Fantasy Baseball: Week 19 Waiver Wire Additions

Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season is upon us. Playoffs are here for some and right around the corner for others. So, make the right waiver wire moves.

We are now in the latter portion of the fantasy season. It hurts to say, but it is true. It is time to make the necessary moves for your team as they head towards playoffs or entering playoffs for that matter. If your playoff match ups are two weeks long, like some are, they are beginning this upcoming week. These are some solid waiver wire moves you can make for your team gear up for a playoff run.

1. Joseph Musgrove (SP) – Astros

My number one waiver wire add heading into week 19 will be Houston Astros young starting pitcher, Joe Musgrove. Musgrove has really impressed in his first three MLB starts of his career. In fact, he’s dominated. Just to get an idea of what he has done in 18.1 innings of work, he has an astounding 1.47 ERA. He has given up just three runs in that time.

Musgrove is averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per start depending on your scoring settings. Regardless, he has shown more than encouraging signs throughout his first three starts. He has made his way up the ranks this year starting the season all the way down in Double-A. He then moved his way up to Triple-A and now the MLB. The 23-year-old has only gotten better with each promotion.

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Musgrove is still available in over 50% of ESPN leagues out there and can make a great addition to your squad. The right-hander has already struck out 21 batters. Averaging more than a K per inning is highly impressive and is worth noting. His WHIP currently stands at 0.76, which is well above average. Look for Musgrove on your waiver wire. He will only get better.

2. Braden Shipley (SP) – Diamondbacks

My second waiver wire acquisition for week 19 is another young pitcher who has impressed thus far this season. Branden Shipley now has four MLB starts under his belt and appears to be getting the feel at this level. After a slow first start, which wasn’t even that bad from the fantasy perspective, Shipley has thrown three straight quality starts.

The 24-year-old has indeed shown encouraging signs thus far on the major league level. He is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA to go along with 17 strikeouts. Shipley has had two starts already where he has not allowed an earned run, against the Dodgers and the Mets respectively.

Shipley is owned in just 8.6 percent of leagues. He ranks just outside the top 10 in fantasy points for starting pitchers in the past two weeks. Shipley can be a nice addition to your team, at the very least a back-end of the rotation starter. He has good enough control with his pitches to keep him in the positive end for fantasy points. He will also have two starts this upcoming week.

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3. Ryan Schimpf (2B) – Padres

Ryan Schimpf is a 28-year-old rookie who has shown some tremendous power since coming up from the minors. Schimpf was a highly touted prospect and is now making a name for himself in an MLB uniform. So far on the season, Schimpf has not hit for a great average, but is racking up the fantasy points through his home runs and RBI.

He has a .219 batting average with 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and 28 runs scored. He initially came up in mid-June, where he had a very slow start, resulting in his sub-par batting average at the moment. However, over the past two weeks, Schimpf ranks in the top 10 for fantasy second basemen in terms of points. He is averaging roughly three points per game in this span.

Schimpf will be playing against two last place teams this week, so he will have a chance to score some points there. He has three home runs and 11 RBI in recent games. Schimpf is owned in just 8.7 percent of leagues, so he too is readily available. His power can give your team a great boost in the coming weeks.

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All of these players have been producing a rapid rates currently and can help your team close off the season. Now is the time to really gear up and show what your team can do. These acquisitions can do just that. Good luck to you all.