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Five Fantasy Diamonds In The Rough Who May Become Your Best Friends
I think I've found some fantasy gold for you in this edition of Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups. Three of the five players featured in this article are ones that I would consider picking up right now. Personally, my team has already seen Chris Sale and Hyun-Jin Ryu go down in the last couple weeks and I know how important it is for you to stay on top of the waiver wire. Make sure to check in on a weekly basis and I'll provide you with five diamonds in the rough.
Dayan Viciedo (OF, CHW) - 25% Owned
The White Sox offense has been a juggernaut up to this point. The Sox are 2nd in runs scored and third in RBI in the major leagues thus far. It seems that anyone who is a permanent starting piece to their lineup has some potential to provide fantasy benefit. Interestingly, Dayan Viciedo has had a down week, but his ownership in Yahoo leagues has increased. This may be an indication that Fantasy Baseball Owners were initially skeptical and were waiting for a bigger sample size before adding him. If his career numbers are any indicators, Viciedo’s average should drop and we should see an uptick in power. At 240 lbs., it is surprising that he has only sent two balls over the fence.
Recommendation: Pick up now while the Sox are rolling offensively
Michael Saunders (OF, SEA) - 2% Owned
With the recent strikeout binge of Abraham Almonte, Michael Saunders has become the new leadoff hitter for the M’s. Amazingly owned in only 2% of Yahoo leagues, he could give your team a boost in deep leagues. Saunders has been producing with power and overall production on the Mariners recent road trip. How long will it last? Hard to say because there is a lot of swing and miss in that bat. Saunders has teased in the past only to go into prolonged slumps. In the mean time you can get a little bit of everything from him including stolen bases.
Recommendation: Worth following over the next few days to see if he can sustain it
Garrett Jones (1B / OF, MIA) - 16% Owned
Another fantasy riser, Garrett Jones is heating up for the Marlins. With 5 HR and 15 RBI, he is a decent option as a corner infielder. With Pittsburgh, Jones flashed power including 27 homeruns in 2012. However, because of excessive strikeouts and low OBP the Pirates decided he was expendable. A couple of things to note; Jones has struggled with left handers and he has not hit well in day games. Good information to know if you can adjust your lineup daily. Much like Casey McGehee, the Marlins will squeeze whatever they can get out of the veteran.
Recommendation: With a 1b/OF designation, pick him up to be a matchup guy in daily leagues
Roenis Elias (SP, SEA) - 16% Owned
Kind of a long shot out of spring training, Roenis Elias benefited from numerous injuries to the Mariners starting staff. Fortunately for the M’s, he has been a steady performer in the first month of the season. His 10-strikeout performance in his outing against the Yankees has put him on the fantasy map and he followed that up with a solid 6.1 IP, 6 K, 3 ER outing Tuesday night. Being left handed and possessing a plus curveball will most likely cement his spot in the rotation. Remember that young pitching phenoms Taiwan Walker and James Paxton will be back in June and somebody has to go to make room. My prediction is that Elias will continue to surprise, but expect a few clunkers mixed in.
Recommendation: Pick him up in deep leagues
Tom Koehler (SP, MIA) - 12% Owned
Koehler was really good in his last outing against the Dodgers, tossing seven shutout innings. However this was no aberration. The Marlins righty has brought quality consistency in nearly all of his starts. He has only given up more than two runs in one of his six starts this year. In looking at his season splits, Koehler has been strong at home, but weak on the road and during the day. With his next start at home against the Mets, I think the good times will continue to roll.
Recommendation: People are taking notice, pick him up now
