Week 6 of the Major League Baseball waiver wire for Fantasy Baseball. Each week we will feature players that should be monitored for possible additions to your fantasy baseball team.
1B OF Matt Adams WAS
The Nationals are finally playing better and Matt Adams has been a big reason for their better play of late. He has socked 7 homers in just 26 games and finds himself in a really good spot hitting third behind Bryce Harper and now Anthony Rendon, who is a good candidate to hit in the number two hole. Adams should start (mostly in the outfield) whenever a right-hander is on the mound.
OF Nick Markakis ATL
Markakis has always been a solid, really good hitter for his entire career. So far he has surpassed any expectations by a large margin and we should take notice. It’s pretty rare to find a player who is leading or near the top of the leaders for batting average and being featured on waiver wire pick ups with a good enough sample size. What is really impressive this year is the good power numbers and great numbers against lefties. 6 home runs and 25 RBI total. In 37 at bats against lefties his bating average is better than what he hits against righties, .432 compared to .311 in 90 at bats.
C James McCann DET
Anytime we feature a catcher it’s usually based on the fact that the pool of talent is thinner here then any other position. If you are playing a twelve team standard league, one catcher, you are probably not rostering this player, however McCann is a solid option for other formats, or a good fill in for injuries. He seems to be right on path to hit around 10 home runs, between 40-50 RBI, and hit above or around .250.
OF Delino DeShields TEX
It’s been a solid start to DeShields 2018 campaign. The speedy Ranger outfielder sports a .306 average and has been penciled in as the lead off hitter for Texas for now and probably the foreseeable future. If he can continue to hit well, last year’s 28 stolen bases should be easily surpassed. Once Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre return his run total will only increase as well.
OF Matt Kemp LAD
It’s usually a crowded mix in L.A. and it looked like this year was no different. But now due to injuries and performances we have a clearer view of who is going to get playing time. Outfielder Matt Kemp was brought in to provide depth for the Dodgers but now he is looked at as one of the team’s main producers. .330/.367/.549, 16 RBI and 5 home runs to date has all but assured playing time for the former National League MVP.
SP Caleb Smith MIA
48 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched against only 17 walks makes Caleb Smith worthy to round out the back-end of your starting pitchers. In 5 of his 7 starts Smith has fanned at least 7 in those outings.
SP Sean Newcomb ATL
Newcomb has impressed in his second season in the bigs, and might be becoming Atlanta’s best pitcher. The WHIP may be a touch high at 1.27, but if he can limit his walks he can be a reliable arm with still lots of potential to be taped into.
SP Tanner Roark WAS
Roark is a nice steady play to round out your starting pitchers. This year is off to pretty great start, in the 7 games he has started, Roark has only given up more than 3 runs in 2 of those games. The future should only be better as the Nationals will get healthier which should lead to more wins.
SP Trevor Cahill OAK
Cahill has only started 4 games, but so far so good. In his last outing against the Orioles, he punched out 12 in 6 scoreless innings. A tidy .958 WHIP, an ERA of 2.25 and a home ball park that is favorable to pitchers makes Cahill someone we should monitor going forward.
That does it for this weeks waiver wire. Good players could be out there for you to scoop up, make sure to check to see if these guys are available. Check back every week as we dive into more players that are worth adding.
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