Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Waiver Wire MUST ADDS! Austin Hays Picking Things Back Up! (9/9 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Let's talk through some shallow league waiver wire ads. Up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express. Welcome in to FBT Express on Tuesday, September 9th. I am Frank Stample, joined by Scott White, and let's take a look at mostly Waverwire hitters today. But Royce Lewis, a big game here on Monday, two for five with a double dong, four RBI. Last 20 games, he's hitting 273 with seven homers, six steals,

Starting point is 00:00:26 and OPS around 850. and we've seen flashes of brilliance from Royce Lewis in the past. He's 71% rostered again, you know, maybe some 10 team leagues or some shallow 12 team leagues. But Scott, how do you feel about Royce Lewis potentially ending the season on a high note? Yeah, maybe. It could. It is a little bit of arbitrary endpoints we're working with here in that 20 game sample to get them up to seven homers. Because, you know, if you make it a, if you make it a, if you make it a,

Starting point is 00:00:58 a 14 game sample suddenly doesn't look nearly as good. But yeah, he has some ability. He's better than he's shown most of this season. He plays the position third base where a lot of teams have a need. I don't love the twins matchups for the final two weeks of the season.

Starting point is 00:01:16 We just started the third to last week of season. We got two more. I don't love them moving forward. So if you don't have a need at third base, like you're just looking for a hitter, a utility player or whatever. I don't know that Royce Lewis would be my first choice, but he's at least showing signs of life.

Starting point is 00:01:33 And he had to eventually. All right, I have some shallow league outfielders here as well. T.J. Friedel, two for five with a home run and a steel here on Monday. He has looked better in September so far. Junghu Lee three for four with his eighth homer, hitting 315 in the second half. Kind of empty stats, though. Dylan Cruz, three for five with his eighth homer for RBI.

Starting point is 00:01:55 maybe a sign that he's going to finish strong. And then Austin Hayes, two for four with his 15th home run and over the past couple of weeks he has really, really turned things back on. Scott, how would you rank those four? Hayes, Dylan Cruz, J. Hulie, and T.J. Friedel.

Starting point is 00:02:11 I got to say, Hayes at the top of the list. I mean, he's been pretty great all season long for fantasy. There was kind of a rough patch to begin the second half. but he's he's picked it up again and he's the most available of these players I believe, right? Yeah, just 41% rostered. Yeah, it's kind of crazy.

Starting point is 00:02:35 I don't think the Reds matchup for the final two weeks are amazing, but they're not so bad. So he would be at the top of the list. In Points Leagues, I'd probably go with Junghulie second, but it is such a hollow batting average. that I'm not sure he registers in categories league. So I might give the edge to Dylan Cruz over him. Obviously, it's just one game, one huge game for Dylan Cruz. And so, you know, if he goes hitless in his next four, well, suddenly he's not looking that interesting anymore.

Starting point is 00:03:10 But if this is the start of something, if he closes out this week, well, then I do like the Nationals matchups for the final two weeks of the season, for their hitters specifically. and I think, you know, we have, Dylan Cruz has a lot of upside, that laden upside, that maybe, maybe he's going to tap into here to close out this season with the favorable matchups.

Starting point is 00:03:30 Austin Hayes, by the way, his last 23 games, hitting 306 with five homers, 20 RBI, two steals, 91.7 average exit velocity. So definitely making some noise and looking like he's going to finish strong once again here. That is Austin Hayes. Let's take a quick break. We'll be back right.

Starting point is 00:03:48 after this. Welcome back in FBT Express. Scott, I have two of your sleeper hitters for this week that are off to a good start already. Luis Garcia Jr. went two for four with two walks and his 13th home run. He's looked much better as of late. And Kyle Manzardo three for four with a double two RBI has a 281 batting average 903 OPS here in the second half. They're both below 70% rostered. Do you think that number should be higher for either both? Should they be more like universally rostered players for the final couple weeks? Well, because of the timing of this question, I'm going to say, no, they're probably as rostered as they need to be.

Starting point is 00:04:28 I think Kyle Monsardo is better than 51%, which is where he's at. But the Guardians matchups for the final two weeks are among the worst as far as hitters go. So I can't see myself recommending him as a hitter to stream in the half of CBS board. leagues where he'd be available. So even though, yes, he deserves to be ranked higher in a general sense, I think the specifics here make that not the case. Luis Garcia is a little more rostered, two-thirds of CBS Sports Leagues. And I do like the Nationals matchups for hitters down the stretch.

Starting point is 00:05:06 I pointed out with Dylan Cruz a second ago, but you do have to play the matchups more with Cruz. He sits against left-handers and on occasion when he starts against them doesn't do very well. So you really want a lot of righties on the schedule for Luis Garcia to be useful. And it's harder to say for sure if that's going to be true for him the final two weeks. I have a name in deeper leagues here, Scott. You've referenced that the nationals have really good matchups the rest of the way. Here on Monday, Josh Bell, four for six with two homers and six RBI. Can you maybe see Josh Bell making an impact here? Only in deeper leagues where you need a corner

Starting point is 00:05:40 theater or whatever it might be. I could see it in deeper leagues and he's widely available about 80% of CBS leagues. You could pick up Josh Bell. With this big performance, 4 for 6 with two home runs on Monday, his second half slash line is now 260, 364, 473. Sounds pretty good.

Starting point is 00:05:59 Eight home runs in the second half. It looks a lot better just based on this one big game. It was still an okay slash line for the second half prior to him, but it's gone from okay to good with just this one game for Josh Bell. So I don't want to go overboard, Rick. I'm recommending them even with the Nationals having favorable hitting matchups the final two weeks.

Starting point is 00:06:20 But if you're in one of the deeper 30 to 40% of CBS Sports Leagues, he might actually be available in those and be worth a look in that case. We did get confirmation that Daniel Palencia is going on the IL with a right shoulder strain. And sounds like Brad Keller will take over as the Cubs closer. he's only 18% rostered. Scott, I think if you need saves, Brad Keller has pitched really well this year for what should be a good team with the Chicago Cubs. I think he is one of the most obvious replacements

Starting point is 00:06:55 or just a must-add player if you need saves at this point in the season. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, for a playoff-bound team, and if there really are no competitors there, if it truly is not going to be a committee situation, it's just going to be Brad Keller handling the role. I would be surprised if there was a better saves option than that to emerge rest of season. So this might be your last shot at maybe getting,

Starting point is 00:07:23 I mean, from today on, theoretically, maybe he could give you half a dozen saves. That would obviously require a lot to go right. But that's your best shot at it from this point forward, I would say. All right. For more extensive fantasy baseball coverage, listen to our full lane podcast Fantasy Baseball today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are found.

Starting point is 00:07:44 Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express, and we will be back again on Thursday. Bye-bye. Mount Podcasts.

Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Waiver Wire MUST ADDS! Austin Hays Picking Things Back Up! (9/9 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

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