Welcome to Pickup of the Day, where every weekday we’ll pick an under-the-radar player whose immediate value is on the rise. The idea here is to identify a starter who can give you some solid innings off the scrap heap, a talented backup who’s been given a chance because of a starter’s injury, an unheralded regular with a favorable matchup, or a potential breakout player who’s starting to put it together. Unlike regular waiver-wire advice, Pickup of the Day is geared more towards interim success, but hopefully we’ll have the intuition to help you snag a waiver-wire gem a few times this season.
At this point of the season, many fantasy titles have already been wrapped up. In leagues that use roto scoring however, every point matters and there are still owners trying to scratch and claw their way to victory over the final two days of the season. Enter: Michael Bourn. While he isn’t guaranteed to be in the lineup for both games, you’re buying Bourn specifially to net a stolen base or two over the final two days. Even on days that he isn’t starting, he will surely appear as a pinch runner as the Orioles are doing everything in their power to secure a wild card berth in the American League. He’s available everywhere (owned in only 1% of Yahoo leagues) and has already swiped two bags (while hitting .364) the past week. If stolen bases are a battleground that you need to improve over the final two days, Bourn makes for a very worthwhile addition.
