Week 6 Waiver Wire Targets
Quick hits looking at potential players to target on the week six waiver wire.
Another tough week for pitcher injuries, so you’re probably looking for help on that front. From memory, just in the last 10 days or so we have lost
Jesus Luzardo
Blake Snell
Brayan Bello
Merrill Kelly
Nick Pivetta
Yu Darvish
Frankie Montas
Tyler Wells
So we are definitely looking deep into the barrel for some SP help.
We’ve also had a handful of hitter call-ups. So you’ll see a few of those names below, but keep in mind how bad rookies are typically.
The big three rookies that were drafted in most leagues were Wyatt Langford, Jackson Holliday, and Jackson Chourio. None of them have been any good:
I threw Jackson Merrill in there just to show that not every single rookie has fallen completely flat this season, but the general rule is clear - hitters tend to struggle (often times mightily) in their first go-around against Major League pitching.
So take it easy on FAAB spending on those rookies.
Big news is that I have finished the weekly projections! You’ve been given access to all of that and you can check out the post that came out earlier with the details on that.
Pitchers
Duh
Jack Flaherty (36% Owned): I didn’t think we’d get here, but here we are. Flaherty has become pretty much a must-own pitcher for me now, especially given the fact that you have probably lost multiple pitchers to injuries. He has a 2.65 SIERA and he’s throwing way more strikes than he ever has without losing a beat on the SwStr%.
MacKenzie Gore (36% Owned): He just qual-banged the Dodgers, in case you needed any more proof of his goodness. And I don’t mean like the fruit of the spirit goodness, I just mean that he’s a good pitcher. I hope he has a good relationship with God as well though.
Zack Littell (31% Owned): I didn’t think Littell could put up a 13.5% SwStr% and 25% K%, but that’s what he’s done in five starts. Add that to his fantastic command and the fact that he is employed by the Rays and you’ve got yourself a near must-own SP.
Brandon Pfaadt (45% Owned): 29 innings, 4.97 ERA, 3.65 SIERA, 3.52 xERA, 32.4% Ball%. That’s the good, and there’s no bad in the profile, just a lot of normal numbers everywhere else (22% K%, 12.1% SwStr%). I’m buying him as a guy that has a floor of “decent” with a ceiling of “pretty good”.
Probably
Luis Severino (37% Owned): I can’t quite get to “Duh” yet with Severino, but he’s having a much improved season with the 3.67 ERA, 22.4% K%, and 7.8% BB%. The whiffs are still bad (10.8%), but regardless of that, he’s earning a ton of strikes (50%) and not throwing many balls (33%). Maybe the whiffs will come, or maybe the called strikes will go away. I don’t know bro, but this 57% GB% is extremely interesting. He’s throwing a cutter or sinker about 30% of the time and those pitches are being put on the ground about 70% of the time collectively. Very interesting. There could be more strikeouts if he trades some heaters for sliders (12% usage, 15% SwStr%), so I like what I’m seeing from Sev.
Garrett Crochet (58% Owned): Someone may have dropped Crochet in your league, and I think it might be just a little bit too soon for that. He added some velo back last start and still sits with a beauty 25.6% K-BB%. It’s a weak 25.6%, meaning I don’t think it will stick - but he’s done enough for me to hold on this week (or add him if someone else gave up).
Cristopher Sanchez (44% Owned): Shallow leagues are giving up on him after that three inning start. His BB% has ballooned up quickly to 10%. The 2.59 ERA isn’t earned (3.22 SIERA), but there are a lot of things to like in this profile. 44% owned is probably too low. I’d say he should be had in all 12-teamers at this point.
Keaton Winn (9% Owned): Pretty much the same stuff I said last week applies. Two straight quality starts now (in Miami and at home against the Mets), but still a really uninspiring 21.3% K% and 8.3% BB%. The difference-maker is the ground balls (59.5%) and the pedigree (newly 26 years old, minor league career 26.4% K%).
Alright I’m cutting you free-loaders off now. There are so, so many names left to cover. I can’t believe I write this much in this post, but the people rae really giving good feedback on it so I feel like I owe you. Because a paid member today to get this weekly piece and everything else going on.