considering the dearth of SB around baseball.

Denard Span (SF, OF): 6% owned

Span killed it last week, collecting 12 hits, one of which was a homer. He scored eight runs, drove in four more, and had a stolen base to boot. Span is quietly doing his thing once again in 2017, with a .297 batting average and a 116 wRC+. He has five homers and four steals, and his 23.4 percent line drive rate suggests he should be able to keep his BA up. He’s even hitting more fly balls than any other of his MLB seasons, suggesting the homers might stick around as well. Although Span seems older, he’s still “just” 33 years old, and he could have plenty of value moving forward in deep leagues.

Joakim Soria (KC, RP): 6% owned

Soria will remain on this list while he continues to pitch well and the Royals continue to be contenders to sell at the deadline. His FIP is down to 1.65, but the Royals are now over .500 meaning they could choose to hold onto Kelvin Herrera at the deadline which would mean far less value for Soria.

 

Graduated - Ownership Too High

Michael Taylor (Was, OF): 49% owned

Mike Montgomery (ChC, SP/RP): 40% owned

 

Demoted

Zack Wheeler (NYM, SP): 17% owned

Joe Biagini (Tor, SP): 10% owned

Robert Gsellman (NYM, SP): 6% owned

Nick Pivetta (Phi, SP): 5% owned

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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

Romeo Doubs

Questionable to Return in Week 10 Due to Chest Injury
Sandy Alcantara

Marlins Ready to Trade Sandy Alcantara
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Motivated to Move Ketel Marte
Hunter Greene

Reds to Listen to Offers on Hunter Greene
Darius Garland

Won't Return on Monday Night
Paul Skenes

Pirates Won't Trade Paul Skenes
Joe Burrow

Could Return for Thanksgiving Game
Pete Alonso

Mets Expected to Let Pete Alonso Walk in Free Agency
Jared McCain

Available Tuesday Against Celtics
Kyle Tucker

to Sign With Yankees, Blue Jays, or Dodgers
Sam Hauser

Probable Tuesday Versus Philadelphia
Day'Ron Sharpe

Questionable Versus Raptors
Drake Baldwin

Named NL Rookie of the Year
Patrick Williams

Active Versus San Antonio
Kyle Hendricks

Hanging Up his Cleats After 12 Seasons
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Available Versus Dallas
Dereck Lively II

Still Sidelined on Monday
Freddy Peralta

Red Sox Linked to Freddy Peralta
Josh Giddey

Ruled Out Against Spurs
Nick Kurtz

Named AL Rookie of the Year
Daniel Gafford

Available Versus Milwaukee
Anthony Davis

Out Again on Monday
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers Won't Open Brandon Aiyuk's Practice Window This Week
Matthew Golden

Officially Out Against Eagles
TreVeyon Henderson

on Week 11 Injury Report With Knee Injury
Matthew Golden

Not Expected to Play on Monday Night
Casey Mittelstadt

Out Week-to-Week
Garrett Wilson

Expected to Miss 3-4 Weeks With Knee Sprain
Jason Zucker

Dealing With Severe Viral Issue
Jiri Kulich

to "Miss Significant Time" Due to Blood Clot
Zack MacEwen

to Re-Enter Devils Lineup Monday
William Karlsson

Out on Monday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

to Miss at Least One Week
Vincent Trocheck

Available Monday
Isiah Pacheco

May Not be Ready to Return in Week 11
Dalton Kincaid

Labeled Week-to-Week With Hamstring Injury
Oronde Gadsden

Diagnosed With Bruised Quad, Considered "Day-to-Day"
Rashod Bateman

Dealing With a Sprained Ankle
Jayden Daniels

Won't Travel to Madrid in Week 11
Terry McLaurin

Won't Play in Week 11
Miles Bridges

Probable Monday vs. Lakers
Austin Reaves

Upgraded Ahead of Monday's Matchup
Trey Hendrickson

Doubtful to Play in Week 11
Taylor Hendricks

Questionable for Matchup with Timberwolves
Luke Kornet

Questionable for Matchup With Bulls
Jalen Suggs

to Rest Monday Vs. Portland
Taurean Prince

Out With Herniated Disc in his Neck
Joe Burrow

Returning to Practice This Week
New York Giants

Giants Fire Head Coach Brian Daboll
Chris Godwin

No Timetable for Chris Godwin's Return
Bucky Irving

Could Miss Week 11
C.J. Stroud

Remains in the Concussion Protocol
CFB

Nic Anderson Could Return for LSU this Season
Dante Exum

Remains Out vs. Bucks
Patrick Williams

Probable Monday vs. Spurs
Day'Ron Sharpe

Exits With Hamstring Tightness vs. Knicks
Daron Payne

Suspended One Game For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Stephen Curry

Expected to Return Tuesday vs. Thunder
T.J. McConnell

Ramping Up, Nearing Season Debut
Lukas Dostal

Pushes Winning Streak to Career-Best Six Games
Matt Boldy

Has Two-Point Night Sunday
Jesper Wallstedt

Controls Flames
Nikolaj Ehlers

Registers Two Assists Sunday
Connor Bedard

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Nathan MacKinnon

Totals Five Points in Overtime Win
Charles-Alexis Legault

Suffers Hand Injury Sunday
Parker Washington

Scores Two Touchdowns in Week 10 Loss
Emmanuel Clase

Indicted on Gambling Charges, Facing 65 Years in Prison
Randy Brown

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Gabriel Bonfim

Extends His Win Streak
Joseph Morales

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Matt Schnell

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Muslim Salikhov

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Uros Medic

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Ismael Bonfim

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Chris Padilla

Remains Unbeaten In The UFC
Kasperi Kapanen

Targeting December Return
Mattias Janmark

Likely to Make Season Debut Monday
Zach Hyman

to Remain Out Monday
Ryan Strome

Available Sunday
Cole Perfetti

in Line for Season Debut Sunday
Pierre-Luc Dubois

to Miss 3-4 Months
Marco Tulio

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christian Leroy Duncan

Scores Second-Round Knockout Victory
Scott Laughton

to Miss Sunday's Action
Aaron Judge

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Award Winners
Shohei Ohtani

Headlines List of NL Silver Slugger Winners
MLB

Munetaka Murakami Officially Being Posted on Friday
Randy Brown

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Main Event
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Joseph Morales

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 111
Matt Schnell

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Co-Main Event
Uros Medic

Aims To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Muslim Salikhov

Looks For His Fourth Consecutive Win
Chris Padilla

Looks To Remain Unbeaten In The UFC
Ismael Bonfim

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marco Tulio

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Christian Leroy Duncan

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 111 Main Card
Kyle Tucker

Headlines List of 13 Players to Receive Qualifying Offers
Pete Fairbanks

Becomes a Free Agent
CFB

Luke Fickell Will Return as Wisconsin's Head Coach in 2026
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Extend Qualifying Offer to Bo Bichette
Craig Stammen

Named Padres New Manager
Jorge Polanco

Declines his 2026 Option to Become a Free Agent
Chris Sale

Braves Picking Up Chris Sale's 2026 Option
Michael Thorbjornsen

Poised to Continue Hot Play in Mexico
Davis Riley

Struggling to Find Form Ahead of World Wide Technology Championship
Taylor Montgomery

Leaning on Putter at World Wide Technology Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Offers Strong Value at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Stay Hot at El Cardonal
Nick Dunlap

Looking to Find His Game at El Cardonal
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Consistency at El Cardonal
Michael Brennan

Aims to Extend Fairytale Start at El Cardonal

RANKINGS

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