FAAB & Waiver Wire Report (Week 20)
In the article, I cover the players using CBS’s (about 40% or less initial roster rate) and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both hosting sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. The players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference grouped by starters, relievers, and hitters.
Notes: I’m moving my daughter to college his weekend so the rankings are out a day early with almost no notes. There is a chance I’ll update them Saturday night if I have a break after moving her in. Also, there are almost no new faces and the ones who are, I put notes with. This might be the most boring FAAB week of the season. That said, some of the closer situations (e.g. Arizona, KC, San Francisco) might come into focus with more games so check in on them.
Batters
Whit Merrifield: Decent source of steals as long as he keeps playing.
Jorge Polanco: Seems healthy with five straight starts.
Dylan Moore: Only facing right-handed pitcher and only three are on the schedule next week.
Santiago Espinal: Had started in six of seven games but now in just one of the last four.
Victor Scott II: Getting a good look in center field with four straight starts (2 vs LHP, 2 vs RHP).
Zach Dezenzo: Two consecutive starts with Houston at DH then first base. Across three minor league levels, he hit .306/.386/.517 with 6 HR and 5 SB in 166 PA. His Steamer600 comps are respectable if getting full-time at-bats.
Tommy Pham: No fantasy value since he’s now starting half the time.
Parker Meadows: Has started in four out of five games since coming off the IL. He might have cut his strikeout rate from 38% before getting to demoted to 20% since then.
Hitting Prospects
Christian Moore:Just drafted and already in AA
Travis Bazzana: Just drafted and playing in High-A
Charlie Condon: Just drafted and playing in High-A
JJ Wetherholt: Just drafted and playing in A-Ball
Catchers
Joey Bart: Solid catcher with Pittsburgh by hitting .270/.354/.504 with 9 HR in 161 PA
| Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| J.J. Bleday CF OAK | $40 | $42 | $2 |
| Michael Conforto LF SF | $39 | $42 | $3 |
| Austin Wells C NYY | $35 | $41 | $6 |
| Jorge Polanco 2B SEA | $31 | $34 | $3 |
| Gavin Lux 2B LAD | $26 | $31 | $5 |
| Dylan Moore SS SEA | $25 | $28 | $3 |
| Tommy Pham LF STL | $24 | $36 | $12 |
| Victor Robles RF SEA | $23 | $32 | $9 |
| Brendan Rodgers 2B COL | $23 | $27 | $4 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong CF CHC | $22 | $24 | $2 |
| Orlando Arcia SS ATL | $18 | $22 | $4 |
| Jake McCarthy RF ARI | $17 | $22 | $5 |
| Matt Wallner LF MIN | $15 | $20 | $5 |
| Parker Meadows CF DET | $14 | $18 | $4 |
| Whit Merrifield 2B ATL | $12 | $13 | $1 |
| Miguel Vargas 3B CHW | $11 | $13 | $2 |
| Hunter Renfroe RF KC | $10 | $15 | $5 |
| Victor Scott II CF STL | $9 | $11 | $2 |
| Freddy Fermin C KC | $8 | $13 | $5 |
| Geraldo Perdomo SS ARI | $8 | $13 | $5 |
| Ernie Clement 3B TOR | $6 | $18 | $12 |
| Charlie Condon RF COL | $5 | $7 | $2 |
| Joey Bart C PIT | $4 | $11 | $7 |
| Travis Bazzana 2B CLE | $4 | $6 | $2 |
| Zach Dezenzo 1B HOU | $2 | $10 | $8 |
| Adrian Del Castillo C ARI | $2 | $5 | $3 |
| Santiago Espinal 3B CIN | $2 | $4 | $2 |
| Alex Call RF WAS | $1 | $4 | $3 |
| JJ Wetherholt SS STL | $1 | $3 | $2 |
| Christian Moore 2B LAA | $1 | $3 | $2 |
| Jonah Bride 3B MIA | $0 | $3 | $3 |
Starting Pitchers
Paul Blackburn: Ranking based on the upcoming week with games against Miami and Oakland.
Martin Perez: Pitch mix change with San Diego has his value up.
Davis Daniel: While he has a 6.04 ERA, all his ERA estimators are at or under 4.00. Of the 214 starters with at least 20 IP, his 17.4% K%-BB% ranks 49th.
Drew Rasmussen: Don’t pay up for him because he’s likely headed to the bullpen.
Louie Varland: Recalled from AAA to make a start. In the majors and in AAA, he’s dealt with the combination of too many home runs and walks.
Middle Reliever Tier: I’m not interested in rostering any of the following starters.
Keider Montero: Home runs (2.2 HR/9, 5.59 FIP) has his results not looking up (5.62 ERA) but his 4.12 xFIP points to some regression.
Starting Pitcher Prospects
Chase Burns: Just draft, irrelevant for 2024.
| Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP Sears SP OAK | $34 | $57 | $23 |
| Ryne Nelson SP ARI | $26 | $32 | $6 |
| Spencer Arrighetti SP HOU | $25 | $34 | $9 |
| Paul Blackburn SP NYM | $24 | $47 | $23 |
| Edward Cabrera SP MIA | $22 | $27 | $5 |
| Taijuan Walker SP PHI | $22 | $23 | $1 |
| Trevor Rogers SP BAL | $21 | $25 | $4 |
| Alex Cobb SP CLE | $18 | $24 | $6 |
| Tyler Mahle SP TEX | $15 | $31 | $16 |
| Martin Perez SP SD | $14 | $20 | $6 |
| Davidjohn Herz SP WAS | $14 | $18 | $4 |
| Bailey Falter SP PIT | $14 | $17 | $3 |
| Kyle Freeland SP COL | $11 | $14 | $3 |
| David Festa SP MIN | $10 | $28 | $18 |
| Drew Rasmussen RP TB | $10 | $11 | $1 |
| Joey Estes SP OAK | $9 | $13 | $4 |
| Jonathan Cannon SP CHW | $9 | $11 | $2 |
| Brandon Sproat SP NYM | $8 | $11 | $3 |
| Grant Holmes RP ATL | $5 | $6 | $1 |
| Keider Montero SP DET | $4 | $7 | $3 |
| Tyler Holton RP DET | $4 | $6 | $2 |
| Carson Fulmer RP LAA | $4 | $5 | $1 |
| Louie Varland SP MIN | $4 | $5 | $1 |
| Nick Martinez RP CIN | $3 | $8 | $5 |
| Davis Daniel SP LAA | $3 | $5 | $2 |
| Bowden Francis RP TOR | $2 | $4 | $2 |
| Chase Burns SP CIN | $2 | $4 | $2 |
Relievers: Saves-based ranks
Someone in San Francisco: The news broke of Camilo Doval getting demoted to AAA as I was about to publish. Figure out that arm and you have a closer.
| Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP Sears SP OAK | $34 | $57 | $23 |
| Ryne Nelson SP ARI | $26 | $32 | $6 |
| Spencer Arrighetti SP HOU | $25 | $34 | $9 |
| Paul Blackburn SP NYM | $24 | $47 | $23 |
| Edward Cabrera SP MIA | $22 | $27 | $5 |
| Taijuan Walker SP PHI | $22 | $23 | $1 |
| Trevor Rogers SP BAL | $21 | $25 | $4 |
| Alex Cobb SP CLE | $18 | $24 | $6 |
| Tyler Mahle SP TEX | $15 | $31 | $16 |
| Martin Perez SP SD | $14 | $20 | $6 |
| Davidjohn Herz SP WAS | $14 | $18 | $4 |
| Bailey Falter SP PIT | $14 | $17 | $3 |
| Kyle Freeland SP COL | $11 | $14 | $3 |
| David Festa SP MIN | $10 | $28 | $18 |
| Drew Rasmussen RP TB | $10 | $11 | $1 |
| Joey Estes SP OAK | $9 | $13 | $4 |
| Jonathan Cannon SP CHW | $9 | $11 | $2 |
| Brandon Sproat SP NYM | $8 | $11 | $3 |
| Grant Holmes RP ATL | $5 | $6 | $1 |
| Keider Montero SP DET | $4 | $7 | $3 |
| Tyler Holton RP DET | $4 | $6 | $2 |
| Carson Fulmer RP LAA | $4 | $5 | $1 |
| Louie Varland SP MIN | $4 | $5 | $1 |
| Nick Martinez RP CIN | $3 | $8 | $5 |
| Davis Daniel SP LAA | $3 | $5 | $2 |
| Bowden Francis RP TOR | $2 | $4 | $2 |
| Chase Burns SP CIN | $2 | $4 | $2 |
Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.
Congrats to you and your family. And good luck!