Guess what, fantasy baseball managers? After the scoring period concludes this Sunday, there are only two more weeks until the fantasy postseason begins in most leagues. How many are fighting tooth and nail to qualify for the playoffs? How many are simply trying to strengthen their rosters? In either case, there is precious little time left to make improvements that will positively impact the chances of making the championship tournament. Of course, I have tried to put together articles this entire season to help managers make decisions on players. Without question, none should expect anything less now that the clock is really ticking. Buckle up and let this fantasy baseball playoff waivers address any concerns.

As always, debate and discussion are highly encouraged. Let’s talk about it! As a reminder, as has been the case all season, all roster percentages are taken from ESPN. With the warmup complete, let’s get right to it, shall we?

Jake Burger, 3B/DH Miami Marlins, 10.3% Rostered

One of the players traded before the deadline, Jake Burger is one hitter that has made a significant contribution to his new team at the plate. With the way Burger has swung the bat and the fact that third base is a shallow position in fantasy, it is surprising his roster percentage is as low as it is. Of the 11 games Miami has played since he joined the team, Burger has hits in nine of them. As this is being written, Burger has hits in six straight games, including three consecutive games with at least two hits.

Over the past week, Burger has been impossibly hot, with a .417/.440/.583 slash line. He has been driving in and scoring runs. Most impressively, Burger has been able to keep his bat hot, whether the team is home or on the road. His batting average with the Marlins (.311) is almost a hundred points higher than when he was with the White Sox (.214).

In fact, all of Burger’s stats have seen a sizeable improvement since the trade. Of course, it is unknown how long he will be able to keep it up. Even so, fantasy managers need to take advantage of his hot bat while he has it and is as available as he is. For certain, Burger goes to the top of this fantasy baseball playoff waivers edition.

Gavin Williams, SP, Cleveland Guardians, 20.4% Rostered

There have been quite a few young pitchers making their mark in the majors this year. However, the argument can be made that Gavin Williams is set up for a better stretch run than any of the others. The reason? As of this writing, Williams has pitched 115 innings between the minors and majors. That is the exact total that he pitched in 2022, with 81.1 the season before. Unlike a lot of young pitchers, Williams has innings under his belt. He shouldn’t be curtailed as much as many of his contemporaries will as the season winds down.

That is certainly good news, as Williams has been throwing like a seasoned veteran of late. In his last five appearances, he has allowed a total of four earned runs in 25 innings. Best of all, Williams has faced some premium offenses his last three starts: Houston, Toronto and Tampa and held them all to just three runs combined. The Rays are deadly at home, but Williams held them to a single run in five innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Over his last two starts, he has 22 strikeouts with a single free pass.

For the season, Williams has been unlucky, as his 1-3 record indicates. However, he has fashioned a 2.80 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. Overall, he has 59 strikeouts in 54.2 major league innings. His next time out on Friday, he will face the Tigers at home. There is one team worse at hitting than the Tigers (Oakland). He is set up well to build some major stats in that game. If available, pick him up for that start and perhaps plenty more as the playoffs approach.

Note:

If for some reason Williams doesn’t excite or is unavailable, check out his pitching teammate Logan Allen. He is rostered in only 12.3 percent of leagues despite the fact he is coming off six innings of shutout ball in Cincinnati with seven strikeouts and three walks. Allen faces the same Tigers team that Williams does on Sunday. Heck, try and stream both pitchers. It could certainly work to a manager’s advantage.

Seth Lugo, SP/RP, San Diego Padres, 20.6% Rostered

After his disastrous start against the Dodgers on August 7, it is understandable that many managers dropped Seth Lugo. After all, LA blasted Lugo for eight runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings. The Dodgers do that to pitchers. However, in the four starts surrounding that game, Lugo has been very effective. He allowed two runs in each of those starts, going seven innings twice.

Lugo pitched especially well against the Rockies in Colorado, limited them to just two runs on five hits while striking out nine and walked three. Any pitcher that does that in Colorado deserves recognition. For the season, Lugo has a 4-6 record with a 4.16 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, striking out 94 in 97.1 innings. His overall record would be much better except for a very unlucky .319 BAbip. It was at .283 in 2022. Of course, the Padres haven’t played well as a team all season. Perhaps they can get it together in the stretch run, which would benefit Lugo greatly.

On Friday, Lugo faces the Diamondbacks at home. In his last start, he also faced Arizona, but on the road. San Diego couldn’t get anything going on offense and Lugo was saddled with a no decision. The Diamondbacks are no longer the team the started the season, recently losing nine straight. They scored eight runs on Tuesday, but that was in Colorado, which doesn’t mean a team is hitting well. Once teams leave the thin air, they often have issues in their next series. Expect that to be the case, setting Lugo up for major fantasy production. If he’s on the wire, pick him up for that start and then go from there.

Ezequiel Duran, 3B/SS/OF/DH, Texas Rangers, 19.9% Rostered

Much like Lugo, it is understandable that many managers felt the need to drop Ezequiel Duran in the not-too-distant past. While the Rangers have been swinging the bats all season, Duran recently went through a 10-64 dry spell. Duran would have certainly lost playing time if not for the broken thumb suffered by third baseman Josh Jung. After undergoing surgery, Texas hopes he can return before the end of the season. Duran’s spot in the lineup is assured moving forward for the foreseeable future.

Fortunately for the Rangers, Duran has regained his batting eye with hits in four of his last five games. In three of the games, Duran had at least two hits. He has scored a run in three straight and stole a base. In the past seven days, he is hitting a smooth .400 with a .480/.550 slash line.

For the year, Duran is hitting .285-14-43. He plays all over the diamond, giving managers maximum versatility. Texas is one of the best hitting teams in the majors, providing ample opportunities for Duran to drive in and score runs. With his bat hot again, picking up Duran just makes sense and is a highly recommended move on this fantasy baseball playoff waivers edition.

Tristan Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox, 43.2% Rostered

As Triston Casas is as highly rostered as he is, I won’t spend a lot of time discussing him. If there is even the remotest chance, he is available, it would be criminal not to at least mention him, however. That is how hot he has been. Over his past seven games, Casas has hits in six of them. In that stretch, he has two homers, six RBIs and four runs scored. Over the past week, Casas is hitting .300 and slashing .391/.600.

For the season, Casas is hitting .254-19-47 with 52 runs with a .355/482 slash line. Casas and the Red Sox have faced less than stellar pitching staffs of late, and that will continue this weekend with a series against the Yankees. It gets tougher after that, but in the meantime, if first base is a fantasy concern, adding Casas will go a long way in solving the problem.

Other Worthy Waiver Adds:

Brady Singer‘s roster percentage is even higher than Casas. He should be rostered in every possible league, regardless of format. Notably, that is extremely impressive given how terrible the Royals have been all season. He is 8-8 in 2023 with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP with 116 strikeouts in 135.2 innings. Most assuredly, those stats are not good.

However, over his last five starts, Singer has allowed three runs only once. The others have been two runs or fewer. Further, he has won his last three decisions. In points leagues, he has been especially stellar, with 20 or more points in six of his last eight starts. Check your waiver wire this minute. Add Singer if he’s available.

Unlike first year starters, he’ll have no innings issues when the fantasy playoffs arrive. No question, Singer is a quality add on this fantasy baseball playoff waivers edition. Even more to the point, he has the ability to turn an average staff into championship caliber.

In an article last week, I recommended picking up Enrique Hernandez. Managers have been slow to react to that recommendation, as his 8.6 roster percentage reveals. His bat demands attention, however. Hernandez is currently riding a four-game hitting streak and has scored a run in three straight contests. He has hits in 11 of his last 13 games.

In the lineup every day, his versatility only adds to his value. I was skeptical when he was traded to the Dodgers. That is no longer the case, and you should have no reservations, either. Anyone needing infield or outfield help should add him without hesitation.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball playoff waivers edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss!

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