Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 14
The waiver wire has plenty of goodies available for the taking, so let's try to get a leg up on our fellow league members and make some moves where needed.
The four players below are all owned in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues and could give your squad a shot in the arm as we move through June.
Zach Eflin - Philadelphia Phillies (SP)
So far in his major league career, Zach Eflin has never really stuck in the big leagues. He's thrown 63 1/3 innings and 64 1/3 innings, respectively, in each of his two MLB seasons prior to 2018. And those came with mixed results as he recorded a 5.54 ERA in 2016 and 6.16 ERA in 2017, partnered with 11.4% and 12.5% strikeout rates.
While that's not going to get the job done, 2018 has been a whole new ballgame for the Philadelphia Phillies' righty. This year, he's 6-2 with a 3.02 ERA over 56 2/3 innings, including a much healthier 24.5% strikeout rate. The strikeout rate doesn't appear to be a fluke, either, as he's posted a career-best 10.5% swinging-strike rate to go along with it.
Eflin's 3.67 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) shows these results are no joke, and he's worth adding in most formats.
Brent Suter - Milwaukee Brewers (SP)
Not to be confused with the legendary closer, Brent Suter has manned a rotation spot for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he's performed well in 2018.
Over 15 starts and 88 1/3 innings pitched, Suter has fired a 4.07 SIERA, 20.0% strikeout rate, and 9.6% swinging-strike rate. One of Suter's best qualities is his exceptional command -- he throws a ton of strikes, including working ahead in the count (69.4% first-pitch strike rate), and he walks very few hitters (4.9% walk rate).
Suter's also done a nice job of limiting hard contact, as well, as he's given up only a 31.7% hard-hit rate. He's a worthwhile add in deeper formats.
Kiké Hernandez - Los Angeles Dodgers (2B/SS/OF)
Typically a utility bat against left-handed pitchers for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kiké Hernandez has been very strong so far in 2018. With him finding additional ways to get into the lineup, now may be a decent time to add him to your teams.
On the season (230 plate appearances), Hernandez has blasted his way to a .246 isolated power (ISO), which would be a career-best mark over a full year, and he's already notched a career-best 14 home runs. He's also continued to show solid plate discipline, walking 10.4% of the time.
If your roster needs a little bit of pop and a guy who can be rostered at multiple positions, Hernandez makes for a solid bet, especially when he's facing a southpaw.
Gerardo Parra - Colorado Rockies (OF)
With an offense like the Colorado Rockies, you often want to get as much exposure to it as possible, and it's nice when that exposure is cheap. In Gerardo Parra, we have an outfielder who often bats in the top six of the batting order (49 starts in the top six), and he's available in many leagues.
This season, spanning 261 plate appearances, the lefty-hitting outfielder has been solid with a .331 weighted on-base average (wOBA), including a 36.6% hard-hit rate. Parra struggles significantly against left-handed hurlers (.198 wOBA in the split), but when a righty takes the bump, his .378 wOBA and 41.3% hard-hit rate are something we can get behind.
Even if it's just playing the matchups, Parra makes for a very solid option in one of your back-end outfield slots, and his value obviously gets a lift when the Rockies are playing at home.
