Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Week 16

Heading toward the first full week after the All-Star break, here are five players to add off the waiver wire in your fantasy baseball league.

5. Danny Salazar, SP, Cleveland Indians

Salazar is on the verge of returning from a shoulder injury, with a bullpen session Friday night and another minor league rehab start slated for Monday night. He was not very good prior to being sidelined, with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP over 12 appearances (10 starts), but it’s safe to say he has a place in Cleveland’s starting rotation if he can get right.

Over 55 starts in 2015 and 2016, Salazar posted a 3.63 ERA with a 9.9 K/9 rate. So he can handle himself at the big league level, and better health should help bring better control (4.6 BB/9 this season).

Salazar is a bit off the fantasy radar right now, even though he has maintained a fairly high ownership rate. But he is a worthy immediate add and stash in any mixed leagues where he’s available.
ESPN Ownership: 45.2%

4. Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Since coming off the disabled list on June 13,  Pederson is hitting .325/.447/.701 with seven home runs, 15 RBI and 20 runs scored over 26 games. He has multiple hits in three straight games entering Sunday, while striking out just twice in his last 21 at-bats. After striking out 300 times over 886 at-bats in 2015 and 2016, making more contact is a good thing even in a small sample.

Pederson totaled 51 home runs in 2015 and 2016, so he has power potential even with a slightly reduced home run rate (a home run every 20.2 at-bats) so far this year. He’ll sit against most left-handers, but Pederson is sure to be in the Dodgers’ lineup regularly going forward.

Pederson is worth owning in NL-only leagues, and he’s gaining traction as a mixed league asset. Home runs are not a rare commodity in 2017, but Pederson has offered more than that during his current stretch.
ESPN Ownership: 27.2%

3. Matt Bush, RP, Texas Rangers

Since blowing a save on June 30, and being removed from the closer role, Bush has authored five straight scoreless outings while allowing just one hit in that span. Alex Claudio has picked up back-to-back saves and may continue to get opportunities, but Rangers’ manager Jeff Bannister has not committed to a full-time closer.

It may only be a matter of time before Bush gets the ninth inning back, and he was surely widely dropped in fantasy leagues when the situation became fluid for Texas. But now is the time to put him back on the radar, even just as a speculative add.
ESPN Ownership: 23.3%

2. R.A. Dickey, SP, Atlanta Braves

Dickey’s knuckleball is working well lately, with a 1.09 ERA and a 27:8 K/BB ratio over his last five starts (33 innings) while going at least six innings with one run allowed or less in six of his last seven starts. His overall numbers this year still aren’t great (4.08 ERA, 1.36 WHIP over 110.1 innings), but during a prolonged good streak Dickey carries solid fantasy value.

The pure nature of the knuckleball brings a wide range of outcomes for Dickey on a start-to-start basis, as evidenced by his one bad outing over the last month-plus (eight runs allowed in five innings on June 13). But he also has carries less physical risk than any 42 year-old pitcher, and he’s well on his way to a seventh straight season with at least 29 starts.

Dickey fit the mold of never having enough pitching on a fantasy roster, and his next scheduled start (Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs) may bring a reality check. But he’s still worth adding in deeper mixed leagues, and at least plugging in when a favorable matchup is coming.
ESPN Ownership: 16.7%

1. Kyle Schwarber, OF, Chicago Cubs

Schwarber earned his way back to the big leagues just before the All-Star break, with an 1.191 OPS over 11 Triple-A games, and he has two home runs over his last three games amid a four-game hitting streak. He needs to sustain things for a little while longer, but Schwarber is looking like a possible asset to the Cubs and fantasy owners over the second part of the season.

Schwarber is now a little further removed from the torn ACL that wrecked his 2016 season, which can only be a good thing as he tries to get going at the plate. He may not hit for a great average, but 16 home runs and a .842 OPS over 232 regular season at-bats with the Cubs in 2015 shows what Schwarber can do as a power hitter. That’s enough to make him the top add this week, as part of good lineup.
ESPN Ownership: 58.2%

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