More Fantasy Baseball Week 14 Waiver Wire Adds: Jhonkensy Noel, Byron Buxton, Spencer Horwitz and More

Discussing the most-added fantasy baseball players in the last half of week 14 of the fantasy baseball season.

I usually write the second fantasy baseball waiver wire story on Fridays, but there’s five solid names on the list now, so we’ll move the article up a day.

We’ll avoid any players who appeared in the first week 14 waiver wire story. These players were all pulled from the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups page, which updates daily and can be broken down by position.

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Jhonkensy Noel Fantasy Outlook

Noel is Cleveland’s No. 26 prospect and made his MLB debut on Wednesday. He made an immediate impact by homering once among his four at-bats. Noel struck out two times in the contest.

Noel is known for his power, so seeing that in his first MLB game is a good sign. In minor league seasons between 2018-24, Noel had a .257 average and .334 OBP. In 517 total games, he’s got 514 strikeouts, but 112 home runs.

Noel played first base in his first game with the team, but can also play the outfield. If he can provide some pop, the team will find ways to get him into the lineup. 

The youngster saw his own percentage jump to 8% already, and that will probably increase before the Guardians play on Thursday night. He’s only a waiver wire option in deeper leagues right now, but he’s worth at least keeping an eye on in standard leagues.

Maybe Noel can get hot for a little while and you can add and plug him into your starting lineup. I’d like to see a few more games before making that move in a standard league, but definitely would consider adding Noel in a deeper league, especially if you have a roster spot to play with.

Mark Vientos Fantasy Outlook

Vientos has seen his own percentage jump about 10% over the past couple days. That coincides with some big games at the plate, of course.

In 35 total games this season, Vientos has a .298 average and .358 OBP. He’s doubled six times and homered on nine occasions across his 36 total hits. Vientos also has 22 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 12 walks and 30 strikeouts.

Vientos has struggled across his first 81 MLB games the past two seasons, but apparently has figured things out in 2024. 

Since June 17, Vientos has collected 10 hits, including four home runs and a double. He’s got six RBIs, eight runs scored, two walks and eight strikeouts over that span.

He’s played third base mostly this season, but could also have eligibility at first base, which would boost his fantasy value a bit more. Vientos is playing just about everyday now, and even though he’s hitting in the bottom portion of the order, he’s shown he can be a decent fantasy asset in all formats.

Vientos should be owned in most deeper leagues and dynasties already - add him now if he’s available. He’s also a pretty good standard league option, even if it’s only for a short time, or as a backup option. 

When he’s hot at the plate, like he is now, fantasy owners need to find a way to get him into the starting lineup. His average shows he’s capable of sustained success, and until his numbers fall off, I don’t see a reason to leave him on the waiver wire.

Byron Buxton Fantasy Outlook

Buxton has had an injury-plagued career, but has been pretty healthy this season and is on pace for one of his better seasons in a while. He’s currently owned in 46% of leagues.

In 60 games this season, Buxton has a .251 average and .300 OBP. He’s got 12 doubles, six home runs and three triples among his 51 total hits, along with 27 RBIs, 29 runs scored, five stolen bases, nine walks and 63 strikeouts.

He’s been great of late, with eight hits over the past six games, including four doubles and two homers. Buxton has five RBIs, five runs scored, no walks and six strikeouts over that span.

Of course, there’s better fantasy options out there, but Buxton is a decent backup option at the very least. He should be owned in just about every deeper league already - again, stop reading and add him now if he’s available. I also like Buxton as a short-term standard league option, at least until he cools off at the plate.

He plays nearly every day, which makes Buxton a solid backup option at the very least. When he’s going well at the plate, like he has been, you need to find ways to get him into your lineup. It likely won’t last for a super long time, so take advantage of him while you can.

Jonathan India Fantasy Outlook

India has appeared on this waiver wire story a couple times over the past few weeks. His own percentage reflects that, with a bump from 30% to 50% near the start of the month and a recent bump from about 43% to 57% now.

For the season, India has played in 73 games and owns a .268 average and .376 OBP. He’s got 13 doubles, one triple and five home runs among his 67 total hits. India also has 31 RBIs, 36 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 39 walks and 61 strikeouts.

India is on pace to play his most games since his rookie season of 2021. He’s on pace to top a lot of the numbers he’s posted over the past couple seasons. One area where he’s regressed is in the home run department, but if he can unlock that in the second half of the season, then he becomes that much better of a fantasy asset.

India has hits in eight straight games, and 15 total knocks over that span - that explains the recent surge in own percentage. He’s got seven doubles and a home run, three RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks and three strikeouts over that span.

The second baseman might not be a huge power threat right now, but he’s playing often, getting on base frequently and doing enough to warrant consideration in all fantasy leagues.

He should be owned in all deeper leagues at this point, and is a pretty solid backup 2B option in standard leagues. You could start him until he cools off at the plate, but I like the idea of grabbing him now and holding him in hopes of him regaining some of his power from past seasons.

Spencer Horwitz Fantasy Outlook

Horwitz is the last player I’d like to talk about. He’s seen his own percentage go from about 10 to 35 since the start of this week.

In 15 MLB games this season, Horwitz has a .348 average and .492 OBP. He’s got two doubles and home runs among his 16 total hits, along with six RBIs, nine runs scored, 11 walks and six strikeouts.

These numbers are not sustainable, so Horwitz is a short-term waiver wire option for fantasy owners. He should be grabbed in deeper leagues, but probably avoided in standard leagues. You could make the addition in a standard league if you have a roster spot to play with, but I would rather try to fill a final roster spot with a long-term fantasy option.

Now is the time to capitalize on Horwitz. Don’t wait for him to play better, because that’s a big ask. Add him now and then reassess him as a fantasy player over the next several weeks.

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