It is not necessarily the best time to be a Phillies fan, what with the no shot at the playoffs and Ryan Howard getting paid forever and whatnot. But there is some help on the horizon, at least if you ask ottoneu players.

Two of the top three most auctioned players right now are in the Philly system, with an Astro in between them. We’ll take a look at Cuban pitching prospect Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Double-A 3B Maikel Franco and presumptive Astro closer Jose Cisnero.

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Even the best fantasy teams deal with injuries at some point during the season. Identifying solid second half contributors can help smart owners whether the storm as fatigue takes its toll on key contributors. Alex Wood has seen his stock soar after a strong season in the minors, and has impressed in limited major-league action. Wily Peralta broke in with a solid rookie performance, but it’s taken some time for him to adjust during his sophomore season. Both could provide value over the second half.

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Let’s face it, even in leagues of 10 to 12 teams, the waiver wire is looking pretty bleak. Every once in a while you get to fight for some hit, young rookie like we all did for Christian Yelich the other day, but beyond that, it’s about fill-ins and stopgaps as opposed to long-term solutions. The middle infield is particularly ugly on this front so you have to dig deep. You still won’t find that perfect guy you’re looking for, but you might find someone who will stick for the duration of the season such as… Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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?

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