Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 6
It's waiver time. One of the keys to any fantasy success is not only nailing your draft, but scouring that waiver wire for players who can give your team a boost. Even though fantasy baseball can be a really long season, it's key to scour those waivers and take it week-by-week to cement your fantasy status.
The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and could give your team a lift as you start off the season. It's never too early to consider some adds and drops for your team.
Nick Senzel - Cincinnati Reds (3B/OF)
OK, so I'm breaking the rule of talking about just guys who are under 50% owned. That's because Nick Senzel of the Cincinnati Reds is so talented, if he's available, you need to run to waiver wire immediately and scoop him up.
If you are unfamiliar with the Reds' mega prospect, Senzel was drafted out of the University of Tennessee with the second overall pick in 2016, and the dude flat out rakes. Last season in Double-A, over 193 plate appearances, he blasted his way to a .389 wOBA, six homers, and eight steals.
It's likely Senzel mans centerfield, giving him some additional roster flexibility, and the Reds cut Matt Kemp and demoted Scott Schebler, so playing time shouldn't be an issue. Snap up Senzel if he's available.
Nate Lowe - Tampa Bay Rays (1B)
It's refreshing that teams are ignoring the Super-2 deadline and calling up their studs, and that's just what the Tampa Bay Rays did with Nathaniel Lowe.
While Senzel is probably a better pure hitter and showcases a nice power-speed combo, Lowe is all about the long ball. In 2018, he smacked 27 home runs across three different levels.
If you play in on-base percentage (OBP) leagues, Lowe ain't a one-trick pony, either. He's a disciplined batter, as evidenced by his 15.6% walk rate in Double-A last season. Lowe owns double-digit walk rates in every minor league stop but one.
If you are coming up short in the home run category, check out Lowe.
Alex Verdugo - Los Angeles Dodgers (OF)
Yahoo Ownership: 26%
With A.J. Pollock of the Los Angeles Dodgers set to miss significant time following elbow surgery, folks may be scrambling to fill the positional hole created with his absence. Savvy owners, though, will take a look at the multi-dimensional Alex Verdugo, and adding him may not put you in too bad of a spot.
Never guaranteed a whole lot of playing time thanks to LA's glut of options, Verdugo is primed for a breakout. He kind of does everything pretty well. Over his minor league career, he's posted wOBA marks of .330 or higher in every stop. So far this season in the bigs, he owns a .411 wOBA in 85 plate appearances.
He won't likely put up prodigious home run or steal numbers, but he should provide a little bit of both. Last season in the minors, over 379 plate appearances, Verdugo popped 10 home runs and eight steals, and he's already got four homers to his name in 2019.
With what seems like a clear path to playing time, check out the underrated Verdugo.
Anthony DeSclafani - Cincinnati Reds (SP)
Make no mistake about it -- the 2019 Reds have been an absolute mess. Their offense is one of the worst in the league, and they have struggled to get consistent starting pitching.
One player who has held his own is Anthony DeSclafani. Over six starts and 31 innings pitched, the righty owns an impressive 27.7% strikeout rate and 10.4% swinging-strike rate.
DeSclafani has massively lowered his hard-hit rate from last year's 41.9% mark to 33.8% so far in 2019 by upping his curveball usage dramatically. Fold in two juicy matchups against the horrific San Francisco Giants this upcoming week, and he could be a huge shot in the arm for fantasy rotations.
