Waiver Wire Report (Final Report)

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.

Note: Remember, all these ranks are for the upcoming week, nothing more. Remember, if there is no chance in using the player, lose them.

Batters

Parker Meadows: Starts every game but hits ninth against lefties. Balances approach (8 HR, 9 SB, .242 AVG).

Trevor Story: In 80 PA since coming off the IL, he has 2 HR and 6 SB with a .722 OPS. I’m unsure about the power with his 85 avgEV and 26% HardHit%, both career lows.

Otto Lopez: Great source of speed (19 SB in 406 PA) with 6 HR (16 Barrels) and .263 AVG.

Pavin Smith: Remains on fire by hitting .417/.517/.750 over the past week. The increased production came from hitting the ball harder with all of his power metrics up.

José Tena: Solid everyday bat (3 HR, 6 SB, .284 AVG in 140 PA).

Andrew Benintendi: Hits third or fourth with an .837 OPS and 12 HR in the second half.

Luisangel Acuña and Jose Iglesias: Acuna is hitting great (2 HR, 1.087 OPS) and the same goes for Iglesias (.333/.379/.456 on the season). It’s tough to know how much each will play once Francisco Lindor comes off the IL. I like both if starting but it’s impossible to know how the playing time will be split up. Proceed with caution.

Tommy Pham: Leading off for the Royals while posting balanced numbers (9 Hr, 7 SB, .251 AVG).

Victor Robles: Obvious add if a team needs some steals. I’m unsure how he’ll hit this week since he’s dealing with a hand injury.

Nolan Schanuel: An accumulator (13 HR, 10 SB, .251 AVG) who could provide a stolen base from the first base position.

Jonathan Aranda: Might be a regular (who knows with Tampa) with nine starts in the last 10 games. He is on a heater by hitting .265/.327/.510 with 3 HR this month.

Mike Yastrzemski: Strong-side platoon bat is scheduled to face five righties next week. Provides power (17 HR) but nothing else (3 SB, .234 AVG).

Jared Triolo: While playing every game, he remains unproductive (8 HR, 8 SB, .218 AVG in 423 PA).

Nathan Lukes: Strong-side platoon bat with Toronto facing all righties next week. In 59 PA, he is hitting .333/.390/.471.

Nick Yorke: Since his debut, he started four times in five games, batting seventh or eighth, and playing three positions (2B, 3B, LF). In 15 PA, he has 5 singles and two stolen bases.

Miguel Rojas: Helps with batting average (.292 AVG) with 6 HR and 8 SB in 323 PA. A sore leg has cost him some time and depending on the postseason ramifications, I could see him sit a few games. Low rank based on him sitting in two of six games.

Luke Raley: Strong-side platoon bat but the Mariners face four lefties in the six games. Drop.

Catchers

Hunter Goodman: Playing (eight starts in last 10 games), hitting (.984 OPS over last two weeks), and six games in Colorado.

Gabriel Moreno: He’s back as Arizona’s regular catcher.

Keibert Ruiz: He’s living up to his potential by hitting .288/.328/.458 in September.

CBS Batter Rostership Rates
Name Previous Roster% Current Roster% Change
Keibert Ruiz C  WAS 39% 40% 1%
Nolan Schanuel 1B  LAA 38% 41% 3%
Gabriel Moreno C  ARI 34% 36% 2%
Victor Robles CF  SEA 33% 38% 5%
Parker Meadows CF  DET 32% 35% 3%
Trevor Story SS  BOS 27% 32% 5%
Luke Raley LF  SEA 20% 26% 6%
Tommy Pham RF  KC 20% 22% 2%
Luisangel Acuna SS  NYM 16% 24% 8%
Mike Yastrzemski RF  SF 15% 16% 1%
Andrew Benintendi LF  CHW 13% 15% 2%
Jose Tena 3B  WAS 12% 18% 6%
Jose Iglesias 2B  NYM 11% 14% 3%
Otto Lopez 2B  MIA 9% 17% 8%
Jared Triolo 3B  PIT 9% 10% 1%
Miguel Rojas SS  LAD 5% 6% 1%
Nick Yorke 2B  PIT 5% 6% 1%
Hunter Goodman RF  COL 4% 13% 9%
Jonathan Aranda 1B  TB 4% 6% 2%
Pavin Smith 1B  ARI 3% 9% 6%
Nathan Lukes LF  TOR 0% 1% 1%

Starters

Nick Martinez: Solid option who faces the Cubs on the road. As a starter, Martinez has a 4.11 ERA, 4.16 xFIP, 7.4 K/9, and 1.17 WHIP.

Brant Hurter: Hurter won the lottery and will face the White Sox next week. As a starter, Hurter has a 3.60 ERA (4.28 xFIP), 7.2 K/9, and 1.20 WHIP. Solid arm with an ideal matchup for …

Andre Pallante: He should get a weekend start at the Giants while being solid with a 3.87 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 1.35 WHIP, and 62% GB%. The WHIP, because of the high groundball rate, might be an issue for teams fighting for that roto category.

Landon Knack: Knack is a volume play, especially for Wins, with starts against versus the Padres and at the Rockies. He should provide at least 10K if he averages 5 IP per start. The issue is that over his last eight major league starts, he’s only thrown five or more innings three times.

Tylor Megill: Megill is in the middle of a two-start week and at Milwaukee next week. While not an ideal matchup, Megill has been serviceable this season (4.08 ERA, 3.98 xFIP, 1.26 WHIP, 10.1 K/9) and is fighting for a postseason rotation spot.

Yariel Rodríguez: Faces the Marlins at home for a nice matchup. He’s showing the talent level of a low-4.00’s ERA starter.

Casey Mize: Mize faces the Rays at home in a winnable matchup. A .328 BABIP has his 1.44 WHIP and 4.36 ERA above his estimators.

Mitch Spence: A blah matchup (vs TEX) for a blah starter (4.30 ERA, 4.04 xFIP, 7.5 K/9, 1.36 WHIP).

Martín Pérez: Perez’s demand is based on this Saturday’s White Sox start rather than his matchup against the Diamondbacks (vs Kelly) next week. Since joining the Padres, Perez has been around 4.00 ERA talent.

Grant Holmes: He gets a start this Sunday and possibly one next weekend against the Royals. As a starter, he has a 4.56 ERA (3.52 xFIP), 1.61 WHIP, and 9.8 K/9. I’d watch how long he goes on Sunday to see if he can accumulate strikeouts and qualify for a Win. In his start earlier this week, he only lasted 4 IP (78 pitches). His ranking could change five spots up or down depending on the Sunday start.

Hayden Birdsong: It seems like Birdsong is lined up for two starts next week (at ARI, vs STL). Birdsong is a strikeout play (10.2 K/9) while being a ratio killer (1.39 WHIP, 5.5 BB/9, 4.74 ERA, 4.46 xFIP). Start at your own risk.

Kumar Rocker: Rocker may become a great starter, but he is borderline useless this upcoming week against Oakland. He’s averaged just 3.5 IP (72.5 pitches) and an unrosterable 1.57 WHIP (7.7 BB/9). It’s just a slim Win chance and ratio destroyer. The hope is for 6 K and some other starter should provide that.

Joey Cantillo: Should start against the Reds next week. This month, the 24-year-old lefty has a 1.10 ERA (2.14 xFIP), 12.1 K/9, and 0.73 WHIP) but a 41% Ball% (equivalent to a 4.7 BB/9). Before this month, he struggled with his command (4.3 BB/9, 7.71 ERA). He hasn’t solved the walk issue and remains unrosterable. The blowup potential is too much for me.

Bailey Falter: A loaded two-step next week against the Brewers and Yankees. I’m not sure what his managers are hoping for. It’s not going to be Wins, Strikeouts, or good ratios. Seems like an add for managers trying to tank.

Jack Kochanowicz: For now, he has a two-step next week at the White Sox and versus Texas. A desperate play since Kochanowicz is the worst pitcher I’m profiling with his 3.5 K/9 and 4.56 ERA (4.71 xFIP). Even “everyone against the White Sox” might have a limit.

Landen Roupp: I’m not sure Roupp will get a start next week. Maybe against the Cardinals on the weekend. In 10 IP as a starter, he posted a 1.80 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 0.90 WHIP. I like his talent if starting but he can’t be of much help on the bench.

CBS Starter Rostership Rates
Name Previous Roster% Current Roster% Change
Kumar Rocker P  TEX 35% 42% 7%
Martin Perez SP  SD 32% 37% 5%
Hayden Birdsong SP  SF 29% 31% 2%
Nick Martinez RP  CIN 25% 30% 5%
Luke Weaver RP  NYY 23% 29% 6%
Andre Pallante SP  STL 23% 26% 3%
Tyler Holton RP  DET 18% 22% 4%
Casey Mize SP  DET 18% 19% 1%
Landon Knack SP  LAD 14% 19% 5%
Bailey Falter SP  PIT 14% 16% 2%
Yariel Rodriguez SP  TOR 14% 15% 1%
Brant Hurter P  DET 12% 16% 4%
Tylor Megill SP  NYM 11% 24% 13%
Mitch Spence SP  OAK 11% 14% 3%
Joey Cantillo SP  CLE 5% 9% 4%
Grant Holmes RP  ATL 5% 6% 1%
Jack Kochanowicz SP  LAA 3% 6% 3%
Landen Roupp RP  SF 1% 3% 2%

Relievers: Save-based ranks

Porter Hodge: Good reliever who is the closer.

Aroldis Chapman: Good reliever who is the closer.

Luke Weaver: Good reliever who is probably the closer.

Edwin Uceta: Good reliever who is part of a closer by committee.

José Quijada: Decent reliever who I believe is the closer but nobody knows.

Tyler Holton: Decent reliever who is the backup closer.

CBS Reliever Rostership Rates
Name Previous Roster% Current Roster% Change
Porter Hodge RP  CHC 37% 38% 1%
Aroldis Chapman RP  PIT 31% 33% 2%
Luke Weaver RP  NYY 23% 29% 6%
Tyler Holton RP  DET 18% 22% 4%
Edwin Uceta RP  TB 16% 17% 1%
Jose Quijada RP  LAA 0% 1% 1%





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.

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Ken ErdedyMember since 2016
2 months ago

Thanks for another season of the most valuable column in fantasy sports.