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

Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Isaiah Simmons

Being Used Exclusively as a Linebacker
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Travis Etienne Jr.

the Jaguars Lead Back?
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Daniel Jones

the Favorite in Colts QB Competition?
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Shohei Ohtani

Blasts Two Homers in Win
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Michael King

Not Making Progress
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Jackson Merrill

Removed Early on Saturday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Giancarlo Stanton

Likely Returning Early Next Week
Emeka Egbuka

"the Talk" of Bucs Minicamp
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Jaxson Dart

Working as No. 2 QB During Offseason Workouts
Xavier Gipson

Roster Spot Could be in Jeopardy
Josh Reynolds

the Front-Runner for WR2 Duties
Garrett Wilson

Stock Up This Offseason
Breece Hall

Motivated Going into 2025 Season
Brandon Aiyuk

Making Good Progress From Knee Injury
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF