The following players are widely available in Yahoo Fantasy Baseball formats and may be worth grabbing, depending on how deep your league is.
Abbott is expected to be called up by Cincinnati on Monday and get an extended look in the Reds’ rotation. The southpaw has 90 strikeouts in 54.0 double- and triple-A innings this season, including an MPM of 2.50 and a WHIP of 0.93.
A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Abbott has produced at least a 15% SwStr% on his fastball, curve and change in the minors this year, so he has real batting potential. Playing for the Reds and at one of baseball’s best hitting parks isn’t ideal, but Abbott’s dominating minor league numbers make him worth grabbing in any fantasy league.
Garrett somehow remains available in 80% of Yahoo leagues although he continues to pitch well. If you take out one out against the Braves, Garrett has a 2.57 ERA and 1.10 WHIP this season. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in his last four starts, including a recent one at Coors Field. Garrett had intriguing peripherals last season, and he ranks seventh among CSW starters this year; the top five in this stat have an average overall ERA of 2.89.
He’s struggled to pick up wins (only one all season) partly because he didn’t dive deep in games, but it’s also down to regression there given his ability to prevent runs and Miami sporting one of the best records in the National League.
Pederson is expected to come out of IL just in time for a series (against three RHPs) at Coors Field this week. He’ll face most southpaws, but Pederson’s big platoon splits make him more valuable in daily trade leagues; he’s hit 26 homers on just 405 abs against right-handers since last season. Pederson’s max outing speed is in the top 2% of the league, and his xwOBA is just outside the top 10 hitters, sandwiched between Juan Soto And Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Pederson returns to a DH role towards the middle of a Giants lineup that is quietly finishing top-10 in wRC+ and getting healthier. THE BAT X projects Pederson to record a season remainder of 132 wRC+, which would make him one of the top 30 hitters right now.
Lawrence appears to be the favorite to close in Colorado after recording the team’s last two saves. Pierre Johnson has been notched for seven earned runs in his last 3.1 innings (four appearances) and has a 5.39 FIP this season. Daniel Bard has a 0.55 ERA but a 7.02 xERA thanks to more walks than strikeouts. Meanwhile, Lawrence had a 15.0 K/9 in Triple-A last season and sports a 2.64 FIP with the Rockies in 2023.
There’s no guarantee he’ll be locked in as the team closes in and Colorado struggles to win games (and Coors Field remains a terrible place to pitch). But backups are fantastic gold, and Lawrence’s sweeper helped him ranks in CSW’s top 10 among relievers this season. He could be legitimately good And in an important fantasy role but he remains available in over 95% of Yahoo leagues.
Donaldson hit two homers in his first game after missing nearly two months with a hamstring injury. This likely won’t be Donaldson’s last trip to IL this season, but he can be added to deeper fantasy leagues in the meantime.
It’s possible he finished at 37, but Donaldson is just one season away from posting a 126 wRC+ with a 26-73-72 line in just 135 games. It was a small sample, but his average exit speed is in the top 2% in the league this season. Projections remain relatively bullish, and he recently slipped into the Yankees’ cleanup slot with Judge Aaron with a toe injury. Donaldson is available in over 90% of Yahoo leagues.