Keone Kela (RP, TEX) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

Michael Augustine recommends Texas Rangers RP Keone Kela as a 2018 waiver wire pickup and add for Week 1 of the fantasy baseball season.

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 60% of Yahoo leagues

ANALYSIS: As someone who treats relief pitchers as expendable due to their volatility, I always wait until much later in the draft to grab one. Closers, in particular, lose their jobs often depending on the competition behind them; never mind the possibilities for injuries. Case in point: Keone Kela of the Texas Rangers. Kela will have ample opportunities to cement himself as the closer for the Rangers. The problem will be if the guys in front of him can keep the game under control before the ball gets to him. For now, he's available in about 40% of leagues which tells you that if he hasn't been grabbed already, he soon will be.

Kela will get you plenty of strikeouts but keep an eye on his walk rate if your relievers get dinged for free passes. Also, there is concern about his fly ball tendencies but he's managed to keep the ball in the yard with a career HR/9 of .94. He's got a terrific 12-6 curve and can be downright dominant against right-handed hitting. The Rangers are projected to be a decent team this year, though reaching .500 might be too much to ask. Regardless, if you need saves and strikeouts and Kela is available in your league, add him now.