Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 2

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.

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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

• C.J. Abrams, SD - Abrams might be a sexy add but is also currently in a platoon with Ha-Seong Kim.
• Bryson Stott, PHI

Desperate Adds

• Miguel Rojas, MIA
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa, NYY

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

• Jo Adell, LAA
• Harrison Bader, STL
• Jesus Sanchez, MIA
• Andrew McCutchen, MIL
• Garrett Cooper, MIA

Desperate Add

• David Peralta, ARI
• Wil Myers, SD

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.

• Austin Nola, SD
• Sean Murphy, OAK
• Elias Diaz, COL
• Mike Zunino, TB
• Joey Bart, SF

Desperate Add

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

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