X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

NL-Only and AL-Only Waiver Wire for Week 2

Matt Wallach outlines his favorite week 2 waiver wire pickups and adds for deep leagues, and AL-only or NL-only fantasy baseball leagues for the 2021 MLB season.

After what was a long, slow, and perhaps uncertain offseason, baseball is officially back, and of course, that means fantasy baseball, and it is absolutely great to have a full season of baseball on tap this year. We got to enjoy having it back, but now we fantasy players have to get back into the grind of analyzing the players on our rosters, potential trade targets on other rosters, and of course, the waiver wire.

For those in deep leagues, scourging the waiver wire is a necessity, especially in the early part of the season as teams try to find roles for all their players. It's still tricky to try and get wrapped around and caught up on everything, with playing time situations still up in the air, but with that, an opportunity for a sharp fantasy manager to get in on the ground floor on some targets that may be under-rostered.

Each week, I'll look at five players that under 15% rostered in Yahoo leagues that are options to be considered in deep-league formats, such as fifteen teamers or AL or NL-only teams, along with a recommendation for what to do with the said player on your roster. Now, without further ado, let's get into it.

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

 

Taylor Trammell (OF, SEA)

9% rostered. Recommended move: Add for the long haul. 

Trammell, the one-time top-100 prospect, is a target here mainly for his ability to steal bases along with everyday playing time in the Mariners outfield. He is still a work in progress at the plate, as these opening few plate appearances have been the first Major League plate appearances of his career. On a brighter note, Trammell did hit well in spring training this year, which ultimately helped land him the starting gig in Seattle, as he posted a 1.037 OPS in the spring.

While he has just one hit and hasn't yet stolen a base in his first ten at-bats of the season, his profile as a prospect suggests that plenty of those should be on the horizon. He's consistently run strong walk rates in the minor leagues, including a 14.2% clip as a 21-year-old with the Reds' AA team, and getting a lot of free passes means that Trammell ends up with more opportunities to swipe bags than some other prominent speed threats. He's not a slouch with the stick either, although he may not have much power, Trammell should be adequate in terms of batting average, with the potential to get better in later seasons.

His main calling card right now though is stolen base upside though, with the bat being a bigger question mark right now as this is just his first taste of Major League pitching. The Mariners have every incentive right now to play him nearly every day, and they shouldn't have any hesitations about letting him run, which makes him quite attractive for fantasy purposes. Although Kyle Lewis may impact Seattle's outfield picture upon his return from injury, Trammell should still be in the picture in left field at that point, so playing time shouldn't be much of an issue right now. Grab him while he's still readily available in leagues.

 

Kyle Isbel (OF, KC)

7% rostered. Recommended move: Add for the long haul. 

Speaking of rookie outfielders, Isbel has become something of a hot commodity in the very early part of the season. Like Trammell, Isbel absolutely raked in the spring with a .968 OPS, and made such a strong impression that the Royals started him on Opening Day despite never playing above High-A ball.

So far, that hot spring has carried over to the regular season, as he has hit for authority to start the year. Namely, he's hit the ball exceptionally hard, trending toward the top of the early-season average exit velocity, (95.8 MPH), maximum exit velocity (111.0 MPH), and hard-hit rate (50.0%) leaderboards, all with an encouraging 12.5% barrel rate. He's done a good job thus far at keeping the ball off the ground, which matches up with his minor league profile and is encouraging to see. While Isbel is not likely to keep hitting the ball this well throughout the season, this hot start has definitely put him on the fantasy map. To even add to the intrigue, Isbel can run. He doesn't have the blazing speed as Trammell for instance, but his scouting reports have praised his running ability, and he does have one stolen base already to boot. The Royals have been one of the game's more aggressive teams when it comes to stolen bases the last few seasons, so that trend should continue this year, and Isbel can probably be expected to have at least double-digit steals this year, provided the playing time.

Speaking of playing time, Isbel started the first game against a lefty starter on Sunday, but then sat against another lefty on Monday, so Isbel may not be an everyday player to start the season, but if he continues to hit well against righties and run while doing it, it won't matter too much for fantasy purposes, especially in deeper leagues. Scoop him up if you still can.

 

Starlin Castro (2B, WAS)

7% rostered. Recommended move: Add for the long haul. 

Moving from two youngsters now to a veteran in Castro. Castro isn't a spectacular option, but the circumstances around the team perhaps provide an opportunity. The Nationals have dealt with an outbreak of COVID-19 which delayed the start of their season. This could have an effect on Castro in two ways for fantasy purposes. First, if he was rostered previously, his former manager could have dropped him in favor of players that were actually playing or other options that were viewed as more desirable. Second, Castro should be locked into the Nationals' starting lineup and in a pretty good spot in the lineup. With all of the uncertainty around who will actually be playing for the Nationals, Castro is one stable option for manager Dave Martinez to go to.

As for the player Castro is, his first season in D.C. was cut short to just 16 games, but in that span, he still provided his usual league-average-ish slash line. The preseason projections essentially pegged him for the same league-average level of production in 2021, even with a small sample of plate appearances in 2020 to draw from. Most projections call for somewhere around 20 home runs, 70 runs batted in, and 60 runs scored, all while not dragging down the batting average category. It's boring and not glamorous, but it does have value, definitely so in deeper leagues where production is less stable. Castro may be under-rostered at the moment, which would give a good opportunity to fantasy managers to swoop in and grab him while the season is still young.

 

Jason Heyward (OF, CHC)

5% rostered. Recommended move: Add for the next few weeks. 

Perhaps another boring veteran, Heyward had one of the game's most overlooked seasons last season, with a strong .265/.392/.456 triple slash, partly driven by a better hard-hit rate along more line drives and a whopping 16.6% walk rate. While Heyward isn't projected to match that strong 181 plate appearance sample in 2021, he is maybe still being overlooked.

Gone are the days where Heyward was expected to be a legit 20-20 threat, but the projections still call for somewhere around 15 home runs, 60 runs scored and another 60 driven in, and that is with the expectation of him being more of a part-time player. It remains to be seen if Heyward will be a part-time player this season, as Heyward did start the first game of the season against a left-handed pitcher, and it was Ian Happ that sat against the lefty, and Heyward has pretty much been an everyday player in each of the last two seasons, so perhaps those projected home run, runs, and RBI totals could be bumped up a bit.

Still though, while the playing time situation is still not clear, Heyward should still be a solid, reliable hitter, albeit not a spectacular one. He'll be a good option on a fantasy team that is short on outfielders, and if you're looking for a good matchup, the Cubs play the Pirates this weekend, which could lead to strong offensive output. Keep Heyward around for a few weeks at least and monitor both his performance and the playing time situation before deciding to move on or not.

 

Jay Bruce (1B/OF, NYY)

3% rostered. Recommended move: Add for the next few weeks.

In the case of Bruce, the reason he'll be considered is for the potential for a few home runs in a favorable offensive environment (see his home run hit on Tuesday) and maybe he'll get a lot of RBI opportunities hitting in a strong Yankees lineup.

Bruce will essentially be getting all of the playing time at first base for the Yankees for the foreseeable future until Luke Voit returns from his meniscus injury, which isn't supposed to happen until sometime in May at the earliest, but could always be delayed.

As a hitter, Bruce is almost tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, with his left-handed pull-heavy power approach, which makes him a favorable target for some cheap power. Last season with the Phillies for instance, he had a 51.4% pull rate with a 45.8% fly ball rate, which would certainly play nicely at Yankee Stadium, and the other hitter-friendly ballparks in the American League East, and it may be tough to find this type of power upside elsewhere on the waiver wire, yet Bruce is only rostered by 3% of fantasy managers currently. That may change within the next few weeks, so if in need of some pop with an added benefit of dual eligibility, Bruce would be a fine option.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP