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First Base / Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Week 9

Hunting for values on the waiver wire is one of the most fun, and most challenging, parts of any fantasy season. This can be especially true at the infield corners, an area where the stars are readily scooped up. Finding a low cost alternative can be often 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 waiver wire first and third basemen should be on your radar as you peruse the waiver wire. Let's get started as we enter Week 9 of the fantasy baseball season.

Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for first base and third base, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.

 

Top First Base Waiver Wire Pickup

Mike Napoli (1B, BOS)

Fleaflicker: 37% owned; ESPN: 41.1% owned; Yahoo: 57% owned

Don't let his less-than-stellar season stat-line fool you, Napoli has been the hottest thing on the planet of late. Over the past two weeks he's hit .317/.429/.707 with five home runs, 11 RBI, and eight Runs scored. Frankly, if he continues to hit like this, I would not be surprised to see Napoli slowly begin inching his way up the Red Sox batting order. Manager John Ferrel must be getting desperate to do something to jolt some life into his last place team. Elevating the position of his best hitter could easily be his solution to that problem. Even in the 5th spot, however, Napoli has proven just how productive he can be for fantasy owners.

Now's a good time to buy-in on Napoli. The Red Sox begin a seven day homestand next week against the A's and Twins. Minnesota and Oakland have both allowed a 4.23 ERA on the road thus far this season thanks to below average pitching staffs which will soon be marching into hitter-friendly Fenway to face Napoli. Subsequent series against the Orioles and Jays should likewise prove to be tempting matchups for fantasy owners. Not bad for a player only owned in 41% of ESPN leagues.

 

Other 1B Notables

Chris Colabello (1B/OF, TOR)

Fleaflicker: 12% owned; ESPN: 34.4% owned; Yahoo: 22% owned

No team in baseball has scored more runs this year than the Toronto Blue Jays. With 263 runs scored, the Jays lead the second place Rangers by almost 40 entries in this category. Why does that matter? It matters because Chris Colabello in the middle of that lineup. Colabello is hitting .374 through the month of May with four home runs, 14 RBI, and 14 Runs scored. While no one thinks that he'll be able to keep this kind of production up long term, right now Colabello is one of the hottest hitters in the game, hitting in the middle of the best lineup in baseball. If Napoli has already been scooped up in your league, you could do a lot worse than to add a bat like Colabello's to your everyday lineup.

 

Top Third Base Waiver Wire Pickup

Trevor Plouffe (3B, MIN)

Fleaflicker: 36% owned; ESPN: 31.3% owned; Yahoo: 25% owned

This isn't the first time I've recommended Plouffe to RotoBaller readers and for good reason. He's hit .360 over the last week with a home run and plenty of counting stats to go with it. During the month of May Plouffe has been a .303 hitter with four home runs, 19 RBI, and 12 Runs scored. In fact, he's been a top 10 3rd baseman in terms of RBI and home runs so far this season (for the curious, he's ranked 11th in batting average). Considering that nearly all of this production has come within the last calendar month, it's incredibly impressive how much Plouffe has been able to accomplish.

Like many others on this list, Plouffe is the beneficiary of a strong upcoming schedule. To this point in the season, the Red Sox and Brewers have two of the three worst rotations in baseball in terms of ERA-allowed. The Twins will face both next week, with a four game series against the Red Sox at Fenway and then three games against the Brewers at home. Could you ask for more?

 

Other 3B Notables

Jung-Ho Kang (3B/SS, PIT)

Fleaflicker: 28% owned; ESPN: 29.1% owned; Yahoo: 36% owned

Jung-Ho Kang was one of the best players the South Korean league has ever seen. Questions about his ability to make the transition to major league play held down his free agent value, however. This is why the Pirates were able to scoop him up over the offseason for only a 4 year, $11 million contract. A lot of teams must be regretting not topping that offer now.

In only 120 plate appearances this season, Kang has absolutely crushed the ball for the Pirates. He's slashed .302/.375/.453 during his time in the majors, displaying a blend of power (3 home runs) and speed (4 stolen bases) that fantasy owners are always on the hunt for. Having watched a few of his games, I've been personally impressed by the authority with which he's hitting the ball right now. Those home runs he's hit are the kind you want to sit back and just admire. It was honestly something of a toss-up for me with regard to whether Kang or Plouffe deserved top honors on this list. Plouffe's short term schedule advantage broke the tie in this case, but no matter which player you end up with, you should be very happy with the results.

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

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Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
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Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
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"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
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Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
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Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
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Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
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A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
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Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
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Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
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Cleared For Game 5
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Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
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Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
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Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
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Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
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J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
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Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
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Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
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RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
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Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
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Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
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Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
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Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
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George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
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Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
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Recovering From Ankle Surgery
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Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
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Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
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Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
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Returns To Winning Ways
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Earns Two Points Monday
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Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
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Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
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Expecting Big Things In Texas
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May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
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Homers Twice On Monday
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Exits Monday's Win Early
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Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
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Officially Active For Game 4
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Expected To Play In Game 5
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Has Career Game
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Questionable For Tuesday Night
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Going On The Injured List
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Back On The Injury Report
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Out Again On Tuesday Night
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Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
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Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
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Placed On Injured List
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Good To Go For Game 4
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Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
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Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
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Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
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Suffers His First UFC Loss
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Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
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Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
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Extends His Win Streak
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Gets Finished For The First Time
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Gets Back In The Win Column
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Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
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Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
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Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
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Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
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Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
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Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

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Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
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Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

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DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

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Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
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Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
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Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
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Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
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Scheduled For Co-Main Event
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Looks To Bounce Back
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Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
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