Throughout the final month of the season, our waiver-wire targets are pretty simple. We’re either targeting a specific category or we’re adding a young prospect and rolling the dice he won’t struggle in the final few weeks. I’m confident that we will be able to find both and hopefully that will push many near the top of the standings.
Waiver-Wire Targets:
St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder Lars Nootbaar — The 24-year-old has had a strong second half, batting .294 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, 22 runs and two stolen bases. Overall, the outfielder is hitting .247 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs, 36 runs scored and three stolen bases. We’re targeting Nootbaar for his recent surge and I love that he’s batting leadoff for a strong offensive team. The Cardinals can score runs in bunches and having a player who will get a ton of at-bats as a result is great news for fantasy managers.
Houston Astros Reliever Rafael Montero — The 31-year-old is having a strong season while pitching for a really good baseball team and now will become fantasy relevant due to Ryan Pressly landing on the injured list. Montero will get the first opportunity to close out games for the Astros. On Aug. 25, he was flawless as he earned his eighth save of the season. Montero should continue to handle the ninth inning for the Astros while Pressly is sidelined, making him a prime fantasy target the next few weeks.
Chicago Cubs Reliever Brandon Hughes — Another reliever who can help in the saves category is Hughes. The left-hander has three saves in the month of August and has only allowed four earned runs while striking out 19. This is another pitcher who can help in a specific category in the final few weeks and is a strong target.
Other Notables:
I will lump the following together as these are all prized prospects.
The Washington Nationals have promoted top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli and he will make his debut on Aug. 26. The 24-year-old should provide a boost in the strikeout category.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to promote top prospect Corbin Carroll in the near future. The outfielder is currently the No. 3 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has the potential to help in all categories for fantasy managers. This season, Carroll is batting .314 with 24 home runs and 31 stolen bases and will be a fantasy star for years to come.
Figuring out what the Baltimore Orioles will do with their top prospects is always a mystery, but there’s a strong chance they promote infielder Gunnar Henderson prior to Sept. 1. The 21-year-old has skyrocketed up the prospects lists this season with the combination of speed and power. Like Carroll, Henderson will be a fantasy star for years to come. He could give a glimpse of that potential in the final few weeks.