We’re almost to mid-July, which means the All-Star Game provides fantasy baseball owners with a brief respite from daily lineup setting. However, the team management grind never stops. The winning clubs in fantasy are usually those that stay active the entire season, never forgetting about the invaluable resources that are the waiver wire and free agency.
Another invaluable resource is Sporting News’ waiver wire and free agent column, which we publish at the beginning of each MLB week. We highlight 10-12 players each Monday – at least a handful of batters and a handful of pitchers – who remain unowned in roughly half of mixed leagues. We analyze their recent success, determine the league formats and sizes in which they should be rostered, and provide situational-specific streaming advice.
Good luck this week, and enjoy midsummer waiver hunting!
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Best hitter pickups, free agent adds, streams for Week 14
Eric Haase, C/1B, Tigers (19-percent rostered in Yahoo mixed leagues)
The Big Avocado has been hot since June, a month that saw him hit .286 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and 11 runs. July has been even more sizzling for Haase: He’s hitting .412 with two homers, five RBIs, and six runs in just seven games. His OPS in July: 1.274. Grab this guy in any 12-team or two-catcher leagues before the rest of your league finds out about him.
Alec Bohm, OF, Phillies (29%)
The Phillies have gone 7-3 over their past ten games, and Bohm’s fingerprints have been all over that recent success. Just in July, the tall third-year pro has gone 8-of-21 (.381) with two homers, six RBIs, and four runs. His OPS sits at a whopping 1.179 on the month! Bohm sees the ball well, and it stands to reason that the 25-year-old will start leaving the yard more often by his birthday on Aug. 3. I’d pick him up in all 12-team leagues and in any keeper formats.
Aaron Hicks, OF, Yankees (15%)
Hicks had been streaky seemingly his whole career, which tells me to shy away from him in my 50-add limit league. But if you have five or seven adds per week with no season cap, you might want to scoop up the outfielder now. Hicks has three homers, eight RBIs, 10 runs, and two steals over the past two weeks. He typically bats sixth or seventh for one of the best offensive squads of the past decade, so anybody as hot as Hicks in this lineup merits ownership. He’s the No. 1 overall player in standard 5x5 leagues over the past week.
Josh Donaldson, 3B, Yankees (53%)
The veteran Donaldson, like Hicks, can have hot streaks and cold streaks, but he’s plenty hot right now, batting .280 over the past seven days with three homers, 10 RBIs, five runs, and even a steal! He still has plenty of power, but he’s also a big strikeout guy. Buyer beware if your league features OBP or OPS stats, or you if you get penalized for offensive Ks.
Jonathan Schoop, 1B/2B, Tigers (21%)
Schoop can scoot — he has four stolen bags over Detroit’s past seven days — and he’s actually batting .412 in that span thanks to a July 4th doubleheader with Cleveland. Schoop went 6-of-8 on Independence Day and has no more than one hit in any game the rest of the week. That’s a classic example of why you should always look deeper than weekly and monthly splits. If you need a litltle speed, consider giving the veteran a look, but he’s batting .211 on the season, so maybe wait to see a longer span of hitting before you pull the trigger in shallow leagues. Can’t steal first!
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Best pitcher pickups, free agent adds, streams for Week 14
Kutter Crawford, SP, Red Sox (3-percent rostered in Yahoo mixed leagues)
Don’t look now, but Crawford might be legit. It’s one thing when you go 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball against Tampa, striking out eight; it’s another when you help your squad nail down a must-win again the rival Yankees, allowing just one run over five while striking out six. Crawford now has a very respectable 2.33 ERA, 1.03 WHIP to go along with 24 strikeouts over his past 19.1 innings. And, yes, Kutter has a mean cutter. Pick him up in 12-team leagues and don’t kut him!
Johnny Cueto, SP, White Sox (33%)
Many have been burned by Cueto in the past, but he’s having a really solid year so far. Since his season debut on May 16, the veteran has nine starts of at least six innings, and he surrendered zero runs in four of those starts. Since June 18, Cueto has three wins and four starts with at least five strikeouts. His ERA/WHIP on the year: 2.91/1.15. He won’t contribute mightily in the strikeout department, and the White Sox notoriously fail to produce for him, scoring 17 runs total in the past seven games in which Cueto has registered a loss or no-decision. That’s 2.42 runs per nine-inning game. Some positive regression can be expected in the Ws department. In the meantime, owners in quality-start leagues will continue enjoying his eight QS over his past 11 games.
Tanner Scott, RP, Marlins (51%)
Scott has four saves in two weeks for the Marlins, and he’s now converted 12 of 15 opportunities. Miami has won seven of its past 10 games — and each of the Marlins’ 12 wins since June 20 have been by three runs or fewer — so you might want to consider grabbing this high-leverage closer in leagues that have two or three RP spots.
Jordan Lyles, SP, Orioles (10%)
Lyles may lead the AL in hits allowed, but he also has plenty of stream appeal after two consecutive quality starts. He has two starts this week, and one is against the Cubs. Capitalize!
Justin Steele, SP/RP, Cubs (9%)
Steele has 15 strikeouts in 11.2 innings over his past two outings — including nine against Milwaukee on July 4th — with a collective ERA of 1.54. He tends to struggle with letting men on base, but he’s gotten himself out of jams well recently. He’s on paternity leave right now, but let’s see if he has new-dad superpowers upon his return. I’d grab him in deep leagues.
