These broken lists aren’t going to fix themselves, folks. We’re going to need to work a little. June is no time for complacency, so here is a collection of seven useful exemption options, available on most Yahoo! alloys and approved for use…
Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending injury was obviously a catastrophic occurrence for the Braves, but Kelenic met the moment with a long stretch of productive play. Kelenic now finds himself in an almost everyday role and is batting .299 with an .856 OPS that dates back to the game in which Acuña went down. He also hit safely in seven straight games, holding the lead for Atlanta and delivering serviceable power/speed totals.
It may seem like Kelenic has been around forever, because we’ve been through the entire prospect-to-failure-to-post-hype cycle with him. But somehow he’s still only 24 years old. Let’s not rule it out yet.
Rice has hit in each of his first two games since being promoted from Triple-A. He certainly doesn’t seem to be outdone:
He’s playing first base following Anthony Rizzo’s injury (60-day IL), but he actually has catcher eligibility (rightfully earned — he has 28 starts behind the plate this season). Rice has hit .275/.393/.532 in the high minors this year with 15 bombs and nine steals in 10 attempts, so his fantasy upside should be obvious. If you’re looking for a boost at catcher, this is the guy.
Fantasy managers have yet to make a move on Horwitz, despite the fact he has gone 12-for-34 with six walks since getting the call from Triple-A. Horwitz has led the Jays because he is a checkable machine at the plate. He was hitting an obscene .335/.456/.514 in Buffalo before the promotion. Horwitz also has double-digit potential in home runs and steals. He should continue to be a huge asset in racing and AVG without being a liability in any standard category.
Vientos opened the week with two 3-hit games, with a bomb included:
He is now hitting .305/.362/.533 on the season with six home runs in 116 plate appearances. Vientos has multiple seasons with 20+ home runs under his belt in the minor leagues, as well as a .500 slugging percentage. Even if the batting average doesn’t hold up, we know the power is legitimate. Vientos can definitely deliver another 15-20 (or more) homers this season as long as he is in good health.
Some Cardinals hitters often manage to get in on the waiver appeal, and today’s article is no exception. Donovan is a fantasy multi-tool with at-large eligibility. His range of positional flexibility makes him an ideal option for leagues with short benches. This is a career .273 hitter with low-level power and a lifetime OBP of .365, so he’s good at his craft. We’re not trying to present it as a season saver, but rather as an extraordinarily versatile bench piece.
Olson is coming off a game in which he pitched six scoreless frames against Atlanta, striking out eight, reducing his ERA to 3.39 on the season. He has just one win on the season despite excellent numbers (3.05 FIP, 8.1 K/9), but that’s just a fluke of run support. He has an extremely friendly matchup against the White Sox on Sunday afternoon, so he has a decent chance at win No. 2. Encourage him if you’re streaming desperately at the end of your faceoff week.
Chad Green, RP, Toronto Blue Jays (31%)
The next chance to save Jays must go to Green, if your manager can be believed. This should be all you need to know if you are involved in a competitive league where defenders are difficult to find. Green has had an excellent season so far, delivering a 0.89 WHIP in 16 starts. He has also struck out 11.4 batters per nine innings over his career, so he also provides the expected shutout K rate.
