2023 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 6: Bryce Miller Leads the Top MLB Waiver Pickups This Week
We are already in Week 6 of the 2023 fantasy baseball season and the waiver wire has been populated with many rookies and MLB top prospects making an impact. Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller has been one of the hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups after two dominant starts. Chicago Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis was also a popular waiver add over the weekend as he rises up fantasy baseball rankings. Pitcher injuries continue to mount across Major League Baseball, presenting opportunities for more players to become top fantasy baseball waiver wire targets while MLB projections shift. The Houston Astros pitching staff saw both Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy land on the recent MLB injury report this week. It's important to keep track of the latest fantasy baseball injury updates to find the fantasy baseball sleepers who could be cracking MLB lineups and emerging as waiver wire pickups. Some can be long-term assets and others can be short-term options to help a fantasy baseball lineup get through a period of multiple injuries. As always, continue to hit the fantasy baseball waiver wire and consider adding some of the players below.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups Hitters
Christopher Morel, OF/2B, Chicago Cubs (17% – Yahoo, 1% – ESPN)
Morel was crushing it at Triple-A and was called up Monday. Morel was slashing .330/.425/.730 with 31 runs, 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and four stolen bases in 115 at-bats. He had 379 at-bats with the Cubs last season and hit .235 with 55 runs, 16 home runs, 47 RBI, and 10 stolen bases on 17 attempts. Morel wasn't in the starting lineup on Monday, so it's more for deeper leagues since the playing time may be sporadic.
Maikel Garcia, SS, Kansas City Royals (4% – Yahoo, 1.4% – ESPN)
Garcia is in play for deeper formats if you need stolen bases. Garcia has been playing third base for the Royals and could have eligibility there in some leagues already. Garcia has a hit in each of his first six games and is batting .348 with two doubles, five RBI, and two stolen bases.
LaMonte Wade Jr. Jr., 1B/OF, San Francisco Giants (23% – Yahoo, 10.2% – ESPN)
Wade has flown under the radar despite a good start. He's playing almost every day and batting leadoff. He is slashing .264/.437/.516 with 14 runs, six home runs, 10 RBI, and one stolen base. He has a 20.7% walk rate, making him very valuable in on-base percentage leagues.
Randal Grichuk, OF, Colorado Rockies (8% – Yahoo, 3.7% – ESPN)
Grichuk would have been drafted in almost every league if he was healthy to begin the season. Grichuk started the season on the injured list after hernia surgery. He has played in seven games and has at least one hit in each. Grichuk is 11-for-27 (.407) with six runs, one home run, one RBI, and one stolen base. The appeal is when he plays at home in Colorado at Coors Field. Last season, he batted .307 with 40 runs, 13 home runs, and 50 RBI in 267 at-bats at home.
Tyrone Taylor, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (4% – Yahoo, 0.5% – ESPN)
Taylor missed the start of the season with an elbow injury and returned last week. He is 5-for-22 with three runs, one home run, two RBI, and two stolen bases. Taylor had 17 home runs and three stolen bases in 373 at-bats with the Brewers last season. He is in 95th in sprint speed and will get the playing time, starting four of the five games he has been back.
Gavin Sheets, OF, Chicago White Sox (2% – Yahoo, 0.6% – ESPN)
If you need a streamer for the week in deeper formats, consider Sheets. The left-hander gets right-handers all week, including Jordan Lyles, Brad Keller, Brady Singer, and Brandon Bielak. Sheets homered off Zack Greinke on Monday.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups Pitchers
Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners (57% – Yahoo, 30.2% ESPN
Last call for Miller as he should be rostered in most leagues shortly. Miller has looked great in his first two starts. In his debut against the A's, he went six innings and allowed two hits, one run, no walks, and struck out 10. In the next start against the Astros, Miller pitched six scoreless innings and allowed two hits, one walk, and struck out five. Miller has allowed only five base runners in his first two starts.
Bailey Ober, SP, Minnesota Twins (43% – Yahoo, 14.8% ESPN)
Ober has been mentioned here a few times and is still widely available. He pitched well last season and the hope was he could be in the starting rotation to begin the season, but he was sent to the minors to begin the season. Injuries to Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda have put Ober back with the Twins. He is 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 16:6 K:BB ratio over 18.1 innings. In his last 14 starts with the Twins, he has a 2.66 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Ober won't get a lot of strikeouts, but he will have a low WHIP.
Logan Allen, SP, Cleveland Guardians (43% – Yahoo, 16.7% – ESPN)
After two great starts, Allen wasn't as good in his last start against the Twins. He pitched 5.2 innings and allowed seven hits, two runs, walked two, and struck out three after striking out eight in each of his first two starts. In 16.2 innings, Allen has a 2.70 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 19:5 K:BB ratio.
Louie Varland, SP, Minnesota Twins, (6% – Yahoo, 1.6% – ESPN)
Varland was mentioned here in the last article and he didn't get the hype that some of the other recent rookie call-ups received. Varland has been decent in his first two starts on the road against the Yankees and White Sox, but the underlying numbers show better stats could be looming. In 15 innings in the minors this season, Varland had a 4.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 25:4 K:BB ratio. Varland has a 5.91 ERA due to four home runs in 10.2 innings, but has a 14:3 K:BB ratio.
J.P. France, SP, Houston Astros (19% – Yahoo, 1.4% – ESPN)
France made his major league debut last week and pitched well over five innings, allowing three hits, no runs, one walk, and striking out five against the Mariners. With Luis Garcia out for the season and Jose Urquidy out until the All-Star break, France has the chance to stick in the rotation if he pitches well. In 19.1 innings at Triple-A, France had a 2.33 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 26:11 K:BB ratio.
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