This is the last week of the regular season in most fantasy baseball leagues, which means this week’s waiver wire additions are key to making the playoffs, and winning in the playoffs. You may be thinking, how can we add someone this late to contribute on a playoff fantasy baseball roster? The answer is simple, injuries. In the MLB, players return from injury and play, almost no matter how their team is doing. A few players have returned, or will return shortly and are worth adding to your fantasy roster.
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.
Without further ado, let’s play the waiver wire:
The following players may or may not be on a roster in your league, but be sure to check. Each of these players possess significant fantasy value for the remainder of the fantasy baseball season and playoffs. Add them if they are there, and you need help at a certain position.
Hitters
Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
Cuddyer has returned from the disabled list, and chances are he is the most-added player across the fantasy baseball community. If there was any doubt that he could return to form, it diminished last night as Cuddyer went 5-for-10 in a double header including a cycle in game two. Expect Cuddyer to pace the Rockies offense with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki out. This season, Cuddyer is hitting .331 with 20 runs scored, six home runs, and 19 runs batted in to go along with three stolen bases in just 130 at-bats.
Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox
Garcia was a XNSports favorite before the season started, and now that he is healthy he is a steal off the waiver wire. Nearly everyone needs at least one more bat in their lineup for the playoffs, and Garcia can do that. Since his return to the Big Leagues, he is 3-for-7 with two runs scored and a run batted in. On the season, he is hitting .297 with eight runs scored, two home runs and five runs batted in despite having just 37 at-bats. He was a sleeper for us this season before an unfortunate injury, but could pay dividends for you now in the playoffs if you can add him. Last season, Garcia hit .283 with seven home runs and 31 runs batted in in just 244 at-bats.
Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants
Pagan finds his way onto fantasy baseball teams every single year, and with him returning from injury right before the playoffs, his value is even higher. Pagan will give the Giants offense a boost for the last two months, and he can give your fantasy baseball team a boost as well. Pagan is a threat to score runs and steal bases with a high batting average, and those players do not grow on trees. So far this season, Pagan is hitting .298 with 38 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in just 282 at-bats. He has a hit in all but two games since returning from injury.
Pitchers
Michael Pineda, New York Yankees
Pineda will likely be available in your fantasy league, and he is worth adding in deeper leagues. He has a 1.82 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP this season, and has struck out 19 batters in 24.2 innings of work. Pineda is on track to pitch against the Astros and the Royals this week, so he has value right away as both teams struggle offensively at times. In his first start since returning, Pineda dealt five innings of two-hit baseball allowing just one run. Add him if you need pitching help, and hopefully he can continue to be the player the Yankees traded for.
Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka
Chances are slim that either of these pitchers are on the waiver wire, but in some leagues players will drop those on the disabled list, especially if there are no DL-Eligible slots. Search the waiver wire for both of these pitchers, because each of them is an ace on their team, and an ace in fantasy baseball.
Take a look at XNSports fantasy baseball coverage as a whole here.
