RADIO
Here we are: the final month. At this stage of the game, it's a full-out sprint with little room for error. Some of the weaker managers have already peeled off to attend to their fantasy football interests as is tradition, but those who remain will be your daily combatants on the waiver wire.
With the end in sight, we don't care as much about long-term viability. Anybody who's performing right now as least merits consideration. We've seen plenty of flawed players get hot at the right time and carry their fantasy squads to victory. A contribution in the clutch can make one a legend, if only in our own minds - a decade on, Ted Lilly remains a fondly recalled name for yours truly after throwing a gem that helped complete the most improbable comeback in my personal history.
As a reminder, we'll be looking at pickups for shallow leagues (30-49% rostered) and deeper formats (10-29%), as well as highlighting players in the single-digits who deserve a spot on your watch list at the very least. These are your second base and shortstop waiver wire pickups for Week 24 - September 6 through September 12.
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Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Nicky Lopez, 2B/SS, Kansas City Royals (46% rostered)
Lopez stole eight bases in seven games from August 16-22. While he hasn't attempted another theft since, it's not for lack of chances as he's getting on base plenty. The last time he failed to reach was over two weeks ago, and he's got six multi-hit games in that span. The steals should pick back up, making him a fantastic pickup in almost any format.
Joey Wendle, 2B/3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays (44% rostered)
Wendle is not a flashy player. His overall numbers don't jump off the page and never have. But he's a nice plug-and-play option given his positional versatility and won't drag your down in any one category - he hits for a solid average (.275), owns respectable run production (111 R+BI in 113 games) and can occasionally pop one over the fence (9 HR, including two in one game last weekend) or swipe a bag (6 SB).
Nick Solak, 2B/3B/OF, Texas Rangers (36% rostered)
2021 has been a bit of a ride for Solak and anyone who rostered him. He came flying out of the gate and then crashed hard enough to get himself banished to the minors for a month. Since returning from that exile, the 26-year-old has slashed .395/.447/.605 with a pair of homers, a stolen base, and 15 R+BI in 11 games.
Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Odubel Herrera, 2B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies (14% rostered)
Did you know that since the calendar flipped to August, Herrera's produced a .356/.418/.632 line with six homers and 29 R+BI? Probably not, judging by his rostered rate. Not all platforms let you play him at the keystone, but he's swinging the bat well enough to be more widely utilized regardless.
Colin Moran, 1B/2B/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (11% rostered)
Since returning from the injured list on August 6, Moran has hit .289/.330/.458 with four homers and 23 R+BI in 25 games. Now in his fourth year with the Pirates, the veteran continues to be a source of modest pop paired with a plus batting average and is a good bench bat in deeper formats due to his positional flexibility.
The Watch List
Edmundo Sosa, 2B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals (6% rostered)
Sosa entered the year regarded as an organizational soldier/glove-first type, and that's probably still accurate. Take note, though, because he's gone off to the tune of .371/.452/.645 since August 1, with three homers and 26 R+BI despite hitting solely in the bottom third of the lineup.
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