As we close in on the Major League trade deadline, non-contending teams are making moves to open up spots for their prospects. This is a blessing for deep league owners as finally there are more choices available to pick up besides fifth outfielders and the last man in the bullpen. Both the Astros and Cubs are looking toward the future and have recently introduced us to some new faces.
There’s still plenty of talent on the waiver wire at the halfway point. But in order to find it, owners have to be willing to take some chances. A common strategy for acquiring talent a few months into the year is targeting talented players who have faltered early in the year. In the case of Wilson Ramos, two injuries limited his playing time, making him available in most leagues. For Lonnie Chisenhall, a terrible start snowballed into something bigger, leading to a trip to the minors. Both players have returned to the majors, and are showing some signs of life. There’s still hope for both players to have some value during the second half.
Tyler Skaggs and Randall Delgado have arrived. Given their status as prospects, both pitchers should have already drawn some interest in most fantasy leagues. At the same time, owners have probably been hesitant to pick up two pitchers who could be pushed from the rotation once injured players are ready to return. But given the team’s struggles in the rotation, they currently rank 19th in FIP, it would be hard to remove either player from the rotation. Manager Kirk Gibson has already admitted that Brandon McCarthy and Trevor Cahill would not be in the rotation immediately following the All-Star break, though they could return shortly after. As long as Skaggs and Delgado are given more opportunities, they should draw interest in most leagues.
In a time where names like Stephen Strasburg, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Gerrit Cole are dominating the headlines, rookie hype is making it awfully difficult for fantasy owners to acquire the services of several youngsters who are supposed to be leading us into a new generation of MLB superstars. But occasionally we get lucky and some diamonds-in-the-rough pass through without too much fanfare and linger on your waiver wire until they break out with a big game that lands them on an ESPN or MLB Network highlight reel. Darin Ruf and Sonny Gray may be well-known to the hardcore fantasy players, but without someone standing on a soapbox with a bullhorn, screaming “Pick this guy up now,” both seem to have slipped through the cracks in many leagues. Read the rest of this entry »
As long as you don’t own the player heading to the disable list, injuries could be a good thing. They open up opportunities for others and provide the chance for increased playing time. That is the theme of today’s deep league waiver wire. Even better, both these men have dual eligibility at both first base and outfield. Jackpot!
Excitement! Intrigue! Royalty! It’s a an all Royals edition of the deep league waiver wire which I am positive is the best thing you learned all day. A bad offense creates opportunities and has opened up playing time for two interesting names.
There’s potential for a wide range of outcomes when an owner picks up a prospect. Recent breakout performances from Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Matt Harvey have caused fantasy owners to take notice whenever a top prospect gets a shot. But few prospects get off to blazing starts, and owners are more likely stuck with a guy like Kevin Gausman, who still has loads of potential, but struggled in his first taste of the majors. The Nationals boast one prospect who got started slowly, but has racketed things up a notch lately, and another non-prospect who is expected to make his major-league debut soon. Both Anthony Rendon and Taylor Jordan could end up playing a role on fantasy teams this season, but are they worth a pickup right now?
With the news that Jose Reyes is being activated from the disabled list here on Wednesday, there’s a fairly good chance that whoever owns him in your league might have a shortstop to send back to the player pool. Of course, if your Reyes owner is like me and landed Jean Segura early on, then chances are, you won’t be seeing the extra help on your waiver wire. If that’s the case, then perhaps there’s someone else out there whom you haven’t investigated just yet, so here are a couple of suggestions. Read the rest of this entry »
Desperate for pitching in your deep league? Of course you are! So that means that this is your lucky day as I feed you a spoonful of starting pitcher options for your consideration.
When Eric Young joins the Mets in Atlanta on Wednesday, a lot more is going to change than just his address and uniform. His playing time, the Mets leadoff situation and, of course, his fantasy ownership percentages are all due for an increase thanks to the trade that sent minor league pitcher Collin McHugh west to Colorado in exchange for the speedy outfielder. Perhaps because he is not a marquee name and all Mets eyes were glued to Zack Wheeler’s debut, the deal fell somewhat under the radar, so if you’re in need of a quick burst of speed and he’s available in your league, then a waiver claim is definitely recommended. Read the rest of this entry »
