Save for one, each of the players we’ll cover today enjoys eligibility at multiple positions – either the middle infield or catcher. Especially in extreme formats (both deep leagues and leagues with small  benches), these types offer excellent flexibility to owners looking to squeeze every bit of blood from the stone of their roster.

No matter what scoring your league employs, being able to completely fill your lineup every day with players who are actually on the field is a great way to maximize your production. At this time of year, that could mean the difference between a title and another lost 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.

First Base / Third Base Waiver Wire for Week 20

Yunel Escobar, 3B/SS, Washington Nationals (48 percent owned)

Escobar has been a last cut basically every week since I started writing this column. The reasoning behind that? His production to this point has been fueled in part by a BABIP well above his career mark which (say it with me now) isn’t really supported by his underlying data. But regression doesn’t always arrive when it you think it might, and we’re into the dog days of summer at this point. Escobar has been an asset in batting average and OBP and hasn’t hurt his owners anywhere else. For a guy with shortstop eligibility, that’s fairly valuable.

Mitch Moreland, 1B/DH, Texas Rangers (44 percent)

Moreland had a tough July, but he’s bounced back this month and owns an impressive .295/.345/.511 line with 17 homers and 61 RBI. He’s still a liability against southpaws and has a pretty checkered injury history. Still, power is a scarce resource in the current offensive environment. You simply aren’t going to find too many other players on the wire with his pop without serious drawbacks – typically a putrid average or OBP. Moreland’s current numbers are comparable to more widely owned assets like Brandon Belt and Adam Lind.

Cesar Hernandez, 2B/3B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies (43 percent)

Hernandez will almost certainly lose his 3B eligibility next season on non-Yahoo platforms and he’s a better fit at the middle infield slots, but cheap speed is cheap speed. Hernandez is 17-for-21 in stolen base attempts and also sports a nifty, albeit empty, .289 average. Recent success aside, the Phillies remain terrible at baseball, which suppresses his value a bit as his run scoring opportunities are fewer than ideal. Still, there are some reasons for hope going forward in the City of Brotherly Love, and Hernandez appears to be one of them. He’s taking over as the regular shortstop with Chase Utley back from the dead disabled list.

Francisco Cervelli, C/1B, Pittsburgh Pirates (24 percent)

Going by Yahoo rankings, Cervelli is a top-10 catcher. He’s easily outperformed more popular players like Yadier Molina (82 percent), Jonathan Lucroy (82 percent), and Yan Gomes (55 percent). Wilin Rosario is on more fantasy teams right now, and he was demoted to Triple-A weeks ago! Sometimes you just have to shake your head. In his first season as a starter, Cervelli has posted an excellent .300/.367/.423 triple-slash with 76 R+RBI in 89 games. It’s time to show him some love.

Yangervis Solarte, 1B/2B/3B, San Diego Padres (19 percent)

Solarte came out of nowhere last season to briefly become a fantasy darling before a June swoon made him yesterday’s news. Being traded from the Yankees to San Diego didn’t help matters, and he was essentially ignored by fantasy owners coming into 2015. Another hot start didn’t really move the needle, especially since he slumped badly as spring wore on. He’s been red-hot of late, however, with a 1.010 OPS in August and a .323/.375/.479 line since the All-Star break. Eligible at both corner infield spots as well as second base, Solarte makes for an intriguing flex option in deeper formats.

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