We have made it through another week of action and have some stats to give us an idea of players’ production. At this point of the season, it is all about playing the hot hand and great matchups in the coming weeks. The season is still young, so there will be a few players to track due to injuries, increased playing time, streaming starting pitchers and some new closers.
Each week, I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) process and waiver wire, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others who may be better fits for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball FAAB & Waiver Wire Targets: Week 7
Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
Hitters
Rostered: 22%
Suggested Bid: 14%
The Brewers called up top prospect Tyler Black this week. In 25 games at AAA, Black was hitting .305 with five home runs and three stolen bases. Last year, between AA and AAA, Black hit 18 home runs with 55 stolen bases. Black brings a solid hit tool with some power and a ton of speed. In his first three games with the Brewers, he is 3-10 with two doubles and a stolen base. For now, he may sit versus left-handed pitchers, which means he’ll see plenty of at-bats versus right-handed pitchers. The Brewers face six righties next week, so it may be time to bet on Black.
Tyler Nevin (1B, 3B, OF – OAK)
Rostered: 20%
Suggested Bid: 3%
Tyler Nevin has been quite the surprise of late for the A’s and fantasy managers. He entered Friday riding a nine-game hitting streak, hitting .389 with four home runs, seven runs scored, seven RBI and a stolen base. Nevin is barreling the ball 13.8% of the time with a 48.3% hard-hit rate. He has been hitting second daily since Zack Gelof went on the injured list (IL). Ride Nevin’s hot bat for now while also enjoying his positional flexibility.
Rostered: 6%
Suggested Bid: 5%
Wenceel Perez has been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers lately and has become an intriguing fantasy target. He entered Friday hitting .333 over his last 10 games with three home runs, seven runs scored, eight RBI and a stolen base. Perez barrels the ball 10% of the time while walking 10% and only strikes out 15%. Perez is playing all over the outfield and has replaced the struggling Parker Meadows over the last few games. Perez is a switch-hitter and should be playing daily with his quality production.
Pitchers
Rostered: 53%
Suggested Bid: 22%
Jack Flaherty has been outstanding this season and is coming off an exceptional revenge start versus the Cardinals, where he struck out 14. Flaherty has a 4.00 ERA over his six starts with a 2.15 xFIP and 2.20 SIERA. Flaherty has also been racking up the strikeouts, with 50 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched with an elite 30.6% K-BB. Flaherty should be rostered in nearly all formats.
Rostered: 12%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Colin Rea has been quite the surprise to start the season. He has allowed no more than three earned runs in five of his six starts. He is coming off a start where he threw six shutout innings with five strikeouts versus the Rays. Some underlying metrics could be better, though, as Rea has a 4.57 xFIP to go with his 2.67 ERA and a measly 8.3% K-BB. Rea is rolling now, so ride it while he’s hot before the other shoe eventually drops. He has a nice two-step next week versus the Royals and Cardinals, which is worth the add for this week.
Rostered: 7%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Ben Lively has been quite a surprise since joining the Guardians’ rotation when Shane Bieber went on the IL. He has made three starts, allowing four runs over 15.2 innings with 19 strikeouts. That’s good for a nice 2.30 ERA and 2.97 xFIP with a 26.7% K-BB. Lively makes for a nice stream this week as he takes on the Chicago White Sox.
Closers
Rostered: 58%
Suggested Bid: 17%
Hector Neris has taken over closing duties for the Cubs and has thrived. He has picked up five saves over his last six outings, allowing one run and striking out five. Neris makes things interesting with a 16% walk rate, which will lead to some trouble eventually. For now, he’s the man in Chicago. If you need saves, Neris is an excellent target, especially if you are good with ratios.
Rostered: 50%
Suggested Bid: 4%
Reed Garrett is not the Mets’ closer, but he is one of the most elite relievers in baseball right now. He has thrown 16.2 innings over 10 appearances and has collected five wins, a save and a hold. He has struck out 28 with a 30.3% K-BB. Garrett has been elite. With the suspect starting pitcher streamers on the waiver wire, he makes for a solid reliever for the roster.
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