The early part of the season is a difficult one when your job is writing about fake baseball. During the offseason and spring training, you’re free to speculate (sometimes wildly) about pretty much any player. But when the games start counting, you’re forced to try drawing conclusions from microscopic samples. Not to mention there are only so many ways to say, “It’s early.” Which, you know…it is.

That doesn’t mean you can’t take a chance on somebody or ride the hot hand. The players we’ll talk about today can all offer some measure of value to fantasy owners, and they’re all pretty widely available.

Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. Prefer using your phone? Our free waiver wire app is available for download in the Apple & Android Stores.

Week 3 Corner Infield Waiver Wire Targets

Byung-ho Park, 1B, Minnesota Twins (42 percent owned)

It would have been tough for Park’s MLB career to get off to a worse start, as he struck out in 11 of his first 18 at-bats. But he’s gone deep twice in his last three games, including this absolute destruction of a baseball on Saturday. He’s never going to contend for a batting title, but with his power and ability to take a walk, Park has plenty to offer fantasy owners in most formats. There were rumblings that he might lose playing time amid the early struggles, but those always seemed premature. If he keeps sending balls in orbit like that, his job will be safe.

Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers (41 percent)

There seems to be some skepticism regarding Castellanos’ hot start in the fantasy community. On some level, this makes sense. Through 11 games, he’s struck out in nearly a third of his plate appearances, hasn’t walked, and is currently benefiting from a silly .464 BABIP. But Castellanos is also making higher-quality contact in the early going than ever before, and the breakout actually started last season. After the break, Castellanos hit .269/.322/.478 with nine homers in 68 games. There’s legitimate growth potential here. Castellanos was a well-regarded prospect, he’s still just 24, and he’s been hitting in the middle of a pretty good lineup in the Motor City.

Brett Lawrie, 3B, Chicago White Sox (39 percent)

It seems like ages ago that Lawrie burst onto the scene with a .953 OPS and 16 HR+SB in just 171 at-bats as a rookie. That was only 2011. Lawrie’s had trouble staying healthy and hasn’t come close to that level of production since. Last season was his best effort so far, though, as he set career highs in homers, RBI, and (perhaps most importantly) games played. Now playing half of his games in U.S. Cellular rather than the Coliseum, you don’t have to squint too hard to see a 20/10 season. The 2B eligibility is a nice perk.

Brandon Moss, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals (24 percent)

Through his first dozen games, Moss has more homers (four) than base hits (three). Outside of his breakout 2012, he’s never hit higher than .256, and his numbers have been trending downward in the last few years. So why recommend him? Simply put, in the current run environment, power makes up for a lot of other flaws. Moss is crushing the ball right now. It may not last, but he’s worth a roster spot while the getting is good.

Jake Lamb, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks (8 percent)

Lamb hasn’t been especially impressive so far this season, or in his brief major league career. What he has done, though, is make steady improvements at the big league level. Lamb got less than a season of plate appearances above A-ball before he was promoted to the Show, so he’s had to learn on the job. There’s evidence that he’s doing exactly that – his plate discipline and batted ball metrics are all moving in the right direction. Shallow leaguers can add him to the watch list and go about their days, but those playing in deep and NL-only formats can find room on their rosters, and in their hearts, for Lamb.

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