When it comes to Fantasy baseball waiver adds, there's a quote from The Big Lebowski that sums things up quite nicely: "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, the bear eats you."
On Thursday, those of you who snagged Dylan Bundy after his hot start ate the bear, as he gave you a 10-strikeout complete game win over the Mariners. It was the kind of start that very might singlehandedly win you your matchup this week, and the kind of start that brings visions of a championship to mind.
And then there's Tyler Chatwood, who got eaten by the metaphorical bear Thursday — ironically enough, given who he plays for. He got bombed by the Royals, who tagged him for eight runs on 11 hits, including a pair of home runs. All of a sudden, Chatwood's hot start has been erased, as he has a 5.40 ERA now.
We discussed Bundy, Chatwood and much more Friday on the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.
All of this is to say, waiver-wire adds are no sure thing, especially at pitcher. There has been no shortage of options to target in recent days, but here's a reminder that they won't always work out. Pitchers are always a dice roll, and there's a reason these guys are available on the wire to begin with.
So, with that in mind, we're going to focus on hitters to chase heading into the weekend. We've been awfully pitching-focused in this daily waiver-wire column, so let's try to find some bats who might be a bit easier to buy into.
The Fantasy community is skeptical of Solano's hot start, but maybe we need to reconsider. He's surely had some good luck on his side en route to his Ted Williams-esque batting line, but he's also made real gains as a hitter that showed up last season, even if nobody really paid attention. Solano hit .330 in 2019 and backed it up with a .324 xBA, and he's followed that up with a .325 xBA to start the 2020 season. You won't get too much in the way of power, but his contact-oriented approach and lineup spot, combined with eligibility at shortstop and second base (and he's one appearance away from adding third) makes him a worthwhile option in an era where batting averages are way down.
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Even with three steals now on the season after Thursday, Kiner-Falefa hasn't done enough to be a worthwhile starter anywhere but catcher, but he can be a cheat code at that position in a category-based format. He's an everyday player at the hot corner, and that gives you an edge few catchers can match. You might even be able to find a spot in your H2H lineup for him.
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If, like me, you invested heavily in Nick Madrigal to fill your second base spot, you've got a hole in your lineup. Let Hernandez fill it. He doesn't steal enough bases or hit for enough power to stand out the way we typically look for, but he's hitting over .300 at the top of the Indians lineup, which resulted in a three-run, three-RBI game Thursday. Hernandez gets on base and gets a ton of plate appearances, and he'll be worth starting as long as the latter remains true.
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It's looking a bit like 2018 all over again so far. Even smaller small-sample size concerns abound than with most players at this time of year, but Aguilar is hitting the ball well and avoiding strikeouts so far, and he's likely to remain at the No. 3 spot in the lineup. A subpar batting average doesn't give him enough credit, too, as Aguilar has a .286 xBA. He's looking like a potential impact bat again.
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Tejeda wasn't supposed to be anywhere close to the majors this season, but this season's strange circumstances have forced him into the lineup. His 2019 numbers won't wow you, but scouts have always loved the bat speed and there's a decent amount of speed here too. He's only supposed to fill in for Rougned Odor for a few days, but he went 2 for 4 with a homer and a steal, a sign of his upside. If he hits, it's not out of the question he could stick, especially since Odor has been a below-replacement-level player the past two seasons.
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In some ways, Ohtani's elbow injury clarifies his Fantasy value. Rather than trying to work in as a hitter around his pitching schedule, Ohtani should be in the lineup pretty much everyday — he appeared in 72 of the Angels' final 76 games in 2018 after suffering a torn UCL, starting 50. He hit 16 homers and stole nine bases in that stretch, and with the expectation that Ohtani probably won't pitch again in 2020, that could be the role he's in yet again. Ohtani is still rostered in 83% of CBS Fantasy leagues, but he's widely available at Yahoo and ESPN as a hitter, and shouldn't be on the wire in any leagues where you can use him as a hitter.
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