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. Suggested bids will include 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 at each position to make it easier for you. Note that the recommendations are for a $1,000 budget.
With that in mind, let’s dive into my Week 23 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
Will Smith (C – LAD)
- $8 in 15-team leagues; $4 in 12-team leagues.
- Bet on track record for the rest of the year.
Leo Bernal (C – STL)
- $4 in 15-team leagues; $2 in 12-team leagues.
- Dart throw.
Mickey Gasper (C – BOS)
- $4 in 15-team leagues; $2 in 12-team leagues.
- Pick him up for power.
First Basemen
Ty France (1B – SDP)
- $8 in 15-team leagues; $4 in 12-team leagues.
- Streamer having a career year.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, 3B – BAL)
- $6 in 15-team leagues; $3 in 12-team leagues.
- Pick him up for some power.
Coby Mayo (1B, 3B – BAL)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Power streamer.
Second Basemen
JJ Wetherholt (2B, SS – STL)
- $12 in 15-team leagues; $6 in 12-team leagues.
- Pick him up to see if he can rediscover his early-season magic.
Nasim Nunez (2B, SS – WSH)
- $4 in 15-team leagues; $2 in 12-team leagues.
- Worth a look if you need speed.
Jake Cronenworth (2B – SDP)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 15-team leagues.
- Volume play in an improving offense.
Shortstops
Trevor Story (SS – BOS)
- $4 in 15-team leagues; $2 in 12-team leagues.
- Streaky hitter with power/speed upside.
Xander Bogaerts (SS – SDP)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Volume play in an improving offense.
Chase Meidroth (2B, SS – CWS)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Worth a look for volume.
Third Basemen
Nolan Arenado (3B – ARI)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Volume play with lefties coming up.
Javier Sanoja (2B, 3B, OF – MIA)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Versatile player who contributes at multiple positions.
Connor Norby (1B, 2B, 3B – COL)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Swinging the bat well lately.
Outfielders
Lazaro Montes (OF – SEA)
- $14 in 15-team leagues; $7 in 12-team leagues.
- Pick him up for power.
Walker Jenkins (OF – MIN)
- $12 in 15-team leagues; $6 in 12-team leagues.
- Top prospect with a lot of upside.
Esmerlyn Valdez (OF – PIT)
- $6 in 15-team leagues; $3 in 12-team leagues.
- Stream him for power.
Starting Pitchers
Nick Pivetta (SP – SDP)
- $16 in 15-team leagues; $8 in 12-team leagues.
- Looking good in rehab assignment.
Jacob Lopez (SP – ATH)
- $12 in 15-team leagues; $6 in 12-team leagues.
- Two-start week versus Toronto and Seattle.
Will Warren (SP – NYY)
- $6 in 15-team leagues; $3 in 12-team leagues.
- Smash spot at home versus the Rockies.
Relief Pitchers
Jordan Romano (RP – COL)
- $10 in 15-team leagues; $5 in 12-team leagues.
- Grab him if you’re desperate for saves.
Dylan Smith (RP – SFG)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Another desperation pickup for saves.
Andrew Kittredge (RP – BAL)
- $2 in 15-team leagues; $1 in 12-team leagues.
- Only pick him up if you miss out on the previous two names.
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