Hot wire: 10 picks to pluck off fantasy waivers
Could your fantasy team use more power? What about steals? Runs, RBIs or wins?
Regardless of your holes, the fantasy waiver wire has a plug or a long-term fix to pick up today. Check the availability of the following 10 players -- all sitting in waivers in many leagues, and all ready to help you win.
Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox
Hitting .311 with 20 home runs across 322 at-bats in the Minors this season, Devers warrants an immediate addition in all fantasy leagues. Entering the Majors as a 20-year-old with only nine games of experience above Double-A, the premier prospect may deal with his share of growing pains. However, he has the potential to help shallow-league teams as a regular component in a Red Sox lineup that ranks 12th in baseball with 475 runs scored. Case in point? Yesterday, the young stud homered for his first big league hit.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
Nicholas Castellanos, 3B, Tigers
In early June, MLB.com Statcast™ guru Mike Petriello explained that Castellanos was showing better plate skills than his results indicated. The 25-year-old has proven that Petriello was on the mark, hitting .272 with nine homers and 27 RBIs across 158 at-bats since June 8. Regularly hitting out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup, Castellanos should be a strong source of home runs, RBIs and runs scored throughout the second half.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
Orlando Arcia, SS, Brewers
A touted prospect at the outset of 2016, Arcia owned an unimpressive .215/.269/.356 slash line across 351 career plate appearances heading into May 18. Additionally, the speedy shortstop had compiled just nine career steals to that point after being advertised as a potential difference-making speed source. But Arcia has found his form since then, hitting .322 with seven steals across his past 225 plate appearances. As part of the lineup that ranks seventh in baseball with 495 runs scored, the 22-year-old is ready to crack shallow-league lineups.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
Marcus Semien, SS, A's
With few exciting shortstop options on the waiver wire, owners who are faring well in the batting-average category may choose to add Semien to their starting lineups. The career .243 hitter is a solid power-speed source who went deep 27 times a year ago and has already swiped seven bases across 112 plate appearances in an injury-shortened 2017 season.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
Mallex Smith, OF, Rays
Available in more than 80 percent of Yahoo leagues, Smith could be a major difference-maker for those who need stolen bases in roto formats. The speedster has produced 31 steals across 390 career plate appearances, and he has proven to be more than a one-category asset by hitting .293 with 28 runs scored over 175 plate appearances this year.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
Luis Castillo, SP, Reds
Castillo has weathered a treacherous career-opening schedule, posting a 4.05 ERA and a 10.1 K/9 rate despite opposing one of the seven highest-scoring offenses in each of his seven starts. When the right-hander faces more manageable competition -- beginning with a start against the Marlins this weekend -- he could develop into a viable arm in all formats.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
Carsten Sabathia, SP, Yankees
After getting his career back on track last season (3.91 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), Sabathia has taken another step forward this year by logging his lowest ERA (3.44) and WHIP (1.28) since 2012. Even with some regression toward his 4.14 FIP, the left-hander could win plenty of games down the stretch while being supported by arguably the deepest bullpen in baseball and a lineup that ranks fourth in the Majors with 521 runs scored.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
Trevor Cahill, SP/RP, Royals
Cahill has shown exciting skills this year, producing a 10.6 K/9 rate and a 59.3 percent ground-ball rate. Already under-owned in shallow leagues before being traded from San Diego to Kansas City, the right-hander should be rostered in every format now that he will be supported by a Royals club that ranks ninth in baseball with 243 runs scored since June 1, has a solid bullpen and fields a much better defense than that of the Padres.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
Kyle Barraclough, RP, Marlins
Closer AJ Ramos has often popped up in trade rumors this summer, as the Marlins sit 11 games out in the National League Wild Card race. While manager Don Mattingly could replace Ramos with veteran Brad Ziegler (85 career saves), he is more likely to give Barraclough a chance to prove that he can use his swing-and-miss skills (lifetime 12.1 K/9 rate) to become a shutdown stopper in the face of inconsistent control (career 5.8 BB/9 rate).
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
Sean Doolittle, RP, Nationals
Manager Dusty Baker threw fantasy owners a curveball, choosing Doolittle over Ryan Madson to handle save chances after the club picked up both relievers in the same trade earlier this month. While left-handers such as Doolittle are often relegated to specialist roles, the Nats have a southpaw-heavy relief corps and can afford to keep Doolittle in the ninth-inning job.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues