The 2016 MLB season is underway and fantasy lineups are swiftly being molded before they take on a more permanent form to prepare for the long haul. Although there is not a wealth of information to go on, trends do emerge quickly at this point in the season. If you are in a league that starts five outfielders, the waiver wire can be scarce for the bulk of the season.

This is the time to take risks. Hot prospects fresh to the league can often pay off early and often. Injury-prone sluggers who appear healthy may be worth the gamble. Although any questionable pickup at this time of year is certainly precarious, there is no need to plunge into the abyss of the waiver wire without some sound strategic advice.

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 1 Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups

Socrates Brito, Arizona Diamondbacks

Aside from owning one of the best names in baseball today, (I didn't forget about you Kevin Quackenbush) Brito now holds a healthy dose of potential in the wake of A.J. Pollock's elbow injury. The 23 year-old outfielder earned a late season promotion from Double-A Mobile at the end of the 2015 campaign, making the most of it with 10-of-33 hitting and four extra base hits. What's more impressive is what he did in the minors for the better part of the year, posting a .300/.339/.451 line with nine home runs and 20 stolen bases. Although Brito does not sport an overwhelming slugging percentage, (.451 with Double-A Mobile) he does have an uncanny ability to accrue extra base hits. Brito racked up 293 total bases in 2015, which would reside among the top-20 MLB hitters for the same season. If TB is a category in your league, Brito could be especially valuable.

There are some minor drawbacks to Brito's game. For the time being, the Diamondbacks are employing a platoon in center field with Chris Owings, who will mainly see time against left-handed pitching. At least Brito finds himself on the better end of the duo. Also, the young Dominican outfielder skipped the Triple-A level completely. Of course, this is not unheard of. However, his inexperience is likely to rear its head at some point, which could lead the coaching staff to pursue other options in the outfield. For the immediate future, Brito's playing time seems secure and his speed remains tempting.

Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston Red Sox

After laying dormant for most of 2015, Jackie Bradley got hot near the end of last season, highlighted by a particularly impressive August. Over the course of 34 games, Bradley posted an astounding .370/.439/.759 slash line with seven home runs, 13 doubles and 34 RBI. Bradley's 1.198 OPS over that time frame was second in the MLB behind Edwin Encarnacion. After a hot spring, Bradley has earned himself a regular starting job in center field.

Bradley is a streaky hitter, which is the reason he tends to dwell on the waiver wire for long stretches of the season. Before his red hot August, the young outfielder carried a .121/.211/.212 line in 15 games. He's nowhere near a season-long fantasy option at this point. However, he can be a big help week-to-week when he's seeing the ball well at the plate. After going .377/.431/.604 in 53 spring at bats, Bradley walked and hit a single in his regular season debut in Cleveland. Of course that's a pretty small sample size, but there's little to go on, beyond intuition, with early season waiver wire pickups. If you find yourself with some bench space available in your league, Bradley could bring some spark to your lineup until the magic inevitably runs dry.

Eduardo Escobar, Minnesota Twins

As Opening Day came and went without any eye-popping plate performances, aside from signs of a bright future for Trevor Story, Eduardo Escobar quietly made his case for attention with a two double, RBI night against the Orioles. Escobar's power numbers have been steadily climbing over the past few seasons as he went from a 3 HR, .406 SLG% campaign in 2013 to 12 HR and .445 SLG% in 2015. Escobar is a tantalizing fantasy option chiefly because of his utility capabilities -- in Yahoo leagues, he is eligible at 2B, 3B, SS and OF. Many similar players exist around the league, but most are heralded for their defensive versatility and contribute little in terms of meaningful hitting statistics.

In the past, Escobar has been among this camp of players. However, he showed that the power is there in the second half of 2015, hitting eight home runs and 19 doubles in August and September alone while posting a .286/.350/.524 slash line over that span of time. For an outfielder, this is not elite level production by any measurement, although it is above average for sure. But again, the key here is the multiple position eligibility. If you have multiple holes in your lineup, or simply one too many platoon players, Escobar could be a handy patch-up player to help fill the voids.

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