Fantasy Baseball 2019 Week 18 Waiver Wire Adds

Coming out of the trade deadline, new roles and more playing time opened up for players, making them must-adds to your fantasy baseball team.

The trade deadline came and went. There were a lot of trades that affected the fantasy baseball landscape, which I recap here. If you were outbit on the players that switched leagues, there are plenty of widely available players you can still add to make your team better.

We are finishing up with Week 18. The fantasy baseball playoffs are just around the corner. Some leagues have their trade deadline coming up. If you can work a trade or two to improve your roster, now is the time to start those talks. If you like your core roster and just need to upgrade one or two spots, the waiver wire is where to go.

All of the players on this list are available in at least 65 percent of ESPN leagues. I listed three hitters, two starting pitchers and a reliever to give a bit of variety.

Anthony Santander, BAL

The Baltimore offense is not that bad. They have solid pieces throughout the lineup. Santander has stepped up recently, hitting .333 with four home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs over the last two weeks.

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Santander has been listed in almost every spot in the batting order. He spent the majority of time hitting fourth or fifth but has recently been hitting third. Those are both good spots to make contact and drive in runs.

The Orioles may not win a lot of games but they can score a good amount of runs.

Miguel Sano, MIN

Sano has been a big help to the Twins lineup since coming back from Triple-A in May. Over the last month, he’s hit .294 with six home runs, 16 RBI, 17 runs and a 30:15 K:BB ratio.

He’s been batting either fifth or seventh in recent games. With the depth of the Twins lineup, Sano stilll has good opportunities to accumulate stats.

It’s surprising to find out that Sano is just 26 years old. He’s had his ups and downs in his career. If he can keep it going, Sano can have an amazing career. If you need the power stats, Sano is worth the add to your fantasy team.

Austin Nola, SEA

While everyone is looking at Will Smith, Nola is proving himself to be a valuable catcher in his own right. Nola joined the Mariners in mid-June and has been solid ever since. He has a .356 average with four home runs and 10 RBI.

Nola has both catcher and first-base eligibility in ESPN leagues with him being three games away from earning second base as well. Having that kind of flexibility is always welcome on my fantasy teams.

The only negative to owning Nola is that he hits down in the Seattle lineup, limiting his at-bats. Though, he does have back-to-back three-hit games.

Zac Gallen, ARI

Gallen was one of the many victims of the trade deadline. In a surprising move, the Marlins traded one of their countless starting pitchers for a shortstop prospect. Gallen had a 2.72 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, 43:18 K:BB ratio and 1-3 record with Miami.

Gallen will join a team that gives him a better chance to win. Though, facing the Dodgers and Rockies are not favorable matchups and pitching in Chase Field has not been the pitcher’s park we thought it would be this season.

Funny enough, Gallen will make his first start for the Diamondbacks on August 5 against the Marlins.

Drew Smyly, PHI

The Phillies added Jason Vargas to their rotation at the deadline but their biggest move could be the addition of Smyly. He has a 0.69 ERA, 0.849 WHIP, 13:3 K:BB ratio and 1-0 record in two starts with the Phillies so far.

He has back-to-back quality starts with one earned run and a combined eight hits, facing the Pirates and Giants in those two games. With the struggles the rest of the Phillies rotation have been to, Smyly will likely remain in the rotation for the rest of the season.

He makes his next start on August 4 at home against the White Sox, a favorable matchup for the veteran.

Jake Diekman, OAK

The Oakland bullpen has undergone some changes this month. When Blake Treinen landed on the IL, Liam Hendriks took over the closer role and never looked back. He is 7-for-10 in saves this month.

In order to strengthen their bullpen, the A’s acquired left-hander Diekman from Kansas City. He has a 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB ratio in his last 15 games. With Oakland in reach of a Wild Card spot, Diekman will get a lot of work as the lefty specialist.

If you use holds in your league, and you should with saves not as easy to find, Diekman will get a lot of work.

Next. MLB DFS Picks and Pivots: August 2 – Gingergaards debut. dark

The waiver wire continues to lose value as the season rolls on. It takes a keen eye to find value even in the lowest owned players. Even for a week, those players could help you in the push for a championship.

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