Happy Sunday, you fantasy baseball waiver wire scavengers. It appears as though we’ve hit a soft spot in the zone; everyone keeps going on the IL and nobody comes off. Even worse, there are guys you’ve been waiting on having their returns pushed back. The wire hears you signing the blues and beckons you to find some resolution with guys to help you through the waiting game.
As always, we are trying to keep the ownership percentages down, so hopefully some of these options are available in your respective leagues. We’ve hit on great recommendations this season and you can find those here, although I aim to not use the same name twice. That’s becoming increasingly difficult, as (if your leagues are anything like mine) it’s starting to feel like everyone has had the same player at different times this season.
That’s a conversation for another day. Let’s go walking and see if we can unearth some good value to bridge the gap and give us some more depth moving forward.
***All ownership percentages are from Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball***
Upside Adds
*LATE EDIT: Wander Franco, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, is being called up by Tampa Bay*
JT Brubaker (SP – PIT) 33% owned
I’m always hesitant to recommend Pirates pitchers. It’s not for lack of talent, but the Bucs just don’t do much in the run support department. That said, the 180-pound righty was already due to make the list and as of this writing, he is currently dominating the Indians to the tune of one run over six innings, two hits, zero bases-on-balls and eight strikeouts. The one blemish thus far (only 68 pitches!) was a ding-dong off the bat of Harold Ramirez. But, I digress.
After this game, Brubaker will have nearly totaled the amount of innings he has tossed in his last two seasons combined. There are questions about the length of his leash IN 2021, particularly pitching for a team with nothing to play for. Regardless, you gotta ride the upside. He is not replacing your Tyler Glasnow or Shane Bieber, but he can certainly help. The 27-year-old came into today’s game with four wins, 3.88 ERA, and 1.18 WHIP with 63 K in 65 IP. He’s got a nasty spin on his curveball and ranks in the upper quarter of the league in chase rate.
Related: JT Brubaker is Becoming the Pirates’ Ace
James Kaprielian (SP – OAK) 41% owned
Kaprielian is going to be a sexy add this week. He had a higher ownership earlier in the season, but it dipped down enough that he might be available in a few of your leagues. There’s never anything wrong with rostering a pitcher in Oakland (see also: Chris Bassitt, 90 percent ownership) and there’s a lot to like about the A’s number 10 prospect so far.
The righty routinely throws his fastball into the mid-90s and compliments it almost equal parts with a slider and curve. He should continue to improve the hotter it is this summer. That’s a nice thought, as he currently is already 4-1 (seven GS) with a 2.84 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. He has sat down 41 batters in 38 innings via the strikeout and will get run support from the Athletics.
J.P. Crawford (SS – SEA) 19% owned
The veteran doesn’t hit the ball hard, and although he’s only socked five longballs thus far in 2021, he’s set to hit a career-high in the category. However, when he barrels-up, he stings the leather and hits to all fields. Crawford is slashing .281/.343/.406 with 34 runs scored and 29 runs batted in. Moreover (from the “hot bat” file), in the last 14 days, he’s sitting on a .370 average with two bombs, 10R/10RBI and six walks.
Adam Duvall (OF – ATL) 33% owned
Are we really doing this? I guess so. Let’s call it a “streamer special”. Duvall just had back-to-back two-homer games and now sits at 16 moonshots on the season. He’s too streaky for my liking for the entire season, but this is as good a time as any to ride the hot hand. .220/.268/.477 (.745 OPS, math wizards) but he is tearing the ball up right now batting in the fourth or fifth spot in the Braves’ lineup. He gets more chances to mash this week with contests against Toronto, Washington, and Cincinnati (in Cincy) on the docket.
Taylor Ward (OF – LAA) 7% owned
Listen to me now, hear me later. Ward is only scratching the surface in Anaheim and is going to handsomely reward owners that jump on him early. It’s a crowded house in the Disneyland-adjacent outfield of the Angels, true. However, even as a rotational piece Ward is going to continue to get opportunities to show that he deserves a permanent spot even when injuries clear up. In truth, the percentage is way lower than it should be. In 137 ABs this season, the right fielder is at .255/.340/.467 (.807), tallying seven homers and 27 RBI. He’s started in nine straight games.
Roster if Available
Gary Sanchez (C – NYY) 74% owned – someone may have missed this resurgence in shallow leagues
Carlos Carrasco (SP – NYM) 55% owned – He’ll be back in July and this is a chance to stash a potential ace
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, OF – BAL) 66% owned – Catching fire and should be rostered more heavily in leagues
Holds Lead to Save Chances
Anthony Bender (RP – MIA)
Pete Fairbanks (RP – TB)
Zack Britton (RP – NYY)
Best of luck in all your bids and claims this week. Find the hot bats/arms, play for upside if you’re stocking your bench. Let’s do this all again next week.
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