The home stretch of the fantasy baseball season is one of the most exciting times.
Every pitch and every at-bat are crucial as you look to either hold your position in first or climb the standings towards the top.
If you are in a head-to-head format, it’s about positioning for the playoffs.
If you are in a rotisserie league, it’s about padding your stats in any way possible.
Your battles for players on the waiver wire are intense, and all the while, you have to keep an eye on what every MLB team is doing.
September is almost here, and that means MLB rosters expand. The rookie call-ups are on their way!
Your waiver wire probably looks like a turkey after a Thanksgiving dinner — picked clean.
Maybe there’s a stray arm or two you can stream in, but over these past five months, we know who these players are and what they can or cannot do.
But the rookies who are about to become available present hope and an opportunity to leap past your competition, so why not make a move now and beat the rush?
One of the most exciting call-ups we expect to see is Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews.
There was talk about him joining the big club earlier, but GM Mike Rizzo was more focused on James Wood earning Rookie of the Year honors this season, with Crews being the guy in 2025.
Remember, teams are awarded an extra draft pick if they roster the award-winner.
Crews is an exciting player to watch and should become a strong fantasy asset, especially for those looking to add some speed and runs scored.
This season, between Double- and Triple-A, Crews is batting .272 with a .342 on-base percentage, 13 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
His plate discipline has been solid, and he should hit close to the top of the lineup which means ample opportunities to score.
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His arrival should come soon, so grab him now before the rest of your league wakes up.
If you are looking for a power boost, check out Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie.
Chicago is rapidly falling out of wild-card contention, and the team wants to audition him now while they decide if it’s time to move on from either Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ.
Caissie still struggles with strikeouts, but he has hit 35 home runs with 16 stolen bases in the minors this season, and with a 14 percent walk-rate, he has posted an OBP that hovers around .380 for the season.
It isn’t a matter of if he comes up, it’s a matter of when.
There is only one more fantasy baseball waiver period before the September call-ups arrive, so being proactive is the best way to prepare for your championship stretch-run.
There will be a lot of roster shuffles once the rosters expand and many will have a tough time deciding which players they should go after.
Make it easier for yourself and grab the guys you know are coming now, then sort the rest out in September.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.
