We are starting to settle in. Sample sizes still do not quite matter, but injuries are piling up, and with them comes the need to target players off the waiver wire to fill categorical needs. Let’s get to business, shall we?
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
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Runs
Jorge Polanco is on a bit of a hot streak. Over the last seven days, he has hit .286/.267/.500 while batting second in the lineup.
The playing time will be there as much as he can handle it, and you want to target players at the top of the order when you are targeting runs. Polanco checks those boxes this week.
Home Runs & RBI
Wilmer Flores is not a flashy name, but what he has going for him is a full run of playing time. This upcoming week, he gets seven games, and four of the starters are lefties. Flores is known as a “lefty masher” and should slot into the cleanup spot for those four games.
Flores will hit lower in the lineup against right-handed pitchers but should play most, if not all, seven games next week. He is a career .800 OPS hitter against lefties while hitting .268. He gets to bat in the middle of the order, so RBI opportunities should arise naturally. Flores is a strong streaming option this week.
Stolen Bases
Jake Meyers is running wild. He plays regularly due to his defense. We have seen him get run in the past and have strong performances in spurts.
Right now, Meyers is hitting well and has five stolen bases over the last six games entering Sunday. If that is not a green light on the base paths, I do not know what is.
Batting Average
Brooks Lee is just now returning from the injured list (IL), but the one thing he is known for is his bat-to-ball skills. He has hit .300 or better across multiple stops in the Minors and in his rehab stint before coming up.
Lee may need time to get eased into the Twins’ lineup, but the hit tool is strong and it should provide a good batting average floor, at the very least.
Wins
This is not the flashiest of names, but if you are targeting wins, Jameson Taillon is not a bad target for these reasons:
- He gets two starts.
- He pitches deep into games.
- He is backed by good defense and one of the best offenses in baseball right now.
Taillon is boring but will provide a path to wins this week.
Saves
I do not think Emmanuel Clase is at risk of losing his job just yet, but he has looked awful to begin the year. This could lead to days off or lower leverage spots to get right in the short term.
Cade Smith would appear to be next in line and has continued his strong output early this season, which he showed us last season.
Strikeouts
This is not only a strikeout streamer but someone who needs to be added off the waiver wire where available. David Festa is one of the Twins’ best pitching prospects.
The strikeout upside is great with his stuff, and he has long-term appeal. This is probably the only week I will be able to sneak him into a list of streamers, so I am taking advantage of it.
ERA & WHIP
The Yankees have seven games this week. You can argue that Luke Weaver also belongs in the saves category, so you can get a two-for-one deal here. He has yet to give up a run this year and is always pitching high-leverage situations, so he could sneak in a win or save in any game along the way.
Weaver has not missed a step after his breakout 2024 season, and you can ride the wave to strong ratios, strikeouts and a sneaky win or save.
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