With another full week of baseball coming up, it’s always smart to check the waiver wire or scout for the occasional ‘diamond in the rough’ fantasy star found at a very cheap cost. Winning the waiver wire could be the difference between grabbing a few extra to land in the money or falling just short. Here’s a few hitters that might be available on your league waiver wire or could be found at a relatively low cost against favorable pitching match ups.
(Note: stats and numbers are as of June 2nd)
Monday, June 5th: Aaron Altherr (PHI, OF) vs. ATL Bartolo Colon (2-6 6.99 ERA)
Bartolo Colon has been struggling for a majority of the 2017 season, carrying a 1.66 WHIP through 11 starts this year. He faced the Phillies back on April 21 and was tagged for four earned runs in seven innings. Altherr (owned in only 53.4% of ESPN leagues) is batting .299 on the season and racked up 14 extra-base hits and 21 runs batted in during the month of May. Righties are also batting .364 in 26.2 innings against Colon, and with Altherr in the box on the right side, he would be a smart fill-in to use on Monday if he’s available on your waiver wire.
Tuesday, June 6th: Mitch Moreland (BOS, 1B) vs NYY Masahiro Tanaka (5-4 5.86 ERA)
Boston has made it clear that Moreland will likely be benched when the team faces a left-handed starter. With the righty Tanaka on the hill, Moreland will probably start at first base on Tuesday. Tanaka has struggled his past three starts, posting an 0-3 record with 14 earned runs in 16 innings. Moreland is currently batting .289 in the past month (24-83) and slammed six home runs on the season. Only owned in 23.7% of ESPN leagues, Moreland could rack up a few points out of the cleanup spot in daily fantasy games.
Wednesday, June 7th: Matt Davidson (CWS 3B) vs. CHI John Lackey (4-5 5.18 ERA)
Davidson has quietly been hitting well in the Windy City, batting .258 with 10 home runs on the season. While his strikeout rate is surprisingly high, he continues to play regularly as the team’s third baseman and designated hitter. Davidson finished last week 8-or-27 with two home runs. He’ll likely be facing John Lackey, who has struggled in his past few starts and has righties batting .264 against him. Davidson is only part of 30% of Fantrax fantasy teams, so he is likely on waivers if you need a fill-in third baseman or need a cheap hitter for a daily fantasy.
Thursday June 8th: Joe Mauer (MIN 1B) vs. SEA Christian Bergman (2-2 4.67 ERA)
Mauer is swinging a hot stick in Minnesota, batting .329 (28-85) in the month of May and batted .346 (9-26) in the past week. He’ll likely face Seattle pitcher Christian Bergman on Thursday, who threw seven scoreless innings last week but also gave up 10 earned runs to Washington in the previous start. Mauer is only owned in 8.5% of ESPN leagues and 31% of Fantrax leagues, so there’s a chance he’ll be on your waiver wire if you need a designated hitter or first baseman to plug in for a day.
Friday June 9th: Tommy Pham (STL OF) vs. PHI Jeremy Hellickson (5-3 4.45 ERA)
Pham enters the week batting .304 on the season with five home runs and 15 runs scored. In the past seven days, he’s batted .292 (7-24) with two homers. Jeremy Hellickson, the Friday probable starter for the Phillies, has given up 11 total earned runs over his last two starts and taken a loss in each of those start. Righties are currently batting .280 against Hellickson compared to .204 against lefties. Right-handed Tommy Pham is only owned in 34% of Fantrax leagues and 13.7% of ESPN leagues, so he may be available as a spot starter to patch up your outfield on Friday.
Saturday June 10th: J.T. Riddle (MIA SS) vs PIT Tyler Glasnow (2-4 6.95 ERA)
The Marlins infield has been depleted with injuries to Adeiny Hechavarria (oblique), Martin Prado (hamstring) and Miguel Rojas (thumb.) This has allowed Riddle to become an everyday player in the Miami lineup, where he’s put up a .262 batting average. Riddle drove in 17 RBI in his first 74 plate appearances and could solidify a place in the lineup if he continues to hit. Tyler Glasnow is the probable pitcher for Pittsburgh, taking a loss in his recent start against the Mets last week, allowing five runs in five innings. Lefties are batting a solid .333 against Glasnow compared to righties batting .289 on the season. Riddle bats from the left side and is only on 8% of Fantrax teams and 1.6% of ESPN teams. Expect to see him on the waiver wire or for a relatively low price in daily games if you need a consistent middle infielder.
Sunday June 11th: Eric Young Jr. (LAA OF) vs HOU Joe Musgrove (4-4 4.89 ERA)
With Mike Trout on the disabled list for at least a few weeks and Cameron Maybin also on the DL, the center field position in the Angels outfield opened for Eric Young Jr. Since joining the lineup last week, the 32-year old journeyman has batted .368 (7-19) with a home run and two stolen bases. He’ll face off against Joe Musgrove, who if off the DL, is the probable starter for the Astros on Sunday that was tagged for a loss with five runs in five innings the last time he faced the Angels on April 18th. The outfielder is only taken in 5% of Fantrax leagues and 1.7% of ESPN leagues, so it’s almost guaranteed he’ll be available in free agency in most leagues.