Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: These players should be rostered in more 10-team leagues

This article is aimed squarely at managers who play in 10-team leagues. Our weekly Waiver Wire column on Fridays covers players who are rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues, which is great information for those in 12-team formats. And in some cases, the players mentioned in that article warrant attention in 10-team leagues. But there is a middle ground of players who are rostered in 50-80% of leagues, yet are still under-rostered.

Managers in shallow leagues should look at their roster and waiver wire, as the players listed below could be better options than someone in their lineup.

Starters

Davis Martin, SP, White Sox, 80%: Very few pitchers have the skills to support a 1.62 ERA, and Martin isn’t one of them. But he’s pitching so well that he needs to be rostered in 90% of leagues while we determine if his improved plate dominance (27.1% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate) is for real. By holding those marks, Martin could maintain an ERA around 3.00.

Landen Roupp, SP, Giants, 77%: Improved swing-and-miss skills have made Roupp a must-roster player. The right-hander has overcome an unfortunate 67.9% strand rate, and his 2.52 xERA is even better than his actual mark (.309). Working in a pitcher-friendly home park gives Roupp a high floor, as does his ability to induce plenty of grounders.

Braxton Ashcraft, SP/RP, Pirates, 74%: Ashcraft has solid ratios (2.77 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) that would be incredible (1.82 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) if we removed one bad start on April 28. The 26-year-old throws hard (97.0 mph average fastball velocity), strikes batters out (26.7%) and induces plenty of grounders (7.3%). He’s rock-solid.

Ryan Weathers, SP, Yankees, 67%: K-BB% is an excellent indicator of a pitcher’s fantasy potential, and Weathers ranks 10th among qualified hurlers. His strikeout skills and membership on a team with an impressive 26-16 record give the left-hander a high ceiling.

Kyle Harrison, SP/RP, Brewers, 62%: The lack of interest in Harrison as more than a shallow-league streamer is astonishing. The lefty has been consistent, allowing no more than two runs in any start. And he had a statement outing on April 26, when he struck out 12 batters over six scoreless innings. The latest success story for the pitching-rich Brewers should be the most rostered starter in this article.

Payton Tolle, SP, Red Sox, 58%: Boston’s best pitching prospect has certainly met expectations since being recalled on April 23, logging impressive fantasy ratios (2.04 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) that are supported by a dazzling 31.0% strikeout rate. The 23-year-old could have the occasional bump in the road, such as his 4.2-inning, 3-run start in Toronto on April 28, but he may have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in this article.

Max Meyer, SP, Marlins, 51%: Meyer has been as consistent as any starter en route to posting a 2.79 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The righty has allowed three or fewer runs in every start, and he has been at his best of late by logging a 1.06 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a 17:4 K:BB ratio across his past three outings. The combination of his stability and youth should push his roster rate to 80%.

Relievers

Louie Varland, RP, Blue Jays, 68%: Varland is already a top 10 closer option who should be rostered in virtually every league. He has stellar ratios (0.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP), a terrific strikeout rate (38.2%) and has yet to blow a save. Toronto’s bullpen has been more effective since Jeff Hoffman switched to a setup role.

Bryan Baker, RP, Rays, 61%: Like Varland, Baker is a rock-solid closer who should be rostered in every league that values saves. The 31-year-old sits second in baseball with 11 saves and hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 18. And it helps that he pitches for a Rays team that is exceeding expectations and has the best record in the American League.

Lucas Erceg, RP, Royals, 61%: Although it would be nice to see Erceg improve on his 6.6 BB/9 rate, he is locked in as the closer in a Royals bullpen that doesn’t have many options. The 31-year-old hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past eight outings and ranks fourth in baseball in saves. Former closer Carlos Estévez recently had a setback on a rehab assignment and is unlikely to impact Erceg anytime soon.

Hitters

Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, White Sox, 73%: Just four players (Oneil Cruz, Elly De La Cruz, James Wood, Jordan Walker) have outproduced Vargas in all four counting-stat categories. A top 50 asset so far, he needs to be rostered in at least 85% of leagues. His newfound patience (16.3% walk rate) seems to have unlocked his long-touted potential.

Xander Bogaerts, SS, Padres, 63%: Bogaerts would be rostered in more leagues if not for the tremendous depth at shortstop. Still, the veteran is an across-the-board contributor who can combine 30 HR+SB with a respectable batting average. His roster rate should be 10% higher.

Daylen Lile, OF, Nationals, 50%: Although Lile is in a slump, he remains someone to add in five-outfielder leagues. His strong contact skills have contributed to a solid .271 xBA, and similar to Bogaerts, he will offer some category juice. Lile can contribute 160 R+RBI while benefitting from his membership in a Nats lineup that ranks third in runs scored.