Ok, people. It’s time to get serious. Fantasy sports is no laughing matter and needs to be taken seriously! Just ask Tommy Pham. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Jokes aside, with more than a quarter of the season in the books, now is the ideal time to address your team’s needs. It’s deep enough into the season to get a clear picture of what your roster’s lacking and which players should be dropped.
Thankfully, there are still more than a handful of productive hitters and pitchers just begging for your attention on the waiver wire. Many are available in more than two-thirds of leagues, which means most of you shouldn’t have a problem garnering their services.
As always, these studs are broken down into the 10 standard statistical categories. Many of these players will help you in more ways than one, with their primary contributions coming in the category under which they are listed.
Without further ado, here is this week’s categorized waiver wire adds. Many of them won’t last long, so don’t hesitate to act.
Home Runs
Frank Schwindel (1B – CHC): 25%
I was ready to move on from Shwindy a few weeks ago when he looked completely lost at the plate. He had yet to pull a ball with authority and had totaled just two home runs after six weeks of games. His average was also dismal, hovering around the dreaded Mendoza line. Since then, however, the Cubs DH/first baseman has been on a tear, slugging four home runs over the past six days while boosting his average up nearly 30 points. He has also knocked in 12 runs over his last 15 games.
Schwindel was one of the best hitters in the second half of last season and it looks as though he may have finally found his groove again this year. Take a chance on the late bloomer to boost your homers and hope for the wind to be blowing out at Wrigley.
And in deeper leagues, you may want to check out Keston Hiura and Oscar Hernandez. Hiura hasn’t been starting regularly but does have five homers now, including two over the last two days. Gonzalez got off to a monstrous start in Triple-A and has already gone 4-for-8 since his call-up with two doubles and no strikeouts. He also hit 31 homers in the high Minors last season.
Runs
Enrique Hernandez (2B/OF – BOS): 29%
Kike just hates playing in cold weather. It’s basically all he could talk about while mic’d up on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game. While he wasn’t good in April, now that the weather has warmed up a bit, so too has Hernandez’s bat.
Batting leadoff for the streaking Red Sox, the Boston center fielder has scored 11 runs over his last 13 games. He’s also totaled 17 hits during that stretch including two home runs and 10 RBIs while only striking out four times. The Sox are scoring in bunches these days and Hernandez has been a big part of it. Add the ex-Dodger now to help increase your run total.
Batting Average
Joey Wendle (2B/3B/SS – MIA): 28%
Joey Wendle was activated from the IL on Friday and immediately placed back into the starting lineup. Not that he was ever at risk of losing his starting job, but with Brian Anderson dealing with back spasms, Wendle’s path to regular playing time becomes a bit clearer.
Before going down with a hamstring injury, the 2021 All-Star was batting .304 with four steals and two home runs. In the first half of last season, Wendle was a machine, filling up the stat sheet on a nightly basis and giving fantasy managers an early boost. He cooled off in the second half, finding himself on the bench against southpaws in the Rays’ platoon-esque system, but now in Miami, Wendle should play more often than not, especially while sporting a .455 batting average versus lefties (small sample size).
Wendle’s a good bet to hit near .280 or better and should be starting in the majority of leagues. Pick him up where he was dropped and start him at either middle or corner infield.
RBI
William Contreras (C – ATL): 46%
The little brother of Wilson Contreras has been so good, that the Braves have been playing him at designated hitter. Originally brought up as a backup catcher, the 24-year-old Venezuelan has forced himself into the daily lineup with a ridiculous .280/.379/.740 slash line. He has already totaled 12 RBIs and a whopping seven home runs in just 14 games (since his call-up). He’s also been hitting near the middle of the order.
While a few of his teammates continue to struggle, it’s been Contreras who has kept the offense afloat (Dansby Swanson‘s been hot as well). Qualifying at catcher, Contreras is an obvious add and if he keeps it going, could be at 80% rostered by this time next week. Add the young slugger now.
Stolen Bases
Siri doesn’t play every day but when he does, he steals bases. With just five starts over the Astros’ past eight games, Siri has still managed to swipe four bags. He is lightning quick on the base paths and also possesses a bit of pop at the dish. With everyday playing time, he could be a candidate for 15-20 bombs to go along with 30+ stolen bases. He rarely gets caught and even stole 24 bags last year in Triple-A (plus three more at the major-league level).
Siri isn’t the most exciting addition in shallow mixed leagues, but if your lineup is power-heavy, he can help bring up your low stolen base total. Add Siri and his top 1% in the league sprint-speed now.
Strikeouts
Aaron Ashby (SP/RP – MIL): 33%
Aaron Ashby is a must-add with Freddy Peralta expected to spend an indefinite time on the shelf. The young left-hander has had an up-and-down season but does harness some of the dirtiest stuff in the game, including an un-hittable curveball (.057 xBA, .117 xWOBA) and a filthy changeup (.241 wOBA). His impressive numbers also include a 10.32 K/9 and a 33% CSW. His hot start is even backed up by a dark red Statcast profile (red is good), further proving his worth.
While Ashby can be wild at times, he makes up for it with his swing-and-miss stuff and could become a major difference-maker for those able to snag him. Ashby’s still available in about two-thirds of leagues, but won’t be for long. Claim him ASAP.
WHIP
Jeffrey Springs (SP/RP – TB): 31%
Springs has been fantastic as both a starter and reliever for the Rays this year. In his latest start against the Yankees, Springs was able to last six innings while allowing just two runs and five hits. He also recorded six punch-outs without issuing a free pass. His ERA sits at a paltry 1.62 for the year and he averages a strikeout per inning. Plus, he limits base runners evident by his extremely low 0.81 WHIP.
Springs was quietly productive last season for the Rays as well, earning a 3.43 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while pitching in relief. Lasting six innings against the Bronx Bombers shows he is more than capable of going the required five to earn victories, making him valuable across the board.
The Rays look to have found another diamond in the rough, one that I wish I had on my fantasy team. Add him now in all league types.
ERA
Roansy Contreras (SP – PIT): 27%
Contreras is one of baseball’s future stars. He was brought up earlier in the season to fill in for the depleted Pittsburgh pen but is now back as a full-time starter. In his first game as a part of the rotation, the Pirates’ top pitching prospect threw five shutout innings against the Rockies who were on a roll up until then. In his previous two games before being sent down (to stretch out), Contreras also compiled two scoreless outings, each lasting three innings.
He was a bit shaky in his first taste of the Show, but since settling in, the electric 22-year-old has been downright filthy. His high-90s fastball has been tough to square up while his breaking stuff has been more than effective in keeping hitters off balance.
Contreras’ ERA currently sits at 2.14, similar to the 2.66 he produced this year in Triple-A, and the 2.65 he finished with last year in Double-A. He has struck out 15 in just 12.2 innings and deserves a spot in all leagues.
Wins
Keegan Thompson (SP/RP – CHC): 28%
Tanner Houck (SP/RP – BOS): 42%
Earning a win these days is sometimes easier to do in relief than a start. Long relievers who come in early in ball games and piggyback their starter for a few innings can often rack up the victories just by how the stat is recorded. Thompson and Houck are good examples of this and are in a great position to be taken advantage of.
Thompson has already earned four wins despite starting just two games, while Houck has earned three victories with two of them coming in relief. Thompson’s been the more impressive of the two, registering a 1.55 ERA across 35 innings, while Houck has been decent with a 4.28 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning.
It’s all reliant on their schedule, but utilized correctly, both pitchers could earn you more than a handful of victories. You can probably wait until they’re on four days’ rest to pick them up and then drop them again after they pitch, but someone else may have the same idea, so you may want to grab them a day early.
Saves
With Aroldis Chapman dealing with an Achilles injury, the Yanks have turned to sinkerball-specialist Clay Holmes to close out games. Holmes has been incredible, allowing just one runner to score all season while already racking up 24.2 innings. His sinker can touch 100 and he’s somehow able to consistently command it. The 6-foot-5 righty has been a cheat code, allowing just two walks while striking out 26 batters. It would be tough for the Yankees to move Chapman to the eighth inning once he returns, but the club could be better served. Holmes is that good. Add the new Yankees closer if he’s still available.
If Holmes is no longer available, and there’s a good chance he isn’t, then take a shot at Schreiber. With Hansel Robles going on the IL with back issues and Matt Barnes continuing to struggle with command, Boston is left with only left-handers to close out games. Jake Diekman has been a closer in the past, but he too has been a walk-machine helping Alex Cora’s beard turn grey, and Matt Strahm (another lefty) hardly profiles as a closer.
Schreiber, on the other hand, has produced a 1.42 ERA with an impressive 30% K-rate while keeping walks and hits to a minimum (0.55 WHIP). He’s only pitched in 12 games so far, but he did put up similar numbers earlier this year in Triple-A (and did nearly the same thing in the Minors last year). With the Red Sox winning games, Schreiber seems like the logical choice to close things out. Take a flier on the Michigan native if you are in dire need of saves.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
