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In this piece, RotoBaller delves deeper into three players who are currently in our Daily Updated Waiver Wire Watch List that you should look to own over the next few weeks. These are fringe players, available on the waiver wire in many leagues, who could have an immediate impact on your team. If you invest a roster spot in one of these guys and catch a hot streak, you could then trade for a more stable player, or roll the dice on continued hot performance. Either way, you could see a fairly nice return from any of these players.
Felix Doubront, SP (BOS) – Still trying to put it all together, the Sox lefty delivered a pair of Doubrontian starts to begin the season: both five innings with 90 or more pitches, with a total of five earned runs allowed and 13 strikeouts. But his last two starts have been much deeper, as he went two outs into the seventh inning both times while allowing a total of six earned runs and striking out sixteen. Most importantly, he’s now won three consecutive starts on baseball’s best team. The 13 walks in 23.1 innings are cause for concern, but they're part of the Doubront package: harmful WHIP and middling ERA offset by a decent amount of wins and plenty of strikeouts. He's a relatively solid pickup off the starting pitcher waiver wire.
Garrett Jones, 1B/OF (PIT) – Jones has smacked 21 or more homers in three of the past four seasons and has thrived since Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle all but stopped using him against lefties two seasons ago. The extreme platoon usage limits his appeal in fantasy leagues, but he’s a borderline must-start in scoring periods where he faces five or more righties, as this year he’s off to a .319/.375/.542 start with ten extra-base hits. If you're willing to mix and match, Jones can be a terrific source of offensive production.
Russell Martin, C (PIT) – Signed away from the Yankees for two years and $17 million, Martin started his Pirates’ tenure slowly, but he's been scorching hot of late with a .409/.458/.841 triple-slash and five home runs over the past two weeks. He’s not a great source of batting average, as his BA has declined each season since 2007 , but he’s clubbed 39 HR over the past two years and is a reliable option for power from the fairly thin catcher position. Considering that he’s owned in just 50% of CBS leagues and 26% of Yahoo, Martin makes for a viable pick-up in deeper mixed leagues.
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