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

Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 2

brandon nimmo fantasy baseball rankings waiver wire pickups draft sleepers - icon rotoballer

We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax.

Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll make sure to highlight where players are the best and worst fits. We know points league players get neglected and we're here to help.

These waiver-wire adds are for the week of April 18 - April 24, looking at players below 50% rostered for ESPN, Yahoo!, or Fantrax. Position eligibility is taken from Fantrax and players are grouped by their most valuable fantasy position, using a hierarchy of: C > 2B > OF > 3B > 1B > SS. Stats and rankings are calculated using games through Friday, April 15.

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

 

Know Your System

You know what I'm going to say, right?  You must account for, as precisely as possible, how a player performs under your particular scoring system. Don't be fooled into believing you can just make rough adjustments in your head, bumping up guys with high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. Every point, in every category, counts.

For example, ESPN and Fantrax are virtually identical in their scoring for hitters and roster size. The only difference is that stolen bases are worth one more point on Fantrax and ESPN subtracts one point per strikeout. That's the difference between Trea Turner being a top-five hitter versus a top-25 hitter.

If your league uses standard settings, then great! Turn to page 94 and you can skip ahead to the leaderboards. If you play with custom settings, it'll still be fine. Go back to page 43 and look below at the scoring systems of the four major platforms. I bet there's a chance that you'll find that your league's scoring is very similar to one of the four (well, not Yahoo!'s), even if it's not the platform you actually play on.

If you look above, you'll likely find a suitable mirror to your own system. While every point counts, as long as they aren't seismic changes you can get away with some "close enough" calls. IE. If everything is the same except for HBP (or something similar), you're probably fine.

 

Waiver Wire Leaderboards

In addition to our overall waiver wire leaderboards, once we're deep enough into the season we'll also start doing a 14-day leaderboard, as well, giving us a window into recent production. All charts are updated prior to Saturday's games, on stats and ownerships, and clicking on a chart will open a new page with a magnified version.

*APR = Average Platform Ranking - the average platform ranking between ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Fantrax (standard point settings)

 

Before we crack on to the positions, a quick word. Normally, every week, we'll go position-by-position and group players according to "Must Adds", "Can Adds" and "Desperate Adds". But we're less than two weeks into the season and while I'll generally advocate for plenty of player churning at the bottom of your roster, now is not the time to be quickly dropping players only just (relatively) recently drafted.

My general guidance on hitters for early in the season is to stick with what you drafted barring significant changes to their playing time and/or injury. But also be on the lookout for players that have already been rage-dropped by any of your opponents not heeding this advice. With that said, consider all of these groupings to be very loose until we have some more solid performance data to base decisions on.

Translation: Almost all players this time of year will fall under "Can Adds", with most of the "Must Adds" consisting of players that probably should've already been drafted/not dropped already. And I don't what could've happened to your team that you're already in a desperate situation. With that said, let's get some players.

 

First Base

Must Adds

  • No.

Can Adds

  • Jesus Aguilar, MIA
  • Rowdy Tellez, MIL - The talent might make him a worthy upgrade for your bench but its looking more like Tellez might be in a platoon with Keston Hiura. It's the strong-side but still; guys like that usually aren't worth a permanent roster spot.
  • Ji-Man Choi, TB - See Tellez, Rowdy.
  • Eric Hosmer, SD - He generally holds decent value in point leagues and is a fine bench piece, more so if your league penalizes strikeouts. But he's also Eric Hosmer; don't expect more and you'll rarely be disappointed.
  • Christian Walker, ARI - See Hosmer, Eric

Desperate Adds

  • Albert Pujols, STL - To be clear, Pujols isn't starting so much because he remembered how to hit RHP. It's because the Cardinals want to squeeze every last dollar of revenue of him and don't care about his splits. But to be clear, you, intrepid points player, should only play him (if ever) when there is a leftie on the mound.
  • Daniel Vogelbach, PIT - I don't care if he's inexplicably batting leadoff - he's still Daniel Vogelbach and his spirit animal is still a beer league softball player.

 

Second Base

Must Adds

  • Adam Frazier, SEA - Frazier has seemingly taken over Seattle's leadoff spot and in the early goings has looked like the points monster that he's been in seasons past. He should be owned just about everywhere, especially in leagues with a strikeout penalty.

Can Adds

  • Cesar Hernandez, WSH - Much like Frazier above, Hernandez gets a bump just from his spot at the top of Washington's lineup (and in front of Juan Soto/Josh Bell) and will be particularly valuable in leagues with a strikeout penalty.
  • Jonathan Villar, CHC - Even when he's running hot, Villar doesn't usually have a great points profile.
  • Owen Miller, CLE - Who? Well, Miller has a 7 APR among all hitters and at the moment is getting starts at first base over the presumed starter, Bobby Bradley. He'll probably go back to fantasy irrelevance soon but Miller did have solid performances in the minors prior to a lackluster 202 PA in the majors last season. Plus, he's eligible at multiple positions already and will pick up first base soon.

Desperate Adds

  • Luis Arraez, MIN - The best version of Arraez continues to profile as a points monster but that idealized Luis has yet to show up while staying healthy.
  • Nicky Lopez, KC
  • Nick Madrigal, CHC - Like Arraez, a healthy and productive Madrigal will profile very well under most point formats.

 

Third Base

Things are already in mid-season form at the hot corner. IE. Ice cold.

Must Adds

  • No

Can Adds

  • Miguel Sano, MIN - Much like every season, Sano is rosterable but only if your league doesn't have a strikeout penalty. If you do, run away from Sanó as fast as you can.
  • Gio Urshela, NYY

Desperate Adds

  • Yandy Diaz, TB - Always wished Eric Hosmer had eligibility at third base? Pick up Diaz and finally realize those dreams.

 

Shortstop

Must Adds

  • Jeremy Pena, HOU - If there is one player I'm adding anywhere I can, it's Peña. Perhaps its my bias sticking through, as I invested heavily in him for many draft-and-hold leagues, betting that the Houston wouldn't resign Carlos Correa. Well, the Astros let him walk, speaking even more to their confidence in Peña's ability, who has dominated every level of the minors. He's playing every day and has a profile that should fill up a points-friendly line.

Can Adds

Desperate Adds

 

Outfielder

Must Adds

  • Brandon Nimmo, NYM - He's currently on the Covid19-IL but Nimmo should still be picked up. Once again, my biases are showing, as I've already gone on record as declaring this an official SZN of Nimmo. Nimmo has a secured spot at the top of a powerful New York lineup, being followed by Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso, and has started off the season hot. Through his first 29 PA, he's slashing .333/.429/.708, with 2 HR and a .482 wOBA. Please don't make me rant about this all season, 2021 Joey Votto-style - just do me a solid, and please find Nimmo.
  • Connor Joe, COL - It looks like Joe is carving out a full-time role in Colorado, and players who do can usually be rostered. Maybe not in leagues with only three outfielders (CBS/Yahoo) but, at minimum, Joe is probably worth a bench spot just to ride him during home stands.
  • Akil Baddoo, DET/Tommy Pham, CIN - These two shouldn't be on the waiver wire and if so, are a likely upgrade to the bottom of your roster unless your league is very shallow.

Can Add

Desperate Add

 

Catcher

Must Add

  • Alejandro Kirk, TOR - In theory, Kirk has the profile to dominate in points, making lots of contact, with a good walk rate and minuscule strikeout rate. And with Danny Jansen hitting the IL, he could finally get a run as an everyday player.

Can Add

Much of being starter worthy is simply getting the lion's share of playing time for your team and some of the following seem to currently have that quality. This ends the catcher-hype portion of today's programming.

Desperate Add

  • All catcher adds are desperate adds. Now and forever.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice




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

Pete Alonso7 hours ago

Returning To Mets On Two-Year Deal
Jalen Suggs8 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Andrew Wiggins8 hours ago

Heading To Miami
Dennis Schröder8 hours ago

Dennis Schroder Traded To Jazz
Lonzo Ball8 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Extension
Jonas Valanciunas8 hours ago

Traded To The Kings
Draymond Green8 hours ago

To Play Versus Jazz
Jose Alvarado8 hours ago

Unavailable On Wednesday
Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

To Play On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler9 hours ago

Traded To Warriors
Paul George10 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Cameron Johnson10 hours ago

Returning Versus Washington
Marcus Smart10 hours ago

Will Play On Wednesday
Brook Lopez11 hours ago

Available On Wednesday Night
Donovan Mitchell11 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Pistons
Bobby Portis11 hours ago

Returning Against Charlotte
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

Will Play Versus The Hornets
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Good To Go Versus Charlotte
Chris Boucher11 hours ago

Cleared For Action On Wednesday
Alexandre Sarr11 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Jakob Poeltl11 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Grizzlies
Darcy Kuemper11 hours ago

Aims To Continue Home Success Wednesday
Lonzo Ball11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Minnesota On Wednesday
Mattias Samuelsson12 hours ago

Ruled Out For The Rest Of The Week
Ty Dellandrea12 hours ago

Could Be An Option Thursday
Alexander Wennberg12 hours ago

Ruled Out For Third Straight Game
Craig Smith12 hours ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Quinn Hughes12 hours ago

To Remain Out On Thursday
Mitchell Marner12 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Alex Bregman13 hours ago

Cubs Offer Four-Year Deal To Alex Bregman
Josh Manson14 hours ago

Sustains Lower-Body Injury
Jordan Greenway15 hours ago

Expected To Return After International Break
Tage Thompson15 hours ago

Resumes Skating, Still In Concussion Protocol
Sandy Alcantara15 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Dylan Cozens15 hours ago

Battling Lower-Body Injury
Brandon Woodruff15 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Spring Training
Ilya Lyubushkin15 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Christian Yelich15 hours ago

Not Expected To Be 100% For Start Of Spring Training
Sidney Crosby15 hours ago

Absent During Wednesday's Practice
Eric Cole16 hours ago

Faces Challenges At WM Phoenix Open
Gary Woodland16 hours ago

A Strong Value Play At WM Phoenix Open
Lee Hodges16 hours ago

Looks To Build On Strong Start At WM Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin17 hours ago

Still Searching For Consistency At Scottsdale
Rashee Rice17 hours ago

Doing Well
Denny McCarthy18 hours ago

A Volatile Option At WM Phoenix Open
Lucas Glover18 hours ago

Looks To Build On Strong Pebble Beach Finish
Andrew Novak18 hours ago

In Good Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell19 hours ago

A Sleeper Pick At WM Phoenix Open
Sam Stevens19 hours ago

Looking To Stay Hot At WM Phoenix Open
Matt Fitzpatrick19 hours ago

Worth Considering At WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun19 hours ago

In Great Form Ahead Of WM Phoenix Open
Davis Thompson19 hours ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Scottsdale
PGA19 hours ago

J.T. Poston Looks To Overcome Putting Woes At WM Phoenix Open
Akshay Bhatia19 hours ago

Looks To Stay Consistent At WM Phoenix Open
Robert MacIntyre19 hours ago

A Solid Option At WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners19 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At WM Phoenix Open
Matthieu Pavon19 hours ago

Should Be Avoided At All Costs At TPC Scottsdale
Nicolai Hojgaard20 hours ago

Will Be Hard To Trust At WM Phoenix Open Debut
PGA20 hours ago

Sungjae Im Searching For Consistency At WM Phoenix Open
Justin Thomas20 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At WM Phoenix Open
William Nylander22 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Connor McDavid22 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Tuesday
Ilya Sorokin22 hours ago

Stands Tall On Tuesday
Alex Tuch22 hours ago

Leads The Way In Victory
Jeremy Swayman22 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Wild On Tuesday
Nick Paul22 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Max Greyserman1 day ago

A Scary Play At WM Phoenix Open
Shane Bieber1 day ago

Not Expected To Rejoin Rotation Until Midway Through The Season
Nolan Arenado1 day ago

Red Sox Discussing Nolan Arenado Trade
Dylan Guenther1 day ago

Returns To Utah Lineup
Nick Leddy1 day ago

Back For Blues Tuesday
Jose Altuve2 days ago

Has Been Working In Left Field
Kansas City Chiefs2 days ago

Andy Reid Won't Retire After Super Bowl LIX
Travis Kelce2 days ago

Doesn't Appear To Be Eyeing Retirement
Cooper Kupp2 days ago

Rams Seeking Trade Partner For Cooper Kupp
Nassourdine Imavov3 days ago

Picks Up Second-Round Knockout Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Israel Adesanya3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Vinicius Oliveira3 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Mike Davis3 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Farés Ziam3 days ago

Fares Ziam Extends His Win Streak To Five
Cleveland Browns3 days ago

Myles Garrett Requests Trade, Browns Sticking To Their Stance
Jack Flaherty3 days ago

Returning To Detroit On Two-Year Contract
Las Vegas Raiders3 days ago

Raiders Hire Chip Kelly As Offensive Coordinator
Shohei Ohtani4 days ago

Expected To Pitch In May
Freddie Freeman4 days ago

Starts Swinging, Not Running
Tyler Glasnow4 days ago

Throwing Bullpens, Feels Good Heading Into Spring Training
Kaan Ofli5 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Naimov5 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Saudi Arabia
Jairzinho Rozenstruik5 days ago

Loses Lackluster Decision At UFC Saudi Arabia
Sergei Pavlovich5 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak At UFC Saudi Arabia
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Saudi Arabia
Michael Page5 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Saudi Arabia
Chris Godwin5 days ago

Tampa Bay Expected To Attempt To Re-Sign Chris Godwin
Justin Tucker5 days ago

Facing More Sexual-Assault Allegations
Alex Bregman5 days ago

Tigers And Red Sox Emerge As "Co-Favorites" To Land Alex Bregman
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Cardinals Unable To Find Trade Partner For Nolan Arenado
Dallas Goedert5 days ago

Will Be Good To Go Against Chiefs
DeVonta Smith5 days ago

Expected To Play In Super Bowl
Tampa Bay Buccaneers5 days ago

Josh Grizzard Promoted To Offensive Coordinator
Pete Alonso5 days ago

Reds Showing Interest In Pete Alonso
Israel Adesanya6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nassourdine Imavov6 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Vinicius Oliveira6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Saudi Arabia
Said Nurmagomedov6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Saudi Arabia
DeVonta Smith6 days ago

Not Practicing Again On Friday
Mike Davis6 days ago

Looks For His Fifth UFC Win
Farés Ziam6 days ago

Fares Ziam Looks For His Fifth Win In A Row
Félix Bautista6 days ago

Felix Bautista Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
A.J. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For DraftKings - Chiefs vs. Eagles Showdown (Super Bowl LIX)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We’ve made it to the Super Bowl, and we have a rematch of two years ago as it’ll be Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) taking on Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (17-3). The Eagles are looking for their redemption after losing Super Bowl LVII, while the Chiefs are […]


Dylan Sampson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 Rookie Draft Sleepers - Targets After The First Two Rounds

The 2025 NFL season is almost over, and it's never too early for Dynasty fantasy football managers to get informed about the incoming rookie class. In 2024, there were plenty of steals -- thanks to NFL scouting regularly underrating great players, it's possible to get massive value in later rounds of rookie drafts. This season […]


Garrett Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty FLEX Rankings: (Pre-NFL Draft) - Garrett Wilson, Ladd McConkey, Kyren Williams, George Pickens, Ashton Jeanty, Tyreek Hill

Many dynasty fantasy football leagues have extra flex spots compared to redraft setups, so identifying the top flex options is critical in finding success. Additionally, it can be tough to compare the values of two players at different positions, so we're here to assist with our updated 2025 fantasy football dynasty FLEX rankings before the […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty Running Back Rankings: (Pre-NFL Draft) - Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, De'Von Achane, Ashton Jeanty, James Cook

Running backs are often the primary building blocks for dynasty fantasy football teams, and having a collection of high-end studs at the position will give you a chance to compete for a championship every season. We're here to help you sort through the RBs with our updated 2025 fantasy football dynasty running back rankings before […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings: (Pre-NFL Draft) - Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr., Nico Collins, Rashee Rice, Marvin Harrison Jr.

It's officially dynasty fantasy football rankings and trading season, and let's kick things off by talking about the superstar wideouts in the NFL. WRs usually hold value longer than running backs and make up the core of your dynasty team. Below, you will find our updated 2025 fantasy football dynasty wide receiver rankings before the […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty Quarterback Rankings: (Pre-NFL Draft) - Jayden Daniels, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams, Cam Ward, Bo Nix

The 2024-25 NFL season is just about to wrap up, and two of the top dynasty QBs are competing in Super Bowl LIX. Meanwhile, the rest of the league's signal-callers are already beginning preparation for next year, just like dynasty fantasy managers should be doing. Below, you will find our updated 2025 fantasy football dynasty […]


Sam LaPorta - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty Tight End Rankings: (Pre-NFL Draft) - Brock Bowers, Sam LaPorta, Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts, Tyler Warren, Dalton Kincaid

If you play in a fantasy football dynasty league, you know there is no offseason, as trades happen all year long. Much like redraft leagues, tight ends are the trickiest position to navigate in dynasty setups, so we're here to assist. Below, you will find our updated 2025 fantasy football dynasty tight end rankings before […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Prop Bet Picks for Super Bowl LIX - DraftKings Super Bowl Specials

Super Sunday is finally here! Super Bowl LIX will match the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., with the Chiefs currently favored by 1.5 points. That being said, we are not here to discuss spreads and totals. Oh no, we are here to discuss the props that […]


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Super Bowl LIX Matchups We Love - Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks Including Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert, more

The end is near in the NFL. Super Bowl week has finally arrived. NFL fans can rejoice as we near the end of a long season. It is bittersweet to hit this point in the season, but the fireworks that should come with the Super Bowl are too great to ignore. This season's big game […]


C.J. Stroud - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Biggest Fantasy Football QB Busts From 2024 Season

When to take a quarterback in fantasy football drafts might be the hardest decision to make. Sometimes, spending a top pick on a quarterback like Josh Allen is worth it. Other times, waiting until the sixth round to take a quarterback might be the better move.  During the 2024-25 season, though, there were plenty of quarterbacks who […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

2024-25 Super Bowl LIX Predictions, Picks, and Props

The conference championship round saw a lopsided affair go Philadelphia's way in the NFC while the Chiefs emerged from another hard-fought battle with Buffalo. We've had fun trying to predict the action every step of the way and there's no way we're stopping now with the big one ahead of us. That's right, it's time […]


Derrick Henry - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Five Win-Now Players To Buy In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

When it comes to dynasty fantasy football, the ultimate goal is actually quite simple: winning your league. It seems like common sense, but sometimes managers get caught up in other things. Scouting rookies and looking for value plays is all well and good. But if you’re never in a position to win a title, what’s […]


Chris Godwin - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injuries, DFS

Five Pending Free Agents To Buy In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

There will be plenty of stars who will enter free agency this offseason. As a result, dynasty owners might not want to trade for a player who is set to become a free agent. That's because where these players land could affect their fantasy values. Sometimes, though, it is worth taking a risk on players […]