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We have completed another week of MLB action, making it time to make more waiver wire moves. With more and more injuries and players slumping, it is time to start making some changes to 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 that are off to hot starts and, more importantly, show 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 5, May 9 through May 15.
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 it up regarding 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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Tommy Pham, Cincinnati Reds
41% Rostered
Pham got off to a horrible start to the season. But, resembling his poor 2021 season, he is now breaking out and looking like the Pham of old. Pham has hit safely in seven of ten games heading into the weekend for a .389 average. He has six extra-base hits over this stretch, with two home runs and a stolen base. He has a .278 ISO with a 1.143 OPS, thanks partly to a 14.3% walk rate. Pham has a .522 unsustainable BABIP, but his 16% barrel rate and 64% hard-hit rate are encouraging.
On the season, Pham has a 12.3% barrel rate and 58.1% hard-hit rate, which is an excellent sign with the overall poor season numbers. His xStats point towards a strong rest of the season this past week. If Pham can stay healthy, he will be a fantasy mainstay in all lineups. Make sure to add Pham anywhere you can if he is still available on your waiver wires.
Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants
26% Rostered
On Saturday, Yaz racked up two more hits, which adds to his .273 batting average. Unfortunately, he only has one home run this season and a .073 ISO, which will deter many, but there are good days to come. Yaz is barreling the ball 11.3% of the time, and since he returned from the COVID IL, he has hit safely in three of four games.
The Giants have some favorable matchups in the coming weeks against right-handed pitchers, which should bode well for Yaz. He faces the Rockies at home three times this week and three in Coors next week. So be ahead of the curve and grab Yaz now, as he is still in store for a 20+ home run season with the fantasy goodness that comes with those home runs.
Yadiel Hernandez, Washington Nationals
22% Rostered
When I saw the roster rate for Hernandez, I was kind of speechless. I know I am biased as I have been a Yadiel guy for a long time, but 22% is wild. He is only hitting .373 on the season with eight extra-base hits and a stolen base. He even hit his second home run on Saturday night to spice things up even more. He has a .149 ISO to go with a .917 OPS, straight-up mashing on the season. Yadiel's contact quality agrees with his success with a 13% barrel rate and 42.6% hard-hit rate.
Yadiel has been hitting fourth or fifth in the Nats' lineup, and that should not be changing anytime soon with the team's lack of consistent offense. However, he is producing and should be on all fantasy rosters for the time being.
Pavin Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks
7% Rostered
Smith has been swinging a good bat this season and has been heating up over the last week. Heading into the weekend, he had hit safely in six of seven games for a .304 average. He even flexed some muscle with three home runs and a stolen base. Smith is barreling the ball 22.2% of the time with a 44.4% hard-hit rate over the last week. In addition, Smith walks nearly 15% of the time to make things even sweeter. For the most part, Smith hits near the top of the DBacks lineup, and while he's hitting like this, he should be rostered in all deep leagues with some 12-team appeal.
Manuel Margot, Tampa Bay Rays
5% Rostered
Heading into Saturday, Margot was riding a six-game hitting streak. He hit .455 with four extra-base hits, one being a home run. Margot swiped a bag over the streak and struck out less than 10% of the time. The best part was Margot was playing every day, regardless if a lefty or righty was starting on the mound. Margot is worth an add in deep leagues, and if he continues to play every day, he should be added in all formats as he brings 15/15 upside.
Deeper League Waiver Wire
You can check out my NFBC deeper league waiver wire article which comes out every Saturday, taking a look at deeper-league waiver wire options at various positions.
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