X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Third Base (3B) & First Base (1B)

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Brian Polking provides his fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for first base (1B) and third base (3B). Read his sleepers analysis and advice for Week 2 of the MLB season.

The first week of the 2014 MLB season is in the books, and whether your fantasy team is off to a strong start or has some work to do, there is nothing wrong with trying to find sleepers and upgrade your roster. With that in mind, here is a closer look at some corner infielders that have started the year strong and need to be on your waiver wire radar going forward. Some of these players may be available depending on your league size and format.

Don't forget to bookmark our daily updated waiver wire pickups list for all positions.

 

Third Base (3B) Waiver Wire Pickups

Emilio Bonifacio (3B/2B/OF, CHC)

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats

Rabbethan at the English language Wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

ANALYSIS: I know he is already widely owned, but Bonifacio has gotten off to a strong start with the Cubs, and after the first week of the season, he is hitting .500 to go along with 5 runs scored and 4 stolen bases. His average is obviously going to come back down, but after offseason surgery to improve his vision, I don’t think a .280 average is out of the question.

Meanwhile, his speed is legit, and he seems to have the green light to run. Bonifacio has stolen at least 28 bases in three straight seasons, and he should be good for 30-plus in 2014. Expect a solid average and quality run totals out of him the rest of the way, along with plenty of stolen bases. The fact that he is eligible at three positions doesn’t hurt either. Scoop him up.

 

Casey McGehee (3B, MIA)

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues

ANALYSIS: After playing in Japan last season, McGehee has returned to the majors with a bang, batting .375 with a 1.092 OPS in the first week of the season while piling up 10 RBIs. While his average has fluctuated wildly throughout his career, he has always been a decent RBI guy. His two best seasons came with the Brewers when he drove in 66 runs in 116 games in 2009 and had 104 RBIs in 157 games in 2010. Granted, Miami’s lineup isn’t exactly intimidating, but McGehee should continue to see some RBI opportunities as opponents inevitably pitch around Giancarlo Stanton. A modest home run total and an average that is likely to end up in the .250 range curb his value, but 70-80 RBIs could be doable.

 

Todd Frazier (3B, CIN)

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting; Add in NL-Only Formats

ANALYSIS: He is off to a hot start in 2014, and Frazier finished the first week of the season with a .381 average and a 1.147 OPS to go along with a couple of home runs. Perhaps more importantly, he has had at least one hit in all six of Cincinnati’s game. Consistency has been the missing ingredient to Frazier’s game in his young career, and although he has hit 19 home runs in each of the past two seasons, a terrible average has killed his fantasy value. Still, he plays in a hitter-friendly park, and the fact that he is the main right-handed bat behind Cincinnati’s left-handed sluggers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce practically ensures he will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs during the year. If he can sustain a decent average, he will end up being an asset in most formats.

 

First Base (1B) Waiver Wire Pickups

Chris Colabello (1B/OF, MIN)

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues

ANALYSIS: Despite being 30 years old, Colabello is beginning his first full season in the majors, and he didn’t wait long to make an impact. He hit .391 during the first week, driving in an AL-best 11 runs. His production has landed him the cleanup spot in Minnesota’s lineup, and while the Twins aren’t an offensive juggernaut, batting behind Joe Mauer isn't the worst thing in the world. The sample size is small for Colabello, but he did hit .352 with 24 homers in 89 games in the minors last season. A .300 average might be asking a bit much, but 20 home runs and 80 RBIs might be obtainable. If you need a bit of a boost in the power categories, Colabello could be your man.

 

Michael Morse (1B/OF, SF)

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

ANALYSIS: Morse provided almost no production for Seattle and Baltimore last year, but he has hit the ground running in San Francisco. He wrapped up the opening week of the season with a .350 average, 5 RBIs and 5 runs. After such a terrible 2013 campaign, it is easy to forget that he was strong offensive weapon for Washington from 2010 to 2012. Granted, he battled injuries, but hit .289 or better in all three seasons and averaged 28.5 home runs per 162 games.

Morse is going to be penciled into the middle of the Giants' lineup as long as he is healthy, and solid power numbers should be the result. His injury history isn't ideal, but there is no reason you can't enjoy his production until he inevitably hurts some body part.

 

Justin Smoak (1B, SEA)

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting; Add in AL-Only Formats

ANALYSIS: He has exploded out of the gates in 2014, hitting .292 with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs in the opening week. He is also slugging an impressive .625 so far. The problem with Smoak is that he has been an incredibly streaky hitter throughout his career, and while his home run total has increased every year, Smoak has never hit better than .238 over the course of a season. He also strikes out nearly twice as much as he walks. In all likelihood, Smoak is going to fall into a slump sooner rather than later, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy his hot streak while it lasts. He is also worth monitoring just in case he decides to put it all together, but if not, you can always cut him loose once his bat goes cold.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trevor Story4 hours ago

Picks Up Two Hits, Two Steals In Walk-Off Win Over Blue Jays
Chicago Bears5 hours ago

Bears Could Go With Left Tackle With Pick No. 10
New York Jets5 hours ago

Jets Expected To Go With Offensive Player With Their First Pick
Las Vegas Raiders5 hours ago

Raiders Could Target Cornerback If They Trade Back
Jacksonville Jaguars6 hours ago

Jaguars Targeting Mason Graham At No. 5 Overall?
Gavin Williams6 hours ago

Records Seven Strikeouts
New England Patriots6 hours ago

Armand Membou Could Be In Play For Patriots At No. 4
Bailey Ober6 hours ago

Has Quality Start On Thursday
New York Giants6 hours ago

Three Potential Outcomes For Giants At No. 3 Overall In The Draft
Carlos Estévez6 hours ago

Carlos Estevez Earns Fourth Save
NFL6 hours ago

Shemar Stewart To Visit With 49ers, Patriots
Quinn Priester6 hours ago

Posts No-Decision In Team Debut
Philadelphia Eagles6 hours ago

Jaylen Reed Visits With Eagles On Thursday
Ranger Suárez6 hours ago

Ranger Suarez Has Solid Rehab Outing
Clarke Schmidt6 hours ago

Looks Strong During Rehab Start
7 hours ago

Kaleb Johnson Visits With Bengals
NFL7 hours ago

Abdul Carter Doesn't Need Surgery On His Foot
Kyle Gibson7 hours ago

Throws 47 Pitches In Season Debut
Norman Powell7 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday's Game
7 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Camp Prefers If He's Taken Outside Of Top Three Picks?
Ivica Zubac7 hours ago

Could Miss Friday's Game
Hunter Feduccia7 hours ago

Sent Back To Triple-A
Isaiah Collier7 hours ago

Could Miss Another Game
Isaiah Hartenstein7 hours ago

Sidelined For Friday
Tyler Matzek7 hours ago

Activated Off Triple-A Injured List
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Unavailable On Friday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander7 hours ago

Takes A Seat On Friday
Caleb Kilian7 hours ago

Cubs Designate Caleb Kilian For Assignment
Tom Cosgrove7 hours ago

Shipped To Chicago
Yasmani Grandal8 hours ago

Inks Minor-League Deal With Boston
Spencer Strider8 hours ago

Expected To Make Season Debut Next Week
Deshaun Watson8 hours ago

Set To Be "Way Better Than Before" Upon Return
Ryan Feltner8 hours ago

Records Quality Start Despite Pitching Through The Flu
Brenton Doyle8 hours ago

Breaks Out With Three Hits, Five RBI
Tampa Bay Buccaneers8 hours ago

Haason Reddick Looking To Rebound From Disappointing 2024
Steven Kwan8 hours ago

Tallies Four Hits, Four RBI In Win Over White Sox
Rutger McGroarty9 hours ago

Out For The Season
Jo Adell9 hours ago

Homers Twice In The Same Inning
Anthony Gill9 hours ago

Sidelined For Friday
Charlie McAvoy9 hours ago

Not Returning This Season
Taylor Ward9 hours ago

Heating Up, Homers Twice Thursday
Nikita Zadorov9 hours ago

Available Thursday
Khris Middleton9 hours ago

Out Again For Friday's Matchup With Chicago
Mike Trout9 hours ago

Goes Deep Twice As Angels Rout The Rays
Mario Ferraro9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Richaun Holmes9 hours ago

Doubtful For Friday
9 hours ago

Isaiah Bond Surrenders On Sexual-Assault Warrant
Giannis Antetokounmpo9 hours ago

Available Against New Orleans
Terrace Marshall Jr.9 hours ago

Eagles Agree With Terrace Marshall Jr. On One-Year Deal
Elvis Merzlikins9 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Jarrett Allen9 hours ago

To See Limited Action On Thursday
Malcolm Brogdon9 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
Carter Verhaeghe9 hours ago

Resting Against Red Wings
Jordan Poole9 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday's Matchup With Chicago
Ilya Sorokin9 hours ago

Will Not Play Against Rangers
Ben Sheppard9 hours ago

Out Of Action On Thursday
Adrian Kempe10 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Enrique Bradfield Jr.10 hours ago

Injured At Double-A
Drew Doughty10 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Alex Pietrangelo10 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Tomas Hertl10 hours ago

Set To Return Thursday
Jack Eichel10 hours ago

Sits Out Second Consecutive Game
Martin Necas10 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Canucks
Nathan MacKinnon10 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Zyon Pullin11 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday
Day'Ron Sharpe12 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Cameron Johnson12 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday Against Hawks
D'Angelo Russell12 hours ago

Out Against Hawks
Los Angeles Rams13 hours ago

Troy Reeder Back With Rams On One-Year Deal
13 hours ago

Bears "Love" Ashton Jeanty
Carolina Panthers13 hours ago

Panthers Likely To Have Defense-Heavy Draft
Cleveland Browns13 hours ago

Browns Could Trade Back Into Round 1 For QB
Tennessee Titans13 hours ago

Titans Eyeing Wide Receiver With Second Selection In Draft?
13 hours ago

Omarion Hampton Visiting With Giants On Thursday
Josh Hart18 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday Night
OG Anunoby18 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Evan Mobley18 hours ago

Will Be Rested Thursday Night
Mika Zibanejad19 hours ago

Records Four Assists In Losing Effort
Tyson Foerster19 hours ago

Celebrates First Hat Trick In Flyers Win
Matthew Knies19 hours ago

Nets Hat Trick In Overtime Win
Macklin Celebrini19 hours ago

Erupts For Five Points Wednesday Night
Matt Boldy19 hours ago

Delivers Four Assists In Crucial Win
Joel Eriksson Ek20 hours ago

Marks Comeback With Four Goals
Connor McDavid20 hours ago

Logs Three Assists In Surprise Return
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

Looking For Success At Masters Debut
Tony Finau2 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At Augusta
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Shaky Play At Augusta
Sam Burns2 days ago

Not In Good Form Ahead Of Masters
Will Zalatoris2 days ago

Looks To Continue Great History At Augusta
Rory McIlroy2 days ago

2025 Is The Best Chance For Rory McIlroy To Complete Career Grand Slam
Joaquin Niemann2 days ago

Brings Strong Form Into Augusta
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Aims For Historic Third Green Jacket At Augusta
Jon Rahm2 days ago

A Strong Contender At Augusta
Hideki Matsuyama3 days ago

Aiming For Another Green Jacket At Augusta
Michael Kim3 days ago

Aims To Build On Strong Season At Augusta
PGA3 days ago

Victor Hovland A Solid Value Play At Augusta
Brian Harman3 days ago

A Risky Play At Augusta Despite Win At Valero
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Volatile Play At The Masters
Bryson DeChambeau3 days ago

Looking To Translate LIV Success To Augusta
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

In A Questionably Optimistic Spot Ahead Of Augusta
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Will Be An Interesting Commodity At Augusta
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Looking Solid Ahead Of Masters
Russell Henley3 days ago

Deserves Consideration At Augusta
Billy Horschel3 days ago

Boom Or Bust Heading Into Masters
Phil Mickelson3 days ago

Hopes To Roll Back The Clock At Augusta National
Lerone Murphy4 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Josh Emmett4 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 105
Joanderson Brito4 days ago

Gets Outclassed At UFC Vegas 105
Pat Sabatini4 days ago

Beats Joanderson Brito By Unanimous Decision
Cortavious Romious4 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
ChangHo Lee4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC Vegas 105
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 105
Brad Tavares4 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Vegas 105
Luis Gurule4 days ago

Suffers His First Loss
Ode' Osbourne4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Robert Valentin4 days ago

Dominated At UFC Vegas 105
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Has Luck On His Side This Time, Snatches Win At Darlington
Torrez Finney4 days ago

Dominates In His UFC Debut
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Misses Out On Victory At Darlington
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Gains A Top-Five Finish And Falls Short Of Winning Darlington
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Quietly Earns His Fifth Top-10 Finish Of 2025 At Darlington
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Ends His Slump With First Top-10 Finish Since September 2024 At Darlington
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Consistency Continues With Sixth-Place Finish At Darlington
William Byron4 days ago

Attempt To Lead From Start To Finish Cost Him Darlington Race
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Struggles At Darlington Until Being Bailed Out By Pit Strategy
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Bookends Darlington Race With Crashes
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Recovers From Untimely Pit Stop To Finish Seventh
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Starts Third At Darlington, One Of His Top Tracks
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Will Start 15th At Darlington This Week
NASCAR5 days ago

Is Bubba Wallace Worth Rostering For Darlington This Week?
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At Darlington
Joey Logano5 days ago

Increased Speed But Worse Results Make Darlington Outcome Unclear
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Likely To Benefit From Toyota Speed At Darlington
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Is One Of The Best DFS Options
Carson Hocevar5 days ago

Still A Work In Progress
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Likely Motivated After Last Year's Darlington Near Miss
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Returns To Site Of Best Career Finish
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Probably Won't Overcome Darlington Mediocrity
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF