Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 24
With the 2021 baseball season wrapping up, nailing the waiver wire and the players available are critical to beating out your league-mates in season-long leagues.
Each week we will take a look at players who are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues and can help out your season-long squads. Remember, if you aren’t scouring the waiver wire, you are falling behind.
Joe Ryan, SP, Minnesota Twins
Roster Percentage: 11%
One of the mega pieces in the Nelson Cruz deal that sent the bopper over to the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Ryan has a nice matchup this week versus the Cleveland Indians.
Ryan showcased some elite skills in Triple-A this season. Over 12 appearances and 57 innings, he ripped off a 34.9% strikeout rate and 15.6% swinging-strike rate.
He did give up a few runs in his major league debut this past week -- three to the Chicago Cubs -- but the track record and matchup make him enticing. Cleveland has been better of late, but they're just 19th in wOBA (.309) for the season.
If you are scrambling for an arm, consider Ryan.
Giovanny Gallegos, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 49%
Let's take another spin on the closer carousel, shall we?
Giovanny Gallegos appears to have nabbed the St. Louis Cardinals' closing job in the short term. With teammate Alex Reyes absolutely melting down, Gallegos slammed down back-to-back save opportunities this week. Gallegos' stuff has never been in question, and he's got owns a 0.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
Now with the closer's job, he deserves a long look.
Brandon Belt, 1B, San Francisco Giants
Roster Percentage: 19%
This statistic honestly stunned me a bit, but here we go -- Brandon Belt ripped his 20th homer of the season, and that was the first time (!) in his career he's ever hit that mark.
Belt has always been a solid producer in many formats, posting a .425 OBP last season. He carries particular appeal this week. He starts the week with a three-game set in Coors Field, and that's followed by seeing what looks like two righties in Chicago.
Belt is a great add for this week.
Leody Taveras, OF, Texas Rangers
Roster Percentage: 12%
Another year, another relationship with Leody Taveras. Sigh.
Look, Taveras is not a good hitter in real life. Like at all. But he provides a very valuable commodity -- speed. He has five swipes in his last seven games, and with Yonny Hernandez really struggling atop the Texas Rangers' lineup, Taveras could see himself up there soon.
I'm not advocating that Taveras is a star, but if you need some swipes, he could be your guy.
Notable Two-Start Pitchers to Consider This Week
Bailey Ober (MIN) -- at CLE, vs. KC
Andre Jackson (LAD) -- at STL, vs. SD
Games in Coors Field This Week
Three -- San Francisco Giants.
