10-Team Leagues
Matt Olson (OF – OAK): I’ve really tried not to piggyback off of Grande’s suggestions for the waiver wire, ESPECIALLY with Olson. But it’s a bit surprising that he’s still only 50-60% owned. Yes there’s a ton of depth at OF, but since August 27th he’s slashing .317/.403/.857 with 11 home runs and 21 RBI’s. By comparison, over that same time frame Giancarlo Stanton is slashing .182/.304/.439 with five home runs and eight RBI’s. Are you taking Stanton out of your lineup? No. But Olson definitely deserves to be in your lineup even if it’s at UTIL.
Mike Clevinger (SP – CLE): This will probably be the last time Clevinger makes the piece and it could be your last chance to grab him in 10-team leagues. His ownership is approaching 70% and with wins in four straight appearances and a 0.38 ERA over that span, Clevinger should command more ownership. With the Indians rolling over their division you can also pivot to Josh Tomlin if Clevinger is unavailable in your league. Clevinger gets two starts next week, both on the road, against the Angels and Mariners. If you don’t like those matchups then look towards…
Kyle Gibson (SP – MIN): Since August 22nd Gibson has four wins in five starts with a 1.38 ERA (2.33 FIP) over 32.2 innings. Over that span he has 26 K’s to just three walks. He gets the Blue Jays at home on Sunday, but he gets the Tigers next week as well. That Tigers start is a very juicy matchup considering the roster turnover Detroit has gone through over the past couple months.
Nick Castellanos (3B – DET): It’s pretty surprising that Castellanos is under 50% owned and if you need help at 3B, CI or even just want to slot him in your UTIL spot you can easily do that. Since August 22nd he has six home runs and 15 of his 32 hits have gone for extra bases. He’s slashing .372/.378/.698 over that span and although he doesn’t walk much, his strikeout rate has been down for about a month as well.
12-Team Leagues
Michael Taylor (OF – WSH): You have to imagine the Nationals won’t be taking Michael Taylor out of the lineup anytime soon. Since September 6th he’s slashing .433/.469/.833 with a .529 wOBA. He has three home runs over that span and he’s a pretty decent source of steals (14 total on the year). He also boasts a .321 BA this year against LHP’s so he won’t be subbed out in the event they go against a southpaw. There’s always depth at OF on the waiver wire, and Michael Taylor is swinging a hot bat.
Juan Nicasio (RP – STL): It’s unclear if the Cardinals will remain committed to Nicasio as the closer. He recorded saves on September 8th and 9th and his last appearance came on September 14th in the 9th inning albeit a non-save situation. His ownership is spiking currently and it looks like he could be the 9th inning guy for a team still competing for a Wild Card spot and division title with two weeks to go. Nicasio does give up some hits, but he’s a decent source for K:BB because he hasn’t walked anybody since August 6th.
Eduardo Escobar (2B, SS, 3B – MIN): If you need a surprise source of power from an infielder then take a chance on Escobar. Over the last two weeks he has six homeruns and a .731 SLG. 10 of his 14 hits over that span have gone for extra bases and at roughly 25% owned he can surely help your team heading into the finals. Take note that he strikes out much more than he walks so he’s slightly de-valued in points leagues. Regardless, the power potential is worth taking a gamble on.
14+ Team Leagues
Dinelson Lamet (SP – SD) and Tyler Chatwood (SP – COL): Both Lamet and Chatwood are brought up roughly for the same reasons. They both made the SP Streamers Piece and largely for the same reason. Their recent success is due to adjustments made with their inventory. Lamet has seen success after significantly decreasing the use of his changeup, while Chatwood has just ditched his altogether. Lamet has been using his fastball and slider much more while Chatwood has relied mostly on accurately placing his fastball. Lamet is higher owned and faces Arizona next week. Chatwood comes in with lower ownership, but gets a much better matchup against the Padres in Petco next week.
Ozzie Albies (2B, SS – ATL): Albies comes with some surprise pop in his bat and some SB potential. Over the past month he’s slashing .345/.416/.555 with a .409 wOBA. He strikes out about one out of every six plate appearances, but he does draw some walks as well. In deeper leagues he’s a pretty solid source for runs and batting average.
Brandon Moss (1B – KC): This is more of a dart throw if you’re desperate for power over the next couple weeks. Since the beginning of September, Moss has five home runs, four of which have come in the last week alone. It would be nice if he was hitting higher in the order, but he’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak and is worthy of taking a flyer on.