Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 9

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 9

Through the first eight weeks of games in the 2022 Fantasy Baseball season, are we even surprised that the Tampa Bay Rays are producing some unheralded pitching options. We knew guys like Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen would be on our radars. We also knew they would go bullpen by committee. But some of the names that have emerged from the first two months have surprised fantasy managers. Two of them are widely available right now. What other players are worthy of waiver wire pickups heading into the ninth full scoring period of 2022?

This weekly piece will look at five options under 50% rostered on Yahoo for 12- and 15-team leagues that are worthy of waiver bids or claims. As the season progresses we will have more data from which to draw conclusions, but for now, we will play the hand we’re dealt.

Waiver Options For 12-Team Leagues

Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles (34% rostered) – Seemingly always in the shadows of Trey Mancini, Ryan Mountcastle, and Cedric Mullins, Santander is really making a name for himself this year, especially in on-base percentage leagues. He has an elite walk rate of 11.5% this season is already almost halfway to his career-high of 20 home runs in 2019. Santander is now the everyday third-place hitter in the Orioles’ lineup and Camden Yards is still playing like a hitter’s park.

Kyle Farmer, SS/3B, Reds (38% rostered) – Over the past two weeks, Farmer has the second-highest OPS among ALL major league batters. He is on a power binge that is aided by the best offensive home park in the majors and the playing time looks secure. With multi-position eligibility and a secure fifth spot in the lineup right now, he looks like an excellent pick-up for those in need of middle infield or corner infield help.

Gio Urshela, 3B/SS, Twins (46% rostered) – With Carlos Correa, Miguel Sano, and Royce Lewis all injured, Gio Urshela is getting a nice stretch of playing time now and is taking advantage of it. In the last two weeks, Urshela is batting .354 with a pair of home runs and 12 RBI. Like Farmer, he can help in a variety of ways in your lineup on Yahoo, and has started 11 of the Twins’ last 12 games.

Jeffrey Springs, SP, Rays (51% rostered) – Excellent pitching Springs eternal for Jeffrey Springs as the Tampa Bay Rays have unearthed another gem for their rotation. He now has allowed only four runs in his last four starts, totaling 21.1 innings. He also has at least six strikeouts in three straight games and the Rays seem to be stretching him out to where he can go 6+ innings on a regular basis. If he can keep up the minuscule 1.88 BB/9 rate, this looks like a pitcher to roster all year.

Tanner Rainey, RP, Nationals (36% rostered) – The issue with Tanner Rainey hasn’t necessarily been ineffectiveness, but rather the Nationals not getting him many actual save chances. His ERA of 2.35 and strikeout rate of 10.57 are excellent for ninth-inning work, he just resides on a terrible team. Still, with five saves and no reasonable option behind him, Rainey should be rostered in more than a third of leagues right now.

Waiver Options for 15-Team Leagues

Luis Guillorme, 2B/SS/3B, Mets (16% rostered) – Much of it is surely BABIP-driven, but Guillorme is slashing .356/.448/.444 this season while already appearing in 35 games as a super-utility player. But with Travis Jankowski hurt and Dominic Smith in AAA, Guillorme is the go-to backup and first guy off the bench. He has played in six straight games and looks like a nice source of average if your deep-league team is desperate.

David Peralta, OF, Diamondbacks (9% rostered) – Peralta always ends up being that sixth outfielder drafted on my teams at the end of a deep league. He is a guy who’s easy to cut and replace throughout the season. But lately, he is showing he might be worthy of sticking around for a regular OF or UTIL spot. In the last two weeks, he has put together an incredible run with a .341 batting average, three homers, and 10 RBI. He also has hit fourth or fifth in eight straight games.

Tyrone Taylor, OF, Brewers (28% rostered) – After five home runs in two weeks, Taylor’s roster percentage has shot up from basically zero to almost 30%. He has 17 RBI to go along with those homers, and has become an unlikely source of power for rosters that need it. He has also been moving up in the batting order because Andrew McCutchen is batting .169 with one home run in the last 15 days. When Hunter Renfroe comes back from the IL, it looks like Taylor who is likely to stick around in a full-time role instead of McCutchen.

Graham Ashcraft, SP, Reds (7% rostered) – After shutting down the Nationals Thursday, that’s now two straight starts for Ashcraft with at least six innings and allowing one or zero runs. He is a pure flamethrower who can reach 100 mph on his fastball, but his secondary pitches don’t offer much else. Although a really good sign from yesterday was Ashcraft getting a 43% whiff rate on his slider. With several Reds pitchers likely to be on the move at the trade deadline, Ashcraft could stick around.

Colin Poche, RP, Rays (12% rostered) – With Andrew Kittridge on the IL, Tampa Bay has continued to use a bullpen committee for saves, but Poche has entered the mix lately. Poche has two saves, a win, and a hold since May 25^th and has only allowed one run in four outings. After these performances, you can give him a strong bump up in saves + holds leagues.