Those broken rosters won’t fix themselves, people. We’ll need to work a little. June is no time for complacency, so here’s a collection of seven helpful waiver options, available on most Yahoo! leagues and approved for use…
Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending injury was obviously a catastrophic event for the Braves, but Kelenic met the moment with an extended period of productive play. Kelenic now finds himself in an almost everyday role and is hitting .299 with an .856 OPS dating back to the game in which Acuña went down. He has also hit safely in seven consecutive games, manning the leadoff spot for Atlanta and turning in useful power/speed totals.
It may seem like Kelenic has been around forever, because we’ve already been through the entire prospect-flop-hype cycle with him. But somehow he is still only 24 years old. Let’s not rule it out just yet.
Rice has had hits in each of his first two games since earning a promotion from Triple-A. He certainly doesn’t seem to be over it:
He’s playing first base following Anthony Rizzo’s injury (60-day IL), but actually has catcher eligibility (legitimately earned: he has 28 starts behind the plate this season). Rice has hit .275/.393/.532 in the high minors this year with 15 bombs and nine steals in 10 attempts, so the fantasy upside from him should be obvious. If you’re looking for a boost as a receiver, this is your man.
Fantasy managers have yet to jump on Horwitz, even though he is 12-for-34 with six walks since getting the call from Triple-A. Horwitz has been starting for the Blue Jays, because he is a verifiable on-base machine. He was hitting an obscene .335/.456/.514 in Buffalo before the promotion. Horwitz also has low double-digit potential in home runs and steals. He should continue to be a major asset in racing and AVG without being a liability in any standard category.
Vientos opened the week with a pair of 3-hit games, including a bomb:
He is now hitting .305/.362/.533 on the season with six home runs in 116 plate appearances. Vientos has several 20+ home run seasons on his minor league resume, along with a .500 slugging percentage. Even if the batting average doesn’t hold up, we know the power is legit. Winds can definitely hit another 15-20 (or more) home runs this season, assuming he’s healthy.
Some Cardinals hitters usually find their way onto the waivers, and today’s article is no exception. Donovan is a fantasy multi-tool, with eligibility across the board. His range of positional flexibility makes him an ideal choice for leagues with short benches. This is a career .273 hitter with low-end power and a career OBP of .365, so he’s good at his craft. We’re not trying to present him as a season-saver, but rather an unusually versatile bench piece.
Olson is coming off an outing in which he pitched six scoreless innings against Atlanta, striking out eight, lowering his ERA to 3.39 on the season. He only has one win on the season despite excellent numbers (3.05 FIP, 8.1 K/9), but that’s just a fluke of run support. He will have an extremely friendly matchup against the White Sox on Sunday afternoon, so he has a good chance at the second win. Turn it on if you’re desperately streaming at the end of your face-to-face week.
Chad Green, PR, Toronto Blue Jays (31%)
The Blue Jays’ next save opportunity should go to Green, if you can believe his manager. That should be all you need to know if you’re involved in a competitive league where closers are hard to find. Green has had an outstanding season to this point, posting a 0.89 WHIP in 16 appearances. He has also struck out 11.4 batters per nine innings over his career, so he also provides the expected closer K-rate.
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