Fantasy Waiver Wire: Buy Kwan, Hold Carrigg, Add House Now
Fantasy Baseball Weekly: Buy, Sell, Hold & Free Agent Finds (Late Season Edition)
Quick Note: The fantasy baseball season might feel like it’s winding down, but we still have about 25% of the season left — plenty of time to climb the standings!
What This Week Looks Like
Since many fantasy trade deadlines have passed (or are coming up soon), we’re shifting focus:
- Less trade talk — fewer deals happening
- More waiver wire focus — picking up free agents who can help right now
- Category-specific targets — need steals? Home runs? Strikeouts? We’ve got you covered
BUY: Players to Add or Trade For Now
Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians
The "Contact Wizard" is back!
- What happened: Kwan struggled earlier, but he’s fixed his swing
- The proof: Exit velocity (how hard he hits the ball) is back over 85 mph since July
- Secret sauce: He hits fewer fly balls — smart, because he’s not a power hitter
- Crazy stat: .414 BABIP since July 1 (that’s "batting average on balls in play" — basically, everything he puts in play turns into a hit)
- Statcast says: Expected batting average (.325) is still elite, even if the real number (.377) is lucky
- New approach: Swinging less, walking more, working deep counts
- Catch: Zero power — but if you need batting average and on-base %, he’s gold
ELI5: Imagine a guy who never swings at bad pitches, puts the ball in play every time, and sprints to first base. That’s Kwan.
Zac Veen, OF, Rockies
The "Lottery Ticket" with Upside
- Who he is: Top prospect with power + speed combo (24 HR, 18 SB in 100 Triple-A games)
- Why Colorado helps: Coors Field = more home runs
- The risk: He strikes out a lot — "anti-Kwan" approach
- Key number: 12.4% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A (if he keeps this in MLB, he’ll be great)
- Reality check: That low strikeout rate probably won’t last
- Best case: Catches a hot streak while pitchers figure him out
- Long-term: Skeptical, but short-term lightning in a bottle possible
Brady House, 3B, Nationals
The Young Slugger with Tools
- Age: 23 — dynasty league gold
- The bad: Strikes out a lot
- The good: When he connects, he CRUSHES it
- 14.3% barrel rate (top-tier)
- 57.1% hard-hit rate (elite)
- Current line: .270/.324/.413 since late July call-up
- Expected stats even better: .298 xBA, .507 xSLG
- Bonus: Hitting in the middle of a good lineup = more RBI chances
- Verdict: More for dynasty, but redraft managers can dream on a second-half breakout
SELL: Players to Move While They Have Value
Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates
Funk Since the All-Star Break
- Red flags since break:
- Chasing more bad pitches
- Swinging less at strikes
- Missing more (14% swinging-strike rate vs 11.5% before)
- Recent games: Looked better — give him one more week
- If it’s a blip: Move on
Teoscar Hernández, OF, Dodgers
Wearing Down in Second Half
- Power outage: 4.5% barrel rate last 30 days (was 10.3% before)
- Lucky: Batted-ball luck masked the decline
- Lineup demotion: Hitting bottom-third = fewer runs/RBI
- Skills intact: Bat speed, exit velocity, launch angle all normal
- Verdict: Might bounce back, but dropping interest outside deep leagues
Framber Valdez, SP, Tigers
What You See Is What You Get
- Since July: High-4s ERA
- Missing bats? No — 17.1% K-rate, 9.4% BB-rate (fifth-starter numbers)
- Stuff hasn’t vanished — could tweak something
- But: This is likely his rest-of-season level
HOLD: Don’t Drop, Don’t Trade — Just Wait
William Contreras, C, Brewers
Ugly Month, But Catcher Scarcity Saves Him
- Since break: .172 average, .323 slugging — yikes
- Why hold?
- Still hitting balls hard (11% barrel rate)
- BABIP unlucky — should normalize
- Bat speed & sprint speed normal
- Catcher position is thin — replacement options are worse
- Fatigue factor? Caught nearly every day + playoff runs last year (like Cal Raleigh)
- Verdict: Hang on — he’ll be roster-worthy rest of year
Cole Carrigg, OF, Rockies
Fun Five-Category Guy
- Skills: Speed, switch-hitter, low strikeouts, sneaky bat speed
- Current: .350 BABIP (unsustainable — will drop)
- Even "worse" version: Still decent 5-category production
- Steal potential: Can rack up bags when playing
- Verdict: Hold — useful bench piece
Jacob Lopez, SP, Athletics
Legitimately Improved
- Last 7 starts: 3.13 ERA, 28.1% K-rate, 8.5% BB-rate — ace numbers
- Stuff+ jumped: 93 → 103 (above average!)
- Luck factors: Low BABIP, high strand rate — but process improved too
- Caveats: One meltdown vs Yankees removed from sample; Oakland park is scary
- Verdict: Actually pitching well — hold and start with confidence
HITTER ADDS: Category Specialists (Most <20% Rostered in Yahoo)
For Batting Average
| Player | Team | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff McNeil | ATH | 1B/2B | Classic contact hitter |
| Nathaniel Lowe | CLE | 1B | High floor, steady average |
| Luis Rengifo | SD | 3B/OF | Mini hot streak — ride it |
| Andruw Monasterio | BOS | 2B/SS | Working for now, don’t overthink |
For Home Runs
| Player | Team | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Báez | STL | OF | Not in your league yet — but monitor for next year! Tools = stud potential |
| Abimelec Ortiz | WAS | 1B | Power + contact vs righties; playing time unclear |
| Andrés Chaparro | WAS | 1B | Ortiz’s platoon mate — mashes righties, sits vs lefties |
| Taylor Trammell | HOU | OF | Deep leagues only — selling out for power |
For Steals
| Player | Team | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Walls | TB | SS | Pure speed specialist |
| Cole Carrigg | COL | OF | See above — multi-category |
| Garrett Mitchell | MIL | OF | Losing time vs lefties, but steals when in lineup |
For Runs & RBI
| Player | Team | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brady House | WAS | 3B | See Buy section — middle of lineup |
| Braden Montgomery | CHW | OF | Hitting harder lately, moved up in order |
| Jung Hoo Lee | SF | OF | Cold streak won’t last — counting stats coming |
PITCHER ADDS: Category Specialists
Check the weekly bullpen column for reliever deep-dives!
For Strikeouts
| Player | Team | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Scott | NYM | SP | High K upside |
| Jacob Lopez | ATH | SP | See Hold section — legitimately good now |
| Gage Jump | ATH | SP | How bad do you need Ks? High risk/reward |
For Wins
| Player | Team | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | 8 straight quality starts (5+ IP, ≤3 ER), just 1 win — bad luck, not bad pitching |
| Dustin May | MIL | SP | Shook off blowups, back to quality innings |
For ERA Help
| Player | Team | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Scherzer | TOR | SP | Future HOFer looking like himself post-injury |
| Hunter Dobbins | STL | SP | "Kitchen-sinking" (mixing pitches well) → weak contact → great streamer |
For WHIP Help
| Player | Team | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Mahle | ATL | SP | Throws three fastballs (none blazing), barely uses slider — weird but works! |
| Robert Gasser | MIL | SP | Great control lately — watch for breakout |
| Bradgley Rodriguez | SD | RP/SP | SP/RP eligible in many formats — elite ratios, often 2 IP = win chances |
KEY TAKEAWAYS (Important Points)
TL;DR — Most Important Moves This Week
- Grab Kwan if you need average/OBP — he’s the real deal again
- Sell high on Hernández if someone believes the name — skills fading
- Hold Contreras — catcher scarcity > bad month
- Stream Dobbins & Rodriguez — ratio helpers widely available
- Speculate on Veen/House only if you can afford a roster spot flop
- Nola’s wins will come — process is elite, results lagging
SUMMARY
| Action | Players | Why |
|---|---|---|
| BUY | Kwan, Veen, House | Kwan = average god; Veen = lottery ticket; House = young power |
| SELL | Reynolds, Hernández, Valdez | Reynolds slumping; Hernández fading; Valdez = 5th starter stuff |
| HOLD | Contreras, Carrigg, Lopez | Contreras = catcher floor; Carrigg = 5-cat bench; Lopez = legit improved |
| ADD (Hitters) | McNeil, Lowe, Walls, Montgomery, Lee | Category specialists widely available |
| ADD (Pitchers) | Nola, Dobbins, Scott, Rodriguez | Wins, ERA, Ks, WHIP — all covered |
FAQ
Q: What is BABIP and why does it matter?
A: BABIP = Batting Average on Balls In Play. It measures how often a ball hit into the field becomes a hit. League average is ~.300. Kwan’s .414 is insanely lucky — but his expected stats (.325 xBA) show he’s still elite even without luck.
Q: What does "barrel rate" mean?
A: A "barrel" is a batted ball with the perfect combo of exit velocity and launch angle — basically, a hit that should be a home run or extra-base hit. Higher barrel rate = more power potential. House at 14.3% is elite.
Q: Should I drop a star player having a bad month?
A: Almost never. Stars like Contreras have track records. A bad month at a scarce position (catcher) is worth riding out. Drop streamers and speculative adds first.
Q: What’s a "streamer" in fantasy baseball?
A: A pitcher you pick up for one start (or a few), then drop. Look for guys facing bad offenses, in pitcher-friendly parks, or with recent good form — like Hunter Dobbins.
Q: How do I know if a hot streak is real or fake?
A: Check the underlying stats:
- High barrel rate + hard-hit rate = real power
- Low chase rate + high contact rate = real average
- High BABIP + low expected stats = likely luck
- Improved Stuff+ / command metrics = real pitching gains
Good luck this week! Remember: 25% of the season left = plenty of time to make your move.