With three and a half weeks remaining in the regular season, fantasy baseball managers should solely target players who will be in favorable situations during the coming days. The waiver wire tends to be much more fruitful in September, as fantasy football diverts the attention of many managers. Finding the hitters who are about to face the league’s worst pitching staffs and the starters who are set to tangle with light-hitting lineups is the best strategy to put your team over the top.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Padres, 34%: Although O’Hearn hasn’t been dominant since joining the Padres, he has played well enough to maintain a season-long OPS of .816. The slugger will be in a prime spot for a memorable weekend when the Padres face three right-handed starters at hitter-friendly Coors Field. In his career, O’Hearn has a .760 OPS against righties that is more than 100 points higher than his mark against southpaws.
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Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS, Cubs, 38%: Shaw is mentioned in this space for the second week in a row, as his play has improved in the second half (.940 OPS). There is a second reason to consider Shaw right now, as the Cubs will spend this weekend facing a Nats pitching staff that ranks 29th in baseball with a 5.28 ERA. Shaw could contribute to fantasy teams in a variety of ways with 11 homers and 16 steals this season.
Iván Herrera, C, Cardinals, 51%: A St. Louis lineup that has been cold of late could get back on track when it faces three starters with an ERA over 4.25 and a Giants bullpen that has lost several key members to trades or injuries. Herrera is arguably the team’s best hitter and will be a terrific catcher streamer for the weekend in shallower leagues.
Cade Cavalli, SP, Nationals, 8%: Cavalli righted the ship after a dismal start in the Bronx, holding the Marlins to two runs across five innings last time out. The single poor performance against the Yankees is heavily impacting the 27-year-old’s ratios, but outside of that start, he has allowed just nine runs across five outings. Cavalli is heading into a two-start week with extremely favorable matchups (Marlins, Pirates), and he could quietly be the best upcoming two-start pitcher who is available in the majority of leagues.
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Braxton Ashcraft, SP, Pirates, 17%: Ashcraft has looked great in five starts since joining the rotation, posting a 1.23 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. The righty will be among the best two-start options next week,…