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We have completed another week of MLB action, making it time to make more waiver wire moves as we head into Week 18. With more and more injuries and players slumping, it is time to start changing our rosters. I want to emphasize that it is still not time to panic about your core players. Do not go dropping early picks that are just slumping out the gate. If they are still struggling in a few weeks, we can look at the underlying metrics to see if a drop is in play.
Early in the season, we are interested in players off to hot starts and, more importantly, showing sustainable improvements from last season. With the early injuries, we are also looking into players that may be receiving more playing time. Some of the lower-rostered players, or some not mentioned here, are on the solid side of platoons, so make sure you are not adding them if they have a negative schedule. Lastly, the names in the article are in order of percentage rostered, not so much in my preference of adding to your roster. This article will discuss fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the outfield in Week 23, September 12th through September 18th.
In the first few weeks, rostered percentages can change quickly. So be quick to check your leagues for their availability. When you want to chat about outfielders, prospects, or dynasty leagues, message me directly on Twitter at @bdentrek. Key points - this list will focus on rostered players in less than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.
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Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
44% Rostered
Carroll was crushing it in Triple-A this season with a .307 batting average with 24 home runs and 31 stolen bases. There was nothing more to prove, and the DBacks finally called him up. Entering the weekend, Carroll had hit safely in six of eight games for a .281 batting average with four extra-base hits, including his first home run.
Carrol has an 8.7% barrel rate and a 39.1% hard-hit rate to go with a .188 ISO and 118 wRC+. In addition, Carroll has the ridiculous speed to go with his hit tool, making him an elite five-category contributor for your fantasy team. Carroll even hit his second home run in Friday night's game in Coors, so don't wait any longer and add the DBacks mega-stud to all your fantasy rosters.
Harold Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays
40% Rostered
Ramirez was in the IL for a bit but returned on August 16th and has been raking. Ramirez is hitting .305 since his return with five extra-base hits and 16 RBI. Ramirez is not providing a ton of power, but he is collecting his fair share of runs, RBI, and a phenomenal batting average.
Ramirez has never been a significant power source, but batting average has always been a considerable part of Ramirez's game. He also cracked the Rays code by avoiding platoons and plays daily. As a result, Ramirez hits third or fourth-most games and will continue to rack up the counting stats with his batting average. The Rays play eight games next week, including a three-game weekend series versus the Rangers that should result in much fantasy goodness.
Jake Fraley / TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds
13%/10% Rostered
The Reds play an insane nine games in the coming week, so many Reds players should be rostered on your fantasy teams. Fraley and Friedl have been staples in the Reds lineups of late and should benefit tremendously from this great schedule.
Since August 1st, Fraley has been a consistent force in the Reds lineup. He is hitting .286 with seven home runs, 20 runs scored, and 16 RBI. He also walks 13.9% of the time, showcasing excellent OBP skills for your lineups. His .265 ISO and 150 wRC+ play significantly for the Reds and, more importantly, your fantasy teams.
Fraley has been outstanding, but Friedl has been even better. Friedl is having a solid season and has been especially impressive of late. Friedl entered the weekend, hitting safely in nine of his last 11 games with a .390 batting average. Friedl has eight extra-base hits over that stretch with four home runs while only striking out 11.1% of the time. Friedl is also hitting leadoff most games and should flourish in a big way with nine games on tap.
Michael A. Taylor, Kansas City Royals
7% Rostered
For some reason, the Royals are playing Taylor every day. Sure, Taylor is a solid player, so maybe everyday playing time is fine, but the craziest part is they are hitting Taylor fifth every day. Since August 28th, Taylor has been hitting .405 with six extra-base hits, including three home runs.
He has 10 RBI over those nine games with a .351 ISO and 225 wRC+. Ride the hot streak from Taylor while he is playing regularly, as he can supply some decent power and speed.
Deeper League Waiver Wire
You can check out my NFBC deeper league waiver wire article, which comes out every Saturday, and looks at deeper-league waiver wire options at various positions.
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