How did the first week of fantasy baseball go for you? I was stinking it up in both my leagues before a Sunday morning waiver wire pickup saved me in the one. Which brings us to this column – your fantasy baseball waiver wire and how it can make or break not just your week, but your season. Here are the top producing players currently sitting on the majority of fantasy baseball waiver wires out there.
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Since we’ve already spilled a lot of digital ink on pitchers this season (here, and here) I’m limiting this to hitters.
(only includes players rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues; stats listed are after Saturday’s games)
Ji-Man Choi – Tampa Bay – 1B – 18% rostered
.526, 5 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
30-year-old journeyman Ji-Man Choi currently has an OPS of 1.654. That’s totally sustainable, right?! Ok, maybe not, as an 0-3 day today will drop it a bit. However, he is still batting cleanup for Tampa Bay so he’s getting opportunities. But we don’t need him to sustain this level of play for the whole season – we can ride the wave while it is still cresting, then bail when he inevitably comes crashing back down to earth. Sounds like a plan.
Jurickson Profar – San Diego – 1B/2B/OF – 38% rostered
.269, 3 R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB
The first thing that jumps off the screen is the eligibility at three positions, something I’m always on the lookout for. Could this be a bounce-back year for Jurickson Profar after a disastrous 2021 in San Diego? Perhaps. He probably is more likely to just be on a power surge to start the season, however it is worth noting he knocked 20 balls out of the park in both 2017 and 2018, so maybe he’s reverting back to that form. If you’re looking for a utility player, you could do a lot worse at this point.
Chad Pinder – Oakland – 2B/OF – 4% rostered
.235, 6 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB
It’s being speculated that Chad Pinder is playing so well for Oakland he’s doomed to be traded to a better club where he won’t be batting in the middle of the lineup as he’s been doing for the A’s. But, until that time, you may want to roster him. Including today’s game against the Jays, he’s got a hit in four straight, and six of seven. And hitting in the heart of the lineup has allowed him to goose up his RBI numbers
Jesus Sanchez – Miami – OF – 41% rostered
.310, 5 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB
Three straight multi-hit games, and five in six games, have rocketed Jesus Sanchez up the fantasy ranks this season. Yet still less than half the fantasy players out there have snatched him off of waivers. The 24-year-old showed promise last season, belting 14 home runs in only 64 games, with a .808 OPS, so this early season production might be sustainable.
Sean Murphy – Oakland – C – 33% rostered
.250, 6 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Catcher is always a difficult position to fill with a quality bat, so it’s surprising that Sean Murphy is currently available on two-thirds of the fantasy baseball waiver wires out there. He hit 17 home runs last year, which is nice for a catcher, but he’s really turned things up this season. He’s had a hit in five straight games, with two hits in three of them.
Thairo Estrada – San Francisco – 2B/SS/OF – 6% rostered
.207, 7 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB
The batting average is abysmal, but Thairo Estrada is taking advantage of Evan Longoria‘s absence and is raking for the Giants. Not included in the statline above is today’s production, where he went 2-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Only 26, and finally getting regular playing time, Estrada could be a breakthrough player this season.
Other fantasy baseball waiver wire players worth checking out: Jonah Heim, Oscar Mercado, Joey Bart, Austin Nola
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