Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Dustin May, Jordan Montgomery get their shot; Oliver Drake's job to lose in TB?
Post-hype Kyle Tucker joins Dustin May and some promising arms for Fantasy speculators.
By
Chris Towers
•
1 min read
One thing we worry an awful lot about at the start of any given Fantasy baseball season — arguably too much — is who is in the lineup or rotation to start the season. Kyle Tucker's omission from the Opening Day lineup was met with much teeth gnashing by the Fantasy industry, but he's started three of the past four games now. And with Taylor Jones sent to the alternate site and Aledmys Diaz on the IL, the competition's gotten a lot thinner for Tucker these days.
Talent typically wins out, especially when that talent gets a foot in the door. To quote Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, "Life … uh … finds a way."
Which is all to say that, when Dustin May stepped into the rotation on Opening Day to replace an injury Clayton Kershaw, we should've known it wouldn't be the last we would see of him. While Kershaw seems likely to be back in the rotation for his next turn, May should get another opportunity to start, and given how impressive he was in his first appearance, that is enough to make him a must-add Fantasy option.
Here are three more pitchers about to get their chance in the rotation, along with a few other of the top waiver-wire options to consider based on Tuesday's news and action. And, remember what the doctor said.
Wednesday's Waiver Targets
There was some confusion when Montgomery didn't crack the Opening Day roster, but the plan was always to call him up before long. Originally, that was supposed start Wednesday, but with two postponed games, they won't need him until the weekend. Montgomery will start one of the games against the Red Sox, and with the boost in velocity he saw during summer camp, Montgomery looks more promising than ever. And, given that he had a 3.88 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning as a rookie, that's saying something.
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It's not locked in yet, but it sounds like Javier will get the first chance to take Justin Verlander's place in the rotation, Wednesday against the Dodgers. You probably won't want to rely on him in the outing — he may not be stretched out yet, and it's a tough matchup — but he might be worth adding as a flier in deeper leagues. Javier owns a career 2.22 ERA in the minors, including 1.74 mark with 170 strikeouts in 113.2 innings in 2018. Walks were an issue, but it's hard to ignore that kind of upside when it gets a chance.
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Ponce de Leon isn't quite as intriguing as the rest of this group, but there's quite a bit to like here. After all, he's got a 3.29 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 82 career major-league innings, with similarly impressive minor-league numbers. He'll slide into the rotation in Miles Mikolas' place against the Twins, and while you'll want to avoid using him in that matchup, Ponce de Leon could be a viable option beyond that.
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Remember when Nick Anderson was supposed to get the bulk of the Rays saves? And, if not Anderson, it would be Jose Alvarado or Diego Castillo, right? Nope, this seems to be Oliver Drake's job, as he has each of the team's first two saves. That's a bit disappointing since he was on nobody's radar coming into the season, but it's not the worst thing in the world — Drake did put up a 3.21 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 56 innings last season. He is perhaps not an elite closer like Anderson or Alvarado could be, but if it's his job, he'll be plenty valuable for Fantasy.
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Five games into the season, and Caratini has now started as many games as Willson Contreras. Don't worry, Contreras' job isn't at risk, it just means the Cubs may have two must-start Fantasy catchers. Caratini is going to serve as a semi-regular designated hitter while also acting as the backup catcher, and that's led to a .333/.385/.417 line in early going. He hit .266/.348/.447 with 11 homers in just 279 plate appearances last season, so there's clearly enough bat here. In a two-catcher league, he's a must-start player; in a one-catcher league, he might be too.
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