Some of the best players in fantasy baseball so far have come from the waiver wire. Charlie Blackmon, Emilio Bonifacio, Devin Mesoraco, Justin Morneau, and even Martin Perez and Ervin Santana, depending on when your league drafted. As we all know, because of the length of the baseball season, the waiver wire must be our right-hand man when it comes to playing and winning our leagues.
Whether it is a free agent pool, a budget-budget based system, or weekly waivers, playing the wire is a key element to winning your fantasy baseball leagues.
Each Wednesday, XN Sports will present an option at each position, and why you should add them.
Without further ado, let’s play the waiver wire:
Catcher
Kurt Suzuki, Minnesota Twins
Suzuki is available in almost every league, so if you need a catcher, consider picking him up. He is hitting .278 with five runs scored and just one home run, but he currently leads all catchers in runs batted in.
First Base
Jon Singleton, Houston Astros
Singleton has not been called up, and will not be called up for at least another month. But if you are a lucky owner and have room to stash him, add him now and reap in the benefits later. Singleton has been on a tear in the minor leagues so far this season, hitting .325 with eight home runs and 25 runs batted in at Triple-A Oklahoma City. When he gets called up, he will be hitting behind Jose Altuve and George Springer, and that carries immense value for a first baseman.
Second Base
Scooter Gennett, Milwaukee Brewers
Gennett was on fire while he played last season, hitting .324. So far this season he is hitting .322 with a home run and two stolen bases. If that is not enough to convince you, XN touched on him during the preseason here.
Third Base
Kevin Kouzmanoff, Texas Rangers
Kouzmanoff was last week’s pickup at third base, and he makes this week’s cut too. He has been on a tear since replacing Adrian Beltre, and if you need a short-term replacement for either Machado, Zimmerman, or Beltre, Kouzmanoff is your guy. He is hitting a cool .362 so far this season.
Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
Cheap speed is easy to find, which may be why Escobar is only on around 15 percent of fantasy teams. But, this season he is doing a lot more than just steal bases. He has scored nine runs, driven in eight more, and is hitting .317. Escobar has been one of the better fantasy shortstops so far, so add him if you need help at middle infield.
Outfield
Chris Denofria, San Diego Padres
For those who know the name, you must be thinking “Really?” The answer right now is yes. The 33-year-old may have fantasy value for the first time in his career right now. He is hitting .333 and has stolen four bases while driving in seven in this young season. He also has two triples for those in leagues that have slugging percentage or total bases. He will likely not be able to keep this pace up for the entire season, but in the short term if you need outfield help, why not Denofria?
Starting Pitcher
Tom Koehler, Miami Marlins
Koehler is another guy who makes this list two weeks in a row. Here is an excerpt from last week’s column.
“After Koehler’s first start it was “The Padres offense is struggling.” After his second start it was “He just had a good day.” Now, Koehler pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball against the Washington Nationals and out-pitched Stephen Strasburg.”
This week, Koehler pitched against the Atlanta Braves and finished with an impressive line of 6.2 innings, five hits, two runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He has a 2.13 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP this season so far. Add him if you need pitching help.
Relief Pitcher
Kyle Farnsworth, New York Mets
Another week, another closer available on the waiver wire. If you need saves, add Farnsworth now, as he will close games for the Mets. He is the only closer on the waiver wire who has the potential to close games for the remainder of the season. Unless the Athletics make a decision on their full-time closer, Farnsworth could be the best relief pitcher add at the moment.
