Howdy once again, Razzballers! We are now a quarter of the way into the season and beginning to make final determinations on what our fantasy teams will yield. Now, I’m guessing that your roto leagues are tight just like mine. In practically every league, a few runs, RBI, and wins can still wildly swing the standings.
We’re all dealing with a continued deluge of injuries as Trea Turner, Willson Contreras, and Wyatt Langford departed for the great beyond of the MLB IL. However, even if you look at your current waiver wire options and wretch, this is the time to ensure you are placing a usable player in every starting spot. Don’t wind up like me in TGFBI this week, where I’m taking a straight zero at second base because Luis Rengifo went viral, but in the historical pre-internet definition.
Here are plenty of options to fill those holes on your fantasy team, stretching from starters on second division teams to one week streams.
Hang in there, fam, the fantasy season is only getting started.
The stats and ownership percentages below are updated as of noon central time on 5/10.
As always, if you want advice on specific roster decisions you might have, feel free to leave a comment. You can also find me on twitter (X) (@mcouill7) and bluesky (@mcouill7.bsky.social).
CATCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Connor Wong (BOS, 41% CBS Ownership) – I know what you are thinking, “This joker keeps suggesting to pick up Wong, who only has played twice in the last seven days?” But alas, my friend, the Red Sox only had five games scheduled this week with Wong going 3-for-8 in those two starts. Boston gets seven games this upcoming week including four in Fenway, where Wong is a career .277/.337/.458 hitter. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Elias Diaz (COL, 48% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Bo Naylor (CLE, 44% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mitch Garver (SEA, 40% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Shea Langeliers (OAK, 39% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Danny Jansen (TOR, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Ivan Herrera (STL, 19% CBS Ownership) – The catcher pool drained rapidly this week as Willson Contreras and Patrick Bailey departed from our fantasy coil. Herrera has shown his ability to hit the ball hard so far, with a 12.7% barrel-rate over a short sample, and will get plenty of at-bats while Contreras is shelved. In terms of new playing time volume and overall ability, Herrera is going to be the most intriguing option that is available on deeper league waiver wires. If you lost Contreras or Bailey in a deeper league, be aggressive here because the Quick Hit options are all rough. (5-7% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Jake Rogers (DET, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Tyler Soderstrom (OAK, 9% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Ben Rortvedt (TBR, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Miguel Amaya (CHC, 4% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
INFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Whit Merrifield (2B/OF, PHI, 22% CBS Ownership) – Merrifield was wildly over-drafted by his Whit Truthers throughout draft season, getting picked in the 260’s, when teams were still rounding out their lineups and rotations. The hope was that 35-year-old coming off a 93 wRC+ season would find his way into a solid Phillies lineup and provide some much needed speed. Well, that day has now come as Merrifield should get something akin to full playing time thanks to Trea Turner’s lame hammy. Let’s be honest here first, the bat is weak, he’s never produced a hard-hit rate over 34.4%, but with great playing time comes great steals. Whit has already swiped four bags in 64 plate appearances, which paces out to mid-30’s over a full season. Sprinkle in some Philly offense magic for the runs and RBI, and we have a player that should be useful in all fantasy leagues with his second base and outfield eligibilities until Turner returns. PS – The Phillies play the Mets, possibly the weakest team at stopping steals, four times next week. It could be a significant speed week for Merrifield. (5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Ceddanne Rafaela (2B/SS/OF, BOS, 49% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Vaughn Grissom (SS, BOS, 44% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Orlando Arcia (SS, ATL, 38% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ty France (1B, SEA, 38% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Masyn Winn (SS, STL, 30% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brett Baty (3B, NYM, 33% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Josh Rojas (2B/3B, SEA, 27% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Wenceel Perez (2B/OF, DET, 25% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Zach Neto (SS, LAA, 23% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Abraham Toro (2B/3B, OAK, 19% CBS Ownership) – I’m upgrading Toro from his Only League suggestion last week as he’s simply continued to hit and play for the A’s. This is the perfect player to provide those much needed at-bats for some production I alluded to in the intro. Sure, the barrel rates and max exit velos for Toro have always been below average, but he’s in the 86th percentile for Sweet-Spot% and look at that spray chart! Both indicate a solid switch-hitter that simply knows how to hit. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Tyler Freeman (3B/MI/OF, CLE, 19% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Gavin Lux (2B, LAD, 16% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Brayan Rocchio (SS, CLE, 14% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Joey Ortiz (2B/3B, MIL, 11% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jon Singleton (1B, HOU, 11% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jace Jung (2B, DET, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Trey Lipscomb (3B, WSN, 8% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Vidal Brujan (2B/3B/SS, MIA, 8% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Ezequiel Duran (1B/3B/SS/OF, TEX, 6% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Gio Urshela (1B/3B, DET, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Dylan Moore (2B/SS/OF, SEA, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Edmundo Sosa (3B/SS, PHI, 2% CBS Ownership) – Here’s the other beneficiary of Trea Turner’s injured hammy, as Sosa has garnered four starts over the past week thanks mostly due to his defensive chops at short. However, he’s got a bit of Javy Baez in him at the plate as he swings hard (114.6-mph career max EV), but manages much more contact than Baez, allowing him to hit .253 for his career. The full package should equate to a middle infield option that hits about .250 with 10 homers and steals apiece over a full season while starting 75% of the time in a top five offense. That’s going to be extremely useful in NL-only leagues while Turner is shelved on the IL. (3-5% FAAB)
Niko Kavadas (1B, BOS, 1% CBS Ownership) – There is a curse that lingers over the first base position in Boston as a grody trio of Dominic Smith, Garrett Cooper, and Romy Gonzalez is cycling through the spot in the wake of Trison Casas’ injury. That’s caused the bottom of the lineup after Rafael Devers to look like a land of land of misfit toys (outside of our hero, Connor Wong, obviously) that can be mixed, matched and DFA-ed at any moment. Kavadas has a profile that is like shrinking Joey Gallo into a 6’1” frame, as he sports a 18.2% BB-rate (yay!) and 29.1% K-rate (blech!) with seven homers in Triple-A. Given that Smith is slashing .200/.238/.250 (34 wRC+) while swinging his same limp noodle over 21 plate appearances, it feels like only a matter of time before he gets cut, allowing Kavadas to assume that strong-side platoon role at first. (1-3% FAAB)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL, 42% CBS Ownership) – Although the outfield options on our wires are getting brutally thin, sometimes the stars align to give us a nice stream for a week. O’Hearn is still tearing the cover off the ball every time he makes contact, resulting in a .291/.371/.544 slash. The Orioles have a week of six home games in a warming ballpark that is advantageous to lefties like O’Hearn. They also are slated to face five righties, so this could be a big week for Ry Guy, making him the perfect candidate for a one-week stint (and maybe much, much more) in your fantasy lineup. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Jacob Young (WSN, 50% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Chas McCormick (HOU, 50% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jesse Winker (WSN, 47% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Brenton Doyle (COL, 46% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Lars Nootbaar (STL, 42% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jake Fraley (CIN, 41% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jarred Kelenic (ATL, 37% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Joc Pederson (ARI, 25% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jonny DeLuca (TBR, 25% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Tommy Pham (CHW, 19% CBS Ownership) – I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that the White Sox have won four of their last six and have looked more competent since Pham joined the team April 26. His ownership rates are slowly creeping up, but certainly haven’t risen to the level of a player slashing .313/.340/.500 with two homers in his first 12 games. Plus, he’s hitting leadoff every time he plays, which is a boon for much needed runs. I still think Pham matters in all leagues right now considering his role and talent level. (5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Harrison Bader (NYM, 17% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Leody Taveras (TEX, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), LaMonte Wade (1B/OF, SFG, 16% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Richie Palacios (TBR, 14% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Trevor Larnach (MIN, 10% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jake McCarthy (ARI, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mickey Moniak (LAA, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luke Raley (1B/OF, SEA, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Victor Mesa Jr. (MIA, 1% CBS Ownership) – With the trade of Luis Arraez to the Padres this week, the Marlins became the first team to wave the white flag. It wouldn’t be surprising to see some of the semi-veteran but mightily disappointing other bats like Jazz Chisholm, Jesus Sanchez, and Nick Gordon also thrown away in Peter Bendix’s owner-mandated housecleaning. Mesa, who signed with the Fish in 2018 and is now 22, is hitting .296/.364/.519 over his first 121 plate appearances in Triple-A with six homers. In previous minor league seasons, he stole double-digit bags and has two so far. Mesa has the potential to be something akin to a 15 homer/20 steal bat with a .240 average over a full season. He makes a great stash in a deep or NL-only league as he’s on the 40-man roster and should get a look over the summer. (1% FAAB)
Andy Ibanez (2B/OF, DET, 3% CBS Ownership) – Ibanez has swung a hot stick this past week as the 35th best bat in our Last 7 Days rater, producing $19 of value in a standard 12-team league. Part of what is driving the 31-year-old’s production is what I consider a fringy old man plate approach in which he’s going for broke, producing a career-high 48.3% Hard-Hit-rate but also a career-high 26.8% K-rate. However, that’s an acceptable trade-off. With the Tigs battling in the AL Central and Wild Card while getting poor power production from Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, and Javier Baez, they may want to continue playing Ibanez to keep some thump in the lineup. The playing time could get a bit crowded in Detroit as Gio Urshela is set to return from the IL this week, but Tork and Keith look bound for Triple-A, which can keep Ibanez out there producing. Maybe don’t expect double-digit value in a 12-team league though. (3% FAAB)
STARTING PITCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Colin Rea (MIL, 36% CBS Ownership) – Rea has been riding a five-pitch mix to outpace his peripherals all season, now sporting a 3.29 ERA versus a 4.57 FIP. It’s a pretty classic old-man-going-to-the-Brewers story arc, as Rea is working the zone, limiting pitches, and relying on a solid defense that has produced a top ten rate of converting batted balls into outs. I’ll admit, it’s not terribly spectacular overall, but Rea has a wonderful two-start week lined up with the Pirates at home and the Astros on the road. Most of the two-start options on the wire are asking to annihilate your ratios, which Rea hopefully won’t do. If you are looking to hang in roto categories or pass others, the best path to that on the pitching side is two-start weeks, which is why they are so valuable in our weekly Streamonator. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Cole Irvin (BAL, 48% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Shane Baz (TBR, 47% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Patrick Sandoval (LAA, 40% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Mitchell Parker (WSN, 36% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Bryce Elder (ATL, 33% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Trevor Williams (WSN, 32% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN, 30% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Ben Lively (CLE, 25% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Griffin Canning (LAA, 25% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Robert Gasser (MIL, 12% CBS Ownership) – Let me preface this by stating I’m a huge Gasser fan, and I’m absolutely allowing that to cloud my analysis here. This is exactly the type of high-strikeout arm that our fantasy player pool and the Brewers have been craving. I put a lot of faith in the Milwaukee pitching pipeline (as noted above with Rea), and Gasser should immediately yield returns with a mid-90’s fastball and wicked slider from his left-handed low slot. It’s also great to see that he tossed 135.1 innings in Triple-A last year, so he shouldn’t struggle with shutdown issues later in the season if he sticks in the big leagues. (5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Ryan Weathers (MIA, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jake Irvin (WSN, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Bryse Wilson (MIL, 14% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Slade Cecconi (ARI, 13% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Cade Povich (BAL, 13% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Matt Waldron (SDP, 10% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Cooper Criswell (BOS, 10% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Randy Vazquez (SDP, 4% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Sem Robberse (STL, 3% CBS Ownership) – I know this is a repeat from last week, but there were rumblings that Robberse would get a start when Steven Matz hit the IL. Instead, the Cardinals continue to push the Matthew-Liberatore-as-a-starter narrative, which seems unnecessary given his comfort in the ‘pen combined with Robberse’s lack of needing to prove anything further in Triple-A. Look, I get his start on May 8 was bad (six earned with four homers in six innings), but it was against Norfolk, a team that I think even Zach Wheeler would struggle against right now. (1-3% FAAB)
Nick Nastrini (CHW, 5% CBS Ownership) – At this point, Nastrini has little left to prove in Triple-A. In his last two starts with Charlotte, he’s absolutely shoved, firing 12.2 innings with a 12:2 K:BB ratio while allowing only two runs, both via solo shots. Mike Clevinger has no business being in a major league rotation for multiple reasons, and let’s hope Chris Getz wakes up to realize Nastrini needs to be in the majors over Clevinger. I highly doubt he will, but hey, we can all dream. (3% FAAB)
RELIEVERS
10/12 Team Adds
Trevor Megill (MIL, 32% CBS Ownership) – Megill collected another save and looks to be on his way to a monster reliever season. His arsenal, with a 99-mph fastball and nasty curve, reminds me a lot of a prime David Bednar. Although he’ll continue to lose a save here and there to Joey Payamps, Megill warrants ownership in every league at this point. (7% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Reed Garrett (NYM, 42% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Kevin Ginkel (ARI, 36% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Yennier Cano (BAL, 36% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), A.J. Minter (ATL, 35% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Joel Payamps (MIL, 35% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Michael Kopech (CHW, 32% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB), Griffin Jax (MIN, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Alex Lange (DET, 28% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Jeff Hoffman (PHI, 21% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB),
15 Team Adds
Caleb Thielbar (MIN, 1% CBS Ownership) – It’s become obvious the sausage-loving Rocco Baldelli is going to use Jhoan Duran as a high-leverage reliever when necessary as the Twins scrap for a playoff spot. Thanks to Baldelli’s approach, Thielbar recently collected his third save of the season and should continue popping saves here and there when it makes sense to use the lefty in the ninth. Yes, his current 6.48 ERA is unsightly, but he’s fired a 1.69 ERA over his last seven appearances after a rough start to his season. (3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Justin Lawrence (COL, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mark Leiter Jr. (CHC, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Lucas Erceg (OAK, 8% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Garrett Cleavinger (TBR, 8% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Danny Coulombe (BAL, 6% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Fernando Cruz (CIN, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ryne Stanek (SEA, 4% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Andrew Nardi (MIA, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
