Welcome to our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and FAAB (free agent acquisition budget) report. In this article, I’ll provide fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and recommendations for players to target. There will be suggested bids with an explanation of where to target them.
The focus is on 12- and 15-team National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) leagues. If you’re in shallower formats, bid less than my recommendations below. The best way to use this column is to bid on the high end for your targets. I’ve scoured the waiver wire for three targets for each position to make it easier for you. Note: the recommendations are for a $1,000 budget.
With that in mind, let’s dive into my Week 3 fantasy baseball FAAB recommendations.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Best Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Tools
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups & FAAB Targets
Catchers
Victor Caratini (C – MIN)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Volume play to cover for Kirk in two-catcher leagues
Nick Fortes (C – TB)
- $2 in 15-team leagues, $1 in 12-team leagues
- Hit safely in seven of his last eight games
Christian Vazquez (C – HOU)
- $2 in 15-team leagues, $1 in 12-team leagues
- Two multi-hit games in his last three
First Baseman
TJ Rumfield (1B – COL)
- $4 in 12-team leagues; $8 in 15-team leagues.
- Has staying power on your roster
Kyle Manzardo (1B – CLE)
- $4 in 12-team leagues, $8 in 15-team leagues
- Power upside; may have been dropped due to early struggles
Rhys Hoskins (1B – CLE)
- $1 in 15-team leagues.
- One-week streamer for this lefty-masher
Second Baseman
Angel Martinez (2B/OF – CLE)
- $3 in 12-team leagues, $6 in 15-team leagues
- Came into Saturday with three multi-hit games in a row
Juan Brito (2B – CLE)
- $2 in 12-team leagues, $4 in 15-team leagues
- Prospect pedigree, worth a stash to see how he does
Jeff McNeil (2B/OF – ATH)
- $2 in 12-team leagues, $4 in 15-team leagues
- Full week of home games up next
Shortstops
Nasim Nunez (SS – WSH)
- $25 in 12-team leagues; $50 in 15-team leagues.
- 50+ stolen base upside
Mauricio Dubon (2B/3B/SS/OF – ATL)
- $5 in 12-team leagues; $10 in 15-team leagues.
- Positional flexibility, hit safely in nine of last 10
Joey Ortiz (SS – MIL)
- $1 in 15-team leagues
- Volume play if you need coverage
Third Baseman
Mark Vientos (3B – NYM)
- $20 in 12-team leagues; $40 in 15-team leagues.
- More playing time with Juan Soto injured
Brady House (3B – WSH)
- $5 in 12-team leagues; $10 in 12-team leagues.
- Hitting the ball hard; 12.5% barrel rate
Alex Freeland (2B/3B – LAD)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- CI/MI backup in an All-Star lineup
Outfielders
Jorge Soler (OF – LAA)
- $25 in 12-team leagues; $50 in 15-team leagues.
- Showing his power upside lately
Jesus Sanchez (OF – TOR)
- $5 in 12-team leagues; $10 in 15-team leagues.
- Safer playing time with George Springer injured
Tyler O’Neill (OF – BAL)
- $1 in 12-team leagues; $2 in 15-team leagues.
- Has a few lefties this week
Starting Pitchers
Spencer Arrighetti (SP – HOU)
- $25 in 12-team leagues, $50 in 15-team leagues
- Hunter Brown and Tatsuya Imai hurt, looking great at AAA
Jeffrey Springs (SP – ATH)
- $20 in 12-team leagues; $40 in 15-team leagues.
- Two-start week coming up: vs Rangers, vs White Sox
Luis Gil (SP – NYY)
- $2 in 12-team leagues; $4 in 15-team leagues.
- Rough season debut, but strikeout upside on a World Series contender
Relief Pitchers
Cole Winn (RP – TEX)
- $20 in 12-team leagues; $40 in 15-team leagues.
- Got the latest save, better stuff than Jakob Junis
Bryan Baker (RP – TB)
- $10 in 12-team leagues; $20 in 15-team leagues.
- Best bet for saves in Tampa
Bryan King (RP – HOU)
- $5 in 12-team leagues; $10 in 15-team leagues.
- Could take over with Bryan Abreu struggling
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