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Week 1 Waiver Wire: 25-50% Owned Pickups

Wow, we're really here. After all this time, baseball is truly back. Happy Opening Day RotoBallers!

In light of this, let's give that free agent pool one last look over before the stats start flying. Today, we'll look at players who are owned in 25-50% of Yahoo leagues and see who stands out. You can see our deeper leagues list of 0-25% owned players as well.

These are your Week 1 waiver wire pickups and adds - players that should be considered as additions to your teams, after your drafts have already been completed.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

25-50% Owned Waiver Wire Adds

Catcher

Matt Wieters - 49%

Wieters was sitting at 50% until he signed with Washington, which made Derek Norris promptly drop him from his team. In all seriousness, Wieters is still a sturdy asset at C even if the days of dreaming for him to hit some insane ceiling are likely behind us. He swings a 20-homer bat if given roughly 500 plate appearances, which may be a tad high for what Washington wants out of him but it's a rather fair estimation if his health holds up. Perhaps the ownership is simply suppressed here by those eager-beaver leagues that drafted before he was signed.

Stephen Vogt - 44%

Vogt has been working more on staying patient at the dish and trying to get away from the poor form that resulted from expanding the zone in 2016. This cut his 11% walk rate in 2015 to 6.6%. While Vogt’s strikeout rate actually fell from 19% to 15.6% last season, his swinging-strike rate went up from 6.8% to 7.3% and his O-Swing rate (swinging at pitches out of the zone) went from 29.6% to 32.5%. Look for him to be a solid bounceback candidate in 2017 that can be had for peanuts.

 

First Base

Tommy Joseph - 42%

The former catcher bashed 21 homrs in only 347 PAs last season, largely due to splitting time with the Ryan Howard Farewell Tour experience, but 2017 will be Tommy Time. His 18.9% HR/FB rate really isn’t a prime regression candidate considering he is a fly-ball heavy hitter with a loud 36.6% hard-hit rate. While his average may hover around the .240-.260 range, he is a legitimate 30-homer bat that gets to hit in the middle of an up-and-coming Philly offense.

C.J. Cron - 31%

Cron had a lot going for him heading into 2017 before the Luis Valbuena signing, which clogs up the 1B position for the Angels. Albert Pujols will be the everyday DH, meaning Cron and his rising bat will be forced into split duties. The good news here, for Cron at least, is that Valbuena will start the season on the DL and give CJ a chance to grab the lion’s share of the playing time moving forward. If he can maintain last season’s batted-ball growth (+4.9% hard-hit rate, -3.4% K rate) then he could help stave off those April showers.

 

Second Base

Neil Walker - 45%

Walker tied a career-high mark in homers in 2016, notching 23 blasts in only 458 PAs – a feat he required 571 PAs to do the first time (in 2014). While he doesn’t jump off the page as spectacular or offer the ceiling/potential that someone in their 20s can yield, this veteran can still provide healthy stats out of the keystone position. It’s not sexy, but this is the kind of bat that can provide solid production from your middle infield slot.

Ryan Schimpf - 30%

Schimpf has won the San Diego hot corner job, meaning he’ll get everyday at-bats to flex that ridiculous muscle of his. Okay, so there’s no way that he replicates his absurd 64.9% fly ball rate and that .315 ISO will probably come down. But this is a guy who has mashed in the Minors only to be left without a starting job in Toronto before a trade to the Padres gave way to opportunity in 2016. He will suck your average dry, but those in need of power should tap the Jumbo Schrimpf.

 

Third Base

Eugenio Suarez - 47%

Suarez offers five-category potential in the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ballpark, as his 9.8% swinging-strike rate really doesn’t mesh with a lofty 24.7% strikeout rate. He’s got the contact skills to be more of a .265-type hitter, with the upside of the .280 that he flashed in his 2015 debut. With a 20-homer bat and 10+ steal legs, don’t be afraid to see what Suarez can put together in his second full season.

Pablo Sandoval - 34%

Don’t look now, but Sandoval has actually been pretty monstrous this spring. His ST line came out to be .338/.348/.677 as he rode seven doubles and five homers en route to 20 RBIs. I realize he still needs to show that he can handle the true MLB-level stuff again, but this is a guy who knows he’s beginning his make-or-break campaign in the Majors. Given Boston’s power-friendly lineup and park, he could pay off nicely for owners in deeper formats.

 

Shortstop

Jose Reyes - 42%

It didn’t take long for a starting role to be cleared for Reyes, as it became pretty apparent that David Wright wouldn’t be able to take the field for the Metropolitans to open 2016. In the NL, that means you can’t play. While extrapolating Reyes’ eight homers from only 279 PAs last season would be unwise, he may be one of those veterans that starts to trade in some average for pop. With 25-steal wheels still on the car, he should be a nice contributor to open up the ’17 season.

Asdrubal Cabrera - 26%

And if Reyes doesn’t float your boat, then you can just move roughly 60 feet to his teammate Asdrubal Cabrera! While he’ll never be the same guy that he was before that gruesome leg injury in 2013, Cabrera finally tapped back into his power in ’16 – giving us a 23-homer season with a .280 average. His 14% HR/FB rate was only the second time in his career where he’d topped double digits (13.3% in 2011 – when he hit 25 homers). Don’t expect the exact same season, but 18-20 homers with a healthy average and a few steals is well within reason.

 

Outfield

Jarrod Dyson - 38%

Well, well. Look who played themselves into a real starting job. Not only that, but even a piece of the leadoff action! The speedy Dyson has long flashed his plus wheels in limited duty for Kansas City, but now finds himself in a chance to show off on a nightly basis as the everyday centerfielder for Seattle thanks to a hot spring (.289, 5-for-5 on stolen-base attempts). While Jean Segura will leadoff against righties, Dyson will get that honor against lefties, giving him even more opportunities to deliver a solid average while flirting with 40+ steals.

Corey Dickerson - 32%

Dickerson lost 25 pounds this offseason thanks to a workout regimen centered on flexibility and core training, which has looked pretty good for him thus far. His spring yielded a .379/.410/.603 triple slash with four homers, and with last season’s .245 average likely to rebound a bit alongside the 25-homer power, the Tampa slugger becomes a nice “not only a power guy” option.

 

Starting Pitcher

Robert Gsellman - 41%

Gsellman has been popping up everywhere, but it’d be disingenuous to skip over the guy considering he’s right in the wheelhouse of where we’re investigating with ownership levels. With the Mets’ rotation already ailing, work really should be a concern here. Many are simply wondering just how much of last season’s 2.42 ERA was an illusion. His 2.63 FIP says barely any, though his 3.38 xFIP and 3.76 SIERA say there’s some giveback here. View him as a 3.60 ERA guy and be pleasantly surprised instead, though it is nice that he’s posted a 2.31 spring ERA with 23 1/3 strong innings – though his modest 15 Ks in those frames do point to his limits in that department.

Hyun-Jin Ryu - 26%

Look, if you’re going to pick him up then you need to do it now – while he’s still healthy. After posting strong numbers in his first two state-side seasons in 2013-14, Ryu missed all of 2015 and practically all of ’16 as well with injuries. He’s won out a rotation slot in ’17 on the heels of a 2.57 spring ERA (14 innings) where he posted a lovely 12-to-1 K:BB ratio to back the ERA. Pitching for the Dodgers never hurts, as Yasmani Grandal is one of the best pitch-receivers in the game on top of that potent offense. Have a next move planned out in case he gets hurt, but for now Ryu could be a nice early-season add.

 

Relief Pitcher

Hector Neris - 44%

Neris burst onto the scene in 2016 to the tune of a 2.58 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.95 SIERA and 102 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings of work. While he had been solid in 2015 as well (3.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.18 SIERA, 41 Ks in 40 1/3 IP) this was a new level of good. Unfortunately, the Phils kept Jeanmar Gomez in the closer’s role all season long anyway – driving some to wonder if they just wanted to keep Neris’ arbitration cost down. If that the case again in 2017 then perhaps Joaquin Benoit would get first crack at the ninth should Gomez stumble, but Neris will still be plenty useful to all owners as a healthy source of Ks and ratio relief.

Matt Bush - 26%

This is a guy who throws absolute gas – something Texas’ current closer, Sam Dyson, does not do. While Dyson has the job for now, Bush profiles much more as the prototypical closer with his high-90s fastball and solid breaking pitches to complement it with. He isn’t wild either, as his 2.04 BB/9 allowed him to avoid scary situations and kept his WHIP below 1.00 (0.94). He’ll be useful even if he never gets a chance to close, but he’s worth snagging just in case.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Damian Lillard7 hours ago

May Miss Another Game On Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo7 hours ago

Questionable Versus Charlotte
Max Greyserman7 hours ago

A Scary Play At WM Phoenix Open
Sepp Straka7 hours ago

In A Good Position To Improve His History At WM Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler7 hours ago

The Unanimous Favorite This Week In Scottsdale
Hideki Matsuyama8 hours ago

Looking For Bounce-Back Performance In Arizona
De'Aaron Fox8 hours ago

To Make Team Debut On Wednesday
Draymond Green8 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Robert Williams III8 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Collin Sexton8 hours ago

To Miss At Least One Week
Lauri Markkanen9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Zach LaVine9 hours ago

Slated To Debut On Wednesday
Shane Bieber9 hours ago

Not Expected To Rejoin Rotation Until Midway Through The Season
Ben Simmons9 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday Night
Josh Hart9 hours ago

Will Suit Up On Tuesday Evening
Karl-Anthony Towns10 hours ago

Available On Tuesday Night
Aaron Holiday10 hours ago

Joins Starting Unit Tuesday
Mikal Bridges10 hours ago

Good To Go Versus Toronto
Alperen Sengün10 hours ago

Alperen Sengun Returns To Action Against Nets
Tari Eason10 hours ago

Will Not Play On Tuesday
Kevin Durant10 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Wednesday
Kenyon Martin Jr.10 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Chris Boucher10 hours ago

Downgraded To Out Tuesday
Andre Drummond10 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Bruce Brown10 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
RJ Barrett10 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Nolan Arenado11 hours ago

Red Sox Discussing Nolan Arenado Trade
Dylan Guenther11 hours ago

Returns To Utah Lineup
Nick Leddy11 hours ago

Back For Blues Tuesday
Andrei Svechnikov11 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Mavrik Bourque11 hours ago

Misses Tuesday's Game
Miro Heiskanen11 hours ago

Out Month-To-Month
Troy Terry11 hours ago

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Oliver Ekman-Larsson12 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Quinn Hughes12 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jose Altuve14 hours ago

Has Been Working In Left Field
Si Woo Kim15 hours ago

Showing Some Form Heading Into Phoenix
Tom Hoge16 hours ago

Looks To Keep The Momentum Going In Phoenix
Austin Eckroat16 hours ago

A Name To Watch For At WM Phoenix Open
Zach Werenski16 hours ago

Will Not Play On Tuesday
Wyndham Clark16 hours ago

Is Someone To Stay Away From This Week
Alex Nedeljkovic16 hours ago

Starting On Tuesday
Logan Thompson16 hours ago

Facing Florida On Tuesday
Tage Thompson17 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Kansas City Chiefs17 hours ago

Andy Reid Won't Retire After Super Bowl LIX
Erik Haula17 hours ago

Viewed As Game-Time Decision On Tuesday
Travis Kelce17 hours ago

Doesn't Appear To Be Eyeing Retirement
Nico Daws17 hours ago

Starting On Tuesday
Min Woo Lee18 hours ago

Has Hot Hand Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Patrick Rodgers18 hours ago

A Wild Card At WM Phoenix Open
Tom Kim18 hours ago

A Golfer To Watch At WM Phoenix Open
Max Homa18 hours ago

Tough To Trust At WM Phoenix Open
Jordan Spieth18 hours ago

A Risky Option At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Burns18 hours ago

Will Be A Big Play This Week But Comes With Risk
Christiaan Bezuidenhout18 hours ago

Looks To Turn Around Ball-Striking In Phoenix
Ryan Hartman21 hours ago

Suspended For 10 Games
Owen Tippett21 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day Ahead Of Tuesday's Game
Anton Forsberg21 hours ago

Earns Victory On Monday
Filip Forsberg22 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Monday's Loss
Brady Tkachuk22 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Nick Taylor1 day ago

Tries Again For Second Win At Scottsdale
Seamus Power1 day ago

Could Be Intriguing For DFS At Scottsdale
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Seeking Form From Sentry This Week
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Looking For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
Beau Hossler1 day ago

Seeks A Better Start At Scottsdale
Harry Hall1 day ago

Hopes For A Better Performance At Scottsdale
Cooper Kupp1 day ago

Rams Seeking Trade Partner For Cooper Kupp
Marcus Johansson1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Erik Haula1 day ago

Could Be An Option Tuesday
Nassourdine Imavov2 days ago

Picks Up Second-Round Knockout Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Israel Adesanya2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Vinicius Oliveira2 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Mike Davis2 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Farés Ziam2 days ago

Fares Ziam Extends His Win Streak To Five
Cleveland Browns2 days ago

Myles Garrett Requests Trade, Browns Sticking To Their Stance
Jack Flaherty2 days ago

Returning To Detroit On Two-Year Contract
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Raiders Hire Chip Kelly As Offensive Coordinator
Shohei Ohtani3 days ago

Expected To Pitch In May
Freddie Freeman3 days ago

Starts Swinging, Not Running
Tyler Glasnow3 days ago

Throwing Bullpens, Feels Good Heading Into Spring Training
Kaan Ofli4 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Naimov4 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Jairzinho Rozenstruik4 days ago

Loses Lackluster Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Sergei Pavlovich4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak At UFC Saudi Arabia
Shara Magomedov4 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Michael Page4 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Saudi Arabia
Chris Godwin4 days ago

Tampa Bay Expected To Attempt To Re-Sign Chris Godwin
Justin Tucker4 days ago

Facing More Sexual-Assault Allegations
Alex Bregman4 days ago

Tigers And Red Sox Emerge As "Co-Favorites" To Land Alex Bregman
Nolan Arenado4 days ago

Cardinals Unable To Find Trade Partner For Nolan Arenado
Dallas Goedert4 days ago

Will Be Good To Go Against Chiefs
DeVonta Smith4 days ago

Expected To Play In Super Bowl
Tampa Bay Buccaneers4 days ago

Josh Grizzard Promoted To Offensive Coordinator
Pete Alonso4 days ago

Reds Showing Interest In Pete Alonso
Israel Adesanya5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nassourdine Imavov5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Vinicius Oliveira5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Saudi Arabia
DeVonta Smith5 days ago

Not Practicing Again On Friday
Mike Davis5 days ago

Looks For His Fifth UFC Win
Farés Ziam5 days ago

Fares Ziam Looks For His Fifth Win In A Row
Félix Bautista5 days ago

Felix Bautista Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Jorge Polanco5 days ago

Re-Signs With Mariners On One-Year Deal
Kaan Ofli5 days ago

Looks For First UFC Win In Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Naimov5 days ago

Opens Up UFC Saudi Arabia Main Card
Jairzinho Rozenstruik5 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Saudi Arabia
Max Scherzer5 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Toronto
Dallas Goedert6 days ago

Being Rested Again On Thursday
DeVonta Smith6 days ago

Misses Practice Again On Thursday
Justin Tucker6 days ago

Accused Of Inappropriate Sexual Behavior
Dylan Cease6 days ago

Cubs A Team To Watch On Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease6 days ago

Mets Showing Interest In Dylan Cease, Michael King

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