Waiver Wired: Waiver Wired: Keen on Severino

After perhaps the craziest trade deadline ever, the biggest change in fantasy value came at the closer spot. Drew Storen, Joakim Soria, Tyler Clippard, and Jim Johnson were all closing games prior to the deadline, but they are each pitching in a set-up capacity now. This is what makes forecasting saves so frustrating, but there’s something to be said for unexpected drama and keeping fantasy owners on  their toes. Hopefully you were prepared, but this sort of situation has the potential to open the door in the standings down the stretch. Depending on what side you’re on, that’s pretty cool.

Just a quick note from me: I’ll be on vacation next week, but don’t worry, there will still be Waiver Wired. The excellent Ryan Boyer (@RyanPBoyer) has agreed to fill in. See you again on August 20.

Editor’s Note: Play one-day fantasy baseball for cash! FanDuel is hosting a $60,000 league for Thursday’s MLB games. It’s just $5 to join and first place wins $5,000. Starts tonight at 7:05pm ET. Enter now!

Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.

MIXED LEAGUES

Jimmy Nelson SP, Brewers (Yahoo: 35 percent owned)

We’ve mentioned Nelson here before, but it seems like his success continues to go overlooked in standard mixed leagues. Perhaps we should change that. The 26-year-old has gone three straight starts without allowing an earned run and has a 1.88 ERA over his last eight starts. The progress has been encouraging. While he added a curveball this year, he’s been relying more often on his slider of late. And that’s not a bad thing, as it induces more whiffs than any of his other pitches. He also hasn’t walked more than three batters in a start since way back on May 24. His assignment against the Cardinals this weekend could be a tough one, but he has a soft landing against the Phillies next week.

Rajai Davis OF, Tigers (Yahoo: 30 percent owned)

As I mentioned in this week’s Rotoworld Roundtable, Davis is a winner coming out of last week’s non-waiver trade deadline. With Yoenis Cespedes now with the Mets, the veteran speedster is set to share left field duties with Tyler Collins. I shouldn’t have to give much explanation about why this is a good thing for fantasy owners, as Davis is well known as one of the best speed options out there. The 34-year-old has swiped 15 bases in a part-time role this season and could have a bunch more down the stretch. Make sure to pick him up if you are playing catch up.

Maikel Franco 3B, Phillies (Yahoo: 44 percent owned)

I’m a bit miffed at how Franco isn’t owned in more than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. Sure, he slowed down a bit in July after his monster June, but he has turned things back on of late by batting .308 (12-for-39) with two home runs, six doubles, and 10 RBI over his last 10 games. The 22-year-old doesn’t strike out much, has legit power, and has even walked more often than many expected he would. What’s the hesitation here? He’s already a strong option as a corner infielder and could even be a starting option at third base in deeper formats.

Aaron Nola SP, Phillies (Yahoo: 26 percent owned)

Nola has held his own since his call-up last month, posting a 3.38 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just three walks in 18 2/3 innings across his first three starts. He has also given up four home runs, but perhaps that’s a side effect of working around the plate. With Cole Hamels out of the picture, the 22-year-old might already be the Phillies’ best starting pitcher. Of course, that’s not saying much. The win potential is limited here and the Phillies will likely shut him down at some point in September, but he can help in most mixed leagues already.

Chase Headley 3B/1B, Yankees (Yahoo: 48 percent owned)

The Yankees’ offense has been firing on all cylinders of late and Headley has been right in the middle of it, hitting .368 over his last 25 games. While he has just one home run in that time, he has still done his part for fantasy owners by collecting eight doubles, 16 RBI, and 18 runs scored. His fly ball rate is lower than its ever been, so I’m not sure how much power to expect at this point, but he plays half of his games in a hitter-friendly ballpark and has a great lineup around him. He’s a fine corner infielder option.

Roberto Osuna RP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 44 percent owned)

Digging through relievers this week, I was a little surprised to see that Osuna was still available in more than 50 percent of leagues. Then again, we are getting to the point in the year where some have fallen asleep at the switch and have turned their attention to preparing for fantasy football if they are out of the mix. I get it. Still, Osuna is a must-own in all formats right now. The 20-year-old rookie owns a 2.22 ERA and 53/12 K/BB ratio in 48 2/3 innings this season and has been a steady option at closer since John Gibbons pulled the plug on Brett Cecil in late June. No excuses here. Make sure he’s owned in your league.

Preston Tucker OF, Astros (Yahoo: 14 percent owned)

Tucker was red-hot upon his call-up before fading in June, but he bounced back in a big way last month by hitting .314 with six home runs over 23 games. The 25-year-old rookie owns a .789 OPS on the year, including a .913 OPS against right-handers. The Athletics are throwing all right-handed starters this weekend, just in case you needed an extra push. It will be interesting to see how things shake out once George Springer returns from his fractured right wrist, but we’re likely still a few weeks away from that.

Luis Severino SP, Yankees (Yahoo: 44 percent owned)

While Severino took the loss in his major league debut Wednesday night against the Red Sox, he was still pretty impressive, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings while striking out seven batters and walking none. Asked to fill a rotation spot with Michael Pineda sidelined, the hard-throwing 21-year-old got the call after posting a 2.45 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over 19 starts this season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It’s a lot to ask for him to have success in the big leagues right away, especially while pitching in the American League East, but he has shown good control at every level as well as an ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. Obviously David Ortiz took him deep Wednesday, but he showed enough upside to be worth a pickup in most formats. And just in case you were wondering, I’m not too high on Jon Gray or Henry Owens in mixed leagues right away.

Alex Wilson RP, Tigers (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)

Another winner out of last week’s trade deadline, Wilson is getting the first crack at Detroit’s closer job following the Joakim Soria trade. And why not? The 28-year-old has had a heck of year, posting a 1.75 ERA over 41 appearances. He’s averaging just 5.24 K/9, so he doesn’t miss bats like a prototypical closer, but he he has excellent control and a ground ball rate north of 50 percent. I doubt he’s a long-term option at closer, but he’s a must-pickup in all formats as long as he has the gig.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Stephen Piscotty OF, Cardinals (Yahoo: 7 percent owned)

When Piscotty was called up last month, he was originally expected to share playing time at first base, but he’s now the primary left fielder after Matt Holliday‘s quad injury and the Brandon Moss deal. The 24-year-old has held his own during his first stint in the majors, hitting .318 (14-for-44) with a .367 on-base percentage through 14 games. He has been hitting second against right-handed starters over the past week, which makes him more interesting in fantasy leagues.

Michael Taylor OF, Nationals (Yahoo: 8 percent owned)

Taylor has been striking out in nearly one-third of his plate appearances, so he’s still a bit rough around the edges, but the rookie outfielder has still managed to be useful for fantasy owners by putting up 10 home runs, 45 RBI, 12 steals, and 30 run scored over 91 games this season. This includes four home runs over his last 12 games. The Nationals are hoping that Denard Span will be able to return soon, but I wonder if Taylor could still play a prominent role down the stretch, especially with Jayson Werth just not looking like his normal self.

Tommy Kahnle RP, Rockies (Yahoo: 5 percent owned)
Rafael Betancourt RP, Rockies (Yahoo: 4 percent owned)

Your guess is as good as mind in the Rockies’ bullpen. John Axford was booted from the role last week after a brutal stretch where he blew four saves while allowing eight runs on eight hits and eight walks in five appearances. Betancourt has the experience, so he would seem to have the edge for now, but Kahnle is the most interesting name in this bullpen. While the 25-year-old has walked 16 batters in 26 2/3 innings, he has struck out 33 batters. Still, it’s a murky situation and pitching in Coors Field doesn’t help matters.

Editor’s Note: Which side are on? The utility of Batter vs. Pitcher (BvP) data is one of the most hotly debated topics in daily fantasy baseball. Dave “CheeseIsGood” Potts, the 2014 FanDuel World Baseball Champion, wrote a definitive article on how BvP data should fit into your daily research process. Check it out.

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