As the fantasy baseball regular season winds down, managers in contention have two different paths to improving their teams: trades or the waiver wire. Each has its benefits and risks, and the reality is that most fantasy baseball managers will need to use both to build a team that can contend for a championship. Neither is easy, which is why it's paramount that managers stay on top of fantasy baseball news and analysis from RotoWire experts so that they can better understand player performance and expectations.
Having an understanding of your team's needs and strengths will help you choose the right path toward improving down the stretch. It's important to know your league settings and rules to hone your strategy as you gear up for the postseason.
Key Differences Between Waiver Wire Adds and Trade Deadline Moves
Using the waiver wire is often a low-cost, low-upside proposition. It helps fill short-term gaps on your team, either because you're chasing a specific category, such as strikeouts, or have a player on the MLB injury report you need to replace. Late in the season, finding gems on the waiver wire can occur because teams are giving younger players more time or resting veterans, thus moving players up the MLB depth charts for the first time. Knowing your league is important, too. Shallow rosters mean a deeper waiver wire where you can find impactful players. Deep rosters mean the waiver wire is rarely going to pay off.
Trades can also fill more short-term
As the fantasy baseball regular season winds down, managers in contention have two different paths to improving their teams: trades or the waiver wire. Each has its benefits and risks, and the reality is that most fantasy baseball managers will need to use both to build a team that can contend for a championship. Neither is easy, which is why it's paramount that managers stay on top of fantasy baseball news and analysis from RotoWire experts so that they can better understand player performance and expectations.
Having an understanding of your team's needs and strengths will help you choose the right path toward improving down the stretch. It's important to know your league settings and rules to hone your strategy as you gear up for the postseason.
Key Differences Between Waiver Wire Adds and Trade Deadline Moves
Using the waiver wire is often a low-cost, low-upside proposition. It helps fill short-term gaps on your team, either because you're chasing a specific category, such as strikeouts, or have a player on the MLB injury report you need to replace. Late in the season, finding gems on the waiver wire can occur because teams are giving younger players more time or resting veterans, thus moving players up the MLB depth charts for the first time. Knowing your league is important, too. Shallow rosters mean a deeper waiver wire where you can find impactful players. Deep rosters mean the waiver wire is rarely going to pay off.
Trades can also fill more short-term gaps, but the associated cost means you'll want players that benefit you the rest of the season. Of course, the trade-off is needing to give someone from your own team in exchange. This is where it's critical to understand your team's strengths and weaknesses. Are you deep at a position where you're having to bench a good player more days than not? Do you have a starter returning from injury and need to open a roster spot?
When the Waiver Wire is a Smarter Move Ahead of the Playoffs
Managers who have a top-heavy lineup with a few roster spots that they feel comfortable rotating out should check out the waiver wire. Know if your league has a maximum on the number of moves allowed each season before taking this approach, but top-heavy rosters likely aren't going to have much to trade and find it more difficult to get back something impactful in return.
Still, you can target players seeing more time or those with favorable matchups (batters in good ballparks or pitchers facing poor offenses) to improve your team in the short term. There are also plenty of impactful September call-ups that can improve your team beyond what a traditional veteran pick-up would do. Staying on top of who those top waiver wire targets are will put you in position to keep key MLB player stats coming in on a consistent basis.
When to Pursue a Trade Instead of Waiting on the Waiver Wire
Trading in re-draft leagues isn't an exact science. Since you'll probably need to give equal talent back to successfully execute a trade, it's important to know your strengths and weaknesses. This goes two ways: If you're in a head-to-head league, you can load up in categories where you're strong in order to earn weekly wins and advance in the postseason. If your team is low in saves, you can trade any relief pitchers for spots where you're strong (like homers, stolen bases or strikeouts) and forget about the category as a whole.
Trading also makes sense if you believe you're a fringe contender looking to take a big swing. If you don't believe your current roster can compete for a championship, it makes sense to shake things up and hope for the best. Analyze MLB projections to see if there are any buy-low candidates or if you can trade one of your stars for a package deal that makes you stronger across the board.
How to Evaluate the Cost of a Trade Deal on Your Playoff Roster
The best managers know the pulse of their team, from how players have performed over the last month, to what their schedules and projections look like moving forward. Knowing where your strengths lie and determining whether to double-down on those categories, or get better across the board, should be your first move when deciding whether to trade.
Using RotoWire's resources can help managers find players who have positive outlooks the rest of the season and should be targeted in trades. It's also important to not help another contender get stronger in a trade, though that may need to happen if you're unable to find a trade elsewhere.
Building a Playoff Roster Strategy That Uses Both Tools
The reality is managers should be using both trades and the waiver wire down the stretch of their fantasy baseball season. They can be used in tandem, too: Perhaps you're willing to trade away a starting pitcher for a hitter because you know it's easier to stream starters down the stretch. Or you've got your eye on a September call-up who's near the top of the MLB prospect rankings list.
If you can grab him, you can trade the player who he'll be replacing in your starting lineup. Always have an idea of what is available on the waiver wire, primarily because it costs less and doesn't disrupt your current team, but also because it can help you determine what positions to target in trades, knowing that you can replace that spot with a pick-up.
Unsure where to start? Our experts have analysis on the game's best players, hidden gems, waiver wire targets and more each day. Fantasy baseball managers who subscribe to RotoWire will have a sense of what the right move is for them given their current team, positioning themselves for a long playoff run with an improved team.
