X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

First Base / Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Week One

Hunting for values and sleepers on the waiver wire is one of the most fun, and most challenging, parts of any fantasy baseball season. It can also make or break your teams.

This can be especially true at the infield corners - an area where the stars are readily scooped up, and finding a low cost alternative can often be difficult.

Here at RotoBaller, we're always looking for ways to help our readers succeed in all aspects of the game. With that aim in mind, each week I'll be bringing you my recommendations for which 1B and 3B options should be on your fantasy baseball waiver wire radars. Let's get started.

 

Top First Base Waiver Wire Option

Stephen Vogt - 1B/OF/C, OAK

ESPN: 5.6% owned, Yahoo: 41% owned, Fleaflicker: 21% owned

The difference in Vogt's ownership numbers between ESPN, Yahoo and Fleaflicker leagues is likely due to the fact that he's already catcher eligible in the latter two. Assuming continued health and playing time, he'll quickly earn that status in all leagues, adding a nice boost to his value. Even as a pure first baseman though, he's still an interesting ticket for waiver wire hunters.

He batted .358/.388/.532 through the first half of 2014 before an unfortunate foot injury knocked him off pace. Granted, no one expects him to approach that kind of production again this year. When paired with his white hot start to this season, it does make him difficult to pass by though. At worst, Vogt is a soon-to-be catcher eligible streak hitter living the good life right now. People have won fantasy leagues with much less.

 

Other 1B Notables

Mark Teixeira - 1B, NYY

ESPN: 46.6% owned, Yahoo: 82% owned, Fleaflicker: 22% owned

While his bat was conspicuously quiet in the season opener, Mark Teixeira could offer a cheap source of power if you're looking to scoop up a new 1st baseman. Yahoo fantasy owners seem to have caught on to his value already, but there's still a chance for our ESPN friends out there.

Well into his decline years, you'll need to be certain you can stomach the batting average risk if you choose to roster Teixeira. He hasn't hit above .260 since 2009 and turned in a putrid .216 batting average last season. He does have power, however. In 508 plate appearances, he crushed 22 home runs last year. It's likely he'll be able to approach that number again this season. If he continues to bat cleanup, he could be a low cost source of RBIs and Runs as well. As bad as the Yankees may prove to be this season, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner are still very much quality players. Batting cleanup behind them is situation any power hitter would envy.

 

Top Third Base Waiver Wire Option

Brett Lawrie - 3B/2B, OAK

ESPN: 30.1% owned, Yahoo: 99% owned, Fleaflicker: 26% owned

Sorry Yahoo owners, Brett Lawrie is an ESPN only play it seems. To be perfect honest, I don't understand how Lawrie's ownership numbers can be as low as they are, considering the upside he offers. Health has obviously been the limiting factor for the 3rd baseman throughout this point in his career. He's only averaged 101 games played per year over the course of the last three seasons.

Considering he's flashed 20/20 potential through those seasons and still retains 2nd base eligibility, it's tough to explain why the 25 year old Oakland A isn't worth a bench spot. Lawrie is a must add player in all leagues as far as I'm concerned. At worst, he costs you nothing. At best, he could carry your team on his shoulders. That's the definition of waiver wire value right there.

 

Other 3B Notables

Chase Headley - 3B, NYY

ESPN: 36.6% owned, Yahoo: 97% owned, Fleaflicker: 41% owned

ESPN players seem to be having all the luck this week. Fantasy owners should be very glad that Chase Headley chose to resign with the New York Yankees. Yankee Stadium is an absolute heaven for power hitters. It ranks second, behind only Coors Field, for lefties and sixth for righties.

Headley's power surge in 2012 might seem like a long way away, but I'd be willing to spend a waiver wire pick for the rights to see whether Yankee Stadium can help bring back that aspect of his game. He has a surprising amount of speed for a 3rd baseman and his on-base skills should keep his batting average from sinking too much under .250.

 

Mike Moustakas - 3B, KC

ESPN: 15.3% owned, Yahoo: 4% owned, Fleaflicker: 52% owned

Mike Moustakas probably shouldn't be on the radar of standard league players. Considering how many of our readers enjoy the thrill of deeper leagues, however, I decided to add him to the list. His value is twofold: lineup position and cheap, cheap power. First, let's discuss his power. Given a full healthy season, Moustakas looks to be a 20-22 home run hitter. He's never approached that 160-162 game number though, so he's more likely someone in the 16-18 home run range. Ned Yost seems committed to Moustakas as his number two hitter in the lineup.

Provided he doesn't hit himself back to the minor leagues, he's likely to stick in that spot. The extra at-bats it'll afford him, as well as the boosted Run numbers most number two hitters enjoy, are a nice feather in the cap for Moustakas owners. Considering he's only 26 years old, there's still upside for much, much more than we've seen from Moustakas through this point in his career. For owners in deep leagues who're on the hunt for power, even today's version might be well good enough.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen3 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel3 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart4 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson4 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio5 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis5 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell5 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu5 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones6 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez6 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby6 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma6 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain6 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen7 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio7 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson7 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle7 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant7 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis8 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown8 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum8 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen8 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs8 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR8 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom8 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle8 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev8 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf8 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints9 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison9 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu10 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills10 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy10 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander10 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager10 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel10 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys11 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu12 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge12 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran12 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle12 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa13 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux13 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu13 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert13 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani13 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena13 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo13 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill13 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin14 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison15 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott15 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov15 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli16 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond16 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala16 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat16 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski16 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich16 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren16 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson17 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott17 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley17 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs17 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek22 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher22 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns6 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF