Welcome back to Digging Deeper! I'll be taking a look at some deeper AL waiver wire options for Week 4 of the fantasy baseball season.

As we round up the first month of the season, we are beginning to see which small sample sizes are real, and which players will bounce back from rough starts. Take a look at your waiver wire to see if any of the latter players are available. If your leaguemates cut bait too soon, you can capitalize on a rebound in May and beyond.

Along with the normal weekly risers, I added in a couple waiver targets that may have been dropped by owners who drafted them. If their owner stuck with them, oh well, you can ignore this. If not, maybe now is the time to snag such a player in hopes of a turnaround. Any feedback is welcomed, and you can find me on Twitter @BellRoto. Let's do it.

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

• Fantasy baseball injury reports
• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• Daily MLB starting lineups for fantasy baseball
• Fantasy baseball BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• Fantasy baseball PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball player comparisons
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts, bullpens, saves
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard, daily leaderboards

 

Digging Deeper: Week 4 Picks - AL

Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) - 31% owned in Yahoo! Leagues

This ownership percentage is a little higher than I'm usually willing to go with this article, but this is the best case scenario that I can think of for the strategy that I mentioned above. Buxton has been downright terrible with his contact rate thus far, dropping from third in the order to last, and even riding the pine occasionally. We knew this was a possibility coming in, but I didn't think it would look this bad.

If you still own Buxton, don't cut bait yet. And if Buxton is available, you might want to take a shot now. The five-tool outfielder has four hits and a steal in his last four games, and while that's not much, it's a sign of life. The upside is massive if this guy can consistently make contact, especially in roto leagues where the strikeouts won't kill you. Keep an eye out for the former top prospect.

 

Jorge Soler (OF, KC) - 16% owned in Yahoo! Leagues

When the Royals traded for Soler during the offseason, they were banking on the upside of a prospect with massive pop in his bat. Unfortunately, an oblique injury has kept him off the major league roster thus far. With his rehab stint coming to a close, we should be seeing Soler in the next handful of days. He might not amount to much, but we've seen how hard and far he can hit balls. If something clicks in a potential full-time role, Soler could be the next stud to come out of nowhere.

 

Danny Valencia (1B/3B/OF, MIN) - 13% owned in Yahoo! Leagues

Nothing special going on here. With Mitch Haniger going on the DL today, Valencia should be locked into an everyday role for the Mariners until further notice. He's not going to blow you away by any means with his career .269 average, lack of speed, and likely poor spot in the order. However, we have seen power binges from Valencia in the past, and if you need a warm body who has some pop, he's that guy for the time being.

 

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP, BOS) - 15% owned in Yahoo! Leagues

Well, the last Red Sox pitcher to be featured in this article didn't quite work out, so let's try again. Rodriguez's upside is obvious. He can strike out anyone at any time, evidenced by his 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings thus far. What's keeping his ownership down is the 12 walks alongside a few really hard hit balls.

He's going to be a very hit-or-miss guy for much of this season, as I don't see that control/command improving drastically in the next five months. With that being said, if you're chasing strikeouts in a roto league, this guy can rack them up in a hurry and plays for a team that should provide plenty of runs.

 

Derek Holland (SP, CWS) - 12% owned in Yahoo! Leagues

Holland has turned from a promising young lefty with a nasty curve to a veteran begging to be claimed off of waivers right before our eyes. While that doesn't bode well for the sustainability of this hot start, we have to take note of his effectiveness thus far. His enticing sub-two ERA and two wins in four starts come with an equally worrisome .222 BABIP and 4.64 xFIP.

That being said, I'll probably stay away unless I'm extremely desperate. Even still, there isn't much in terms of back end pitchers on waivers that I haven't already talked about. If you want to take a shot on the wizardry that is Holland's current statistics, just know that you've been warned.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!