There is a good chance your league is embarking on the fantasy baseball playoffs after this week’s scoring period. Or maybe you have a week or two left in the season. I normally don’t say this out loud, but in my opinion your team is likely set in stone at this point. You likely don’t need to add a hitter unless it’s a prospect getting a late-season call. Coincidentally enough, we do have Jasson Dominguez and Ronny Mauricio, who we’ll discuss shortly. But the team you have got you this far so I don’t necessarily believe drastic changes should be made heading into the playoffs. But you know your team better than anyone else so use your best judgment. I love using the waiver wire during the fantasy baseball playoffs to stream pitchers, especially in points league. Let’s dig into this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire picks as we head into the last month of the season!

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups – Hitters

Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees; FAAB Bid: 10-15%

By all means if you have the FAAB budget, use it on Dominguez. The kid wasted no time making his presence felt at the big-league level. Here’s what he did in his first career plate appearance.

It’s been a common theme all season long, but we’ve seen plenty of rookies come up and contribute at the highest level. Dominguez’s call up may be meant as a way to keep fans coming to the games, but there’s a lot of potential here.

Royce Lewis, 3B, Minnesota Twins; FAAB Bid: 6-7%

I mentioned Lewis two weeks ago and it looks like the availability is still there in shallower leagues. If he’s out there, give him some consideration. Since returning on August 15th he’s slashed .271/.348/.576 with five home runs, ten runs scored, 14 RBI, and a pair of stolen bases. You may be in a bind trying to consider who you would drop for him, but if it seems like a wash then stay put. The kid should be added for depth though.

Ronny Mauricio, 2B, New York Mets; FAAB Bid: 5%

Dominguez wasn’t the only prospect to make his debut for a team in New York. Ronny Mauricio went two-for-three Friday night and made his presence felt as well.

Mauricio smoked that ball with a 117.3mph velocity on his way to his first career double. Mauricio had done it all in Triple-A this year with a .292 batting average and a 20/20 season. If you need more help with infield depth, then Mauricio should be your priority over Dominguez, but both of these young studs make for great additions to any fantasy baseball team.

Shea Langeliers, C, Oakland Athletics; FAAB Bid: 2%

It’s not the greatest sample size, but I am partially impressed with what Langeliers has done over the last two weeks. He may only have a .250 batting average, but his slugging percentage is up there at .694 and its translated to five home runs in that span. By all accounts he’s been putting in the work to improve upon his plate discipline. He may not do much for your batting average, but he does help in a lot of other categories.

Hunter Goodman, 1B, Colorado Rockies; FAAB Bid: 1-2%

With Dominguez and Mauricio highlighting the top offensive prospects to grab, let’s dive a bit deeper for a 14-team leaguer worth adding. Goodman’s plate discipline metrics are horrendous. So far in just five games he’s striking out at a 35% clip and he’s a guy that just doesn’t walk much. But he gets to play in Coors Field and he’s been getting the chance to start at first base. He does have six hits so far including a double and a triple. Playing in Coors Field will aid his offensive numbers because when he does make contact, it’s usually for quality and he can put the ball over the outfield wall.

Zach McKinstry, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Detroit Tigers; FAAB Bid: 1%

McKinstry doesn’t wow you in any one category. However, he’s solid overall with 50 runs scored and 16 stolen bases on the year. On top of that he offers a lot of position flexibility. Since August 13th he has a home run, two triples, a double, six runs scored, four steals, and he’s even led off more of late. He isn’t a great add, and for the most part, he’s just a deeper league target. But if he keeps getting opportunities to lead off then that’ll boost his value.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups – Pitchers

Cole Ragans, SP/RP, Kansas City Royals; FAAB Bid: 6-8%

Ragans was mentioned a week ago in this article and I still can’t believe he’s available in over 60% of ESPN leagues. Since joining the Royals, he’s been as dominant as one can be. In the month of August, he went 3-1 in six starts with a 1.72 ERA, with 53 strikeouts and just nine walks in 36.2 innings of work. He gets two starts next week against the Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He can do so much for your roster and has been absolutely electric over the last month.

Kyle Harrison, SP, San Francisco Giants; FAAB Bid: 4-5%

Harrison was mentioned about a week-and-a-half ago in a previous Waiver Wire article and if I can be completely honest, he’s far exceeded my expectations. The control has actually looked much better and he’s throwing strikes at a higher rate than when he was in the minors. He didn’t make it out of the fourth inning in his debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. But on Monday as the Giants played host to the Cincinnati Reds, Harrison went 6.1 innings and tallied 11 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and two walks. He’ll get another start this evening on the road against the San Diego Padres.

Bryan Woo, SP, Seattle Mariners; FAAB Bid: 4%

Bryan Woo was a bit of a fantasy baseball darling earlier this season. He’s a good player that can average about a strikeout per inning. An injury did set him back briefly, but he’s returned and looked fine as Seattle makes their playoff push. In two starts since coming off the IL, Woo has worked ten innings and only allowed one earned run. He has eight strikeouts, two walks, and six hits since returning. He gets two starts next week but they are slightly stiffer tests for him as the Mariners go on the road to visit the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays. 

Luis Severino, SP, New York Yankees; FAAB Bid: 3%

This one could get me in trouble because I might just be falling for what he’s done in his last two starts against the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers. Let’s start with the good, shall we? Severino logged 13.2 innings in those appearances with ten strikeouts, two walks, and just six hits without allowing a run to score. Now on the year he still has a gaudy 6.64 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. The schedule’s about to get harder for Sevy as the Yankees play the Houston Astros on Saturday and then he’ll draw the Milwaukee Brewers next week.

Darius Vines, SP, Atlanta Braves; FAAB Bid: 1-2%

Remember earlier in the article when I mentioned finding streamers on the waiver wire during the fantasy baseball playoffs? Darius Vines is a perfect example. It’s hard to say how long he could potentially stick in this rotation, but with Kyle Wright’s rehab seeing a setback, I love getting exposure to Vines who could get the start on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Vines surprisingly went six innings in Coors Field earlier this week and had five strikeouts and he was very effective with his changeup. If he does officially get the start on Tuesday, and if things go well, he could get another start to close out the scoring period against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Update: About 85 minutes after publishing this article, the Braves optioned Vines to Triple-A. Just my luck.

 

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