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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Finish the MLB season strong with these pickups

Philadelphia Phillies v Atlanta Braves ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 18: Bailey Falter #70 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 18, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Because this is the final edition of the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column for this year, I’m going to change the format this week and guide your team through the final two weeks of the regular season. Let’s get started!

Players who can help this weekend

Padres and Rockies hitters

San Diego and Colorado will meet this weekend for the final 2022 games at Coors Field. We have already seen some offensive fireworks at Coors this week, and there should be more in the next three days. From San Diego, Ha-Seong Kim (2B/3B/SS, 17 percent rostered) and Wil Myers (1B/OF, 9%) are solid add options. And Colorado has a few players to consider, including Yonathan Daza (OF, 7%) and Alan Trejo (2B/SS, 0%).

Yan Gomes (C, Chicago Cubs, 4%)

Gomes has thrived while drawing regular starts with Willson Contreras on the IL. And the veteran catcher should continue his strong finish to the season this weekend when he faces a trio of lesser-known starters on a Pirates team that ranks 27th in the Majors with a 4.73 ERA.

Braxton Garrett (SP, Miami Marlins, 10%)

Garrett returned from nearly a month on the IL to post respectable statistics on Sept. 12, and the left-hander should be more successful tonight when he faces a last-place Nats team. Overall, Garrett has posted a solid 3.68 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP this year.

Jose Suarez (SP/RP, Los Angeles Angels, 20%)

Suarez has shown improved control skills during the second half, which has helped contribute to a stellar 2.81 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He should deliver a quality outing on Sunday when he faces a Twins lineup that has faded in the second half.

Bailey Falter (SP/RP, Philadelphia Phillies, 26%)

Falter has been excellent of late, going 5-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in his past seven starts. The southpaw faces a tough Braves lineup on Saturday, but he is one of the best starters remaining on waivers and should be considered by those who need to take a calculated risk.

Nick Lodolo (SP, Cincinnati Reds, 53%)

Lodolo should be rostered in every league next week and has the potential to lead head-to-head teams to a championship. The left-hander has tallied 38 strikeouts in his past four outings and will face the Brewers on Sunday and the Cubs next week.

Players who can help next week

Bailey Ober (SP, Minnesota Twins, 25%)

Ober returned from 3.5 months on the IL to throw five scoreless innings against the Guardians on Sept. 16. The right-hander with excellent control skills should be a ratios asset when he faces the White Sox and Tigers next week.

Jose Quintana (SP, St. Louis Cardinals, 44%)

Quintana has continued his comeback season since joining the Cards at the trade deadline, logging a 2.44 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across nine starts. The left-hander is among the best of the widely-available one-start options next week when he faces a Pirates lineup with a .650 OPS.

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Bryson Stott (2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies, 13%)

Fantasy managers should try to stock up on Phillies at the conclusion of this weekend, as Philadelphia has arguably the best schedule for producing offense next week. The club opens with three games against mediocre Cubs starters before facing the woeful Nats pitching staff for four contests. Stott might be the best of the team's widely available hitters, having hit .283 with 20 runs scored and five steals since August 1. In shallow leagues, Jean Segura (2B, 52%) is a good option.

Players who can help during the 3-game week at the end of the season

Texas Rangers hitters

The Rangers and Yankees will hook up for a four-game series during the final three days of the season. New York will likely use their best players sparingly in those games, as they should secure a division title before traveling to Texas. But the Rangers will use their regulars, which makes them solid options for managers who are chasing volume. Bubba Thompson (OF, 30%) and Josh Jung (3B, 18%) are good candidates to be added for this series.

Seattle Mariners hitters

The Mariners and Tigers are the other two teams who are scheduled to play four games during the final three days. And there is an excellent chance that the AL Wildcard teams will still be jockeying for seeding during the final days of the campaign. Carlos Santana (1B, 12%) has been swinging a hot bat and is my preferred Seattle hitter to add, but J.P. Crawford (SS, 21%) and Adam Frazier (2B/OF, 18%) are also options.

In the event that this series becomes meaningless for Seattle, managers may want to pivot to some Tigers players, such as Spencer Torkelson (1B, 15%), Kerry Carpenter (OF, 1%) or Akil Baddoo (OF, 7%).

Seeking Saves

Domingo Acevedo (RP, Oakland A’s, 9%)

Those who need saves in the final two weeks could turn to Acevedo, who has taken over the closer’s role in Oakland. The right-hander has been effective this year (3.34 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) and has converted the team’s past four saves. The obvious concern is that the A’s may not have the talent to give Acevedo many opportunities from this point forward.

Brandon Hughes (RP, Chicago Cubs, 19%)

I can’t say that Hughes is the Cubs closer, but he is being used as their “ace reliever,” which means that he typically gets their highest-leverage roles in close games. He picked up a save on Tuesday and should get a couple more in the final weeks.

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