Over the course of the season I’ll be giving you two players at second base and shortstop per week who I think can help your team. These players are usually widely available in any format, and should turn nice profits in the weeks to come.

As always, feel free to reach out to me directly @Roto_Dubs with any questions about the middle infield or fantasy baseball in general.

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.

Second Base (2B) Waiver Wire Pickups

Cory Spangenberg (SD) - Owned in 6.9% of Fleaflicker leagues

Spangenberg (fun to say) will hit towards the top of the Padres lineup during the early part of the season, as he's had a knack for getting on base throughout his professional career (.354 OBP in the minors). He doesn't have anybody pushing him for the job, so there should be a pretty long leash even if he happens to struggle in April, which I don't think he will. Spang (hell if I'm typing that whole name out each time) stole nine bags last year in just 303 at-bats, and if he gets a full season in he's a very legitimate 10/20 candidate. The run-scoring opportunities should be there, and his value is improved in formats where he has third base eligibility.

Cesar Hernandez (PHI) - Owned in 16.0% of Fleaflicker leagues

Hernandez should be hitting around the top of a very bad Phillies lineup to start the season, so he should have a respectable number of opportunities to score runs. The big factor here is speed--Hernandez swiped 19 bags in a shade over 400 at-bats in 2015, and if he can stay healthy he should be a very, very cheap source of 30 stolen bases in 2016. He did hit .272 last year, so he certainly won't kill you there, but if you're expecting more than three or four home runs you're nuts.

Shortstop (SS) Waiver Wire Pickups

Marcus Semien (OAK) - Owned in 30.3% of Fleaflicker leagues

Semien seems to be criminally underrated this year. While he's not anywhere near as studly as the Correas and Tulowitzkis of the world, Semien quietly provides great value at the shortstop position. Last year he popped 15 homers and stole 11 bases, and he will have no problem replicating or improving upon those numbers as the locked-in shortstop in Oakland. He may even see his run and RBI totals go up in what should be an improved lineup.

Jonathan Villar (MIL) - Owned in 16.6% of Fleaflicker leagues

Orlando Arcia is the heir-apparent at shortstop for the Brewers, but as of right now it's Villar's job. He will likely hit in either the lead-off spot or the two-hole to begin the season, and could see some success hitting in front of Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy. Villar has always been a speed threat, and he did actually hit .284 in limited action with the Astros last season. Arcia is definitely looming, but for right now this speedy shortstop could make for a decent plug-and-play at a thin position.

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