I wanted to think Nate Grimm for holding down the fort with Waiver Wired over the past couple of weeks while I was away on paternity leave. With a fresh look on the fantasy landscape (and a ton of coffee in my system), my brain is overflowing with potential pickups this week, which is always a bit of a double-edged situation. But the most important thing is that there are plenty of good options out there as you try to make a late-season push.
In the context of the regular season calendar, we’re basically in limbo right now. Next week’s trade deadline looms large and so far all we’re hearing is talk. That’s obviously going to change soon, with lots of fantasy fallout to be expected. It seems that closer situations could potentially be the most disrupted, but I’ll be here next week to break down whichever situations present new opportunities. In the meantime, be prepared to pounce.
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MIXED LEAGUES
(Players rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Note: Percentages are from the morning of Thursday, July 25th
Amed Rosario SS, Mets (Yahoo: 47 percent rostered)
The shortstop position is deep, but we have to mention how good Rosario has been lately. After going 1-for-4 with a double on Wednesday against the Padres, the 23-year-old is now hitting .352 with 13-extra base hits (including three homers) with 10 RBI, five steals, and 21 runs scored over his last 30 games. He’s done a great job cutting down on his strikeouts while also hitting the ball with more authority. In fact, he’s posted career-bests in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel percentage so far this season. His speed has been his best fantasy attribute to date, but he’d be more interesting in that area if he wasn’t hitting seventh on most days. Still, he’s a name on the rise.
Manuel Margot OF, Padres (Yahoo: 19 percent rostered)
Hey, remember when Margot was a name on the rise in fantasy circles? I sure do, as he was a favorite breakout pick for me last spring. That obviously didn’t work out as hoped, but Margot is starting to earn his way back into fantasy relevance. The 24-year-old is sporting a .344/.432/.625 batting line with six extra-base hits, seven runs scored, and three steals over his last eight games while hitting second in each of the last five. That’s obviously good news from a counting stats perspective. Speaking of counting stats, he’s a perfect 15-for-15 in stolen base attempts after entering 2019 with a 64-percent success rate. Finding speed is a challenge in today’s game, so keep him in mind depending on category need.
Alex Dickerson OF, Giants (Yahoo: 15 percent rostered)
Acquired from the Padres back in June, Dickerson has thrived during his brief time with the Giants, batting .405/.466/.823 with 18 extra-base hits (including six homers), 22 RBI, and 21 runs scored through 26 games. He’s quickly found a home in the middle of the Giants’ lineup. Dickerson has had all sorts of bad luck with injuries, but don’t forget that he put up 10 homers with a .788 OPS over 84 games with the Padres back in 2016. Finally back to full health, he’s hitting the ball very hard while ranking highly among all the fashionable batted ball metrics. Don’t expect anything against lefties, but there’s still plenty of room for value here.
Reynaldo Lopez SP, White Sox (Yahoo: 25 percent rostered)
Among qualified starters, only two pitchers have a higher ERA than Lopez (5.52) this season, but realize that he’s looking like a different pitcher right now. With an uptick in fastball velocity, the 25-year-old owns a 1.71 ERA and 25/4 K/BB ratio over his last three starts. While he took the loss Wednesday against the Marlins, he struck out 10 batters while allowing two runs in eight innings. Going slider-heavy, he picked up 21 swinging strikes while throwing 76 out of 97 pitches for strikes. We’ve been waiting a couple of years for the stuff to translate to strikeouts and it’s happening right now. With the Mets on tap next week, he’s a strong add.
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Kevin Gausman SP, Braves (Yahoo: 34 percent rostered)
How forgiving can fantasy owners be? That’s the big question with Gausman right now after he tossed seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and no walks in his return from the injured list last Sunday against the Nationals. Of course, Gausman struggled prior to that, with a 6.21 ERA over 13 starts before going down with plantar fasciitis in his right foot in early June. It’s fair if you don’t think one start changes the calculus, but Gausman claims to have made some mechanical changes in the minors and he was remarkably efficient in his return. With the state of pitching right now, he’s worth trying again. He gets a start against the Phillies this weekend on the road.
Andres Munoz RP, Padres (Yahoo: 12 percent rostered)
There’s a new fireballer in town. After putting up a 3.30 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings through 35 appearances between Double- and Triple-A this year, the 20-year-old has begun his major league career with 5 1/3 scoreless innings and a 6/2 K/BB ratio. He’s reaching 100 mph with regularity and has topped out as high as 102.9 mph. There’s always the chance the Padres get blown away by an offer for their closer Kirby Yates, so Munoz makes for interesting insurance there. He’s also proven that he can help even if he isn’t notching saves.
Jose Urquidy SP, Astros (Yahoo: 12 percent rostered)
Urquidy was blasted for five runs in 2 1/3 innings in a start against the Angels prior to the All-Star break, but consider him back in our good graces. The 24-year-old rookie allowed just one run — a Shin-Soo Choo homer — over seven innings with nine strikeouts and no walks in his most recent start against the Rangers. After putting up a 109/16 K/BB ratio over 81 2/3 innings in the minors this year, he’s walked just one batter with 17 strikeouts through his first 13 innings in the majors. I’m inclined to believe in him, as he’s throwing mid-90s with his fastball while inducing a bunch of whiffs on all of his secondary pitches. He should be started for now, even against the red-hot Cardinals on Friday. Just keep in mind that the Astros figure to do something with their rotation before next week’s trade deadline.
Robinson Cano 1B/2B, Mets (Yahoo: 43 percent rostered)
Cano finding his way into this column would have been unthinkable back in the spring, but he was understandably dropped in many fantasy leagues after struggling to the tune of a .240/.287/.360 batting line during the first half while also missing time due to injury. It has been a different story for him since the All-Star break, as he’s hit .310 (13-for-42) with five homers, including his first career three-homer game this week against the Padres. Keep in mind that Cano only hit four homers in 258 plate appearances during the entire first half. A few good games shouldn’t change things too much, but the track record is there and he continues to find himself in a prominent place in the Mets’ lineup. Second base hasn’t exactly been a lights-out position this year in fantasy, so why not?
Alex Wood SP/RP, Reds (Yahoo: 27 percent rostered)
Wood has been out all season due to back spasms, but he’s finally getting close to making his Reds debut. Acquired as part of a multi-player deal with the Dodgers last offseason, the southpaw owns a 3.18 ERA and 11/2 K/BB ratio through four minor league rehab appearances, including six innings of one-run ball in Double-A in his most recent start on Monday. He’s expected to make at least one more rehab start, but it could pay off to stash him in a DL spot. Wood is a proven fantasy contributor, with a 3.29 career ERA over 129 starts and 33 relief appearances.
