Just over 10 days into the season and we’ve already got some outstanding performances from some unexpected names – names that ought to be in every FAAB bid waterfall this Sunday. Be it a hot bat, a stellar pitching start or a closer carousel beneficiary, there are plenty of players on the waiver wire that could make a huge impact on fantasy teams over the course of the season. It’s a good time to be aggressive – as long as that aggression is directed toward the right guys. At this time of the season, patience is also extremely important. We can’t be casting off guys like Rafael Devers just because they’re off to an abysmal start (though he’s shown signs of life in the second week of the season). However, it’s vital to be able to differentiate a slow start from a sustainable skills regression.
So how do we tread the line between aggression and patience? Truly, it’s up to the manager. But we’ll try our best to guide you in your decision making and help to improve your roster on a weekly basis, identifying the players who can contribute on a season-long basis as well as the guys that might be useful this week and this week only. Stay flexible on those definitions though, because you never know who could show a sustainable change in their performance over the course of the next few weeks.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues make the best choices in who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
This week, the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays are each scheduled for a complete seven-game slate this week while the other 26 squads are scheduled for six games. The Colorado Rockies will host the Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game slate early in the week. I’ll also highlight that the Athletics will play six homes games – three against the San Diego Padres and three against the New York Mets – in a home park that had 44 runs scored in just three games over the weekend. Small sample size, I know, but we thought that West Sacramento might be a hitter’s paradise. It certainly was for the Cubs this past weekend.
SEVEN GAMES: BOS, KCR, MIN, TOR
Batters
Outfielders
Griffin Conine ($$$): Conine is off to a solid start for the Marlins, batting in the heart of the Miami order in most of his starts. The son of former ballplayer Jeff Conine, Griffin has posted a respectable 15.8% barrel rate and a max EV of 112.5 mph, but has yielded just one home run so far. With at least four right-handed starters on the docket for the coming week, Conine might be a sneaky power bat to stream. His volume may make him a pickup that you keep in your lineup beyond this week as well.
Zach McKinstry ($$): McKinstry is a mainstay in the injury-riddled Tigers outfield, and has gotten on base enough to warrant a streaming pickup. His .379 OBP to open the season is enough to make me want to pick him up as an injury fill-in, in hopes that he’ll continue to provide an ample stream of runs and maybe a couple of stolen bases.
Miguel Andujar ($$): Andujar has appeared to have surpassed Seth Brown as the Athletics‘ everyday left fielder, starting five of the Athletics‘ last six games, including several against right-handed starters. He’s posted a .316 BABIP despite a complete zero in barrel rate. Once he starts making more hard contact, we should see an increase in power stats, especially in West Sacramento’s rinky-dink ballpark (in relation to Oakland Coliseum, it’s a hitter’s dream).
Jake Mangum ($$): Mangum has been inserted in the Rays outfield as a contact-first bat with a good amount of speed. He gets the bat to the ball and through a very small sample has made solid contact with a 40.0% hard contact rate through four games. Granted, most of his production came in one 4-for-4 game, but Mangum could continue to hit for average with his high-contact approach and speed. He’ll provide runs, stolen bases, and a decent batting average floor as long as he’s getting plate appearances.
Harrison Bader ($): With three home runs in his first 19 plate appearances, Bader is on a torrid pace for power – which isn’t exactly what you’d expect from the former speed demon. Obviously, the pace is unsustainable, but if you want to try to ride the hot streak while it lasts, be my guest. The Twins will have seven games next week, so you could do worse but don’t expect the power surge to continue too much longer.
Tyler Tolbert ($): Who? Tolbert is exactly what Dairon Blanco was thought to be, except he might actually be faster. He’ll likely be put in late-game situations where the Royals need a stolen base, so he likely won’t contribute anywhere but speed categories. This early in the season, it’s tough to roster single-category players. But if you feel the need for speed, he should be a very cheap get this week.
Infielders
Gavin Sheets (1B/OF – $$$): I will continue to pound the table for Gavin Sheets until he is 100% rostered or is no longer featured in the Padres’ lineup. Sheets has started at DH for the Padres against nearly every right-hander and has batted 8-for-19 with a home run and five RBI. Though San Diego will likely face six or seven lefties over the next two weeks, Sheets will come in handy in NFBC formats where hitters can be subbed out midway through the week. He’s one of those guys you’ll have to put in a little extra work to monitor matchups, but if he continues mashing with a 47.4% hard-contact rate, it will be worth it.
Michael Massey (2B – $$): The Royals play seven games this coming week, and with Massey getting everyday burn in the Kansas City lineup that means he should play in at least six of them. Massey has posted a .318 BABIP despite a 0% barrel rate so far this season, which indicates that he’s hitting the ball softly into the right areas. We should see some positive regression in his power numbers coming soon, while we hope that the BABIP stays at an excellent clip. He’s the perfect addition for teams who just lost Ketel Marte to injury.
Kyren Paris (2B – $): Paris has not quite broken into the everyday lineup for the Los Angeles Angels, but with aging veterans all around there ought to be some opportunity opening up soon. It helps that Paris has hit for a .545 batting average through his first 14 plate appearances, but until an injury or suspension crops up, he may be stuck in a super-utility bench role. Fantasy managers can scoop Paris in hopes that his outstanding performance over the first week of the season affords him extra opportunity.
Ryan Bliss (2B – $): An everyday second baseman who provides speed and runs-scored potential, Bliss has forced Jorge Polanco and Dylan Moore into a platoon at third base. Bliss is a viable streaming option in the middle infield.
Wilmer Flores (1B – $): Flores’ role has increased from a short-side platoon bat to an everyday designated hitter for the San Francisco Giants. As long as he continues to get everyday at-bats, he should be considered for streaming purposes at corner infield and first base. With four home runs across his first 30 plate appearances, he’s hitting for power despite just a 27.6% hard contact rate. Though the Giants face just one lefty starter this week, Flores is still an option for streaming based on his increased role.
Catchers/UT
Hunter Goodman ($$$): Goodman has been the Rockies’ best hitter through two series, mashing a pair of home runs and batting .333 over the course of Colorado’s first six games. He’s rostered in almost all two-catcher leagues but needs to be rostered in EVERY two-catcher league. Serving as the catcher in three games and the designed hitter in three more, he should probably be rostered in one-catcher leagues, too.
Iván Herrera ($$$): Herrera is getting a ton of playing time in St. Louis and should continue to do so with his bat earning him starts at designated hitter in addition to his time behind the plate. He isn’t as exciting of a bat as Goodman, but he’ll be a very solid second catcher moving forward.
Dillon Dingler ($): Dingler is one of the better hitting backup catchers in the MLB so far this season with six hits including a home run in just 12 at-bats. For now, Dingler is only a deep-league consideration but if his bat stays hot he could pass Jake Rogers (2-for-14) on the depth chart and get more opportunities.
Matt Thaiss ($): Thaiss has bypassed Korey Lee to earn the primary catching duties on the Southside so far this season. Thaiss has started five of the White Sox’ first six contests and is literally 0% rostered in TGFBI. He makes for a solid second catcher in deep leagues with all the run he’s getting.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Jordan Hicks ($$$$): Well, we only saw one start but gosh darn it, it was exciting! Hicks was sitting in the high-90’s with his sinker and hammered the right-hand heavy Astros lineup with sweepers as he made light work for a six-inning, one-hit performance in his debut. Hicks is throwing on Sunday afternoon and will be tested against in Yankee Stadium next weekend, but I’m still very excited about adding him to all of my rosters in every format. If he lives in the high-90’s with the accuracy that he displayed in his season-opening start, he could be a huge pickup.
Kyle Freeland ($$): That’s two decent starts to begin the season, which is enough to at least pique my curiosity. Especially with a two-start week on the horizon. Freeland is slated to pitch on Tuesday against Milwaukee and again on Sunday at San Diego. Though Freeland has produced a pair of quality starts, he’s not a guy that I’m looking to acquire unless I’m in dire need of starting pitching volume. This early in the season there ought to be better options available.
Hayden Wesneski ($$): A two-start week is on the schedule for Hayden Wesneski, who draws the Mariners in Seattle and the Angels at home – both very enticing matchups for a not-so-enticing pitcher. Wesneski relied too heavily on his fastball in his first start, though his above-average extension may help there, it’s just not enough to make a believer out of me. He may succeed this week in two starts against middling offenses, but if I were to pick him up I’d hope it was the only time I’d ever need him this season.
Mitchell Parker ($$): Parker showed flashes of brilliance in his MLB debut a season ago, but unfortunately his stuff is just too hittable for a regular spot in the lineup. Fantasy managers may want to stream the young Nationals’ starter this week though as he faces a Marlins lineup that does not inspire fear in opposing pitchers. In his one career start against Miami, Parker threw 6.1 innings allowing just three hits and no runs. Managers who stream him will hope for similar results next weekend.
Patrick Corbin ($): Once upon a time, Corbin would have been at the top of my list. But then the last four years happened. Corbin has been mediocre, or just plain bad, since about 2021. Though he will be in a new uniform, I expect more of the same from the veteran lefty. The only reason he even made this list is because he’s pitching in Seattle, perhaps the best pitcher’s park in the MLB, against a middling Mariners’ lineup.
Relief Pitchers
José Alvarado ($$$): Alvarado earned his first save of the season earlier this week, but gave managers the full José Alvarado Experience. He allowed three singles, a walk, an earned run and rung up three strikeouts to close out the game for the Phillies. Though the Phillies signed Jordan Romano this offseason – who has demonstrated a concerning drop in velocity so far – they’ve shown the most trust in Alvarado, who has served as their high-leverage reliever so far. His role should translate into a lot of saves this season as the Phillies will likely be competing for an NL East title. He’s the reliever that I’m most interested in this week and I think he could easily finish the season with 20-25 saves.
Dennis Santana ($$$): Last week, I made the prediction that David Bednar would lose his job as Pittsburgh Pirates closer sooner rather than later. Turns out I was more correct than even I thought I would be. Unfortunately, I recommended the wrong setup man, offering up Colin Holderman when it looks as if Santana will take over the ninth-inning role for at least the immediate future. Santana mowed through a clean inning to earn a save against the Rays on Wednesday and showed no reason for the Pirates to waver in their confidence. Someone is going to overpay for saves this week.
Camilo Doval ($): Raise your hand if you got burned by this guy last year! Raise your hand if you drafted Ryan Walker and are ALSO getting burned by this guy again THIS year! It’s been a frustrating start of the season so far, but things should go back to normal in the Giants’ bullpen relatively quickly. Doval’s first save came with Walker nursing a minor injury. His second save came on a night after Walker had pitched in consecutive games. Camilo Doval is NOT the closer, but it does appear that he will be used in high-leverage situations this year.
Tommy Kahnle ($): Kahnle earned the save for the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday on a day in which Tyler Holton was unavailable and Beau Brieske worked 1.1 innings against the heart of the Mariners order in the sixth and seventh innings. AJ Hinch has made no bones about taking the committee approach in the bullpen. Bid lightly.
Jake Mangum Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Jordan Hicks Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire)
Designed by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
