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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 1 Waiver Wire - Catchers

Michael Griffin recommends catchers (C) who can be valuable waiver wire targets or adds to help fantasy owners for Week 1 of the 2018 fantasy baseball season.

The regular season is just beginning and people are already likely sitting at home, staring at their computer screens mumbling, "Tore his MCL? Carrying a suitcase? Dude makes millions of dollars... he couldn't HIRE someone to carry it for him?"

In case you're wondering what I'm talking about: Salvador Perez, who is one of the most-owned catchers in the league, suffered this injury right before Opening Day and will miss 4-6 weeks. While it's not a season-ending injury, it still inconveniences many and will likely lead to a slight fluctuation in the waiver wire numbers since there are some hasty pick-ups being made. Don't panic. We'll pick some catchers who are below 50% ownership in Yahoo! leagues and suggest you grab them. Things will get back to normal when he returns - well, as normal as having a poor crop to choose from. Maybe he's a fast healer?

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

 

10-12 Team League Catcher Pickups

Here are some catcher waiver wire pickups for Week 1, to consider adding to your teams. We'll show you three players to snag in 10-12 player leagues, and also three to look out for in two-catcher leagues. All of these players are just at or below 50% ownership in Yahoo! fantasy leagues.

Yasmani Grandal (LAD) 43% owned

Yasmani Grandal may be the beneficiary of Perez's injury. He's always been one for some power and apparently, he's joined the launch angle revolution... which can lead to even more homers. If you want long balls at this position, he's the one for you. This is probably the reason why he's being picked over his fellow backstop, Austin Barnes.

Chris Ianetta (COL) 34 % owned

Finally.... Chris Ianetta has come BACK to Colorado. Well, that's what he'd probably say if he was channeling the Rock. He had a great season in Arizona and may translate that to even better numbers in the hitter-friendly confines in the place that the Rockies call home. He could hit over 20 homers there.

Russell Martin (TOR) 18% Owned 

No, Russell Martin hasn't been playing baseball since the 1980's. It just feels that way. Martin's 35 and in the twilight of his career, but he's still capable of knocking on the door of 20 homers. The veteran backstop has the No. 1 catching job in Toronto and he could be a sneaky good pick.

 

Two-Catcher League Pickups

Austin Hedges (SD) - 18% owned

It's true. Austin Hedges could wind up breaking out and hitting 40 homers. I'm gonna hedge (hah) my bets right now and put him in the two-catcher camps until he shows consistency. He was really streaky last year, with times where he just hit bomb after bomb, but there were way too many times that he couldn't buy a hit. Hedges will have to show he can make the cut or he may be trimmed further - OK, I write these things to amuse myself.

Matt Wieters (WAS)  9% owned 

Oh. How the might Scott-Boras-represented have fallen. Matt Wieters was thought of as a decent fantasy pick-up. Not anymore, after an abysmal 2017 campaign. Now he's below 10% in ownership. He did have a fairly decent Spring Training, but that means nothing once the games start counting. Like Hedges above, he could move into the first category after a strong start. Worth a flyer in a two-catcher league, no?

Tyler Flowers (ATL) 7% owned

It's Spring and what's Spring without flowers? OK, I groaned when I typed that, but I still gritted my teeth and finished the sentence. It would be great to have a garden with powerful flowers, and Tyler Flowers could hit 15 or more homers, which is very good to have in a two-catcher league. If he stinks, you can just cut him. Good thing this is the last player in this column...

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Eugenio Suárez1 hour ago

Eugenio Suarez Hits Go-Ahead Grand Slam Tuesday
A.J. Puk1 hour ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Michael King1 hour ago

Fans 11 In Five Shutout Innings Tuesday
Christian Yelich2 hours ago

Hits First Homer Of Season, Steals Base Tuesday
Evan Engram2 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Anthony Bender2 hours ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Robert Hassell III2 hours ago

Has Three-Hit Day At Triple-A
Thomas Harrington2 hours ago

Hit Hard In MLB Debut Tuesday
Gunnar Henderson2 hours ago

Hits Solo Homer In Triple-A Rehab Game Tuesday
Marcelo Mayer2 hours ago

Hits First Home Run At Triple-A
Caleb Williams2 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge2 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Zebby Matthews3 hours ago

Twirls Five Shutout Innings At Triple-A
Daniel Jones3 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin3 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice3 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Hurston Waldrep3 hours ago

Fans Seven In Win At Triple-A
Garrett Wilson3 hours ago

Jets Plan To Get Garrett Wilson The Ball "As Much As Possible"
Keaton Mitchell3 hours ago

Ravens Have High Hopes For Keaton Mitchell
Angel Genao3 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Injury
Derrick Henry3 hours ago

John Harbaugh Wants Ravens To Extend Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey3 hours ago

Is Healthy
Clarke Schmidt4 hours ago

To Return April 15 Or 16
Shane Baz4 hours ago

Strikes Out 10
Mike Tauchman4 hours ago

Begins Rehab Assignment
Wyatt Langford5 hours ago

Launches Another Homer
Nathan Eovaldi5 hours ago

Throws Complete Game Shutout
Michael Petersen5 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Matt Fitzpatrick5 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners5 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay6 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López6 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland6 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia6 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti6 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL6 hours ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette6 hours ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus6 hours ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants6 hours ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears6 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Sam Ehlinger7 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Guerschon Yabusele7 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns7 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals7 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Jevon Carter7 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry7 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips7 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith7 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball7 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter7 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey8 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton8 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale8 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant8 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal8 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II8 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young8 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser8 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud8 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Isaiah Stewart8 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba8 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga8 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry8 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jaylen Brown9 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault9 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere9 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn9 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro9 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Detroit Lions11 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans11 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders12 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear12 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins12 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL12 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä12 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway12 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys12 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal12 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy12 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris13 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk13 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth14 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp15 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim15 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood15 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau15 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole15 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith19 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment19 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka19 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov19 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov19 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes19 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens1 day ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman1 day ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF