The fantasy baseball season is long and grinding, with plenty of bumps along the way — just ask Noah Syndergaard owners.
But in weekly matchup leagues, each Monday offers a new opportunity to wipe the slate clean and find success in the week ahead. That success starts with finding hidden gems on the waiver wire, and we think these five players are just the guys to give your team a lift.
Here are our top five waiver wire adds for Week 5.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers (21 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Ryu’s comeback tour got off to a brutal start this spring with four consecutive losses to start the season. But there have been signs of improvement, and the 30-year-old may have just turned the corner Sunday, allowing just three hits while striking out nine Philadelphia Phillies over 5 1/3 innings. Now is the time to scoop Ryu up.
David Peralta, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (61 percent owned)
We usually don’t include guys who are more than 50 percent owned, but outfield is such a deep position that it’s easy to overlook guys like Peralta. We’d advise against that. The 29-year-old is off and running in 2017 with a .529 slugging percentage and three steals in 22 games. Peralta batted .312 over a full season in 2015 and is a very good hitter when healthy. It appears that’s the case this year.
Yuli Gurriel, 1B/3B, Houston Astros (40 percent owned)
The 32-year-old “rookie” quickly is proving he belongs in Major League Baseball, sporting a .342/.359/.500 slash line with just 10 strikeouts in 21 games. He’s slowly moving up in Houston’s order, too, and drilled a homer Friday during his second game in the No. 6 hole. Add in the two-position versatility, and we may have something here.
Scott Schebler, OF, Cincinnati Reds (20 percent owned)
Who the heck is Scott Schebler? The baseball world is finding out after the 26-year-old popped five homers in a four-game span this past week. Sure, the .244 batting average is a red flag, and his power could be just a flash in the pan. But Schebler has staked his claim as an everyday starter and went 3-for-5 on Sunday, so he’s worth a flyer while he rides this current wave.
Jose Reyes, SS/3B, New York Mets (18 percent owned)
The Mets desperately need a spark, and Reyes is doing his best to give it to them with a six-game hitting streak that has included three multi-hit games. While he’s on the back nine of his career, the 33-year-old has the pedigree and has put together enough impressive at-bats of late to warrant an add if you’re looking for infield help.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
