Gordon Beckham (2B, CWS) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues & AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: After spending the first month of the season on the disabled list, Gordon Beckham has returned to his role of starting second basemen for the Chicago White Sox. Beckham is hitting .378 with 6 R, 3 HR & 6 RBI over his past 9 games. […]

Alcides Escobar (SS, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues or Shallow Leagues for SB ANALYSIS: Alcides Escobar was a pretty promising fantasy SS going into the 2013 season. He had recorded career highs in just about every category in 2012 (he fell one run short of all categories), but in 2013 he took a step back in every way and […]

George Springer (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: When George Springer was first called up he was added in tons of leagues...and then subsequently dropped after a brutal start with an average dipping into the .170's. Of late Springer is hitting more like we expected him to. In particular, in nine games since May 6th he is […]

Rougned Odor (2B, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Left handed hitting second baseman Rougned Odor is certainly no Hall of Famer, but there have been more than a few Wally Pipp and Lou Gherig comparisons drawn between him and the injured Jurickson Profar. Although it's anticipated that Profar should come off the DL in mid or late […]

Dallas Keuchel (SP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (If not sooner!) ANALYSIS: Ladies and Gentlemen, Houston has a starting pitcher worthy of owning in all leagues. You read that right. It's been a long time since Houston had a rosterable starting pitcher, so it's ok if this shocks you a little bit. Let it sink in for a minute.  Now here […]

Phil Hughes (SP, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: We had a hunch that moving from homer haven Yankee Stadium to homer graveyard Target Field would really help Phil Hughes. He is a heavy fly ball pitcher, and Target field is where fly balls go to die. Not only has Hughes slashed his HR/FB rate from ~12% over the […]

Danny Duffy (SP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Danny Duffy was a well-regarded prospect in the not too distant past. Tommy John surgery and some struggles since have put him well off the radar. Now, following a successful stint as a reliever in the first month of 2014, Duffy has been promoted to the rotation and made […]

Juan Francisco (1B / 3B, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Juan Francisco has always tantalized fantasy owners by putting up big numbers at AAA (.901 career OPS) and then failing to deliver at the Major League level (.731 OPS heading into the year). Last year he did hit 18 HR but it came at the price of a .227 batting […]

Jason Hammel (SP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Jason Hammel has had a nice start to his 2014, going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 37 Ks in 47.2 innings. Considering he’s on the Cubs in the bottom of the ever competitive NL Central, it’s an immediate handicap in terms of fantasy relevance. However, […]

Michael Saunders (OF, SEA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting ANALYSIS: In 2012 Michael Saunders hit 19 HR and stole 21 bases making him at the very least, roster-worthy. Last year his numbers declined across the board and he was not relevant in just about any league. Saunders does not have extreme R/L splits either, meaning he has been relatively mediocre no matter […]

Tyler Lyons (SP, STL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Leagues ANALYSIS: The Cardinals seem to churn out good pitchers at an alarmingly high rate. Tyler Lyons appears to be another example. Lyons made 8 starts in the majors last year and while the ERA was a not-so-pretty 4.75, his peripheral numbers were much better as his 3.73 FIP indicates. This year […]

Wilmer Flores (3B, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues, NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: One thing worth noting about Wilmer Flores: he is currently listed at 3B because that is where he played last year. But he will gain position eligibility for SS pretty quick, and maybe gain eligibility at 2B too. Flores has hit .300 or better in the minors each […]

Adam Lind (1B / DH, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues, AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Adam Lind has had good years, where he was a hot add off the waiver wire, and he's had bad years where he's been dropped to the waiver wire. At his worst in 2010, he hit just .237 with an OPS .712. There was still some […]

Brayan Pena (C, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues and Two Catcher Leagues ANALYSIS: Brayan who? He's the guy filling in for Devin Mesoraco while he's on the DL. Pena has batted .313 (10-for-32) over the last two weeks with 3 HR and 6 RBI. With Jay Bruce and Mesoraco out and Brandon Phillips still floundering, as long as […]

Omar Infante (2B, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues (when he returns) ANALYSIS: It can sometimes be hard to find offensive production at the 2B position. Let's face it: the position just isn't very deep. For that reason, Infante's .267/.325/.391 is enticing. Infante also has 2 HR and 19 RBI already this season, which makes him a better-than-average option […]

Marlon Byrd (OF, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Marlon Byrd is one of those players that seems to go largely unnoticed in fantasy because, with the exception of 2013, he has never been an exciting player. Additonally he is now 36 years old. On the other hand Byrd is coming off a career year where he […]

Juan Uribe (3B, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add In Most Leagues ANALYSIS: Uribe has somewhat cooled since his hot start to the year, but that shouldn't deter you from adding him off the wavier wire as your second option at third base, or starting him at the UTIL position.  Uribe is one of those sleepers that people are hesitant to pickup, yet […]

Collin McHugh (SP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scout; Strictly a Streamer ANALYSIS: Collin McHugh surprised the fantasy world with a fantastic first two starts for the Astros this year. McHugh racked up 19 strikeouts with just three walks in 15.1 innings with just one run allowed in that span.  To fairly project McHugh we have to look at the larger body […]

Henderson Alvarez (SP, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL Only leagues ANALYSIS: Will the real Henderson Alvarez please stand up?  One start he's giving up 3 HR to Atlanta then the next start he's pitching a complete game shutout.  There's nothing fantasy baseball owners loathe more than inconsistent starting pitchers, so it's best to stay away from Alvarez.  His 2.6 K/BB […]

Garrett Jones (1B / OF, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Garrett Jones is not a flashy exciting player with a lot of potential. We've seen the best that Jones can be in 2012 when he hit .274 with 27 HR and 86 RBI. Or perhaps in 2009 when he hit 21 HR in just 82 games. Either way, Garrett Jones […]

Rick Porcello (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: For the last few years, Tigers fans have been waiting for a breakout season from Rick Porcello. It looks like this might be the year. Porcello, a ground-ball pitcher, is off to a 4-1 start for Detroit with a 3.66 ERA. After a strong outing against Kansas City, […]

Rajai Davis (OF, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Davis is off to a scorching start for Detroit this year. In years past, Davis' value has come strictly on the basepaths. While he is still a speed demon (11 steals in 13 attempts), he has been far from a one-trick pony up to this point. His slash line […]

Travis Wood (SP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately ANALYSIS: Here are the only two things you need to know about Travis Wood. 1) He is a dominant pitcher. 2) He's somehow only owned in 50% of leagues. Go pick him up, immediately! Then come back and read this.....ok, now that Wood's ownership % is up a tick, here's why he's so […]

Nathan Eovaldi (SP, MIA) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Yordano Ventura made waves in the preseason with his blazing fastball and after a quick start he is owned in almost every league out there. Are you upset that you missed out on him? Well lucky for you the second hardest throwing SP in the league has better control, […]

Tyler Skaggs (SP, LAA) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Going into last year, Tyler Skaggs was a Top 20 prospect in all of baseball. Unfortunately Skaggs struggled at AAA and then looked subpar in a brief stint in the majors. In the offseason he was traded to the Angels in the 3-team trade centered around Mark Trumbo. With a […]

Aaron Loup (RP, TOR) - Waiver Wire Analysis

Update (5/3 - after today's game): Loup came in the 7th inning of today's game, and had a disastrous outing giving up 3 ER. Certainly a different tune than what the Blue Jays had said coming into today. The bullpen situation is ugly here, most likely yielding towards a committee going forward until Janssen is back, […]

Blue Jays Bullpen (RP, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting ANALYSIS: Sergio Santos took the BS, L last night after giving up 3 runs on 2 HR to Pedro Alvarez (tying the game) and Starling Marte (winning the game).  Santos has now allowed 6 ER in his last 2 outings, and has a 10.61 ERA on the year. His magnificent 16.39 K/9 is […]

Welington Castillo (C, CHC) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two Catcher Leagues ANALYSIS: Only 5% owned in Yahoo! leagues, Castillo will be available in a handful of 2 catcher leagues. He is benefitting from a little BABIP luck, but he's shown in the past that he can hover around .340 which means a .270 BA is attainable.  He has been racking up […]

Carlos Ruiz (C, PHI) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two Catcher Leagues and Deep Standard Leagues ANALYSIS: Ruiz is only 31% owned in Yahoo! leagues which means he's plenty available even in ~10 team 2 catcher leagues.  Ruiz has racked up 13 hits in his last 8 games, with an impressive 7:2 BB:K ratio, 7 RBI, 4 2B, and 9 runs.  He's […]

Trevor Plouffe (3B, MIN) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Trevor Plouffe first caught the fantasy world's attention when he hit 24 HR in less than a full season in 2012. That kind of power is pretty useful for an infielder even if it does come at the cost of a lower batting average. This year Plouffe is performing well […]