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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 1 Waiver Wire: 0-25% Owned Pickups

Baseball is finally back. In light of this, let's give that free agent pool one last look over before the stats start flying.

Here are the best players who are owned in 0-25% of Yahoo leagues. You can see our column on 25-50% owned players as well.

These are your deeper 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 lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Deep League Waiver Wire Adds

Catcher: Cameron Rupp, Philadelphia Phillies (16% owned)

Rupp is mainly keeping the seat warm for prospect Jorge Alfaro, but he did flash some pop last season. He hit 16 homers with a passable .252 batting average and 80 R+RBI. Rupp likely isn't a long-term solution for owners in single-catcher leagues, but he's a viable second catcher in 2C formats.

First Base: Lucas Duda, New York Mets (10%)

Duda missed most of 2016 with injury, but over the prior two seasons, he was 7th among first basemen in home runs, and 12th in both runs and RBI. While he's never going to hit for a high average - his best single-season mark is .253 - the veteran also boasts a career .346 OBP. Assuming health, he's an excellent CI option in 12-team mixers and a viable starter at 1B in deeper and NL-only formats.

Second Base: Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies (8%)

Hernandez looked like a utility man when he broke into the majors in 2014, but he’s developed into a player with relevance in many fantasy formats. His plate discipline, contact rate, and contact quality have steadily trended up in the last three years. He earned some criticism for mental lapses on the bases — note the ugly 17-for-30 success rate on stolen base attempts — but he also hit .294/.371/393 with quality defense to turn in a surprising four-win season. Hernandez was 19-for-24 in thefts in 2015, and has been working with coaches to improve that aspect of his game this winter. He will hit near the top of the order,

Third Base: Travis Shaw, Milwaukee Brewers (24%)

Shaw faded badly after a hot start with the Red Sox in 2016. Traded to Milwaukee over the winter, he'll be the starting first baseman and likely hit fifth in a sneaky-good Brewers lineup. While Fenway Park has a well-deserved reputation as a hitters' park, it's actually one of the most difficult parks in the game for lefties to hit a home run. Miller Park is among the best parks for lefty power, and it's not hard to imagine Shaw taking advantage.

Shortstop: Tyler Saladino, Chicago White Sox (14%)

Saladino has picked up some sleeper hype during a torrid spring, but he remains lightly owned. The versatile 27-year-old hit .282 with eight homers and 11 steals in just 319 plate appearances a year ago. Given his minor league track record and the White Sox rebuild, he's likely to run a bit more in 2017, and could see some time near the top of the batting order. Yoan Moncada is the future at second base, but Saladino has the job right now, and he could provide double-digit pop with 20+ stolen bases to go with his eligibility at three positions.

Corner Infield: Yangervis Solarte, San Diego Padres (14%)

If you've ever read my work before, you probably knew this was coming. I've been beating the Solarte drum since 2015, after all. The veteran doesn't have enough foot speed to take advantage of the Padres' aggressive basestealing philosophy, but hits well enough to land a spot in the middle of their lineup: .286/.341/.467 last season, with 15 homers and 126 R+RBI in just 109 games. Injury cost him some time, as did the tragic death of his wife. The latter is just another reason to root for the guy.

Middle Infield: Chris Owings, Arizona Diamondbacks (10%)

Owings will open the year as the starting shortstop in Arizona, and he's hitting second in their first game. There's not much pop here, but Owings swiped 21 bags in 23 attempts last year. With the current dearth of speed in the game, he's an intriguing sleeper at short and free to add in 90 percent of Yahoo league at the moment. If he can hit enough to stick in the 2-hole, he'll be sandwiched between A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt. That's a nice place to be. Like many of the guys we're discussing today, Owings offers flexibility as well, since he's eligibile in the outfield.

Outfield: Steve Pearce, Toronto Blue Jays (12%)

The release of Melvin Upton makes it clear that the Jays will give Pearce every opportunity to run with the starting job in left field. He also carries eligibility at first and second base, and given that Devon Travis can't stay healthy and Justin Smoak is terrible, he could easily see time at either position. Pearce has never logged 400 plate appearances in a season before, but has a great chance to do so in 2017. He's hit .267/.347/.493 with 49 homers in just 279 games over the last three seasons. If he can come close to that level over a full slate, he'll be a fantastic value.

Outfield: Travis Jankowski, San Diego Padres (8%)

If speed's what you need, consider Jankowski. He strikes out too much to hit for average despite his quickness and doesn't have much power, but Jankowski does the starting job in left field. He swiped 30 bags as a part-timer in 2016. Jankowski does get on base at a good clip thanks to a double-digit walk rate, so if the playing time holds up, 40-50 stolen bases are attainable.

Starting Pitcher: Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves (19%)

The former first-round pick hasn't quite lived up to the hype, but Foltynewicz has improved every season in the big leagues. He also seems to have developed his changeup into a viable third offering, which should allow him to stick in the rotation. His blazing fastball and slider have led some to conclude his future is in the bullpen. If the Braves were to make that move, Folty could be in line for some saves. For now, he's a solid back-end fantasy starter with upside for more.

Starting Pitcher: Daniel Norris, Detroit Tigers (12%)

Norris was one of just 19 starters who logged a strikeout per inning and walked fewer than three batters per nine. Most of the guys in that group are bona fide aces. Of course, Norris was the only player in the group who failed to log 100 innings, and he also had trouble with home runs and hard contact. But the former top prospect is just 23 and carries plenty of upside.

Relief Pitcher: Hector Rondon, Chicago Cubs (15%)

By virtually any measure, Rondon has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last three seasons. He has served as the Cubs' closer for the bulk of that time, but the defending champs opted to bring in Wade Davis via trade to handle closing duties. Davis had some arm troubles last season, though, and is coming off an extremely shaky spring. Rondon could find himself back in the ninth if Davis stumbles, and can bolster your ratios even as a set-up man.

Relief Pitcher: Jason Grilli, Toronto Blue Jays (18%)

Grilli had command issues last season that led to inflated walk and home run rates, but he logged a 12.0 K/9 for the second straight year and fourth time in five seasons. With Roberto Osuna on the disabled list to begin the year, Grilli will take the closer baton in Toronto for at least a couple of weeks.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds


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




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado5 hours ago

Red Sox Emerge As Strong Candidate To Land Nolan Arenado
Christian Watson6 hours ago

Packers Confirm Torn ACL For Christian Watson
Ezekiel Elliott7 hours ago

Signing With Chargers
Jalen Johnson7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
Bilal Coulibaly7 hours ago

Could Be Ready To Return Against Houston
Malcolm Brogdon8 hours ago

Will Not Play Tuesday
Jordan Poole8 hours ago

Uncertain Against Houston
Bub Carrington8 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Jalen Green8 hours ago

Questionable Against Washington
Tari Eason8 hours ago

Doubtful Tuesday Against The Wizards
Josh Richardson8 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Lauri Markkanen8 hours ago

Could Return Tuesday Against Atlanta
Keyonte George8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
John Collins9 hours ago

Out Tuesday Against Atlanta
Jordan Clarkson9 hours ago

Will Miss At Least Two Weeks
Yuki Kawamura9 hours ago

Available To Play Monday Against The Mavericks
Luke Kennard9 hours ago

Available To Play Monday
Desmond Bane9 hours ago

Downgraded To Out Against Dallas
Jalen Brunson9 hours ago

Cleared To Face Orlando
Karl-Anthony Towns9 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Michael Lorenzen10 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Kansas City
Luke Kennard10 hours ago

Available For Monday's Game
Andre Drummond10 hours ago

Unavailable Against Suns
Gavin Lux10 hours ago

Traded To Cincinnati
Deandre Ayton10 hours ago

Available On Monday
Ben Simmons10 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Kyler Murray10 hours ago

"100 Percent" Chance That Kyler Murray Will Start For Cardinals In 2025
Brock Purdy10 hours ago

Wants Contract Done Sooner Than Later
Christian McCaffrey11 hours ago

"Definitely Close" To Being Fully Recovered
Jayden Daniels11 hours ago

Commanders "Not Concerned" With Jayden Daniels' Leg Soreness
Amari Cooper11 hours ago

Bills Hopeful Amari Cooper Will Be Available In Wild-Card Round
Erik Haula11 hours ago

Expected To Miss "A Few Weeks"
Patrik Laine11 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Adam Larsson11 hours ago

Available Monday
Dakota Joshua11 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Elias Pettersson12 hours ago

Remains Out On Monday
Quinn Hughes12 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision For Monday
Aaron Ekblad12 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Monday
Chicago Bears13 hours ago

Bears Seek Permission To Interview Mike McCarthy For Head-Coaching Job
Jalen Hurts13 hours ago

Still In The Concussion Protocol
Anthony Richardson13 hours ago

Will Be Colts Starter In 2025
Luis Arraez14 hours ago

Yankees Talking With Padres About Luis Arraez
Las Vegas Raiders14 hours ago

Antonio Pierce Expects To Return As Raiders Head Coach
Chicago Bears15 hours ago

Chicago Requests Interview With Mike Kafka For Head-Coaching Job
Geno Smith15 hours ago

Expected To Return To Seattle
Christian Watson16 hours ago

Believed To Have Suffered A Torn ACL
Seattle Seahawks16 hours ago

Seahawks Fire Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb
Chicago Bears16 hours ago

Bears Formally Request To Interview Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn For Head-Coaching Job
Zay Flowers16 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Michael Pittman Jr.17 hours ago

Dealing With Fracture In His Back
Brian Thomas Jr.17 hours ago

Tops Century Mark In Loss To Colts
New England Patriots18 hours ago

Patriots Request To Interview Ben Johnson
New York Jets18 hours ago

Jets Request Interviews With Arthur Smith, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady
Frank Vatrano21 hours ago

Nets Two Goals On Sunday Evening
Sebastian Aho21 hours ago

Leads Carolina To Victory With Three-Point Night
Bo Horvat21 hours ago

Scores Game-Winner On Sunday
Filip Chytil21 hours ago

Scores Twice On Sunday
Jake McCabe21 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Philip Tomasino21 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Kris Letang1 day ago

Returns To Penguins Lineup
William Carrier1 day ago

Misses Sunday's Game With A Lower-Body Injury
Aaron Ekblad1 day ago

Sits Out Sunday's Practice
Travis Hamonic1 day ago

To Miss Up To Four Weeks
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Out Week-To-Week
Frank Vatrano1 day ago

Signs Three-Year Extension With Ducks
Clayton Kershaw2 days ago

Intends To Pitch In 2025, Expected To Return To Los Angeles
Thatcher Demko3 days ago

Joining Team For Five-Game Road Trip
Pyotr Kochetkov3 days ago

Starts Against Wild On Saturday
Charlie Morton3 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Pete Alonso4 days ago

Angels "Looking At" Pete Alonso
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Hoping To Find Success Again At Majors In 2025
Chris Kirk6 days ago

Starts 2025 Defending The Sentry Title
Max Homa6 days ago

Hopes To Rebound After Disappointing 2024 Season
Nick Dunlap6 days ago

Looks To Build On Impressive Rookie Season
Collin Morikawa6 days ago

Heads To The Sentry After Excellent 2024 Season
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Hoping To Start 2025 Season Strongly At The Sentry
Russell Henley6 days ago

Closes Out 2024 Season Strong
Jason Day6 days ago

Looks Ahead To 2025 Season At The Sentry
Akshay Bhatia6 days ago

To Repeat Last Year’s Sentry Performance?
Ludvig Aberg6 days ago

Returns To The Sentry
Jesús Luzardo6 days ago

Jesus Luzardo Feeling 100 Percent
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

Making First Career Start At Kapalua
Corey Conners6 days ago

Making Third Consecutive Start At Kapalua
Viktor Hovland6 days ago

A Gametime Decision For Year's First Event
Tony Finau6 days ago

Making Sixth Start At Kapalua After Rumor-Filled Offseason
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looks To Get Off To Fast Start In 2025 At Kapalua

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Terry McLaurin - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Puka Nacua, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans

You might think fantasy football leagues are done until next September, but that is not the case! All sorts of new playoff league contests are kicking off this week, along with DFS contests, and our coverage will continue as always through the Super Bowl. If there's a fantasy or DFS contest to win, we'll have […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football: Jalen McMillan, DeVonta Smith, Quentin Johnston, Jaylen Warren, Jayden Reed, Amari Cooper

Traditional fantasy football leagues have come to an end, but there are still ways to win with playoff league and DFS contests starting this weekend. Our coverage at RotoBaller will continue as always through the Super Bowl. Like in the regular season, we're here to help you crush any contest or tournament you're interested in […]


James Cook - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: Bucky Irving, James Cook, J.K. Dobbins, Joe Mixon, Aaron Jones, Jaylen Warren

Hopefully, you captured a fantasy football championship or had big DFS wins during the 2024 NFL regular season. However, whether you had plenty of success or struggled, there are more ways to compete during the NFL postseason! With Playoff league contests starting this week and DFS contests, our coverage will continue as always through the Super […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, Jordan Addison, Ladd McConkey, Cooper Kupp, Khalil Shakir

Running backs stole the show during the 2024 fantasy football season, but there were several wideouts who exceeded expectations and could make a difference in fantasy football playoff leagues. Our coverage for playoff leagues and DFS contests will continue throughout the Super Bowl. Let's kick things off with our Wild Card fantasy football PPR wide receiver […]


Pat Freiermuth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wild Card Weekend PPR Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: T.J. Hockenson, Zach Ertz, Cade Otton, Tucker Kraft, Dallas Goedert, Will Dissly

The NFL regular season and traditional fantasy football season might be over, but there are still ways to compete. Whether you have joined a playoff league over at the FFPC or are navigating rankings for DFS purposes, we have you covered. Like regular fantasy leagues, tight ends are always difficult to navigate. We've got you […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Wild Card Weekend Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football: Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Justin Herbert

It's NFL playoff time for 14 franchises, and it's fantasy football playoff league time for fantasy managers still looking to compete! Whether you're scanning Wild Card rankings ahead of your playoff-league draft or are just looking for another source to build your DFS lineups, we have you covered. Let's dig into the Wild Card QB […]


Justin Tucker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Kicker Streamers

Wild Card Weekend Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football: Justin Tucker, Chase McLaughlin, Tyler Bass, Jake Elliott, Will Reichard, Cameron Dicker

Sadly, the fantasy football regular season is over. However, if you're still itching to compete, RotoBaller will provide coverage for playoff leagues through the Super Bowl. To get things kicked off, find out where kickers such as Justin Tucker, Chase McLaughlin, Tyler Bass, Jake Elliott, Will Reichard, and Cameron Dicker are ranked for the Wild Card […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Wild Card Weekend Team Defense Rankings for Fantasy Football: Ravens D/ST, Chargers D/ST, Bills D/ST, Eagles D/ST, Buccaneers D/ST, Rams D/ST

The 2024 fantasy football season flew by in a hurry, and as always, there were plenty of surprise breakouts and duds. With those leagues in the rearview mirror, it's time to turn our attention to fantasy football playoff leagues. RotoBaller will cover these setups through the Super Bowl with a special focus on FFPC leagues. […]


Will Levis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

2025 NFL Draft Order: Where Every Team Picks in the 1st Round

While fans of 14 NFL franchises are looking forward to competing for the Super Bowl, the other 18 are set to begin grinding mock drafts to see who their team could take in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It's never fun to miss the playoffs, but the idea of adding a high-end […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Sunday Injury Report: Updates for Jordan Love, Zay Flowers, Christian Watson, More

Well, the 2024 fantasy football season is officially in the books. It feels like just yesterday we were discussing sleepers, breakouts, and busts as we eagerly awaited the start of the year. I’m always amazed at how fast the season goes. The injury report from this weekend was relatively small, but the injuries that occurred […]


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

What Are Fantasy Football Playoff Leagues? How To Play, Join and Draft A Playoff League Team

The 2024 NFL regular season is over. After Week 18, there won't be any way to play more fantasy football, and managers will be forced to sit down and watch normal playoff football with absolutely nothing on the line... right? Not really! There are actually ways to play fantasy football throughout the playoffs. And we're […]


Jahmyr Gibbs - Fantasy Football, Rankings, Draft, Sleeper, DFS, Running Back

2025 NFL Playoffs Bracket: Predictions, Picks for the Entire NFL Postseason and Super Bowl LIX

The playoff matchups are finally written, and the exciting home stretch is upon us. It's been a thrilling 2024 regular season, but the postseason brings a special competitive edge to every snap. Several familiar faces and a few new ones are looking to dazzle in their first taste of the playoffs. Teams are hitting the […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Sam Darnold, Tyreek Hill, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens, Jordan Addison, More

The 18th and final Sunday of the 2024 NFL regular season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players […]