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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 22

TJ — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:57:25 +0000

It’s Fantasy Baseball Week 22, the final week for a lot of leagues. Time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements that can tilt the balance of victory in your favor. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

*(positions in brackets are possible other eligible spots)

First Base
Gaby Sanchez – Fla: Has been available all year by just over 50% percent of fantasy leagues. A solid .289 Avg, 16HRs, 60Rs and 70RBIs are his season line at this point, he has 4 bombs, 17 RBIs and a .300 Avg over the last 14 days.
Russell Branyan – Sea: There isn’t much to pick at the 1B position lately, but Branyan is a decent power play with 5 dingers, 6Rs and 9RBIs over the last two weeks. His BAvg is horrendous though. So only pick up if really desperate for power.
Todd Helton – Col: If you are looking from a slight bump in BAVG and a hint of pop in the bat, Helton is your man. Owned is less than 25% of leagues.

Second Base
Ryan Raburn – Det: The second baseman has batted .320 with 12Rs, 3HRs and 9 RBIs over the last 14 days. (1B,OF)
Eric Young – Col: Looking for a speed boost, EY2 has 6 steals in two weeks, but no power at all. (OF)
*If you solely need help in BAVG look at Freddy Sanchez, Ian Desmond and Alberto Callapso.

Third Base
Casey Blake – LAD: Has found his timing lately and has kept his BAVG over .300 for two weeks while knocking in 10 runs, with 2HRs and 8 Rs.
Wilson Betemit – KC: Has been hitting very well lately. Batted .289, 8Rs, 5HR, and 11RBIs over the last two weeks. The BAVG has dipped a bit for a month, but the power is still there.

Short Stop
Jhonny Peralta – Det: Has had a great half month batting .313, 7Rs, 4HRs, and 14RBIs. (3B)
Yuniesky Betancourt – KC: The SS has a two week line of 3Rs, 3HRs, 11RBIs and has batted .302 with no steals.
Ian Desmond – Was: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. Batting almost .400 for two weeks. (2B)

Outfield
Coco Crisp- OAK: Very under-owned, 11Rs, 2HRs, 5RBIs, 6SBs, and .268 AVG over last two weeks. BAVG has been slowly dropping each week, but the steals keep on coming.
Jose Tabata – Pit: He makes the list again delivering a line of: 8Rs, 2HRs, 5RBIs, 2SBs while batting .444 for the last half month.
Roger Bernadina – Was: This is a new name out of Was. He has played well lately, two week line: 8Rs, 3HRs, 9RBIs, SBs, and BAVG .265.
*Hideki Matsui – LAA and Wil Venable – SD have also played worthy of your consideration lately.

Catcher
Rod Barajas – LAD: How does he make the list owned in less than a quarter of league, when he was a household name near the start of the season. Anyway, he has some nice power potential and has been batting .375 with 2HRs in his few at-bats so far with the Dodgers.
Other decent pickups at catcher are: A.J. Pierzynski, Jonathan Lucroy and Ramon Hernandez.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters
Daniel Hudson – Ari: 4Ws, 42Ks, 1.85ERA and 0.87WHIP over last month. This guy is money!
Dallas Braden – Oak: 4Ws, 21Ks, 2.15ERA and 0.80 WHIP last 46 innings.
Brian Duensing – Min: Last months line looks like: 3Ws, 21Ks, 2.72ERA, 0.99 WHIP.
Brian Matusz: 3Ws, 20Ks, 2.32ERA, 1.06WHIP, not bad an barely owned, Bal offense always an issue though.
*I want to list Brandon Morrow, but reports have it, he hit his innings limit for the year. He is shut down for the season.

Closers
Brandon Lyon – Hou: Has been collecting saves when the team has been able to get a lead.
Koji Uehara – Bal: The latest closer on a very bad team.
Hisanori Takahashi – NYM: Has replaced K-Rod and looks to have the job for the rest of the year.
Hong-Chih Kuo – LAD: Joe Torre may go with both Kuo and Broxton in the ninth, but Kuo certainly hawking saves.
Evan Meek – Pit: Also has been given opportunities in the ninth inning.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 21

TJ — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:44:47 +0000

It’s Fantasy Baseball Week 21, time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

*(positions in brackets are possible other eligible spots)

First Base

Russell Branyan - Sea: There isn’t much to pick at the 1B position lately, but Branyan is a decent power play with 5 bombs, 8Rs and 9RBIs over the last two weeks. His BAvg is horrendous though. So only pick up if really desperate for power.

Gaby Sanchez – Fla, Casey Kotchman – Sea or Mark Teahan – CWS might be more stable options available, but no eye-popping stats.

Second Base

Ryan Raburn - Det: The second baseman has batted .320 with 9Rs, 4HRs and 8 RBIs over the last 14 days. (1B,OF)
Jerry Hairston Jr. - SD: Has been hitting close to .280 for weeks and also delivered decent stats in all categories. (SS,3B,OF)

Third Base

Bill Hall- Bos: Hall is known for bursts of production over his career. He has been hot lately, see if you can ride him to the end on a hot bat.(2B,OF)
Wilson Betemit - KC: Has been hitting very well lately. Batted .341, 7Rs, 3HR, 1SB, and 8RBIs over the last two weeks.

Short Stop

Yuniesky Betancourt - KC: Royals players are really hot recently. The SS has a two week line of 6Rs, 5HRs, 15RBIs and has batted .378 with no steals.
Ian Desmond - Was: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. (2B)
Jed Lowrie - Bos: Has stayed hot his two week line reads 6Rs , 3HRs, 5RBIs, 1SB, and a .389 Avg.

Outfield

Coco Crisp- OAK: Very under-owned, 10Rs, 6RBIs, 7SBs, and .351 AVG over last two weeks.
Pat Burrell - SF: An absolute source of power lately with 5 HRs and 13RBIs over 14 days.

Catcher

Ramon Hernandez - Cin: Has really come alive, this former star has 12Rs, 3HRs, 16RBIs and is batting .407 for the last month.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

Anibal Sanchez – Fla: Has 2Ws, 19Ks, 0.92ERA and 0.86WHIP over his last 3 starts.
Brian Duensing – Min: Last two weeks line looks like: 3Ws, 13Ks, 1.48ERA, 0.86 WHIP.

Closers

Hisanori Takahashi - NYM: Has replaced K-Rod and looks to have the job for the rest of the year.
Brandon Lyon - Hou: Has been collecting saves when the team has been able to get a lead.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup Alert: Josh Bell (3B)

TJ — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:59:26 +0000

Baltimore has finally called up there highly touted power prospect for the hot corner. Josh Bell didn’t dissatisfy owners either in his debut with a couple of HRs. He will probably play the rest of the year and if it’s not too late in your league, he makes a great keeper option. If it is too late, keep his name as a great late round flyer for next years draft.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 20

TJ — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:37:07 +0000

It’s Fantasy Baseball Week 20, time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

*(positions in brackets are possible other eligible spots)

First Base

Mike Lowell - Bos: Mike Lowell returns from fantasy purgatory, and with a vengeance. 7Rs, 2HRs, 7RBIs and .324Avg line over the last two weeks. (3B)
Todd Helton – Col: Helton has also returned from absence and has put up very solid numbers. Pick him up while he is still surging.

Second Base

Ryan Raburn - Det: The second baseman has batted .318 with 7Rs, 3HRs and 8 RBIs over the last 14 days. (1B,OF)
Jerry Hairston Jr. - SD: Has been hitting close to .300 for weeks and also deliverin even stats in all categories. (SS,3B,OF)

Third Base

Bill Hall- Hou: Hall is known for bursts of production over his career. He has been hot lately, see if you can ride him to the end on a hot bat. Plus .300 avg and 4 HRs over 2 weeks. (2B,OF)
Pedro Alvarez- Pit: Still owned by only a small percentage! Batted .326, 5Rs, 3HR, and 11RBIs last two weeks.

Short Stop

Ian Desmond - Was: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. (2B)
Jed Lowrie - Bos: Has been very hot since coming back from the DL. Will provide a steal or two every week.

Outfield

Coco Crisp- OAK: Very under-owned, 5Rs, 6RBIs, 3SBs, and .341 AVG over last two weeks.
Mike Stanton- Fla: An absolute source of power lately with 5 HRs over 14 days.

Catcher

Yorvit Torrealba - SD: Won’t provide much but a nice batting average..

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

Gio Gonzalez - Oak: Last months line looks like: 3Ws, 25Ks, 2.65ERA, 1.12 WHIP.
Vincente Padilla- LAD: Still available for the stretch run. He is very likely available in your league and has provided a line of 2 Ws, 27 Ks, .79 ERA and .74 WHIP in his last 34 innings.
Jeremy Guthrie- Bal: Not going to be much runs support, but over the last month he has 2 Ws, 17 Ks, 1.95 ERA and .94 WHIP.
Keep an eye on Josh Tomlin – Cle, Jake Westbrook – StL and Joe Saunders – Ari. These guys might have new life after trade or promotion.

Closers

Alfredo Simon - Bal: Has pitched with good stuff and solid command, might share closer duty with Mike Gonzalez, but that hasn’t been the case yet.
Brandon Lyon - Hou: Has been collecting saves when the team has been able to get a lead.
Aaron Heilman - Ari: Nothing sexy but handling the job nicely.

Relievers

Sean Marshall, Brandon lyon, Hong-Chih Kuo, Luke Gregerson, Johnny Venters and Scott Downs. All are maintaining a healthy ERA, WHIP and will get the occasional win/save.

Fantasy News: Oakland calls up power prospect Chris Carter

TJ — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:03:39 +0000

Oakland, who is near the bottom in power production recalled Chris Carter. He is there biggest power prospect belting 17 round-trippers this year and 28 last season. The down side is he strikes out at rates Mark Reynolds would be proud of. So only pickup Carter if you have nowhere else to turn to for a late boost in HRs and you don’t mind the loss in AVG.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 19

TJ — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:45:54 +0000

It’s Fantasy Baseball Week 19, time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. Some notable losses to injury were Carlos Pena, Brandon Phillips, Kevin Youkilis, Kris Medlen, Carlos Santana, Aaron Cook, Russell Martin , Ryan Howard, Jason Motte, John Buck, and Nyjer Morgan. Jeff Neimann is having his shoulder examined, could miss one start minimum. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

*(positions in brackets are possible other eligible spots)

First Base

Todd Helton - Col: Back from the DL, Helton had a productive week. There is not much power but he will contribute to Avg, Runs and RBIs.
Dan Johnson – TB: Taking over for an injured Carlos Pena. Johnson hit 30 Hrs with 95 RBIs while batting .303 in triple A. Definitely worth a look. Might even see DH time when Pena comes back.

Second Base

Neil Walker - Pit: Has been hitting near .300 all season long and a decent run producer. (3B)
Brendan Ryan - StL: Has been hitting close to .400 for a month now. Will get the occasional steal and provide modest values in the other stat categories. (SS)
Sean Rodriguez - TB: Getting playing time and delivering again modest results from a middle infielder position. (OF)

Third Base

Chris Johnson- Hou: Still available in most leagues. Batted .391, 4Rs, 1HR, and 8 RBIs last week. He won’t be available much longer people!
Pedro Alvarez- Pit: Huge week! 4Rs, 3HRs, 8RBIs and .348. He did have a minor slump a few weeks back, but this kid seems to be legit.
Edwin Encarnacion - Tor: Has been hot over that last few weeks, and a decent starter over a month now. Take a look if nothing better is out there.

Short Stop

Ian Desmond - Was: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. (2B)
Starlin Castro - Chi: Still hitting for Avg and SBs!
Angel Sanchez - Hou: .342 Avg, Rs and 14RBIs over the last month.

Outfield

Coco Crisp- OAK: Owned in less than half the leagues, Crisp has been a menace on the base paths with 9SBs over the last month. Batting Avg. is killing us though.
Dexter Fowler- COL: Leadoff man for the Rox, that’s always a plus for Run and Stolen Base production. 10R, 1HR, 6RBI, 2SBs and .341 Avg. last two weeks.
Jose Tabata- Pit: 19Rs, 1HR, 10RBIs, 4Sbs and .388 Avg for the month. Barely owned, roster him!
Felix Pie - Bal: 3Rs, 4RBIs, 2SBs and .348 in 23 at bats this week. He is always streaky. Ride it while he is hot.

Catcher

Yorvit Torrealba - SD: Batting over .440 for a month now.
Carlos Ruiz – Phi: Has maintained a tear with a line of 7Rs, 3HR, 14RBIs and batting .377 over the last two weeks now.
J.P. Arencibia - Tor: OK, we only have one game to look at, but he belted 2HRs in it, after almost hitting 30 in triple A this year. Definitely worth a look, especially in keeper formats.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

Closers

Alfredo Simon - Bal: Has pitched with good stuff and solid command, might share closer duty with Mike Gonzalez, but that hasn’t been the case yet.
Michael Weurtz - Oak: With Andrew Bailey out he has been lights out filling in.
Joel Hanrahan - Pit: Did record a save this week, but also blew another. Keep a close eye on.
Aaron Heilman - Ari: Nothing sexy but handling the job nicely.
Drew Storen - Was: Recorded his first save as the new closer this week.

Relievers

Sean Marshall, Brandon lyon, Hong-Chih Kuo, Luke Gregerson, Johnny Venters and Scott Downs. All are maintaining a healthy ERA, WHIP and will get the occasional win/save.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup Alert: J.P. Arencibia (C)

TJ — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:17:34 +0000

Power hitting catchers are always a nice commodity. Tonight in his first major league, J.P. Arencibia lived up to his minor league power numbers by launching 2 home runs. He may or may not have a playing time issue, but if you have roster room can you afford not to take a gamble?

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup Alert: Brett Wallace (3B)

TJ — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:14:10 +0000

Brett Wallace has finally been given the opportunity to show what all the hype has been about. You had to start to question whether this was hype or not. He was traded from the Cards to the A’s, then the A’s to the Jay’s, and now to the Astros. Was it he was that wanted or simply never meeting expectations? Well, after spending all season in triple A batting plus .300 and 18 or so HRs, trust me it was his desirability that had him on the move. With the departure of aging Lance Berkman, Brett Wallace was acquired and immediately put into the the Astros’ lineup. After tonight’s game he is batting .308 (4/13), 2Rs and 2RBIs. Nothing eye popping, but clearly this kid isn’t phased. If you have room on your team, roster the kid. If you are in a keeper league, you must grab him.

Jeremy Hellickson Conundrum

TJ — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:00:30 +0000

So if you are in a weekly or day to day or even a daily fantasy baseball league, you might have jumped on Jeremy Hellickson MLB career preview Monday night. It was great, 3 hits, 6 Ks, retired the first 10 batters, and a win. And then he promptly shipped back to triple A. Ugh! Don’t fret…he will be back, but maybe only as a reliever. Still I would keep him on your roster if you have the room. He could make a few spot starts and get promoted is Wade Davis struggles again. And if you are in a keeper league this is a no-brainer!

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Search: Week 18

TJ — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:01:55 +0000

Week 18 of most fantasy baseball formats begins tomorrow, time to scour the waiver wire for roster upgrades or replacements. Some notable losses to injury were Johnny Damon, Chris Coghlan, Joel Pinero, Joe Mauer, Jason Bay, Shane Victorino, Milton Bradley and Ben Zoebrist. We’ll try and look at suitable pick-ups for each spot in the lineup. We’ll select players who have been hot in the last week to month, and will be typically owned by half of the leagues or less out there. Taking a look at batting first:

First Base

Lyle Overbay- TOR: With his job safe now that Brett Wallace has been traded, he is rewarding management with a decent last month.
Melvin Mora- COL: If you need a spot start 1B Mora would make an adequate addition, and soon as he cools though, take notice. Mora may be eligible in your league for 2B and 3B.
Ike Davis – NYM: Not a great week at the plate, but still leading all rookie with 52 RBIs and his 15 are right there at the top as well.
Michael Morse – WAS: Hit .400 this week, though no power. Adam Dunn trade never happened, so playing time will continue to be an issue.

Second Base

Jeff Keppinger- HOU: With the trade of Berkman, Keppinger has recently been slotted as the #3 hitter. He has always maintained a plus .300 average, so this could afford him some decent production. (SS/3B)

Third Base

Chris Johnson- HOU: OK, Johnson has gone from watchable to pretty much get on your roster. This is the 2nd week in a row is has batted near .500, also providing weekly line of 3Rs, 2HRs, 5RBIs and 1SB. Roster him!

Short Stop

Ian Desmond- WAS: A highly touted rookie who hasn’t provided eye-popping stats, but plays a scarce position and will provide some steals. a possible consideration for keeper in those formats. (2B)
J.J. Hardy- MIN: Hardy looks like he has found his productive swing again, albeit no power. Still he has maintained close to a .350 avg. for about a month so if you are hurtin’, you might wanna give him a shot. And if his power returns…score!

Outfield

Dexter Fowler- COL: Leadoff man for the Rox, that’s always a plus for Run and Stolen Base production. He has had a solid month and batted plus .300 this week.
Mike Stanton- FL: A rookie noted for his power. It’s been his avg. that has kept him on the waiver wire inmost leagues. Well this week he hit .292 with a couple more bombs for nine on the year. His numbers could really start to rise as he gets more comfortable. In keeper formats definitely take a closer look.
Matt Joyce- TB: I watch an absolute moonshot against the Yankees last night. This guy has serious power. Playing time has been the issue, but it’s been regular lately. He sports a career .500 slugging percentage in 350 plus at bats you know the power is legit.

Catcher

Yorvit Torrealba- SD: Was 6 for 11 this week, so still keeping avg. conscious owner happy.
Kurt Suzuki- OAK: A very capable player, who won’t deliver anything spectacular but is consistent.
Carlos Ruiz – PHI: Has been on an a tear this week 3Rs, 1HR, 7RBIs, 1SB and batting .400. Not likely to maintain these numbers but could keep them close.

Now let’s switch to pitching:

Starters

Bronson Arroyo- CIN: Just about 50% owned, Arroyo has returned solid dividends for owners over the last month. 4Ws, 19Ks, 3.02ERA, 0.89WHIP.
Vincente Padilla- LAD: Still available for the stretch run. He is very likely available in your league and has provided a line of 2 Ws, 27 Ks, 1.42 ERA and .85 WHIP in his last 31 innings.
WadeDavis- TB: Perhaps with prospect Jeremy Hellickson looming over his shoulder, Davis has delivered an admirable line. Over the last month he has 4 Ws, 18Ks, 3.03ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Closers

Joel Hanrahan- PIT: With the trade of Octavio Dotel, Hanrahan is more than likely to get the job.
Drew Storen - WAS: Another trade likely promotes this man. Considered for a long time to be the closer of the future, Matt Capps no longer stands in the way.
Chris Perez – CLE: And after another trade, Kerry Wood, another promotion. OK, Perez actually has done this job most of the year, but Wood was an obstacle.

Relievers

Sean Marshall- CHI: If his 2nd half is a good as his first his line would look something like 10-12 Ws, 120Ks, 1.80 ERA and1.00 WHIP. Pair him up with another quality reliever and you have a staff ace in the two.

Other mentionable relievers are Hong-Chih Kuo, Luke Gregerson, Johnny Venters and Scott Downs.