It is Labor Day weekend and that means the return of college football, fantasy football drafts galore, and the fantasy baseball playoffs draw ever so closer. It is indeed a huge weekend all around and we can’t lose sight of taking home our fantasy baseball championships. Yes, we’ll have you covered with expert advice for your drafts this weekend and the Fantasy Football Ultimate Cheat Sheet is fully updated to guide you through your auction and snake drafts. But ultimately, you came here for some fantasy baseball waiver wire targets. And that’s exactly what we’re here to provide…

 

 

 

As Howard mentioned last week, you should be assessing your roster(s) ahead of the playoff push. It’s not quite time to go into consolidation mode, especially since the trade deadline for your leagues have passed. But the playoffs do tend to require a more hands-on approach to manage, and arguably manipulate, your matchup.

I’m a big advocate for streaming pitchers in the playoffs if it’s absolutely required to help you keep pace with regard to strikeouts, ERA and WHIP, wins, etc. You can find some of the absolute best streaming options in the latest Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers and Streamers article from Ivar Anderson. That article is a must-read for me on a weekly basis (because I also publish it), but it’s helpful in identifying the best streaming options off the fantasy baseball waiver wire.

**Please keep in mind, these FAAB bids are a guideline, not the gospel. You should be keeping track of how everyone in your league is bidding, so you understand that if you really need the player, you should raise your bid accordingly.

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Catchers

Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds

Stephenson has been absolutely raking for the Reds the last four weeks. Since August 3rd he’s slashing .337/.398/.652 with 30 hits (14 for extra bases), 20 runs scored, and 19 RBI. Now he is more of a shallow league add if available in some of your 10-team leagues. But the Reds have locked him into the three-hole in their lineup since August 7th and he entered Friday night with a 13-game hitting streak (spoiler alert: it ended). FAAB: 4-6%

Miguel Amaya, Chicago Cubs

If you miss out on Stephenson, or if he’s just unavailable, then Amaya is a nice consolation prize. Amaya routinely hits ninth for the Cubbies but that isn’t an indication of the bat he’s swinging. Since August 9th he’s slashing .365/.389/.635 with 17 RBI and a trio of dingers. Entering Friday night, he had nine hits dating back to last Saturday. The Cubs still have a little playoff life and a while ago I would’ve expressed more concern about playing time. But he does increase their chances of winning each night and should regularly be in the lineup. And if he’s getting on base enough then the top of the order can drive him in. FAAB: 2%

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: First Basemen

I don’t love the first base options currently. I’ll list two players below, but I don’t hate grabbing Spencer Horwitz either. He was mentioned in last week’s article by Howard, and while he had a rather quiet week, I think there’s bounce back potential.

Ramon Urias, Baltimore Orioles

This one is tough because Urias is not first base eligible on ESPN. But he is on Yahoo! Since August 10th he’s slashing .321/.391/.661 but he is a bit of a detriment in points leagues. He strikes out far more than he walks, but he has been flashing more power with five home runs over the last three weeks. He’s buried toward the bottom of the lineups, but we can live with that. There are good hitters capable of driving him in. And if you do play on ESPN leagues, he’s an additional second base or third base recommendation for the upcoming week. FAAB: 3-4%

Jhonkensy Noel, Cleveland Guardians

Here’s a player who is first base eligible on ESPN although he mostly plays more in the outfield. With that said, we don’t need to spend too much on this play. He’s probably a liability in points leagues with a 31.2% strikeout rate. However, he offers a little pop as we’ve seen this month. Entering Friday night, he had six home runs since August 12th with six multi-hit games in that span. The downside is that he also has six games with zero hits in that span as well. So take the good with the bad, you know? He’s a deep-league option that you might be able to get for free. And if it doesn’t work out, you move on after a few days. (Editor’s note: Noel hit a home run in the fifth inning of Friday’s game.) FAAB: 0-1%

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Second Basemen

Connor Norby, Miami Marlins

Norby has actually been a trendy fantasy baseball waiver wire addition over the last week. He’s been ESPN’s most added second baseman so I’m sure his parents are so damn proud for such a distinguished accomplishment. Norby entered Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants on an 11-game hitting streak and he’s been hitting leadoff over the last week. He’s scored a dozen runs since August 21st and he can mix in the occasional stolen base as well. FAAB: 3-5%

Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds

India regularly hits atop the Reds lineup and did so once again Friday night where he went 1-for-4 with a solo home run. He won’t always flash power, but a leadoff hitter still sees plenty of opportunities and he comes with a bit of speed as well. He’s probably more reliable than the next hitter we’ll dig into, so I’d prefer India for a little more youth and probably a better floor. FAAB: 2-3%

Whit Merrifield, Atlanta Braves

This is a “short leash” recommendation if there ever was one. I don’t really have many glowing marks to give Merrifield. On Monday he went 5-for-5 hitting leadoff against the Minnesota Twins. But he was 0-for-16 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He also led off on Friday and as of this writing he’s 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. But the Braves are still in the playoff hunt and if they continue to hit Merrifield at leadoff then he naturally has appeal. But he is also 35 years old and far from the hitter and speedster that he once was. FAAB: 0-1%

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Third Basemen

Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers

Colt Keith got the night off on Friday against the Boston Red Sox after he went 0-for-11 in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. From August 9th to August 26th he hit .365 with 10 RBI as he normally hits in the middle of the lineup for the Tigers. He does strike out far more than he walks but that tends to happen with young players. FAAB: 2-3%

Jose Tena, Washington Nationals

Tena was acquired by the Nationals a few weeks ago in the deal that sent Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians. Tena has made the most of his opportunity with his new team. In 14 games with the Nats he has 17 hits, six runs scored, and seven RBI. He does offer a little of both power and speed, but he’s still young at just 23 years old and could develop into a 20/20 kind of player across a full season. For the next month, you probably hope he can just continue to produce at the rate he has been. FAAB: 2%

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Shortstop

For those desperate, Jose Tena might have shortstop eligibility in your league, but if he doesn’t I do like the next option to grab for the upcoming week.

Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals

Let’s give a little love to the Cards’ leadoff hitter since leadoff options are trending towards our theme this week. Wynn has nine multi-hit games dating back to August 14th including four straight entering Friday’s action. Wynn adds a little bit of production almost everywhere. He has a dozen home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored on the year. They’re not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but as long as they have a fighting chance, I do like grabbing Winn given the recent stretch. FAAB: 5%

Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona Diamondbacks

Perdomo scored 71 runs and stole 16 bases last year with Arizona and he did it despite hitting just .246 and offering very little power. So far this year, he still doesn’t offer much power, but he is hitting .277 on the year with 44 runs scored. He is hitting .280 since August 8th but he’s also 1-for-17 in his last four games. He does occasionally get to hit leadoff which is a nice bump to his stock. He’s probably a better add off the fantasy baseball waiver wire in deeper formats and not a name we spend up for. FAAB: 2%

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Outfielders

Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals

I’m trying not to mention too many of the same players that made this article last week. But Dylan Crews is simply too talented and too good of a prospect to be ignored. For that reason, it’s why I’m also linking Howard’s New York Post article giving Crews additional praise. Crews hit leadoff on Wednesday and went yard for his first career home run. He hit leadoff once again on Friday night and went yabo for his second career dinger. Last week, Howard gave a heavy FAAB bid recommendation. And it makes sense. Crews is a very highly touted prospect and is the kind of player you empty the bank for. FAAB: 25%

Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics

It’s hard to find a hotter hitter in baseball than Lawrence Butler at the moment. He’s only hitting .254 on the year but we strike while the iron is hot because he’s slugging .502 on the season as well. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he collected seven hits (five home runs) with eight RBI. And again, he’s regularly appearing in the A’s lineup as the leadoff hitter. He can certainly be a bit streaky at times, but there’s a nice power and speed combo with the fantasy baseball waiver wire suggestion. FAAB: 4-7%

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

Here’s a recommendation that isn’t hitting leadoff. In fact, he hits more in the bottom third of the lineup than anywhere else. PCA has 26 swipes on the year and only once has he been caught stealing. He collected a double and a pair of RBI Friday night while once again hitting eighth in the Cubs lineup. FAAB: 3-4%

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Starting Pitchers

Bowden Francis, Toronto Blue Jays

Yeah I’m grasping at the low-hanging fruit a bit, but it’s basically last call on Bowden Francis. Francis has recorded a win in four straight starts with 32 strikeouts in that span and just three walks, which came in his start against the Angels on August 24th. But it’s not like he’s going just five innings and giving up just one run. He’s regularly stretching his starts through seven innings and minimizing damage. He’s a manager’s dream given how reliable he’s been and it’s great to have that kind of confidence in your starter when you only have to plan for two innings of work from your bullpen. FAAB: 25%

David Festa, Minnesota Twins

I’m a little indifferent to this suggestion, but I will say that if he continues to lean on his slider like he did in his last appearance, then he might have found something. Festa is an imposing figure on the mound and he averages over a strikeout per inning. He logged a quality start in his last appearance against the Atlanta Braves but took the loss. It was actually the first time since he joined the rotation in late June where he lasted longer than five innings. I’d say he’s worth a speculative add off the fantasy baseball waiver wire but he needs to continue leaning on the slider and off-speed options. FAAB: 3-4%

Caden Dana, Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are calling up their top pitching prospect in a rather questionable move. Chris Towers of CBS Sports made a great point in his most recent fantasy baseball waiver wire article where he asks “Are they really going to have their suddenly prized, 20-year-old top pitching prospect pitch deep into September when he's never done it before?” And he elaborates that Dana has already thrown 67+ more innings than he has in previous years. So maybe this is a shot by the Halos to sell tickets in September, as it’s already another lost season and a waste of Mike Trout’s generational talent (even if he is hurt). But Dana is slated to make his MLB debut on Sunday if you need a streamer to close out the week. FAAB: 2-3%

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Closers/Relief Pitchers

Seranthony Dominguez, Baltimore Orioles

Dominguez is actually fairly available in plenty of leagues, especially if you play on ESPN. The Orioles have leaned on him more in the higher leverage spots. Since August 10th he has six saves (and two losses). I do like that he averages 10.26 K/9 entering Friday’s action in Coors Field. But on the other end of the spectrum, I do not like that he boasts a 1.80 HR/9 as a reliever. But this is a position of opportunity and Dominguez is getting work in the ninth inning currently. (Editor’s note: Dominguez did get the save Friday night, but once again gave up a home run.) FAAB: 4-5%

Manuel Rodriguez, Tampa Bay Rays

It’s not going to be particularly fun navigating the committee in the Rays bullpen, but here we go. Joe Gallina updated the Closer Grid on Thursday following the news of Pete Fairbanks hitting the IL. Rodriguez grabbed the save on Tuesday and worked an inning in a non-save situation Friday night. It’s not ideal but he averages a strikeout per inning and may get a few save opportunities down the stretch. The Rays gave up 13 runs to San Diego Friday night, but Rodriguez wasn’t responsible for any of them. And for what it’s worth I will acknowledge Edwin Uceta as a name to consider as well if he’s available in your league(s). FAAB: 2%