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

Week 2 Waiver Wire - First Base (1B) and Third Base (3B)

The Corner Store is open! Primary shoppers: Eugenio Suarez owners, Jake Lamb owners, Wil Myers owners, Justin Turner owners, and Greg Bird owners.

The selection of players on the waiver wire could not persuade you into thinking you were shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. More likely, you are searching through outlet store type players. In most cases, you’ll be seeing quality comparable to what is found at a place my daughter calls, "The Junk Store" (Goodwill). Regardless of whether or not players were draft-worthy or were discarded prematurely, there are players that can provide some measure of value. There should be no expectation that they are free of flaws. However, in a time of need, they can do a patch-up job. In some cases, a rare find could turn into an increasingly valuable asset.

Trying to find a direct equivalent to a player lost is a pointless task. When looking for a replacement or upgrade, identify the needs of your roster and how a player would fit in to improve your roster as a whole, or boost a certain category at the very least. First base and third base are generally the best spots to look to improve your team’s power. From the waiver wire, those individuals will usually come with a poor batting average. The main alternative is a player that will give you production across the board. Key points - the primary focus of this list is on players who are owned in less than 50% of yahoo leagues. Check your leagues for availability.

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

 

Week 2 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets

Yulieski Gurriel (1B, HOU) 27% owned

Gurriel has played in three rehab games (offseason hamate surgery) with Double-A Corpus Christi starting Thursday. He played the field and served as DH. In three games, Gurriel is 6-for-12 with three runs and three RBIs. He has already served his five-game suspension for inappropriate gestures made in the 2017 World Series. Assuming there are no setbacks, Gurriel is expected to come off the DL on Friday 13th and inserted right into the lineup. Gurriel seems to be a forgotten man but even at the age of 33, he can hit for average with a little pop in a very good lineup. Also, he has a guaranteed position.

Brandon Belt (1B/OF, SF) 46% owned

Belt has always been a non-sexy producer, a hitter that the average fantasy player could care less whether they own or not. However, he provides power, a couple stolen bases, and is a very good asset in OBP leagues. He had a down year in 2017 due to a concussion but still ended up with a slash line of .241/.355/.469.

Belt has demonstrated his power with a homer to the opposite field against the Mariners. He also has a stolen base to his credit. In the short season, he has a .304/.385/.522 slash line. There is no reason he should be owned in less that 50% of leagues.

Brian Anderson (3B, MIA) 13% owned

Anderson is a prime example of the value of opportunity and playing time. He never had an elite skill set in the minors but he could hit. With the Marlins rebuilding, Anderson now has the opportunity with Martin Prado out.

Anderson manages the strike zone well with a very good BB% and a solid K% rates. Thus far, he has 15.4% for both BB% and K%. He also showed power in the minors, hitting 22 HR and 74 RBI in 2017. In 32 at-bats, Anderson has tallied seven runs, one homer, and eight RBI to go with a .286 average. He has a high floor and the playing time to be a solid choice off the wire.

Colin Moran (1B, PIT) 7% owned

If you have space on your roster to take a chance on someone, Moran is a great guy to roll the dice on. He has long been a prospect with some pedigree. Unfortunately, he has never cashed in on that potential which makes it seem as though he has been around for a long time. He doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a power bat at third. He will provide you roughly 15-20 homers and a decent average. He currently owns the third base job for the Pirates and is hitting for a .320 average with five runs, one homer and eight RBI. It likely costs you very little to take a chance on him.

Christian Villanueva (3B, SD) 16% owned

Villanueva evidently read Matt Davidson's book on grand entrances. In only his second game of the season, he hit three homers against the Rockies, in San Diego no less. Villanueva has been hitting fourth or fifth in the lineup since his three HR night on Tuesday. While not a highly touted prospect, Villanueva has demonstrated in Triple-A that he can hit for power (20 HR and 86 RBI) and average (.296). That is not bad for a guy that is basically free just to take a chance on. In the last week, Villanueva is hitting .286 with three homers, four runs and six RBI.

 

Early Graduates

Matt Chapman (3B, OAK) 67% owned

In just a week, Chapman has increased in ownership by 20 percent. This is in part to his performance, both power and average, resulting in him being the fourth overall third baseman in baseball thus far. Yes, it is a short sample but it is encouraging to see Chapman start the season off strong with three homers, eight RBIs and a .375 batting average.

Josh Harrison (2B/3B/OF, PIT) 61% owned

Harrison is hitting atop the lineup and already has 11 runs, one homer, five RBI and a stolen base that complements a .342 average. With the multi-positional eligibility, Harrison gives you more benefits than a standard fill-in.

 

Outside The Parameters

Maikel Franco (1B/3B, PHI) 48% owned

*Since the write-up on Saturday, Franco’s ownership has increased to 56%

I will preface the write-up by saying it is a very small sample size, which we know. Statistically, Franco is having a good season. He has a .316 average with four runs, two HR, 11 RBI. A majority of the offensive output came thanks to a grand slam on Saturday against the Florida Marlins. Franco has been fighting for playing time. His aggressiveness at the plate and his liability as a defensive third baseman has given rise to the belief that if he does not improve, then rookie Scott Kingery could take over at third base.

The hope is that Carlos Santana’s positive influence has some effect on Franco. At the plate, Franco has made some adjustments to his hitting. He has a 68.8% fly ball, compared to his career average of 36.4%. Also, Franco has a 37.5% hard hit rate, but only had a 30.9% in 2017. Unfortunately he continues to swing outside the zone too much (35.1%). Again, it is a small amount of data to look at, but if Franco can fix his offensive woes, then that is good value on a small investment off the waiver wire.

Matt Davidson (1B/3B, CHW) 75% owned

Matt Davidson is one to be cautious about; while the fantasy baseball world is enthralled with his ability to hit multiple homers in one game, the underlying concerns still exist. He has a career 35.2% K and 6% BB rates, which are both pretty terrible. On the season, he has four homers and eight RBI to go along with a .280 batting average. However, in 18 at-bats over the last week, Davidson has one homer and a .167 average. The hype remains but if the need for him doesn’t exist, I would be working on trading him for increased value.

 

More 2018 MLB Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




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

Tomás Nosek39 mins ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
Leon Draisaitl51 mins ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Three-Point Effort
Martin Necas58 mins ago

Registers Four Points In Dominant Win
Alex Ovechkin1 hour ago

Bags Three Points In Thursday's Win
1 hour ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
Sidney Crosby1 hour ago

Drags Penguins Back On Track
1 hour ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
William Nylander1 hour ago

Pots Two Goals Versus Seattle
1 hour ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
NHL2 hours ago

Will Smith Scores First Career Goals
Lucas Giolito2 hours ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton2 hours ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery2 hours ago

Staying In Arizona
Davante Adams5 hours ago

Finds The End Zone In Week 9 Win
Garrett Wilson6 hours ago

Hauls In Two TDs In Week 9 Win
Aaron Rodgers6 hours ago

Tosses Three TDs In Win Over Houston On TNF
CJ McCollum12 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday Night
Dyson Daniels12 hours ago

Still Sidelined On Friday
Myles Turner12 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Karl-Anthony Towns12 hours ago

Questionable Versus The Pistons
Bradley Beal12 hours ago

Unavailable On Thursday
Paolo Banchero13 hours ago

Suffers Oblique Injury
Puka Nacua13 hours ago

Suffers Knee Injury
Kyle Gibson14 hours ago

Lance Lynn Headed For Free Agency
Roansy Contreras15 hours ago

Claimed By Texas
Santi Aldama15 hours ago

Jaylen Wells Starting On Thursday
15 hours ago

Alex Kirilloff Announces Retirement
Steven Adams15 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
John Konchar15 hours ago

Misses Thursday's Game
Jorge Soler15 hours ago

Traded To Los Angeles
Lauri Markkanen15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Desmond Bane15 hours ago

Will Not Play Against Milwaukee
Marcus Smart15 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Giannis Antetokounmpo15 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Curtis Lazar16 hours ago

Out Indefinitely Following Knee Procedure
Jakob Chychrun16 hours ago

Out On Thursday
Justin Barron16 hours ago

Kaiden Guhle Back For Canadiens Thursday
Blake Lizotte16 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Brendson Ribeiro16 hours ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado16 hours ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Montour16 hours ago

Will Miss Thursday's Game
Jhonata Diniz16 hours ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis16 hours ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
NHL16 hours ago

Matt Stienburg Suspended For Two Games
Amir Albazi16 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno16 hours ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
Frederik Andersen16 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Gabe Davis18 hours ago

Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis Limited On Thursday
Jared Goff18 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Thursday
Michael Pittman Jr.18 hours ago

Josh Downs Fully Practice On Thursday
David Njoku18 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Amari Cooper18 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
Bucky Irving20 hours ago

Won't Practice Thursday, Toe Injury Could Linger All Season
Jake Guentzel23 hours ago

Nets Two Goals Wednesday
Elvis Merzlikins23 hours ago

Celebrates First Shutout Of The Season Wednesday
Brandt Clarke24 hours ago

Has Three Assists In Wednesday's Win
Jacob Markstrom24 hours ago

Shuts Out Canucks
Artturi Lehkonen24 hours ago

Expected Back Next Week
Erik Cernak24 hours ago

Injured Versus Colorado
Timothy Liljegren1 day ago

Traded To Sharks
Joel Embiid1 day ago

To Get Periodic Time Off Throughout The Season
Bradley Beal1 day ago

Considered Questionable Thursday
Marcus Smart1 day ago

Injures Ankle On Wednesday
Desmond Bane1 day ago

Exits Early With Oblique Injury
Zach LaVine1 day ago

Sustains A Shoulder Injury In Wednesday's Win
Franz Wagner1 day ago

Limited By Illness Again
Daniel Theis1 day ago

Hurts Right Ankle On Wednesday
Jordan Love1 day ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice, "Realistic Chance" He Plays In Week 9
1 day ago

Daniel Hudson Retires After World Series Victory
Freddie Freeman1 day ago

Drives In Two More Runs, Earns World Series MVP Honors
Ladd McConkey1 day ago

Limited As Week 9 Prep Begins
Andrew Wiggins2 days ago

Out Wednesday
Lamar Jackson2 days ago

Dealing With Back And Knee Injuries
T.J. Hockenson2 days ago

Will Be A Full Go On Sunday
Brock Bowers2 days ago

Considered "Fine", Expected To Play This Weekend
Tyrone Tracy Jr.2 days ago

Progressing On Wednesday
Bryce Young2 days ago

Will Start In Week 9
Adam Thielen2 days ago

Limited On Wednesday
Jonathon Brooks2 days ago

Logs Full Practice On Wednesday
Dallas Goedert2 days ago

Not Seen At Wednesday's Practice
Derek Carr2 days ago

Expected To Play This Weekend
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron4 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev4 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker4 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan4 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov4 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano4 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige5 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy5 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308
Ilia Topuria5 days ago

Defends Featherweight Belt In Highlight-Reel Fashion At UFC 308
NASCAR5 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Earns Best Qualifying Run in Over a Year at Homestead
Zane Smith5 days ago

Expect Zane Smith's Steady Consistency to Continue at Homestead
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Both Ryan Preece and Stewart-Haas Racing Seem Ill-Suited to Intermediates
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Couldn't Overcome Ford's Intermediate Speed Deficit in Homestead Qualifying
Joey Logano5 days ago

Team Likely to Ignore Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Carson Hocevar5 days ago

Looks to Clinch Rookie of the Year Award
Daniel Hemric5 days ago

Qualifies Ninth for Best Start of the Year
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Strong at Homestead, but Sometimes Struggles in the Clutch
Justin Haley5 days ago

Benefits in Qualifying From Spire Motorsports Speed
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Slowest Ford Regular in Homestead Qualifying
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Lacks Intermediate Track Consistency
Josh Berry5 days ago

Hopes to Stay Alive in Rookie Race at Homestead
NASCAR5 days ago

Is Bubba Wallace Worth Rostering For Homestead This Week?

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Michael Pittman Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 9 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 9 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


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

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 9 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 9! With the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers on bye this week, fantasy managers will have to replace George Pickens, Najee Harris, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle in their lineups. This Week 9 matchups analysis and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em piece will help you make the right lineup decisions […]


Trey Hendrickson Cincinnati Bengals Defense - Fantasy Football DST Streamers, Rankings, Pickups

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 9, 10, 11, and 12 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. If you like to stream defenses weeks in advance or are looking for a defense to pick up and play this week, you have come to […]


Video: Week 9 Must-Start Running Backs - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

Week 9 of the NFL season is upon us! There are some interesting decisions at the RB position on this slate. Don't miss our notable fantasy football running back starts and sits for Week 9! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" running backs that will have a fantasy football impact in Week 9, […]


CeeDee Lamb - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 9 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 9 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

The King's Week 9 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel delivers his Week 9 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league formats. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to confirm that your must-start players have a good chance of posting winning fantasy […]


Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 9: Patrick Mahomes, Chase Brown, Chris Olave, Courtland Sutton, Travis Kelce

Week 9 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Patrick Mahomes, Chase Brown, Chris Olave, Courtland Sutton, and Travis Kelce. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 9 Lineups

Well, November is here, and we have officially entered the third month of the 2024 NFL season. It never ceases to amaze me how fast it moves once it’s finally here. Week 8 was more of the same for us here. Some good calls mixed in with some poor ones. Our big miss of the […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Josh Jacobs, Zay Flowers, Tank Bigsby, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb, Bucky Irving

Welcome to Week 9, the midway point of the 2024 fantasy football season. It's arrived quickly for most, but there's still plenty of season left! Injuries to wide receivers have left a sour taste in the mouths of fantasy managers, therefore propping up running backs. However, some running backs may have a rough week while […]


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early Slate: Week 9 NFL DFS Picks on DraftKings, FanDuel (2024) - Lineups Advice, Strategy, Values

Last week’s Early Slate was loaded with many attractive games for fantasy. This week? Not so much. The Week 9 NFL DFS early slate on DraftKings, FanDuel has just one game that stands out; the Cowboys head to Atlanta in the game that highlights this slate. Denver/Baltimore and Miami/Buffalo have potential, but neither game comes […]


Xavier Legette - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire

Fantasy Football Rookie Report for Week 9 - Searching for League Winners

Eight weeks of NFL action have officially passed, and the pool of rookies who can make an impact in fantasy football and can be acquired for good value is thinning. We've seen many freshman players break out and still sustain their production, causing their trade value to skyrocket. Players like Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian […]


Joe Flacco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Free Week 9 NFL Betting Picks and Expert Predictions

Week 8 wasn't too bad for us here. We’ll get the bad out of the way first as we dropped a full unit on the Miami Dolphins when they blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead and lost on a last-second field goal to the Arizona Cardinals. It looks like Arizona is a little better than most […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 9 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 9 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is underway, and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the best […]