Hot wire: 10 men to pluck off fantasy waivers

August 17th, 2017

Could your fantasy team use more power? What about steals? Runs, RBIs or wins?
Regardless of your holes, the fantasy waiver wire has a plug or long-term fix to pick up today. Check the following 10 men -- all sitting in waivers in many leagues, and all ready to help you win.
, first baseman, Phillies
While impatient owners were shying away from Hoskins when he went 1-for-13 (.077) in his initial four games, those who gave the rookie a longer leash and were rewarded with three long balls across the past three contests. Even if he goes through the typical ups and downs of a new Major Leaguer, the 24-year-old deserves plenty of patience after compiling 67 homers in the Minors since the outset of 2016.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues

, first baseman, Mets
Like Hoskins, Smith got off to a slow start in the Majors (.190/.190/.333 slash line) after excelling in the Minors this year (.330/.386/.519 slash line). But unlike his Phillies first-base counterpart, the 22-year-old has not yet shown the power skills at any level to warrant attention in shallow leagues. Still, those in deep-mixed formats should give Smith a longer leash in hopes that he will soon produce a helpful batting mark for the Mets.
Consider in: 15-team mixed leagues
, shortstop, Mets
Rosario has provided owners with a great lesson in patience, as the prospect hit .161 across his initial 31 at-bats before batting .368 with two homers across 19 at-bats since Aug. 11. While a premium lineup spot would do wonders for Rosario's overall value, he should provide a helpful batting mark (.328 average in Triple-A in 2017) and a handful of steals down the stretch.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
Michael A. Taylor, outfielder, Nationals
Taylor was a significant five-category asset during the first half of the season, hitting .278 with 12 homers and 10 steals across 260 plate appearances. Having recently returned from the disabled list, the 26-year-old should log a heavy workload while the Nationals look for an offensive spark in the absence of superstars and .
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues

, outfielder, Padres
After showing more speed (164 steals) than power (29 home runs) during his Minor League career, Margot has emerged as a balanced contributor during his rookie season. In fact, the 22-year-old has trended from speedster to slugger in the second half, going deep seven times while swiping two bags. Owners should add Margot in hopes that he produces at least a half dozen roundtrippers and steals from this point forward.
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
, 2B/OF, Padres
While Pirela has yet to demonstrate the necessary power (eight homers) or speed (three steals) across 247 plate appearances this season to warrant shallow-league consideration, he has posted the type of slash line (.293/.344/.520) that should gain attention in 12-team formats. The 27-year-old should be a useful source of RBIs, runs scored and batting average while occupying a premium spot in a Padres lineup that ranks ninth in baseball with 150 runs scored since the All-Star break.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
, SP/RP, White Sox
After struggling with the Nats last season, Lopez spun six innings of two-run ball during his White Sox debut on Aug. 11. And the quality start was especially impressive when considering that he faced a Royals lineup that ranks second in baseball with 179 runs since the All-Star break. Owners in search of stretch-run whiffs should be especially interested in adding the 23-year-old, who produced a 9.7 K/9 rate with Triple-A Charlotte this season.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues

, starter, Padres
Owners who dismiss Lamet upon viewing his 4.78 ERA may miss out on a premium source of strikeouts for the final weeks of the season. The rookie has logged an 11.0 K/9 rate across 14 starts, and he has recently shown an improved ability to limit runs while posting a 2.37 ERA during his past five outings. At the very least, Lamet is a fine streaming option for matchups at his hitter-friendly home park, where he has held opposing hitters to a .585 OPS (.795 OPS allowed on the road).
Consider in: 10-team mixed leagues
, reliever, Angels
While manager Mike Scioscia has not settled on a new ninth-inning man, he seems unlikely to return to using (13.97 ERA in the second half) in the closer's role. And though Bedrosian and have both compiled three saves since Aug. 8, Bedrosian is the one with more career experience (121 innings), a lower 2017 FIP (2.32) and a higher K/9 rate this season (11.6). The 25-year-old could have plenty of stretch-run save chances as the bullpen anchor on a surging Angels squad that has jumped into the postseason race.
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues
, reliever, Rangers
While he lacks the name value of Rangers relievers such as Matt Bush and , Claudio has quietly emerged as the club's bullpen anchor while compiling five of the team's six saves since the All-Star break. And with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP this season, the 25-year-old has shown the necessary skills to remain in the ninth inning despite being a southpaw who lacks stellar swing-and-miss skills (career 6.6 K/9 rate).
Consider in: 12-team mixed leagues