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Under-the-Radar Waiver-Wire Pickups (Week 12)

The injury bug has hit the fantasy landscape hard recently. Cody Bellinger, Shane Bieber, Alex Bregman, Jacob deGrom, Tyler Glasnow, Jean Segura, and Kyle Tucker are just several impactful names that fantasy managers have lost over the past week. It’s obviously impossible to replace those guys on waivers, but most leagues should still have a few productive players in the free-agent pool who you can call on in a pinch to help you stay competitive. To assist you in identifying who those athletes are, our featured pundits have come together to share their favorite widely-available waiver pickups.

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Q1. What one hitter should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Bobby Bradley (1B/DH – CLE): 17% Rostered
“Bradley has been raking over the last two weeks, totaling four home runs, 11 RBIs, and eight runs scored with a cool .375 batting average in that span. He’s no stranger in the power department as he hit 25-plus home runs every year in the minor leagues from 2015 to 2019. The 25-year-old’s batting average could dip given his .251 batting average across seven minor league seasons, but fantasy managers can expect plenty of power from him the rest of the season, regardless. Give the former 2014 third-round draft pick a long look if you need cheap power.”
– Jacob W. Dunne (New Life Fantasy)

Bobby Bradley is a player I’m grabbing everywhere right now. The power is real, while the batting average (he’s hitting a ridiculous .375 through 10 games right now) is not. But that’s OK. He hit nine home runs in 26 games in Triple-A this season and already has four home runs in 10 games for the Indians. He’s going to hit home runs, and he’s going to strikeout. The hope is that he hits enough to make the home runs worth it. So far, so good.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)

Willy Adames (SS – MIL): 18% Rostered
“In Tropicana Field, Adames had a .616 OPS in 641 plate appearances. Prior to joining Milwaukee, he had an .864 OPS on the road in roughly the same number of plate appearances. With the Brewers, he’s got a .783 OPS, cut his career strikeout rate by 5%, and has a wRC+ of 116 compared to his career 104 mark. Sometimes, it is actually that simple. Adames has been open about how he felt he couldn’t really see the ball at the Rays’ home park, and now that he’s out of Tampa, he should perform better than a replacement fantasy player. He’s a fine option for a bench or middle infield spot.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

J.P. Crawford (SS – SEA): 19% Rostered
“Crawford has had a very quietly productive last two weeks, slashing .400/.462/.636 with an OPS of 1.098. Rostered in just 19% of leagues, Crawford is hitting at the top of the order now for the Mariners as Mitch Haniger deals with a sore knee from a foul ball. Haniger is likely on the block for Seattle, making Crawford a nice speculative add now in hopes he assumes the leadoff role on a regular basis after the trade deadline.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Q2. What one starting pitcher should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Ross Stripling (TOR): 9% Rostered
“I’ve mentioned him before, but managers should be picking up Stripling everywhere. Not only does he have a two-start week coming up against the Marlins and Orioles, but he’s been really, really good of late. Over his last five appearances, he has a 2.45 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 25.4% strikeout rate, and a .184 BAA. Plus, his opponents have been the Rays, Indians, Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees. Stripling was a serviceable pitcher from 2018-2019, and I’m going to keep pounding the table until his roster percentage climbs to an acceptable range.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Ross Stripling should be on every fantasy manager’s radar. Over his last five games (four starts), the 31-year-old has compiled 29 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched with a 2.45 ERA while holding his opponents to a .184 batting during that span. He’s coming fresh off holding the New York Yankees to two earned runs on three hits while striking out nine in 6.2 innings. The former Texas A&M Aggie is a savvy veteran with a proven track record who should provide steady fantasy numbers the rest of the way.”
– Jacob W. Dunne (New Life Fantasy)

Tony Santillan (CIN): 7% Rostered
“I wrote about Santillan for a recent BettingPros article shortly before his MLB debut on Sunday, and I have been adding him in leagues where I need some pitching. He’s available in more than 90% of leagues, and he’s a former second-round pick who was striking out more than 12 batters per nine innings in Triple-A. We didn’t get to see Santillan in 2020 because of the lost minor league season, but the early returns in 2021 indicate he has made some significant strides. With both Sonny Gray and Jeff Hoffman on the IL, Santillan has a chance to prove he deserves to stick around in the Cincinnati rotation. I’m adding him as a short-term gamble in redraft leagues and a speculative arm in dynasty formats.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)

Patrick Sandoval (LAA): 13% Rostered
“Over his last two starts, Patrick Sandoval of the Angels has gone six innings in each and struck out 14 hitters with just three walks. Both were quality starts, despite the fact he has only one win to show for them. The Angels have no reason not to let Sandoval stick in the rotation and he’s currently rostered in just 13% of leagues. Now is the time to add him.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)


Thank you to the experts for naming their under-the-radar waiver wire pickups. Make sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice all season and check out our Leading Off Podcast every single day for quick-hitting takeaways and advice.


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