Week 6 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickups: Nick Senzel, Mike Soroka lead potential free agent adds

Dan Bernstein

Week 6 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickups: Nick Senzel, Mike Soroka lead potential free agent adds image

Several top prospects are emerging as suitable fantasy baseball options (Carter Kieboom, Nick Senzel, Mike Soroka), several under-the-radar veterans are on pace to have strong seasons (Robinson Chirinos, Chris Bassitt) and new closers are emerging for both short- and potential long-term help (Hansel Robles, Shawn Kelley). All told, it's a packed waiver wire watch for Week 6 of the fantasy season.

We've identified which of those players are worth considering and highlighted one popular pickups you might want to avoid. Many of these potential waiver pickups are available in both deep and shallow leagues, and hopefully a few of them will be useful to your roster needs.

MORE:  Watch 'ChangeUp,' a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN

Week 6 Fantasy Baseball Top Waiver Pickups

Ownership percentage from ESPN — for consensus ownership, visit FantasyPros

Position eligibility based on ESPN's default settings

Hitters

2B Nick Senzel, Reds (47.1 percent owned) --  Cincinnati's top prospect was called up Friday despite having a mediocre start to the season at Triple-A (.257/.317/.357). For his minor league career, the versatile 23-year-old has a .312/.388/.508 line with 28 HRs and 40 SBs (239 games). With the ability to play 2B, 3B, and the OF, Senzel should find himself in the lineup most days, but it's unclear if he can really move the needle in any one category. He's worth a pickup in deeper leagues because of his pedigree, but don't feel like Senzel is a must-start or must-keep just yet. --  Matt Lutovsky

C Jorge Alfaro, Marlins (36.2 percent owned) — The catcher position is notoriously difficult to fill if you don’t have one of the top guys, so many owners are likely considering Alfaro, who has started the season well. He fits the Gary Sanchez mould, albeit with far less production, bringing immense power to the plate as a backstop. With 70-grade raw power according to scouts and 20 home runs in his first 166 career games, he can be counted on for double-digit dingers. His problem is making contact — a 35.6-percent career strikeout rate is simply not good enough for an MLB hitter. Eventually, his .288 batting average will probably crater due to the holes in his swing and poor approach. Can you withstand that drop in order to cash in on his above-average power at a premium position? Up to you.

OF Josh Reddick, Astros (23.2 percent owned) — Reddick is a veteran we should know well by now, but he seems to always finish either way above or way below fantasy expectations. He has 15-HR, 70-RBI potential, with perhaps five or so stolen bases in him. It might be a good idea to ride his hot start to the year and see where it takes you because he’s a couple of weeks away from being owned at a much higher percentage.

3B Michael Chavis, Red Sox (18 percent owned) --  Chavis is mostly playing 2B for Boston, but he's already seen some time at first and third, so as long as he keeps hitting, he should stay in the lineup. The 23-year-old slugger is hitting .289/.426/.553 through his first 12 games, chipping in three homers and two steals. One cold streak could land him on the bench or back in Triple-A, but his upside makes him worth adding. --  Matt Lutovsky

SS Carter Kieboom, Nationals (16.5 percent owned) — A top shortstop prospect is always worth a look, and Kieboom has an opportunity for regular playing time with Trea Turner on the IL (finger). Kieboom does not have much stolen base upside for his position, but he can potentially hit for average and power. His excellent BB/K rate throughout his minor league ascent indicates he’s prepared for this stage.

C Robinson Chirinos, Astros (11.7 percent owned) — Think of Chirinos as a more proven Alfaro: lots of home runs, a subpar average and plenty of strikeouts. Minute Maid Park is more hitter friendly than Marlins Park, and the Astros obviously have a much better lineup. That means Chirinos could actually be the better option despite not having the prospect sheen of his counterpart. Expect him to approach at least 15 home runs and 60 RBIs with the potential for more.

OF Brian Goodwin, Angels (10.9 percent owned) — For the first time in his career, Goodwin is getting regular playing time. After his bust status last year, there’s hope he can break through with the Angels, though you should probably wait a little longer to confirm he’s the real deal before adding him. His early returns are promising, with an improved walk rate and power numbers.

1B Nate Lowe, Rays (8 percent owned) --  Lowe is a big-time power prospect who recently joined a crowded Rays lineup. The 23-year-old lefty hasn't done a ton through his first four games, but he was hitting well at Triple-A (.300/.444/.543) this year after after ripping up three levels of the minors last year (.330/.416/.568). Playing time is obviously a concern, but at least against righties, Lowe should be in the lineup. He should be a good source of HRs and RBIs, and based on his career .303 average in the minors, he might have more upside than most young sluggers in batting average, too. --  Matt Lutovsky

MORE ADDS: Last week's free agent recommendations | Week 6 stock watch

Pitchers

SP Mike Soroka, Braves (37.9 percent owned) —  Soroka having about the same ownership on ESPN as John Means, located just below him in this list, is an absolute joke. Soroka is a potential ace who has started his career with a flourish, averaging more than nine strikeouts per nine innings this year to go along with a 1.62 ERA. You need to grab him if you still can.

SP John Means, Orioles (34.6 percent owned) — We’re including Means here to warn you away from him. There is nothing to indicate his sub-3.00 ERA is sustainable, a conclusion backed by his subpar minor league numbers and 4.48 FIP. Steer clear and prioritize the other options on this list.

RP Blake Parker, Twins (29 percent owned) — Just because there are more promising potential options at closer out there doesn’t mean you should necessarily ignore Parker, who already has six saves and a 0.96 ERA. It didn’t work out for him with the Angels, but perhaps he can keep hold of the ninth-inning role in Minnesota.

SP Chris Bassitt, A’s (15.7 percent owned) — Bassitt has long been underrated, likely due to his many injuries and demotions over the past few seasons. At his best, he’s a five-innings-and-go guy, able to consistently pitch deep enough to earn a win but rarely hung out to dry in the sixth inning or beyond unless he’s really dealing. The ERA (3.67 in 42 career games) is absolutely good enough for most rosters, and if you scratch his injury-plagued 2016, the picture looks even better. As a final piece to your fantasy rotation, he can provide a boost.

SP Griffin Canning (8.5 percent owned) --  Rookie starters are always tough to trust, but the nearly 23-year-old righty has pitched well in the minors (3.41/1.22, 9.9 K/9 ratio) and was especially good at Triple-A this year (1.13/0.93, 9.6). He breezed through the first three innings of his debut on Tuesday against Toronto before reunning into some trouble over the next two frames, but he ultimately allowed a respectable five baserunners while striking out six in 4.1 innings. At the very least, he's worth considering in daily transcation leagues when he has a good matchup. --  Matt Lutovsky

SP Gio Gonzalez, Brewers (7.4 percent owned) — Gonzalez finally has a job after signing with the Brewers, instantly putting him on fantasy radars. He’s no longer an elite strikeout option, but he wins at least 10 games every year and won’t blow up your ERA. In another year defined by unpredictable pitching around the league, even among supposed aces, it’s nice to know what you’ll get here.

RP Shawn Kelley, Rangers (7.0 percent owned) --  We talked about Kelley last week as Jose Leclerc continued to struggle. Hopefully you listened because Leclerc was "temporarily" removed from the closer's role after another tough outing. Kelley is the most likely candidate to fill in given his experience and stellar start to the year (1.50/0.75, 8.3 K/9 ratio). The Rangers have every reason to put the recently extended Leclerc back in the ninth inning as soon as possible, but Kelley will be a cheap source of saves for the time being. Take advantage. --  Matt Lutovsky

RP Hansel Robles, Angels (4.1 percent owned) — Do you enjoy bungee jumping, skydiving and roller coasters? Then get your adrenaline fix with Robles, the new Angels closer who reaches the upper-90s with his fastball but can struggle with control. Best-case scenario, Robles is Jordan Hicks-lite -- a fireballing righthander who can give you a stellar strikeout rate and keep his walks down enough to be a solid ninth-inning option. Worst-case scenario -- teammate Ty Buttrey replaces him within the next two weeks. In deeper leagues, it’s a risk worth taking.

RP Luke Jackson, Braves (1.9 percent owned) --  This is a speculative recommendation based on A.J. Minter's continued struggles. Jackson picked up a save in relief of Minter last Sunday, and it's possible he heads up a closer committee (or gets the job outright) soon. Hard-throwing Jacob Webb will also be in the mix, but Jackson has a much better BB-rate and is striking guys out at a solid clip (10.2 K/9). --  Matt Lutovsky

Dan Bernstein