Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Nate Pearson, Austin Riley highlight can't-miss pickups for start of the season
The waiver wire is especially robust right now, giving Scott White plenty of names for our first round of pickups.
By
Scott White
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1 min read
Fantasy Baseball may be back in full force, but certain aspects of it are still a little weird right now. For example, some of the players who I've come to consider mainstays are still widely unrostered.
Is it because I'm unusually high on them? Could it be that the average league size is smaller than I've been led to believe? Or is it possible that the data is still wonky because of all the leagues that were started and abruptly halted in mid-March?
These questions will be sorted out in due time, but in the meantime, I'm still tasked with dispensing actionable waiver wire advice. I can't skip over widely available players because I presume they're not actually available.
So I have two lists of possible pickups for you here: Those who need to be added immediately, everywhere, in some cases because I can't believe they're still so widely available, and those who would be nice to add if there's room.
It's 17 players in all, so plenty of claims for you to put in.
If these players are still available in your league, what are you even doing?
Pick up everywhere, immediately
I have yet to take part in a draft where J.D. Davis wasn't selected, which makes me highly skeptical of his availability, but in a full-time role, he's a must after hitting .307 with an .895 OPS as a part-timer last year.
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The biggest riser from March now that he's back healthy again, Rich Hill may turn out to be more impactful than ever since he'll need to hold up for only two months instead of the usual six. He has a 3.30 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 over the past three years.
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When David Price opted out, a rotation spot opened up for Ross Stripling, who the Dodgers seem committed to using as a full-fledged starter finally after using him in more of a swingman role the past two years. He had a 3.22 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 in that role.
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Now that the Astros have officially named Josh James their No. 4 starter, we can get hyped for his 14.7 K/9 as a reliever last year and his 3.23 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 13.5 K/9 as a minor-league starter in 2018.
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Corbin Burnes so impressed with his 98 mph fastball and power slider in spring training and summer camp that he went from being a fringe rotation candidate to the Brewers No. 2 starter, behind only Brandon Woodruff.
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Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet is already reporting that the Blue Jays plan to call up the elite pitching prospect about a week into the season. Nate Pearson was mowing down big-leaguers with ease back in spring training before stumbling late in summer camp.
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In leagues that don't place much value in saves, maybe you can let this one go, but Mark Melancon is positioned to pile them up for an excellent Braves team, especially since his primary competition for the role, Will Smith, is currently sidelined by COVID-19.
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Would be nice to add if there's room
The surprise pick for the Cardinals closer role might just be keeping the seat warm for Giovanny Gallegos, who reported late. Then again, he struck out the side to close out summer camp Wednesday and may yet prove to have staying power.
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Austin Riley fell out of favor in Fantasy after scuffling as a rookie, but he has a 70-grade power bat, which he showed with nine home runs in his first 18 major-league games. He also homered twice in the Braves' final summer camp game Wednesday, apparently securing the starting third base job in the process.
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Zack Britton has ample closing experience and will be handling the role for the foreseeable future with Aroldis Chapman still sidelined by COVID-19. It may be just a week, but it may be a month or longer. No one can say when Chapman will turn up two positive tests.
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After losing two years to multiple leg surgeries, Yoenis Cespedes showed his familiar power stroke in summer camp, apparently securing the DH job in the process. It's an established middle-of-the-order bat that's free for the taking right now.
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The shutdown gave the Yankees' preferred center fielder enough time to recovery from Tommy John surgery, and they're planning on batting him fifth in a lineup full of studs. His high walk rate makes him especially attractive in points and OBP leagues.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa learned to incorporate his lower body in his swing this offseason and put on quite the power display in spring trianing and summer camp, unexpectedly winning the third base job in the process. It should give him a playing time advantage over other catcher-eligible players.
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Howie Kendrick's .966 OPS last year was second only to Ketel Marte among second base-eligible players, but the Nationals were reluctant to play him every day until the playoffs, where he thrived. The new DH spot is perfect for keeping his 37-year-old body rested while allowing the Nationals to get the most out of his bat.
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Griffin Canning was looking like a lost cause back in March, when he was sidelined for an indefinite period of time with a mysterious UCL injury, but he has come back looking as good as new in July, renewing enthusiasm for a swinging-strike rate that was on the level of Jack Flaherty's last year.
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Equipped with a dominant splitter that helped him deliver a 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in five starts before getting hurt last year, Matt Shoemaker excelled in camp and will be asked to go as deep as his body lets him. We still don't know exactly what the ceiling is for the 33-year-old since he's so often been hurt in the years since perfecting his splitter.
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Though armed with a top-shelf fastball, Vince Velasquez's breaking ball alone hasn't been enough to keep hitters honest, seemingly condemning him to a bullpen role. But a new cutter has shown great promise in camp, possibly unlocking the full potential of his arsenal, and he now has a rotation spot because of it.
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