2024 NFBC 15-Team Waiver Wire (5/18 – Week 9)

For someone new to my waiver wire report, here is a link to my waiver wire overview and my plan for 2024.

Catcher

Yasmini Grandel, PIT

Over his last seven games, covering eight days, Grandel went 6-for-25 with four runs, two home runs, and eight RBIs. He remains a free agent in 61% of NFBC main events. Joey Bart played in only six games in May, with empty stats (5-for-19 with one run and seven strikeouts). Henry Davis has not found his rhythm at AAA (.226 with four runs, one home run, and four RBIs while striking out nine times). Grandel was picked up in 17 mains last week. His high bid was $55 and a low of $1. There was only one runner-up bid ($1).

Rating: Based on the emptiness at catcher in the free-agent pool in 15-team leagues and the uptick in at-bats, Grandel should have an E-class cost somewhere between market value ($45) and token ($20).

David Fry, CLE

Fry is only a free agent in 25% of main events, but he is at least an out for some teams. Over the past 10 days, Fry hit .333 with eight runs, three home runs, and five RBIs. Twenty-five sharp fantasy managers added him last week (high – $31, low – $1, and top runner-up – $15 a push loss for someone). He’s passed Austin Hedges on the depth chart, and Bo Naylor remains a liability in too many games at the plate (.171 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over 111 at-bats with 43 strikeouts).

Rating: The stability of his approach (15 walks and 21 strikeouts over 95 plate appearances) shines through while showing growth as a player. I’m unsure of his long-term opportunity, so token E-class ($20) should be the starting point for C2-challenged fantasy teams.

Future Possibilities:

Tyler Soderstrom, OAK (.318/2/1/3 over 22 at-bats – one game at catcher and six at first base).

Hunter Goodman, COL (4-for-25 with three runs, two home runs, and five RBIs – played his first game at catcher on 5/18 – seven at AAA in 2024).