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

Five Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 1

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

Happy Opening Day! Another long, bitter winter is behind us. It’s finally time to get in the game.

Assuming you’ve been a regular around these parts, you undoubtedly had a terrific draft. As valuable as the foundation from a strong draft can be, we all know that leagues are won and lost during the season. No successful roster makes it to the end of the year without undergoing significant changes. How you respond to injuries, slumps, role changes, and trades will determine whether you’re a champ or a chump.

Fortunately, RotoBaller has you covered. Every single day from now until the end of the season, we’ll be bringing you the same expert analysis that you’ve come to expect. Today, we’ll cover some of the best outfield options widely available on your waiver wire. With the exception of the first player on this list, you can grab all of these guys for free in over 90 percent of leagues.

 

Angel Pagan, Giants

ESPN: 7 percent owned; Yahoo: 12 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 12% Owned

With Hunter Pence sidelined for the first month of the season, Pagan will reportedly bat third against RHP and fifth against southpaws. He’s not exactly your prototypical middle of the order hitter, but Pagan does have gap power that could help him drive in runs. He’ll have Buster Posey behind him, which should boost his runs scored. And no matter where he hits in the lineup, he offers a solid average and OBP. It remains to be seen how much he’ll run in his new spot, but with three 30 SB seasons in his career, Pagan’s obviously got wheels. Owners who invested in injury stashes could do a lot worse than Pagan as a short-term replacement. He’s been quite productive when healthy.

 

Juan Lagares, Mets 

ESPN: 4 percent owned; Yahoo: 8 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 8% Owned

The newly minted multimillionaire is primarily known for his glove, but was actually a league-average bat last season. Coming off an excellent spring, his name is penciled in atop the Mets order. He doesn’t have the ideal profile of a leadoff man with a career 4.6% walk rate, but Lagares makes enough contact to parlay his speed into a high BABIP. He’s also entering his age-26 season, so continued improvement at the plate isn’t an unreasonable expectation. Lagares doesn’t have much pop, but looks like a positive contributor in the other three categories in standard leagues.

 

Michael Taylor, Nationals

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 8 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 44% Owned

Taylor will be the everyday center fielder while Denard Span recovers from abdominal surgery. The rookie posted a .313/.396/.539 line with 22 homers and 34 steals at Double-A last season. He also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time and has only 55 at-bats above that level, so expectations ought to be tempered a bit. Still, Taylor offers an intriguing mix of speed and pop that’s difficult to find on the wire. Span is reportedly progressing well in his rehab, but the other starting outfielders in D.C. – Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper – aren’t exactly Cal Ripken, Jr. He should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact, especially if he hits the ground running to start the year.

 

Travis Snider, Orioles

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 4 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 5% Owned

A former first-round pick, Snider made it to the majors at the tender age of 20. Once there, however, he battled injuries and a severe platoon split, ultimately punching his ticket out of Toronto. His first go-round with the Pirates yielded a horrendous .215/.281/.333 line. Snider looked dangerously close to washing out of the league. Last season, though, he stayed healthy and turned in the best season of his career. The peripherals all support this improvement: fewer whiffs, more walks, and a surge in batted ball distance. Now he’s in Baltimore and assured a starting job. Also working in his favor: Camden Yards is one of the best parks for left-handed hitters, whereas PNC Park was among the worst. If Snider can avoid the injury bug, he’s got legitimate 25 HR upside.

 

David Peralta, Diamondbacks

ESPN: 1 percent owned; Yahoo: 2 percent owned; Fleaflicker: 55% Owned

Peralta, a converted pitcher, was a pleasant surprise for both Arizona and fantasy owners down the stretch in 2014, as he compiled a tidy .286/.320/.450 line with eight homers and six steals. The Diamondbacks outfield is also looking a lot less crowded with Yasmany Tomas ticketed for the minors and Cody Ross released. Peralta appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job in left and is nominally able to man the other two outfield positions as well. There’s some sneaky 15/15 potential here if he can build off of last season and a solid showing in spring training.

 




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

Grayson Allen4 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell5 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal5 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf7 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander7 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim7 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor7 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas7 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid7 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers7 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes7 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy7 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover7 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam7 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA7 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic7 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III8 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton8 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond8 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George8 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid8 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson8 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson8 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog8 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin9 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby9 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill9 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm9 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa9 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart9 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis9 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.9 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.9 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs9 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley9 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins9 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris10 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey10 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle10 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.10 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf10 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta11 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy12 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II12 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins13 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco13 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo13 hours ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Dalton Kincaid14 hours ago

No Practice For Dalton Kincaid On Wednesday
Amari Cooper14 hours ago

To Be Limited On Wednesday
Nick Hardy16 hours ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young17 hours ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke17 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu17 hours ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart17 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Fred VanVleet17 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Steven Adams18 hours ago

Questionable For Meeting With Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith18 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Obi Toppin18 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Anthony Davis18 hours ago

Expected To Play Wednesday
Connor McDavid18 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk18 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark18 hours ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm18 hours ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett19 hours ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller19 hours ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Jose Alvarado1 day ago

Out Against OKC
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco1 day ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Spencer Knight1 day ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
Travis d'Arnaud1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley1 day ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd1 day ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg1 day ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
1 day ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Jasson Domínguez2 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa2 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins3 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto5 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025
Mason Miller6 days ago

To Stay In The Bullpen
Shohei Ohtani6 days ago

Shoulder Surgery Could Delay His Pitching
New York Yankees6 days ago

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Option
Carlos Prates6 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA6 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios6 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100

RANKINGS

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