MLB

6 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

Gerardo Parra is locked in and batting high in Milwaukee's order. This should put him on your fantasy radar.

This cupboard isn't bare yet, fam. There are still plenty of contributors out there on the waiver wire we can pilfer to give our rosters a boost prior to the All-Star break.

Whether it be because of a change in their role, returning from an injury, or the injury of a teammate, each of the guys below possesses higher value than he had even just a month previous. We just have to hop on before that value evaporates.

As a note, I generally make the cut-off for these recommendations at guys owned in one-third or fewer of all ESPN leagues. This means we miss out on Miguel Sano after his mid-week call-up. If you're in one of the over 50 percent of ESPN leagues in which he's available, he's a solid high-upside add to consider (and he's shortstop-eligible on Yahoo!). Without further ado, here are the rest of guys who could provide your roster the kick in the pants it needs.

Gerardo Parra, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

If you play daily fantasy baseball, you are probably aware of the types of nastiness Gerardo Parra has been dishing out lately. His production would look pretty sweet on your season-long roster, too.

Parra started seeing consistent starts in the outfield (as opposed to pinch-hitting duties) around May 29th. Since that game, he was batting .321/.366/.471 with four bombs and 21 runs scored entering yesterday. Then he went out and picked up another blast in Sunday's contest. Being at the top of the order should help him sustain his high run totals, especially if the Brewers' offense continues to trend in the right way.

Parra did not have a good season last year, hitting .261/.308/.369 with 9 home runs in 574 plate appearances. That came with a hard-hit rate of just 27.5 percent. This year, however, he has popped that all the way up to 34.0 percent (the league average is 28.5 percent). He should be due for some minor regression with his BABIP up at .349, but his hard-hit rate indicates that his success is far from a fluke.

Marlon Byrd, OF, Cincinnati Reds

It is no easy task trying to find home runs on the waiver wire in July. If your team is hurting for that pop, increase the average age of your roster by about three years with the addition of 37-year-old Marlon Byrd.

There aren't a lot of things that Byrd excels at in his advanced age, but power is still one of them. Since coming off of the disabled list on June 19th, Byrd has a .536 slugging percentage with four home runs. He's hitting at a decent spot in the order for run production, fluctuating between fifth and sixth, so he'll be able to contribute in the RBI department behind guys such as Joey Votto and Todd Frazier. He's nothing spectacular, but that doesn't mean he can't help.

David Peralta, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

I've pumped David Peralta on here previously, but with the caveat of only in leagues in which you set your roster daily for when he sits against lefties. But with Ender Inciarte on the shelf, Peralta's playing time has become more consistent, and he has become more ownable as a result.

Another point of encouragement for Peralta is that he seems as though he is improving against lefties. He possesses a 35.7 percent hard-hit rate against them in his 43 plate appearances this year, leading to a .256/.326/.410. That's not Earth-shattering, but it's good enough where he won't be killing your rate categories when he's left in to face a lefty. Additionally, it could lead to a larger share of the time in the outfield when Inciarte returns.

Basically, he's a solid hitter who often bats in front of a guy as good as Paul Goldschmidt in a park conducive to runs and long balls. He should be owned in far more than 12.9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wilin Rosario, C/1B, Colorado Rockies

Wilin Rosario has two things going for him. First, he plays his home games at Coors. Score! Second, he's eligible at catcher. What a beautiful combination.

With how he has been hitting lately, Rosario has been snatching playing time from Ben Paulsen with Justin Morneau out. He has capitalized with a .296/.318/.461 slash overall and a .378/.410/.541 slash since June 23rd. That'll work.

Obviously, in a situation like this with Rosario competing for plate appearances, he's going to miss some games. But aren't you already dealing with that predicament with most other guys that are catcher eligible? This inclines me to deal with that downside and jump on the production I get while he is on the field.

Andrew Heaney, SP, Los Angeles Angels

My goodness, it would be so much fun if Andrew Heaney were still on the Marlins. Pairing him with Jose Fernandez would be straight fire emoji. Instead, Heaney's in Los Angeles, and he has looked mighty fine nonetheless.

A quick look at Heaney's plate discipline peripherals will make the most hardened soul weep with joy. He has picked up 12.9 percent of his strikes via the whiff, which would be tied for ninth in the league if he had the innings to qualify. Opponents are making contact on 71.6 percent of their swings; that would be good for sixth in the league with a larger sample size. Homie could be on the verge of a breakout.

One little addition to the Heaney endorsement: his first two starts have come against the Yankees and Astros, who rank fourth and 12th in the league in wOBA against lefties. Those are solid teams. Outside of the Astros, Heaney pitches in the same division as the teams that rank 22nd, 24th and 25th in wOBA off of south paws. He'll have some sweet match-ups in his future. His next one comes at Coors, so you may want to hold off on inserting him in your lineup, but after that, it's a full-go, cowboy.

Patrick Corbin, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

I really don't like pumping Diamondbacks pitchers with the negative park factor that comes with tossing at Chase Field. Patrick Corbin, however, helps negate that concern with his ability to induce a decent number of ground balls and his track record of success at home.

In his career, Corbin has thrown 166.1 innings at Chase Field. In that time, he has a 2.98 ERA with a 3.33 FIP and a 3.46 xFIP. He's never going to be a high-strikeout guy, but he keeps his walks low enough to warrant consideration.

There's always the trepidation that a guy coming off of Tommy John will struggle out of the gate. Corbin's first start lasted only 76 pitches (he had a pitch limit of 90), which can't do a lot to quell that concern. However, he did throw 56 of those 76 pitches for strikes, so if he's allowed to stretch it out over the next few starts, then we should get a good sense of what he'll provide to this team for the rest of the season.