Waiver Wire Week 21: Sleepy Joe

It’s hard to believe, but this season is winding down. Some people are already in their fantasy playoffs, but I know most managers will be entering them sometime over the next few weeks. The season is long, but it always seems to fly by when we get to this point. It’s one of the best times to scrounge waiver wires because there are surely a few teams that have given up in each league. Your FAAB numbers might be low, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go after attractive waiver wire options. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the options for this week.

The stats and roster rates below are updated on 8/13. All rostership percentages are on Yahoo.

Feel free to comment here or reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel if you have any questions!

Also, check out my Streamers article dropping tomorrow. 

CATCHERS

10/12 Team Adds

Ryan Jeffers (MIN, 47% Rostership) – I feel like we’ve just been trading off Jeffers and Sam Basallo in this section all season. The Jeffers one is truly baffling because he’s been one of the best catchers in baseball. He’s been hitting second or third for the Twins nearly every day while providing a .391 OBP and .886 OPS. To put that in perspective, Shohei Ohtani has a .391 OBP and .935 OPS this year. A guy like that shouldn’t be sitting on the waiver wire, especially at the catcher position.

% of Recommended FAAB: 1-3%

QUICK HITS: Sam Basallo (BAL, 36% Rostership), Agustin Ramirez (MIA, 30% Rostership)

Deep League Adds

Tyler Stephenson (CIN, 12% Rostership) – Stephenson was a must-roster catcher early in his career, but that’s not the case anymore. In any case, Stephenson is still a solid option, sporting a .252 AVG and .757 OPS this season. Those are actually slightly below his career norms, but those are amazing averages from a catcher who’s available nearly everywhere. He’s also been playing much more recently while establishing himself as the cleanup hitter for this dangerous Cincy lineup.

% of Recommended FAAB: 1%

QUICK HITS: Luis Campusano (SD, 1% Rostership), Moises Ballesteros (LAA, 4% Rostership)

INFIELDERS

10/12 Team Adds

Sam Antonacci (2B/3B, CWS, 32% Rostership) – I don’t get why Antonacci hasn’t been picked up in every league. This guy came into the league with a great on-base and speed profile and has lived up to that potential. He’s been the ChiSox’s everyday leadoff hitter, collecting a .368 OBP and .777 OPS this year. He’s also got eight homers and 15 steals across 100 games after compiling 60 steals across 153 minor league games. Having an OBP and speed like that atop a blossoming lineup is a fantasy godsend, and we didn’t even mention his multi-position eligibility.

% of Recommended FAAB: 3%

QUICK HITS: Zack Gelof (2B/3B, ATH, 38% Rostership), TJ Rumfield (1B, COL, 39% Rostership), Ty France (1B, SD, 36% Rostership)

Deep League Adds

Luis Rengifo (2B/3B, SD, 14% Rostership) – Rengifo was a sneaky fantasy option in his time with the Angels, producing a .279 AVG and .775 OPS between 2023 and 2024. That’s why San Diego took a swing on him, and we’re seeing glimpses of that in the second half of the season. Rengifo has a .423 OBP and .881 OPS since becoming an everyday player on July 19. That’s a month of raking, and it’s forced Rengifo up to the two-hole of this lineup. He’s also a utility player that’s available at many positions for this resurgent San Diego lineup.

% of Recommended FAAB: 1%

QUICK HITS: Tim Tawa (ARI, 1B, 8% Rostership), Josh Bell (MIN, 1B, 21% Rostership), Andres Gimenez (TOR, 2B, 13% Rostership)

OUTFIELDERS

10/12 Team Adds

Dylan Crews (WAS, 32% Rostership) – Crews was once one of the top prospects in baseball, but fantasy managers have given up on him after a nightmarish start to his career. It’s easy to understand why, but a post-hype breakout was always possible for a player like this. That’s what we’re seeing right now, with Crews collecting a .755 OPS over the last month. That’s more in line with the guy we saw in the minors when he looked to have 20-30 potential. The most impactful variable is that he’s become the leadoff hitter for one of the best lineups in baseball.

% of Recommended FAAB: 3%

QUICK HITS: Lawrence Butler (ATH, 34% Rostership), Trent Grisham (NYY, 39% Rostership), Jung-Hoo Lee (SF, 42% Rostership)

Deep League Adds

Zac Veen (COL, 10% Rostership) – Veen was just called up by the Rockies earlier this week, and it was long overdue. This guy was absolutely slaughtering Triple-A pitching, posting a .327 AVG and 1.037 OPS this year. His recent form is even more absurd, accruing a .533 OBP and 1.649 OPS across his final 12 minor league games. He carried that over with a dinger in his debut and this is a great opportunity to get him going since the Rockies are at home all week!

% of Recommended FAAB: 5%

QUICK HITS: Griffin Conine (MIA, 9% Rostership), Jake Mangum (PIT, 14% Rostership), Esteury Ruiz (MIA, 3% Rostership)

STARTING PITCHERS

10/12 Team Adds

Noah Cameron (KC, 48% Rostership) – Cameron has been sitting on the waiver wire throughout his career, but his recent form could be the sign of something special. This southpaw has a 1.57 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 8.2 K/9 rate across his last four starts. That even included a matchup with the Dodgers in his most recent outing, so a full-on breakout might be what we’re seeing right now. We also don’t mind that he has a home matchup against Detroit this week, with Cameron throwing seven scoreless innings in their most recent matchup a month ago.

% of Recommended FAAB: 5-10%

Edward Cabrera (CHC, 43% Rostership) – Cabrera was an exciting addition by Chicago during the offseason, but it’s been a rough debut year. Injuries and a lack of control have really hurt him, but this guy is still immensely talented. He had a 3.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate in a breakout campaign last year. The good news is that he’s looked just like that throughout his rehab assignment, amassing a 0.22 WHIP and 15.2 K/9 rate across nine scoreless innings in his last two starts. People are forgetting about Cabrera on the waiver wire, but seeing him go off for the final weeks would be far from surprising with the potential he’s showcased.

% of Recommended FAAB: 3%

QUICK HITS: Landen Roupp (SF, 36% Rostership), Dustin May (MIL, 39% Rostership), Brandon Pfaadt (ARI, 35% Rostership)

Deep League Adds

Joe Musgrove (SD, 21% Rostership) – Musgrove used to be one of my favorite pitchers in fantasy. Injuries have derailed his career over recent years, but we’re not ready to say this guy is cooked. He hasn’t pitched since 2024, but Musgrove maintained a 3.20 ERA and 1.11 WHIP between 2021 and 2024. That’s four years of elite pitching, and we’ve seen Musgrove allow just one run in each of his first two rehab starts. He also got up to 53 pitches and looks like he’ll be ready to return in about two weeks!

% of Recommended FAAB: 3%

Ronel Blanco (HOU, 3% Rostership) – Blanco has been an underrated pitcher since his call-up. The Astros tend to do that with their starters, but Blanco’s 3.68 career ERA and 1.21 WHIP speak for themselves. Many people have kept him on the waiver wire since he has a 6.98 ERA this year, but that’s flukey since he has a 4.91 xFIP and 1.34 WHIP. Those numbers aren’t anything special either, but it does mean some positive regression could be right around the corner. A home matchup with the Angels might be a good opportunity to start that, with Blanco allowing just four runs across 17 innings in his last three starts against them. They also rank 29th in K rate with Blanco recording 21 strikeouts in those three starts.

% of Recommended FAAB: 1%

QUICK HITS: Sean Manaea (NYM, 29% Rostership), Gage Jump (ATH, 14% Rostership), Hayden Wesneski (HOU, 22% Rostership)

RELIEVERS

10/12 Team Adds

Jackson Jobe (DET, 32% Rostership) – Jobe has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, showcasing a 100 MPH fastball. That was on full display in his Detroit debut, allowing just two baserunners across five scoreless innings. He also had a 1.76 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 rate throughout his minor league rehab assignment. Prospect people knew this was coming, and there’s some thought he could become a true ace if the Tommy John surgery was a true success.

% of Recommended FAAB: 3-5%

QUICK HITS: Daniel Palencia (CHC, 59% Rostership), J.T. Ginn (ATH, 34% Rostership)

Deep League Adds

Justin Martinez (ARI, 6% Rostership) – This is a speculative pickup, but Arizona wants Martinez to be their closer of the future. This guy can reach 103 MPH on the radar gun and is close to a return to the big leagues. He’s thrown four hitless innings throughout his rehab assignment while striking out six batters. That’s the stud we saw last two seasons, with Martinez posting a 2.76 ERA and 11.7 K/9 rate.

% of Recommended FAAB: 1%

QUICK HITS: Jordan Romano (COL, 11% Rostership), Ben Joyce (LAA, 6% Rostership)