The following players are widely available in Yahoo Fantasy Baseball formats and may be worth grabbing, depending on your league’s depth.
Abbott is expected to be called up by Cincinnati on Monday and get an extended look in the Reds’ rotation. The lefty has racked up 90 strikeouts over 54.0 innings across Double and Triple-A this season, including a 2.50 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.
A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Abbott produced at least a 15% SwStr% on his fastball, curve and changeup in the minors this year, so he has real strikeout potential. Playing for the Reds and in one of baseball’s best hitter’s parks isn’t ideal, but Abbott’s dominant minor league numbers make him worth grabbing in all fantasy leagues.
Garrett somehow remains available in 80% of Yahoo leagues despite continuing to pitch well. If you remove one outing against the Braves, Garrett has a 2.57 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP this season. He has not allowed more than two runs in any of his last four starts, including a recent one in Coors Field. Garrett had intriguing peripherals last season, and he ranks seventh among starters in CSW this year; the top five in that state have an average aggregate ERA of 2.89.
He struggles to pick up wins (just one all season) thanks in part to not pitching deep into games, but he’s also due for 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 off the IL just in time for a series (facing three RHP) in Coors Field this week. He’ll sit against most lefties, but Pederson’s big platoon splits make him more valuable in daily transaction leagues; he’s hit 26 homers over just 405 ABs versus right-handers since last season. Pederson’s max exit velocity 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 quietly ranks top-10 in wRC+ and is getting healthier. THE BAT X projects Pederson to record a 132 wRC+ rest of the season, which would make him a top-30 hitter right now.
Lawrence appears to be the favorite to close in Colorado after recording the team’s last two saves. Pierce Johnson has been gashed for seven earned runs over 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’s locked in as the team’s closer moving forward, and Colorado struggles to win games (and Coors Field remains a terrible place to pitch). But saves are fantasy gold, and Lawrence’s sweeper has helped him rank top-10 in CSW among relievers this season. He could be legitimately good and in an important fantasy role yet he remains available in more than 95% of Yahoo leagues.
Donaldson homered twice during his first game back after missing almost two months with a hamstring injury. It likely won’t be Donaldson’s last trip to the IL this season, but he can be added in deeper fantasy leagues in the meantime.
It’s possible he’s done at 37 years old, but Donaldson is just one season away from posting a 126 wRC+ with a 26-73-72 line over just 135 games. It’s been a small sample, but his average exit velocity is in the top 2% of the league this season. Projections remain relatively bullish, and he recently slid into the Yankees’ cleanup slot with Aaron Judge out with a toe injury. Donaldson is available in more than 90% of Yahoo leagues.