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a day ago
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Priority pickups whether you need pitching or hitting help
I'm happy to pinch hit on this week's fantasy baseball waiver wire column, as recommending players for pickup is one of my favorite parts of this job. And since I rarely get a chance to recommend pickups, I'm going to make the names plentiful and the explanations brief. Hopefully there is something for everyone. Enjoy. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Ryan Weathers, SP, Miami Marlins, 33% Weathers has looked great since returning from the IL, posting a 1.15 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB ratio across three starts. Even more impressive, two of his appearances came against the high-scoring Cubs and his third outing was against a respectable Padres offense. The 25-year-old's velocity has improved on all of his frequently used offerings, and there is a real chance that he is rostered in 75% of leagues by the end of June. Hayden Birdsong, SP/RP, San Francisco Giants, 34% Birdsong struggled to keep runs off the board when he was scored on three times in 4.2 innings against the Tigers last time out. But he still had a solid 6:2 K:BB ratio in that start, and he kept the ball in the yard. Birdsong's swing-and-miss skills (career 10.6 K/9 rate) give him plenty of upside, and he should fare much better when he faces the Marlins (19th in baseball in runs scored) on Sunday. Head-to-head managers could get over the top this week by grabbing Birdsong now. Cade Horton, SP, Chicago Cubs, 27% Managers who look ahead to next week will find that the two-start streamers are a weak group. Horton is far from a sure thing, but he has been consistent en route to posting a 3.98 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and a 16:4 K:BB ratio across four starts. The rookie has talent, and he is backed by baseball's most productive lineup. Horton has reasonable matchups next week (Nationals, Tigers), and is worth stashing in head-to-head leagues. Logan Henderson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers, 30% This is a rarity, as I'm recommending Henderson after he was sent to the Minors. The rookie is arguably Milwaukee's best starter, having produced a 1.71 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a 29:6 K:BB ratio across four starts. The team sent him back to Triple-A due to the anticipated return of some veteran starters, but there is no way that they can leave Henderson on the farm for long. After all, the Brewers sit at 29-28 and are 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The guess here is that stashing Henderson now will lead to having an impactful starter in a couple weeks. Camilo Doval, RP, San Francisco Giants, 54% Managers in shallow leagues should be scrambling to add Doval, who is more desirable than several relievers who are 70% rostered. The Giants named the right-hander as their closer on Wednesday, shuttling Ryan Walker back to the setup role where he thrived for much of his career. Doval has shown that he can handle the job (89 saves across 2022-24) and is pitching well this year (1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP). He could get 25 saves between now and the end of the season. Will Vest, RP, Detroit Tigers, 44% Although the Tigers do not have a full-time closer, Vest continues to work high-leverage innings more often than anyone on the team. The right-hander has pitched well in his key role (28:9 K:BB ratio), which has led to four wins and seven saves. He has been the 9th most valuable reliever to this point in the season and should be rostered in twice as many leagues. Daniel Palencia, RP, Chicago Cubs, 33% Don't look now, but the Cubs may have finally found a closer. Valencia has picked up saves in each of his past four appearances, after Ryan Pressly struggled in the ninth inning and Porter Hodge was both inconsistent and injured. The 25-year-old does not have a strong MLB track record, but he has been solid this year (1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP) and will be valuable in any league while working the ninth inning for baseball's highest scoring team. Truthfully, I don't expect Valencia to keep this role all summer, but I would add him now and see where this goes. Brett Baty, 2B/3B, New York Mets, 17% Baty has earned an everyday role by crushing the baseball of late, having hit .281 with five homers and 13 RBI in May. And this is a great time to target a Mets hitter, as the team is scheduled to face the Rockies (5.55 team ERA) in six of their next 10 games. Baty is the best option among the widely-available Mets, but Francisco Alvarez (20%) and Jeff McNeil (3%) are players to consider as well. Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles, 49% Sometimes, boring can be good. O'Hearn is the definition of boring — he's 31 years old, has a career high of 15 home runs and rarely steals bases. But he is still serviceable, as he draws most of his plate appearances out of the heart of the lineup and has been the Orioles best hitter (.338 BA, .977 OPS) this season. O'Hearn has been especially hot in May (1.023 OPS) and should be active in most leagues until he cools off. This is a great time to give the left-handed hitter a chance, as the O's will face right-handers in each of their next six games, including three contests against the lowly White Sox. Advertisement Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres, 36% Sheets is emerging as one of the best platoon bats in baseball, having hit .288 with 10 homers, 31 RBI and an .885 OPS in 151 plate appearances against right-handers. And his best work has come of late, as he's collected eight homers and 22 RBI in May. Sheets is the perfect bench bat in leagues with daily transactions, as managers can stream him into the lineup on days when the Padres face a right-hander. Chandler Simpson, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, 35% Simpson is a rare prospect who fully delivered on expectations as soon as he arrived to the majors. The speedster was expected to be one of baseball's best base stealers, and he already sits third in the league with 19 swipes. There is a good chance that he will finish the season in the top spot, as he has played in far fewer games than the other leaders. And with a .285 batting average, the speedster has been more than a one-trick pony. Simpson should be rostered in every league that uses categories for scoring.
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2 days ago
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Fantasy Baseball Weekend Preview: Waiver wire adds to consider to take advantage of matchups
This has been a tough week to stream hitters. Just two teams (Blue Jays, Twins) have seven-game weeks, and they are far from the most productive offenses. And some of the best parks for inducing offense, such as those in Colorado and Cincinnati, are sitting empty this weekend. Still, managers can find a few good streaming options, with Ryan O'Hearn and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leading the list. And there are a handful of good streamers on the pitching side, as there were several promising two-start pitchers this week who are making their second start on the weekend. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Diamondbacks vs. Nationals: Arizona's offense ranks fifth in runs scored and should continue to excel against three unimposing Washington starters from a pitching staff with a 5.04 ERA. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (47%) and Gabriel Moreno (32%) have both swung the bat well of late and would be solid roster additions for this series. Pavin Smith (12%) is a fine option when the D-backs face righties on Friday and Saturday. Orioles vs. White Sox: Not only do the Orioles get to face a team that ranks 22nd in ERA, but they will miss Chicago's best starter, Shane Smith. Ryan O'Hearn (22%) has been on fire in recent games and should be added in most leagues. In 15-team leagues, Heston Kjerstad (3%) can be considered. Guardians vs. Angels: Cleveland should have plenty of baserunners this weekend, as the respective WHIPs of the three Los Angeles starters are 1.53, 1.25 and 1.52. And the Angels bullpen owns a 1.67 WHIP. The Guardians have just two hitters who are rostered in more than 30% of leagues, which leaves managers with plenty of options. Kyle Manzardo (25%), Carlos Santana (8%), Angel Martínez (1%) and Gabriel Arias (12%) are all worth consideration and have been listed in order of my personal preference. Mets vs. Rockies: New York gets its turn to face baseball's worst pitching staff (5.55 ERA). The Rockies will deploy two southpaw starters in this series, and Starling Marte (1%) often bats second in the lineup against lefties. Infielder Luisangel Acuña (6%) is another right-handed hitter who starts against left-handers, and Brett Baty (7%) has been hitting so well of late that he may be the best option of them all. Pirates @ Padres: Pittsburgh's low-scoring offense should be limited on Friday and Saturday by effective starters Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease. Oneil Cruz is the only Pirate who should remain in lineups. Rays @ Astros: The left-handed hitters on the Rays have their work cut out for them this weekend, as they will face two southpaws before tangling with talented righty Hunter Brown (2.00 ERA) on Sunday. Depending on league size, it makes sense to bench or drop Josh Lowe, Brandon Lowe, Jonathan Aranda, Chandler Simpson and Kameron Misner. Twins @ Mariners: Minnesota will face two tough righties, Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo, and could finish the series with the return of Bryce Miller. Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach can remain active in deep leagues, but the outlook is grim for other Minnesota hitters. Marlins vs. Giants: The Marlins will face lefties in the initial two games of this series. For the deep-league crowd, Jesús Sánchez is Miami's leadoff man vs. right-handers but typically bats at the bottom of the lineup against southpaws and is therefore a weak option. Slumping slugger Matt Mervis should be benched everywhere, but it's worth noting that lefty Kyle Stowers has been effective against same-sided hurlers in 2025. Will Vest, Tigers, 41%: Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is regularly deploying Vest in high-leverage situations, and the right-hander is delivering by posting a 0.69 ERA in May. The pivotal role has led to Vest compiling three wins and four saves so far this month, and he should be involved in some close contests this weekend, when Detroit faces a Royals team that has played many low-scoring games thanks to an effective pitching staff and middling offense. Tyler Fitzgerald, Giants, 26%: Streaming speedsters against the Marlins continues to be a smart move, as Miami has allowed 18 more steals than any other team. Fitzgerald is the obvious player to add this weekend, as he is the one San Francisco player who could take advantage of Miami's struggles to limit the running game, having compiled 23 steals in 429 at-bats across 2024-25. In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets. David Peterson vs. COL (Friday, 42) Ryan Weathers vs. SF (Sunday, 26) Hayden Birdsong @MIA (Sunday, 33) Ryne Nelson vs. WSH (Sunday, 1) Jeffrey Springs @TOR (Friday, 39) Dean Kremer vs. CWS (Saturday, 6) Chris Paddack @SEA (Sunday, 16) Taj Bradley @HOU (Sunday, 47) Slade Cecconi vs. LAA (Saturday, 3) Erick Fedde @TEX (Sunday, 19) José Soriano @CLE (Friday, 36) Bowden Francis vs. ATH (Sunday, 29) Gavin Williams vs. LAA (Sunday, 40) Luis L. Ortiz vs. LAA (Friday, 21) Randy Vásquez vs. PIT (Sunday, 5) Andrew Heaney @SD (Sunday, 27) Tony Gonsolin vs. NYY (Friday, 48) Hunter Dobbins @ATL (Saturday, 11) Jameson Taillon vs. CIN (Sunday, 30) JP Sears @TOR (Sunday, 35)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
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Fantasy Baseball Weekend Preview: Waiver wire adds to consider to take advantage of matchups
This has been a tough week to stream hitters. Just two teams (Blue Jays, Twins) have 7-game weeks, and they are far from the most productive offenses. And some of the best parks for inducing offense, such as those in Colorado and Cincinnati, are sitting empty this weekend. Still, managers can find a few good streaming options, with Ryan O'Hearn and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leading the list. And there are a handful of good streamers on the pitching side, as there were several promising two-start pitchers this week who are making their second start on the weekend. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Matchups to Target Diamondbacks vs. Nationals: Arizona's offense ranks 5th in runs scored and should continue to excel against three unimposing Washington starters from a pitching staff with a 5.04 ERA. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (47%) and Gabriel Moreno (32%) have both swung the bat well of late and would be solid roster additions for this series. Pavin Smith (12%) is a fine option when the D-backs face righties on Friday and Saturday. Advertisement Orioles vs. White Sox: Not only do the Orioles get to face a team that ranks 22nd in ERA, but they will miss Chicago's best starter, Shane Smith. Ryan O'Hearn (22%) has been on fire in recent games and should be added in most leagues. In 15-team leagues, Heston Kjerstad (3%) can be considered. Guardians vs. Angels: Cleveland should have plenty of baserunners this weekend, as the respective WHIPs of the three Los Angeles starters are 1.53, 1.25 and 1.52. And the Angels bullpen owns a 1.67 WHIP. The Guardians have just two hitters who are rostered in more than 30% of leagues, which leaves managers with plenty of options. Kyle Manzardo (25%), Carlos Santana (8%), Angel Martínez (1%) and Gabriel Arias (12%) are all worth consideration and have been listed in order of my personal preference. Mets vs. Rockies: New York gets their turn to face baseball's worst pitching staff (5.55 ERA). The Rockies will deploy two southpaw starters in this series, and Starling Marte (1%) often bats second in the lineup against lefties. Infielder Luisangel Acuña (6%) is another right-handed hitter who starts against left-handers, and Brett Baty (7%) has been hitting so well of late that he may be the best option of them all. Matchups to Avoid Pirates @ Padres: Pittsburgh's low-scoring offense should be limited on Friday and Saturday by effective starters Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease. Oneil Cruz is the only Pirate who should remain in lineups. Advertisement Rays @ Astros: The left-handed hitters on the Rays have their work cut out for them this weekend, as they will face two southpaws before tangling with talented righty Hunter Brown (2.00 ERA) on Sunday. Depending on league size, it makes sense to bench or drop Josh Lowe, Brandon Lowe, Jonathan Aranda, Chandler Simpson and Kameron Misner. Twins @ Mariners: Minnesota will face two tough righties, Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo, and could finish the series with the return of Bryce Miller. Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach can remain active in deep leagues, but the outlook is grim for other Minnesota hitters. Marlins vs. Giants: The Marlins will face lefties in the initial two games of this series. For the deep-league crowd, Jesús Sánchez is Miami's leadoff man vs. right-handers but typically bats at the bottom of the lineup against southpaws and is therefore a weak option. Slumping slugger Matt Mervis should be benched everywhere, but it's worth noting that lefty Kyle Stowers has been effective against same-sided hurlers in 2025. Seeking Saves Will Vest, Tigers, 41%: Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is regularly deploying Vest in high-leverage situations, and the right-hander is delivering by posting a 0.69 ERA in May. The pivotal role has led to Vest compiling three wins and four saves so far this month, and he should be involved in some close contests this weekend, when Detroit faces a Royals team that has played many low-scoring games thanks to an effective pitching staff and middling offense. Seeking Steals Tyler Fitzgerald, Giants, 26%: Streaming speedsters against the Marlins continues to be a smart move, as Miami has allowed 18 more steals than any other team. Fitzgerald is the obvious player to add this weekend, as he is the one San Francisco player who could take advantage of Miami's struggles to limit the running game, having compiled 23 steals in 429 at-bats across 2024-25. Advertisement Streaming starters In order, here are the best streamers for the weekend, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.
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3 days ago
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Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Paying up for an emerging ace and other arms to target or move in a deal
After looking at some hitters who should be on the move last week, this week's batch of fantasy baseball trade candidates is composed entirely of hurlers. There are still plenty of pitchers who have been especially lucky or unlucky thus far, and therefore have the potential to be incorrectly valued on the trade market. And the headliner of this week's article, MacKenzie Gore, is in the opposite situation, as he is every bit as good as he his stellar numbers indicate. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Gore is in the midst of a memorable breakout season. His 28.0% K-BB ratio is second best among qualified starters, and his 36.3% strikeout rate is tops by a notable margin. Gore has succeeded in spite of an unlucky .366 BABIP, and his 2.93 FIP is even better than his solid 3.47 ERA. Gore may not require the trade return of the top aces, but he is just as likely to have success the rest of the way. Kirby's return from a season-opening IL stint didn't go as planned, as he was hammered for five runs across 3.2 innings. The right-hander makes his second start on Wednesday, and the advice here is to send a buy-low offer if he has another unsuccessful outing. Overall, Kirby was unlucky in his first start. His velocity was on par with previous seasons, he kept the ball in the yard, and he walked just one batter. He's still a fantasy ace. The buy-low window remains open on Cease, who was mentioned in this article a couple weeks ago. He continues to be plagued by bad luck (.324 BABIP, 66.0% strand rate), while demonstrating excellent skills (21.1% K-BB ratio). Wise managers will use Cease's bloated 4.58 ERA and unimpressive 1.25 WHIP to acquire him at a discount, while burying the news that most of his ERA estimators are below 3.50. He hasn't earned a win since April 2, but if he continues to pitch as well as he has of late (33:4 K:BB ratio across his past four starts), he will rattle off a long string of victories at some point in the coming weeks. Martinez failed to return from the IL in top form when he blew a save last Saturday. The reliever has middling numbers this year (3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), and the recent combination of injury and ineffectiveness has reduced his value to the point where Martinez could be a throw-in for a larger trade. But the right-hander is skilled, and Arizona needs him to anchor an unsettled bullpen. If Martinez can get on track soon, he could be a top-20 reliever the rest of the way. This one is a bit of a risk, but it's a move that could pay off in a big way. Weaver is keeping the closer's role warm while Devin Williams works out his struggles by being used in earlier innings. But no one told Weaver that's he supposed to give the job back, and he has currently has the second lowest ERA of any pitcher who has earned at least three saves. Weaver could hold the job for the rest of the season and rank among the top-5 relievers while anchoring the bullpen for one of baseball's best teams. Although Peralta seems to be in the midst of an excellent season (2.55 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), his skills are no better than they were when he was frustratingly inconsistent in previous years. Peralta's 24.2% strikeout rate is a career-worst mark, and he has not offset the lack of whiffs by issuing fewer walks or inducing weaker contact. Instead, Peralta has succeeded through good fortune that includes a .239 BABIP and an 86.4% strand rate that is the fourth highest among qualified pitchers. He is likely to have an ERA near 4.00 from this point forward. There are small signs that the wheels are coming off for Mahle. In his most recent start, he logged a 3:3 K:BB ratio while allowing three runs over five innings against an unproductive White Sox lineup. And he has been struggling to collect whiffs for over a month, having struck out just 18 batters across his past six starts. Mahle has the stats of an ace (1.80 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) but the skills of an average pitcher. Baz has already been sent to waivers in most 10-team leagues, and those in 12-team formats should try to get something of value for him while they still can. The right-hander's swing-and-miss abilities have disappeared, as he has recorded a 6.3 K/9 rate since April 19. Without the strikeouts, Baz is unable to compensate for his shortcomings (9.4% walk rate, 1.65 HR/9 rate), and his 4.92 FIP is the 10th worst among qualified pitchers. A wise plan would be to find a 1-for-1 deal that is to your liking and then throw in Baz to sweeten the pot.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Paying up for an emerging ace and other arms to target or move in a deal
After looking at some hitters who should be on the move last week, this week's batch of fantasy baseball trade candidates is composed entirely of hurlers. There are still plenty of pitchers who have been especially lucky or unlucky thus far, and therefore have the potential to be incorrectly valued on the trade market. And the headliner of this week's article, MacKenzie Gore, is in the opposite situation, as he is every bit as good as he his stellar numbers indicate. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Gore is in the midst of a memorable breakout season. His 28.0% K-BB ratio is second best among qualified starters, and his 36.3% strikeout rate is tops by a notable margin. Gore has succeeded in spite of an unlucky .366 BABIP, and his 2.93 FIP is even better than his solid 3.47 ERA. Gore may not require the trade return of the top aces, but he is just as likely to have success the rest of the way. Kirby's return from a season-opening IL stint didn't go as planned, as he was hammered for five runs across 3.2 innings. The right-hander makes his second start on Wednesday, and the advice here is to send a buy-low offer if he has another unsuccessful outing. Overall, Kirby was unlucky in his first start. His velocity was on par with previous seasons, he kept the ball in the yard, and he walked just one batter. He's still a fantasy ace. The buy-low window remains open on Cease, who was mentioned in this article a couple weeks ago. He continues to be plagued by bad luck (.324 BABIP, 66.0% strand rate), while demonstrating excellent skills (21.1% K-BB ratio). Wise managers will use Cease's bloated 4.58 ERA and unimpressive 1.25 WHIP to acquire him at a discount, while burying the news that most of his ERA estimators are below 3.50. He hasn't earned a win since April 2, but if he continues to pitch as well as he has of late (33:4 K:BB ratio across his past four starts), he will rattle off a long string of victories at some point in the coming weeks. Martinez failed to return from the IL in top form when he blew a save last Saturday. The reliever has middling numbers this year (3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), and the recent combination of injury and ineffectiveness has reduced his value to the point where Martinez could be a throw-in for a larger trade. But the right-hander is skilled, and Arizona needs him to anchor an unsettled bullpen. If Martinez can get on track soon, he could be a top-20 reliever the rest of the way. This one is a bit of a risk, but it's a move that could pay off in a big way. Weaver is keeping the closer's role warm while Devin Williams works out his struggles by being used in earlier innings. But no one told Weaver that's he supposed to give the job back, and he has currently has the second lowest ERA of any pitcher who has earned at least three saves. Weaver could hold the job for the rest of the season and rank among the top-5 relievers while anchoring the bullpen for one of baseball's best teams. Although Peralta seems to be in the midst of an excellent season (2.55 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), his skills are no better than they were when he was frustratingly inconsistent in previous years. Peralta's 24.2% strikeout rate is a career-worst mark, and he has not offset the lack of whiffs by issuing fewer walks or inducing weaker contact. Instead, Peralta has succeeded through good fortune that includes a .239 BABIP and an 86.4% strand rate that is the fourth highest among qualified pitchers. He is likely to have an ERA near 4.00 from this point forward. There are small signs that the wheels are coming off for Mahle. In his most recent start, he logged a 3:3 K:BB ratio while allowing three runs over five innings against an unproductive White Sox lineup. And he has been struggling to collect whiffs for over a month, having struck out just 18 batters across his past six starts. Mahle has the stats of an ace (1.80 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) but the skills of an average pitcher. Baz has already been sent to waivers in most 10-team leagues, and those in 12-team formats should try to get something of value for him while they still can. The right-hander's swing-and-miss abilities have disappeared, as he has recorded a 6.3 K/9 rate since April 19. Without the strikeouts, Baz is unable to compensate for his shortcomings (9.4% walk rate, 1.65 HR/9 rate), and his 4.92 FIP is the 10th worst among qualified pitchers. A wise plan would be to find a 1-for-1 deal that is to your liking and then throw in Baz to sweeten the pot.
