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Week 1 Waiver Wire: 0-25% Owned Pickups

Kyle Bishop looks at some deeper waiver wire pickups and adds for Week 1 of the 2017 fantasy baseball season - players owned in 0-25% of Yahoo leagues.

Baseball is finally back. In light of this, let's give that free agent pool one last look over before the stats start flying.

Here are the best players who are owned in 0-25% of Yahoo leagues. You can see our column on 25-50% owned players as well.

These are your deeper Week 1 waiver wire pickups and adds - players that should be considered as additions to your teams, after your drafts have already been completed.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Deep League Waiver Wire Adds

Catcher: Cameron Rupp, Philadelphia Phillies (16% owned)

Rupp is mainly keeping the seat warm for prospect Jorge Alfaro, but he did flash some pop last season. He hit 16 homers with a passable .252 batting average and 80 R+RBI. Rupp likely isn't a long-term solution for owners in single-catcher leagues, but he's a viable second catcher in 2C formats.

First Base: Lucas Duda, New York Mets (10%)

Duda missed most of 2016 with injury, but over the prior two seasons, he was 7th among first basemen in home runs, and 12th in both runs and RBI. While he's never going to hit for a high average - his best single-season mark is .253 - the veteran also boasts a career .346 OBP. Assuming health, he's an excellent CI option in 12-team mixers and a viable starter at 1B in deeper and NL-only formats.

Second Base: Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies (8%)

Hernandez looked like a utility man when he broke into the majors in 2014, but he’s developed into a player with relevance in many fantasy formats. His plate discipline, contact rate, and contact quality have steadily trended up in the last three years. He earned some criticism for mental lapses on the bases — note the ugly 17-for-30 success rate on stolen base attempts — but he also hit .294/.371/393 with quality defense to turn in a surprising four-win season. Hernandez was 19-for-24 in thefts in 2015, and has been working with coaches to improve that aspect of his game this winter. He will hit near the top of the order,

Third Base: Travis Shaw, Milwaukee Brewers (24%)

Shaw faded badly after a hot start with the Red Sox in 2016. Traded to Milwaukee over the winter, he'll be the starting first baseman and likely hit fifth in a sneaky-good Brewers lineup. While Fenway Park has a well-deserved reputation as a hitters' park, it's actually one of the most difficult parks in the game for lefties to hit a home run. Miller Park is among the best parks for lefty power, and it's not hard to imagine Shaw taking advantage.

Shortstop: Tyler Saladino, Chicago White Sox (14%)

Saladino has picked up some sleeper hype during a torrid spring, but he remains lightly owned. The versatile 27-year-old hit .282 with eight homers and 11 steals in just 319 plate appearances a year ago. Given his minor league track record and the White Sox rebuild, he's likely to run a bit more in 2017, and could see some time near the top of the batting order. Yoan Moncada is the future at second base, but Saladino has the job right now, and he could provide double-digit pop with 20+ stolen bases to go with his eligibility at three positions.

Corner Infield: Yangervis Solarte, San Diego Padres (14%)

If you've ever read my work before, you probably knew this was coming. I've been beating the Solarte drum since 2015, after all. The veteran doesn't have enough foot speed to take advantage of the Padres' aggressive basestealing philosophy, but hits well enough to land a spot in the middle of their lineup: .286/.341/.467 last season, with 15 homers and 126 R+RBI in just 109 games. Injury cost him some time, as did the tragic death of his wife. The latter is just another reason to root for the guy.

Middle Infield: Chris Owings, Arizona Diamondbacks (10%)

Owings will open the year as the starting shortstop in Arizona, and he's hitting second in their first game. There's not much pop here, but Owings swiped 21 bags in 23 attempts last year. With the current dearth of speed in the game, he's an intriguing sleeper at short and free to add in 90 percent of Yahoo league at the moment. If he can hit enough to stick in the 2-hole, he'll be sandwiched between A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt. That's a nice place to be. Like many of the guys we're discussing today, Owings offers flexibility as well, since he's eligibile in the outfield.

Outfield: Steve Pearce, Toronto Blue Jays (12%)

The release of Melvin Upton makes it clear that the Jays will give Pearce every opportunity to run with the starting job in left field. He also carries eligibility at first and second base, and given that Devon Travis can't stay healthy and Justin Smoak is terrible, he could easily see time at either position. Pearce has never logged 400 plate appearances in a season before, but has a great chance to do so in 2017. He's hit .267/.347/.493 with 49 homers in just 279 games over the last three seasons. If he can come close to that level over a full slate, he'll be a fantastic value.

Outfield: Travis Jankowski, San Diego Padres (8%)

If speed's what you need, consider Jankowski. He strikes out too much to hit for average despite his quickness and doesn't have much power, but Jankowski does the starting job in left field. He swiped 30 bags as a part-timer in 2016. Jankowski does get on base at a good clip thanks to a double-digit walk rate, so if the playing time holds up, 40-50 stolen bases are attainable.

Starting Pitcher: Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves (19%)

The former first-round pick hasn't quite lived up to the hype, but Foltynewicz has improved every season in the big leagues. He also seems to have developed his changeup into a viable third offering, which should allow him to stick in the rotation. His blazing fastball and slider have led some to conclude his future is in the bullpen. If the Braves were to make that move, Folty could be in line for some saves. For now, he's a solid back-end fantasy starter with upside for more.

Starting Pitcher: Daniel Norris, Detroit Tigers (12%)

Norris was one of just 19 starters who logged a strikeout per inning and walked fewer than three batters per nine. Most of the guys in that group are bona fide aces. Of course, Norris was the only player in the group who failed to log 100 innings, and he also had trouble with home runs and hard contact. But the former top prospect is just 23 and carries plenty of upside.

Relief Pitcher: Hector Rondon, Chicago Cubs (15%)

By virtually any measure, Rondon has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last three seasons. He has served as the Cubs' closer for the bulk of that time, but the defending champs opted to bring in Wade Davis via trade to handle closing duties. Davis had some arm troubles last season, though, and is coming off an extremely shaky spring. Rondon could find himself back in the ninth if Davis stumbles, and can bolster your ratios even as a set-up man.

Relief Pitcher: Jason Grilli, Toronto Blue Jays (18%)

Grilli had command issues last season that led to inflated walk and home run rates, but he logged a 12.0 K/9 for the second straight year and fourth time in five seasons. With Roberto Osuna on the disabled list to begin the year, Grilli will take the closer baton in Toronto for at least a couple of weeks.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jose A. Ferrer

Mariners Acquire Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals
Mason Marchment

Expected to Return Saturday
Danila Yurov

Returns From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Available Saturday
Harry Ford

Traded to the Washington Nationals
Shane Pinto

to Miss Two Weeks
David Pastrnak

Misses Fifth Consecutive Game Saturday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Remains Out Saturday
Nikita Kucherov

Out on Saturday
Jayden Reed

Activated off IR, Will Play in Week 14
Justin Herbert

Officially Listed as Questionable for Monday Night Football
Yves Missi

Trending Toward Game-Time Decision
Khris Middleton

Questionable With Knee Soreness Against Hawks
Noah Clowney

On Track To Suit Up Against Pelicans
De'Anthony Melton

Questionable With Knee Management
Draymond Green

Questionable With Mid-Foot Sprain
Jimmy Butler III

Day-To-Day As Warriors Prepare For Cleveland
Mikko Rantanen

Picks Up Three Points Against Sharks
Kyle Connor

Scores in Fourth Consecutive Game
Beckett Sennecke

Notches Two Points in Friday's Win
Ryan Leonard

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Friday
Carter Hart

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Questionable for Saturday
Victor Hedman

Expected to Return Saturday
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Patrick Williams

Dalen Terry Available Versus Pacers
Coby White

Returns With Minutes Restriction Friday
Ayo Dosunmu

Out Friday Against Pacers
Zach Collins

Available for Season Debut Friday
Robert Williams III

Donovan Clingan Out, Robert Williams III in for Portland Friday
Evan Mobley

Ready to Play Friday
Kristaps Porzingis

Coming Off the Bench Friday
Spencer Jones

Available Against Hawks
OG Anunoby

Returns to Knicks LIneup Friday
Tre Mann

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Available Friday
LaMelo Ball

Upgraded to Available
Brandon Miller

Returns to Action Friday
Steven Adams

Alperen Sengun Out Friday, Steven Adams Starting
Ozzy Wiesblatt

to Miss 8-10 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Jalen Johnson

Returning To Atlanta's Lineup On Friday
Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Out With Illness Friday
Evander Kane

Doubtful for Friday
Conor Garland

Back From Two-Game Absence Friday
Thomas Harley

Could Be an Option Next Week
Mikael Granlund

Returning From 10-Game Absence Friday
John Carlson

Misses Second Consecutive Game Friday
Rome Odunze

has Fractured Foot, Labeled Week-to-Week
Sauce Gardner

Ruled Out for Sunday
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Aaron Jones Sr.

Cleared to Play in Week 14
Chris Olave

Listed as Questionable for Week 14
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out for Sunday
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 14
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Drake London

Ruled Out vs Seattle
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Lamar Jackson

Will Play on Sunday
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
Dalton Kincaid

to be Questionable for Week 14
Tee Higgins

Clears Concussion Protocol, is a Full-Go for Sunday
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
Mike Evans

Not Quite Ready to Return This Week
Jayden Daniels

Will Start Against Vikings
Lamar Jackson

Returns to Practice, on Track to Play on Sunday
Kyler Murray

Won't Return This Year, Cardinals Non-Committal on his Future
Trey Benson

Out in Week 14; Could he Miss the Rest of the Season?
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Ruled Out for Sunday's Game
CeeDee Lamb

in the League's Concussion Protocol
Brian Branch

Out with Torn Achilles
Detroit Lions

Brian Branch Feared to Have Suffered an Achilles Injury
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
CFB

Penn State Eyeing Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell For Coaching Vacancy
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
CFB

Billy Napier Finalizing Deal to Become James Madison's New Head Coach
CFB

Buster Faulkner Set to Become Florida's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Joe Sloan Expected to be Kentucky's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach
CFB

Kalani Sitake the Top Target for Penn State Coaching Job
CFB

Josh Heupel Says He's Not a Candidate for Penn State Head Coach Job

RANKINGS

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