There is an action-packed slate of baseball over the next seven days. Coming out of the break, do not forget about the waiver wire. There are still some solid players all across the wire that can help you to a fantasy championship.
Whether it is a free agent pool, a budget-based system, or weekly waivers, playing the wire is a key element to winning your fantasy baseball leagues.
Each week, XN Sports will present an option at each position (if there is anyone worth picking up), and why you should add them.
Without further ado, let’s play the waiver wire:
Catcher
Travis d’Arnaud, New York Mets
d’Arnaud finally seems to be playing to the level the Mets thought he was able to, but he had been hampered by injuries during his career. In the last month, the former top prospect is hitting .297 with 10 runs scored, three home runs, and 12 runs batted in. In the four main categories (average, runs scored, home runs, and runs batted in) d’Arnaud is in the top seven in every single one over the last month. If you need help behind the plate, he can give you a boost, and he will be on the waiver wire because he is only on around seven percent of rosters across the industry.
First Base
Chris Carter, Houston Astros
Do not let his .205 average scare you. Despite hitting around 75 points lower than some other available options on the waiver wire, Carter yields serious production when he is hitting well. Currently, if is definitely hitting well. In the last two weeks he is hitting .324 with four home runs. In the last month, Carter is hitting .269 with six home runs. He will not consistently hit .270, but his average is likely to rise before the season ends, and that would help your fantasy team right away considering he has hit 19 home runs already this season. Players with a low average but good power seem like a dime a dozen, but with Carter hitting the ball well at the moment, consider adding him for the short term at first base. Only Anthony Rizzo and Jose Abreu have hit more home runs (among first basemen) than Carter in the last month.
Outfield
Chris Coghlan, Chicago Cubs
There is hot, there is scorching hot, then there is what Coghlan has done in the last two weeks. He is 18 for his last 41, including 10 runs scored, three home runs, nine runs batted in, and two stolen bases. Think about how hot Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, and Jacoby Ellsbury have been of late, Coghlan is right there. Can this last? Probably not, but in the short term, anyone can get hot. Coghlan is having a great few weeks, so add him before he cools off. He has a 25.2 line drive rate this season, which would rank 18th in all of baseball if he had enough at-bats to qualify. In addition, his BABIP is relatively low, which could have indicated this hot streak.
Starting Pitcher
Odrisamer Despaigne, San Diego Padres
Is Despaigne the next in line of Cuban players to come over and dominate the Major Leagues? He made just seven starts in the minor leagues before being called up, and since he arrived in San Diego, he has been dominant.
How did that happen? First, this is not a large sample size, but it is the largest sample size we can find on Despaigne. In 34.1 innings of work, he has allowed just 15 line drives. In five starts, only three balls per start have been hit hard. If you want to succeed in any level of baseball on the mound, missing the barrel of the bat is a good way to start. Usually, a pitcher with that much movement induces a lot of ground balls. Is that the case? Yes, Despaigne has an incredible 53.6 ground ball rate.
There has to be a catch though, right? The only thing that could dissuade a fantasy baseball player about Despaigne is his ability to miss bats. He only has 17 strikeouts in twice as many innings, but if a pitcher is recording outs at the rate that he is, he deserves to be on your fantasy team. With Despaigne’s ability to change speeds with four different pitches, his strikeout rate should not scare you. Add him before he is off your league’s waiver wire.
