Fantasy Baseball Week 7 Waiver Wire Adds: Willi Castro, Andy Pages, Ryan Jeffers and More

Discussing the most-added fantasy baseball players heading into week 7 of the fantasy baseball season.

It’s the start of a new week, which means it’s time to go over some fantasy baseball waiver wire possibilities. 

As we’ve done with the last few waiver stories, the focus will be on hitters, as FantasySP’s Daniel Hepner looks at starting pitcher streaming options on a daily basis. The players chosen were found on the FantasySP Waiver Wire Pickups page, which updates frequently, so be sure to check that out often throughout the week.

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Willi Castro Fantasy Outlook

Castro has been a hot hitter over the past several games, which explains his increase in own percentage. He’s got eight hits over the past five games, even after going hitless on Sunday. 

For the season, Castro has a .277 average and .339 on-base percentage. He’s got nine doubles and two triples and homers among his 31 total hits. Castro has driven in 12 runs, scored 16 times, stolen four bases, walked eight times and struck out on 36 occasions.

Castro is a career .251 hitter, and has a career .307 OBP mark, so he’s having one of the best seasons of his career. The high strikeout mark is concerning, but the solid average and OBP marks, along with a decent amount of RBIs and runs scored, make him a solid fantasy asset.

You might not be blown away with what Castro is accomplishing this season, but his position versatility should make him more appealing. He’s played 18 games at shortstop, 11 at third base, six in center field and five in left field (with one pitching appearance even). 

That versatility makes Castro a really solid option off your fantasy bench. When he’s going well at the plate, like he is now, you can slot him into your starting lineup. Otherwise, stash him on your bench and have him fill in when a regular starter is getting a day off or is injured.

Andy Pages Fantasy Outlook

Pages is getting his first taste of the MLB in 2024, and he’s looked pretty solid so far.

Across 17 games, Pages had a .319 average and .338 on-base percentage. Among his 22 total hits, Pages has five doubles and four homers. He’s driven in 12 runs, scored 14 times, struck out 18 times and failed to walk yet.

The 23-year-old outfielder has hit near the bottom of the order, but is playing every game at this point. And even though he’s at the bottom of the order, the Dodgers’ lineup is stacked, so it doesn’t really matter where a hitter is in the order, they can be a good fantasy hitter.

Much like Castro, Pages has been extremely hot at the plate of late, with Sunday being the only day he hadn’t recorded a hit over the past 11 contests. He had five multi-hit efforts over that span.

Many wondered if Pages would be able to hit well enough to stick in this loaded lineup, but he’s proved he deserves a starting spot so far. Things could change as the season progresses, but with how well he’s hitting right now, I’m all for trying to take advantage of Pages from a fantasy perspective. The strikeouts are annoying, but he racks up enough other stats to warrant a spot in fantasy lineups.

Brent Rooker Fantasy Outlook

Rooker missed some time already this season, but is starting to get back in a groove at the plate now.

Across 23 games played, Rooker has a .256 average and .348 OBP. He’s posted four doubles and eight homers across his 20 total hits, has driven in 20 runs and scored 13 times. He also has a stolen base, 10 walks and 32 strikeouts.

Rooker belted 30 homers a season ago and was an All-Star. He’s on pace to go way past that mark this season. Rooker also hit .246 and had a .329 OBP last season, and while he strikes out a decent amount, the extra-base hits still make him a desirable fantasy player.

Rooker is probably best utilized as a top outfield backup, but can start fairly often with the numbers he puts up. He’s collected seven hits over the past five games, including three homers, so now is one of those stretches that he should be in fantasy lineups. 

Rooker mostly starts at designated hitter, but should have some outfield eligibility too, so there’s different spots he can slot into in a fantasy lineup.

Vidal Brujan Fantasy Outlook

Brujan is playing in his first season with the Miami Marlins, and is thriving with a starting role. 

In 26 games so far, Brujan has a .286 average and .355 on-base percentage. Among his 16 total hits, Brujan has four doubles and two triples, but no homers. He’s driven in five runs and scored six times. Brujan also has two stolen bases, six walks and five strikeouts.

Brujan is a career .180 hitter, but hasn’t played more than 52 games in any of his previous three MLB seasons. A weak and rebuilding Marlins team allows Brujan a pretty regular starting role, and so far, he’s taken advantage.

The 26-year-old primary infielder isn’t going to provide a lot of power, but with not too many strikeouts, he isn’t going to be a real negative either. If he can hit and get on base, he’s a solid option in deeper fantasy leagues.

Brujan has made eight starts at second and third base and shortstop, with two starts in left field and another in center, so he’s got some position versatility, or should soon. That makes him a solid backup option at the very least.

With no history of performing well over the course of a full season, you’d best add him now in case his production drops off. He’s collected five hits over the past five games, so you might as well start him while he’s hot at the plate.

Ryan Jeffers Fantasy Outlook

Jeffers has been fantastic this season, and especially of late, which has helped the surging Twins.

In 30 games, Jeffers has a .291 average and .375 OBP. He’s doubled 10 times and homered six times among his 30 total hits. He’s driven in 22 runs and scored 17 runs. Jeffers has a stolen base, eight walks and 21 strikeouts.

Jeffers hasn’t played more than 96 games in any of his first four MLB seasons, but certainly is hitting well enough to blow past that mark this season. He’s a career .239 hitter, but did hit .276 last season, so while his average may drop a bit, it’s not crazy to think he could remain fantasy relevant all season.

At a weak catcher position, Jeffers is an underrated option right now. He’s caught 16 games, but also appeared in the lineup as a designated hitter 10 times, so the team is trying to get him out there as often as possible, which is a massive thing for a fantasy catcher.

While Brujan and others in this story are more widely available, Jeffers has seen his own percentage steadily rise most of the season. He’s at about 83% owned, so if you are looking to add the Twins’ catcher, you might have to do it soon.

Jeffers has a hit in each of his past five games, and he had a seven-game hitting streak (with 11 hits in that span) just before that, so he’s consistently providing value. Add him while you can!

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