With three weeks left in the fantasy baseball season, there is no time to wait and see for struggling players. The fantasy baseball week 7 waiver wire includes a few veterans and younger streaming pitchers. There are also a couple of streaming pitchers with pitch mix changes and relievers with electric arsenals. Let’s dive into the week 7 waiver wire.
Hitters
Alex Dickerson, OF, San Francisco Giants
10-15% FAAB
Alex Dickerson has been dominant over the last ten games with five home runs, 11 runs, and 13 RBI with a .389 batting average. He lowered his strikeout rate to 17.5% and increased his walk rate to 10.5%. Dickerson’s 91.3 mph average exit velocity, 46.3% hard-hit rate, and 13.4% barrel rate currently rank in the 84th percentile and above, all of which are career highs. He is the top add of the week if you need an outfielder.
480 feet!
Alex Dickerson went triple tank. 😱 pic.twitter.com/A4eSlS4YWz
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2020
Brad Miller, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
10-15% FAAB
Don’t look now, but veteran Brad Miller is crushing the ball. On the season, Miller has five home runs, 13 runs, 20 RBI, and one steal while slashing .311/.441/.608. Through four games in September, Miller smacked one double, three home runs, four runs, and nine RBI. Miller’s Statcast data is off the charts with a 91 mph average exit velocity (80th percentile), 50% hard-hit rate (93rd percentile), and 17.3% barrel rate (95th percentile). In the week 7 waiver wire, it’s a toss-up between Miller and Dickerson as the top adds depending on what your team needs.
Garrett Cooper, 1B/OF, Miami Marlins
5-10% FAAB
Although Garrett Cooper missed a bunch of time due to injuries, he has produced decently with two home runs, three runs, and eight RBI with a .278 batting average in 37 plate appearances. In the small sample this year, Cooper has a 44.4% hard-hit rate and an 18.5% barrel rate. He is more of a deeper league add since he projects to platoon against left-handed pitchers according to Roster Resource.
Tyler Naquin, OF, Cleveland Indians
5-8% FAAB
Sneakily, Tyler Naquin is hitting well, especially over his last ten games totaling four doubles, four home runs, six runs, and 13 RBI with a .316 batting average. Naquin is currently sporting a career-high 25.9% line drive rate that is over 3% higher than his career average. When looking at his Statcast data, his 11.1% barrel rate and 46.3% hard-hit rate are career highs in the small sample. The way Naquin is swinging the bat, he is worth an add in deeper leagues.
Home run number ✌️for Tyler Naquin tonight! pic.twitter.com/B6alOPo5ds
— FOX Sports Cleveland (@FOXSportsCLE) September 3, 2020
Willi Castro, 3B/SS, Detroit Tigers
5% FAAB
On the season, Willi Castro totaled two home runs, nine runs, and eight RBI while slashing .345/.351/.527. He is producing, although the batting average is likely inflated and unsustainable due to his .429 BABIP. Castro is not known for power, and thus his 83.3 mph average exit velocity and 26.3% hard-hit provides evidence of that. He is more of a deeper league add if you need help with batting average.
Starting Pitchers
Dane Dunning, SP, Chicago White Sox
10-12% FAAB
Although Dane Dunning only reached five innings once in three starts, he has performed well with 18 strikeouts, a 3.86 ERA, and 1.14 WHIP in 14 innings. Although Dunning strikes out a lot of batters with an 11.57 K/9, his 3.86 BB/9 is a bit rough. His slider has looked especially nasty with a 29.8% swinging-strike rate, 56.8% whiff rate, .084 xBA, and .143 xwOBA. Dunning is worth an add as a streaming pitcher facing the Tigers this week.
Dane Dunning, Breaking Ball Swords. ⚔️⚔️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/d0rtuIUSRn
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 30, 2020
Justus Sheffield, SP, Seattle Mariners
10% FAAB
Through seven starts this season, Justus Sheffield tossed 35 strikeouts with a 4.34 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 37.1 innings. He slightly lowered his walk rate to 9.1%, and that has been an area of concern. His 2.94 FIP tells us that there’s a chance Sheffield lowers the ERA moving forward. Sheffield made a pitch mix change by swapping out the four-seam fastball for the sinker with his slider as his best pitch. His sinker allows a .340 batting average, but the slider is much better with a .157 batting average allowed and a 30.9% whiff rate. Similar to Dunning, Sheffield falls into the streaming pitcher category that is worth an add.
Zach Eflin, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
10% FAAB
Another streaming pitcher here in Zach Eflin. Eflin’s 11.69 K/9 jumped up from his career 7.18 K/9. Through 32.1 innings, he has 42 strikeouts, a 4.45 ERA, and 1.27 WHIP. Unlike Dunning and Sheffield, Eflin typically limits the walks with a 2.33 BB/9 and a 5.9% walk rate. Like Sheffield, Eflin increased the sinker usage and lowered the usage of the four-seam fastball. Eflin’s sinker has 2.3 more inches of horizontal and vertical movement than the average sinker. Add Elfin since he projects for a two-start week against the Red Sox and Marlins.
Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
5% FAAB
Veteran Adam Wainwright has dominated the ratios with a weak strikeout rate. Through six starts, Wainwright has 31 strikeouts, a 2.68 ERA, and 0.92 WHIP in 40.1 innings. His 3.61 FIP is not too far off from his ERA, but pitchers that typically do not miss a ton of bats can be volatile. Wainwright has a nasty curveball that he throws most often, and it results in a 15.8% swinging-strike rate, 33.8% whiff rate, and a .204 wOBA. Although the low strikeout rate is not palatable, Wainwright is worth adding in deeper leagues to help with ratios.
Relief Pitchers
Devin Williams, RP, Milwaukee Brewers
Devin Williams continues to dominate out of the Brewers bullpen with 35 strikeouts, a 0.53 ERA, and 0.59 WHIP in 17 innings. Batters have not logged a hit against his changeup with a ridiculous 32.3% swinging-strike rate and 59.7% whiff rate. Although he is not recording saves, Williams is worth an add for the strikeouts and ratios.
Hunter Harvey, RP, Baltimore Orioles
Before the 2020 season, Hunter Harvey was a popular draft pick due to potential save chances. Since activated from the injured list, Harvey totaled 2.2 innings with three strikeouts and two earned runs. With Cole Sulser removed from the primary closer role, Harvey has the potential for save chances.
Daniel Bard, RP, Colorado Rockies
Daniel Bard recorded three saves in his last five relief appearances. In 16.1 innings, he has 21 strikeouts with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Although it’s hard to trust Rockies closers, Bard is recording saves.
