Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Genao, Jones Headline Week 22

We have a month and a half left of the fantasy baseball season, and we need to keep our foot on the gas. There’s still time to make gains in the standings. But it’s essential to stay active on the fantasy baseball waiver wire to finish the season strong.

The players listed below are rostered in 70% or fewer of Fantrax leagues. The suggested targets bring different skills to the table, but they can all boost fantasy lineups, depending on your team’s needs. Let’s go ahead and take a look at the fantasy baseball waiver wire targets for Week 22.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

Angel Genao, 2B/3B/SS, Guardians (55%)

Angel Genao made a splash in his MLB debut last week. He piled up four hits and collected his first run and RBI. Playing time concerns surrounded Genao after his call-up, but the switch-hitter has played in six of seven games and produced across the board. Over that stretch, he’s slashing .333/.407/.500 with one home run and one steal, while walking and striking out at a 7.4% clip. Genao is also making quality contact early on, highlighted by a 59.1% hard-hit rate and 93.2 mph AVG EV.

Genao is a contact hitter who does a little bit of everything. In 96 games between Double- and Triple-A this season, he logged 13 homers and 11 steals to go with a 14.3% walk rate and 16.2% strikeout rate. Given his skills and versatility on the field, Genao should stick in the Guardians’ lineup as a five-category producer.

Spencer Jones, OF, Yankees (60%)

Since his recall at the end of July, Spencer Jones is hitting .208/.296/.479 with three homers and four steals across 54 plate appearances. The batting average is ugly, but it comes with a .282 xBA and hefty power metrics under the hood.

Jones walloped the ball in that 15-game stretch to the tune of a 26.5% barrel rate, 52.9% hard-hit rate, and 93.6 mph AVG EV. He also struck out at a 25.9% clip — a significant improvement from his previous 40.2% mark this season. Add in 93rd-percentile sprint speed and a recent move to the three-hole, and Jones is an intriguing pop/speed player for the rest of the season. Grab now before his results catch up with his underlying skills.

Griffin Conine, OF, Marlins (37%)

Griffin Conine was featured last week, but he’s worth a repeat mention since he continues to rake and is widely available. The slugger has packed a punch at the plate, smacking three homers in his last three games — and he has four dingers in 10 games this month.

Power is Conine’s calling card. In 54 games this season, he boasts a .276/.371/.572 slash line with 13 home runs, 26 runs, 27 RBI and a couple of steals with a .296 ISO. He crushed the ball in that span, sporting a 17% barrel rate, 56% hard-hit rate and 92.5 mph AVG EV — all ranked in the 95th percentile or better. Conine typically sits against lefties, but the power hitter won’t hurt your batting average and is hitting either third or fourth recently. He’s worth scooping up in 12-teamers for RHP-heavy weeks moving forward.

Andruw Monasterio, 1B/2B/SS, Red Sox (36%)

The Red Sox have been on a historic run, thanks in no small part to Andruw Monasterio. He’s been one of the steadiest hitters since the All-Star break, reaching base safely in 19 of 22 games. Over those 88 plate appearances, Monasterio is hitting .356/.432/.521 with a 163 wRC+. He also logged nine doubles, one home run, 12 runs, 16 RBI, and two steals while making contact in the zone at a healthy 91.7% clip.

Monasterio isn’t a flashy player, but he’s a productive bat who gets on base and plays all over the infield. Throw in a potent team offense, and Monasterio shapes up as an excellent addition down the stretch, with added value in OBP formats.

Tyler O’Neill, OF, Orioles (25%)

Tyler O’Neill is getting near-everyday playing time since the Orioles shipped off Taylor Ward, and we should take notice. The slugger popped three homers in nine games since the trade deadline, while slashing .269/.367/.615 with an 11.8% barrel rate. He’s still whiffing a bunch (30% K%), but a 13.3% walk rate helps offset that.

Typically a short-side platoon bat, O’Neill has played in six of the last seven games versus RHP — and all in the cleanup spot. If he continues to hold his own against righties, O’Neill is an interesting power option moving forward. The Orioles have seven games on the docket next week, making O’Neill a solid power option in deeper leagues.

Sean Manaea, RP/SP, Mets (58%)

Sean Manaea is fresh off his best start of the season. He twirled seven innings of one-run ball against the Pirates with a season-high 11 punchouts to zero walks. On the whole, Manaea has looked good since moving to the rotation. Across 11 starts, he has a steady 3.50 ERA (4.04 xFIP) and 1.23 WHIP with 61:18 K:BB across 61.2 innings (16.4% K-BB%). Additionally, he picked up five quality starts in his last six outings. Manaea doesn’t have the easiest schedule moving forward (vs. WAS, @CWS, vs. MIL), but given his steadiness and solid skill set, he’s worth picking up if available.

Hayden Wesneski, SP, Astros (44%)

Hayden Wesneski has held his own since returning from Tommy John surgery. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his three starts, putting up a 3.86 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 18.2 innings with 12:6 K:BB. The strikeouts are low (16% K%), but an 11.7% SwK% indicates more Ks should be on the way.

The Astros may limit Wesneski’s workload, as his pitch count has hovered around 80 in each outing (79, 78, 83). But he’s made the most of his time on the mound, earning quality starts in back-to-back outings. Wesneski has a career 4.00 ERA (4.10 xFIP) and 1.16 WHIP across 240.2 frames, which seems reasonable to expect moving forward. Pair that with a couple of favorable matchups on the slate (vs. SEA, vs. ATH), and he’s a solid target for the final stretch.