Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Week 18
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 search 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.
Manny Margot - San Diego Padres (OF)
Yahoo Ownership: 20%
The outfield can be a particularly vexing position to fill, and there are plenty of ups and downs as the long fantasy season rolls on. If you are looking to fill a speed gap, Manuel Margot of the San Diego Padres is a great option who is barely owned.
With Wil Myers floundering, the Padres have turned their outfield duties over to Margot, Hunter Renfroe, and Franmil Reyes, and the speedy Margot has been going off. In the last month, he has blazed his way to a .398 on-base percentage (OBP), including three homers and six steals.
He also has been occupying a premium spot in the batting order, typically hitting second, sandwiched nicely between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. As the Friars make their playoff push, Margot should be a big part of it, and he's worth tossing in your fantasy lineups.
Rougned Odor - Texas Rangers (2B)
Yahoo Ownership: 48%
Another year, and another horrific slump to begin the season for Rougned Odor. But just like that heat is starting to get turned up a few notches in Texas, the second baseman is getting red-hot at the dish.
Lest you forgot, Odor was absolutely brutal in 2018 pre-All Star Break, rocking a .239 batting average, .697 OPS, and six home runs in 262 plate appearances before exploding for 12 jacks and a more respectable .801 OPS down the stretch. It looks like 2019 is following the same script. In the last week, Odor has bombed his way to a five-game hitting streak, four home runs, and a 1.364 OPS.
It's obviously a very small sample, but it's eerie how the similarities to last year ring true again. If you need help up the middle, Odor could be a perfect match for your team.
Jose Urquidy - Houston Astros (SP)
Yahoo Ownership: 22%
Anyone who gets to pitch for one of the best teams in baseball -- which the Houston Astros certainly are -- deserves a long look. When you rip off back-to-back impressive starts like Jose Urquidy has done, we have to take notice.
The 24-year old righty started slowly in his first few starts, but to be fair, they were against two tough offenses in the Los Angeles Angels and a road clash against the Colorado Rockies. But his last two starts have been brilliant, going 13 innings with 15 strikeouts, allowing only eight baserunners and three earned runs.
This swing-and-miss ability is something Urquidy has flashed across all of his minor-league stops, too. This year in both Double-A and Triple-A, he cracked a strikeout rate of at least 30%, and he's been solid at all of his stops. Assuming he sticks in the rotation, which isn't a given with the trade deadline looming, Urquidy is definitely worth an add.
Will Smith - Los Angeles Dodgers (C)
Yahoo Ownership: 13%
With incumbent backstop Austin Barnes demoted to Triple-A, Will Smith should see the lion's share of playing time behind the dish for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Is he worth the investment?
Yes, yes, and yes -- run to your waiver wires immediately to pick him up. Smith is a mega hitting prospect behind the dish and a former first-round draft pick. He's excelled at every stop. While he's likely to swing and miss a bunch, Smith has ripped 20 dingers in each of his last two seasons, and he hit that mark this year in only 268 Triple-A appearances.
Smith is a no-brainer add in two-catcher formats, but even in single-catcher leagues, he's worth picking up.
