It’s important to have a plan when scouring the fantasy baseball waiver wire or placing your weekly free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bids. Below are some players rostered in fewer than 50% of fantasy baseball leagues to consider as we get to the home stretch.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Runs
Ezequiel Tovar (SS – COL) | 47% on Yahoo; 16% on ESPN
Ezequiel Tovar has been solid despite spending time on the injured list (IL) twice. Since the Rockies activated him on July 18th, Tovar is slashing .292/.324/.538 with 12 runs, three home runs, nine RBI and a stolen base.
Tovar ranked ninth in the league in extra-base hits last season with 75, and his expected batting average is elite at .305 this season. The Rockies play eight games at home in the next two weeks, and Coors Field has been Coors Fielding lately.
Home Runs & RBI
Colson Montgomery (3B – CWS) | 39% on Yahoo; 16% on ESPN
Colson Montgomery has caught fire for the White Sox. On the season, he’s batting .238 with 13 runs, eight home runs and 24 RBI in 29 games played.
All eight homers have come in his last 15 games, and 18 of his RBI have come in that span as well. The White Sox have little to play for at this point in the season, so Montgomery should keep getting all the at-bats he can handle.
Stolen Bases
Jakob Marsee (OF – MIA) | 18% on Yahoo; 6% on ESPN
Jakob Marsee has made a big impact in only nine games. He’s batting .448 with six runs scored, a home run, six RBI and five stolen bases. It’s tiny sample size, but he is also walking as often as he’s striking out.
Marsee had great walk rates in the Minors, so hopefully that trait will continue to follow him to the bigs.
Batting Average
Chandler Simpson (OF – TB) | 34% on Yahoo; 16% on ESPN
Usually, with Chandler Simpson, we’re talking about his speed and ability to rack up steals. However, his .288 batting average is of great use to fantasy managers.
Simpson never strikes out (9.6%), and his expected batting average is in the 94th percentile (.294). The 32 steals in 69 games are just the sugar on top.
Wins
Jose Quintana (SP – MIL) | 28% on Yahoo; 12% on ESPN
Jose Quintana has quietly delivered for the league-leading Brewers. He’s 9-4 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.3 K/9 and five quality starts. His underlying metrics suggest some good fortune to this point, but no one expected the Brewers to be the first team to 70 wins.
Quintana may be removed from the rotation when Jacob Misiorowski is activated, but for now, he’s in line to face the Pirates next time out.
Strikeouts
Will Warren (SP – NYY) | 38% on Yahoo; 15% on ESPN
Will Warren has struggled with his ratios, but if there’s one thing he can do, it’s rack up strikeouts. On the season, he has a 4.44 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 10.3 K/9 in 115.2 innings. His 26% strikeout rate is in the 76th percentile, and he’s limited opponents to three runs in his past 16.2 innings.
Warren has two great matchups next week against the Cardinals and Twins. Both teams are in the bottom half of the league in wOBA against right-handed pitchers since the trade deadline.
ERA & WHIP
Bryan Abreu (RP – HOU) | 31% on Yahoo; 24% on ESPN
Bryan Abreu has been an unsung hero for the Astros’ bullpen. He’s put up a 1.72 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13.4 K/9 and 24 holds in 52.1 innings.
Abreu has pitched over 60 innings in each of the past three seasons, and he’s had a sub-2.00 ERA in two of those three seasons. Josh Hader has rightfully gotten most of the attention, but Abreu is one of the best set-up men in the league.
Saves
JoJo Romero (RP – STL) | 27% on Yahoo; 6% on ESPN
JoJo Romero assumed the closer’s role in St. Louis as Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton were both sent packing at the trade deadline. Since then, Romero has picked up a win and two saves while striking out three and allowing a run in 4.1 innings.
Romero has been great this year, limiting hard contact and getting lots of ground balls. His 55.6% ground ball rate is in the 94th percentile. However, his 10% walk rate leaves a lot to be desired. Who knows how many more save opportunities the Cardinals will have, but Romero is the best option they have.
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