Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers - First Base (1B)

Matt Mervis - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs ANALYSIS: Matt Mervis has been swinging a hot stick over the last couple of weeks. In his last 11 games, Mervis has cranked four home runs with a .289/.407/.600 slash line. However, that does come with a 33.3% strikeout rate which has been an issue at times this season,... Read More

Ryan O'Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 12% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In a sharp contradiction to Willi Castro, Ryan O'Hearn is crushing the ball this season. Through 65 games, he boasts an impressive .306/.344/.513 slash line with nine home runs and a 133 wRC+. O'Hearn's main drawback is that he's stuck in a strong-side... Read More

Luis Rengifo (2B/3B/SS/OF LAA) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 20

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 35% of Leagues ANALYSIS: While the Angels' playoff hopes seem to be slowly dwindling, Luis Rengifo has been productive at the plate for skidding Los Angeles. The 26-year-old had a fantastic July, posting a 1.069 OPS, six homers, four doubles, two triples, 12 RBI, and 10... Read More

Kyle Manzardo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians ANALYSIS: In a rather surprising move, Kyle Manzardo is now a member of the Cleveland Guardians after being acquired in the Aaron Civale deal. When the deal happened, I didn't think it changed his ETA or 2023 rest-of-season outlook much. However, Cleveland then proceeded to deal Josh Bell to the Miami Marlins which... Read More

Matt Mervis - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs ANALYSIS: Yes, his first Major League stint was underwhelming and earned him a demotion back to Triple-A Iowa, but we probably haven't seen the last of Matt Mervis in Chicago this season. Since he returned to Triple-A on June 16th, Mervis is hitting .300 with a .457 OBP, 19%... Read More

Josh Bell (1B, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 36% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In Week 15 of this column, I listed Josh Bell as a potential pick-up. This add may have seemed a bit perplexing at the time, but if you followed through on rostering the 30-year-old switch-hitter, it's started to pay off. Bell has finally... Read More

Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 22% of Leagues ANALYSIS: This is Alex Kirilloff's debut on this list. He's had a tough time establishing consistent playing time and consistent production at the plate this season, but the lefty may have finally turned a corner. Kirilloff has hit safely in five of his six... Read More

Tyler Soderstrom (C/1B, OAK)- Fantasy Baseball Hitter Waiver Wire Adds for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 29% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Athletics recently promoted their No. 1 prospect, Tyler Soderstrom, to the big leagues following an appearance in the Futures Game. He made his debut on July 14 and collected his first major league hit against the Twins on July 15. Top @Athletics... Read More

Triston Casas (1B, BOS) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 18% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Triston Casas has gotten off to a hot start since resuming play after the break. The 23-year-old has hit a homer in each of the last two games, with his long ball on Saturday leaving the bat at 112.1 mph and traveling... Read More

DJ LeMahieu (1B/2B/3B, NYY) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 39% of Leagues ANALYSIS: DJ LeMahieu and the rest of the Yankees' offense have severely underperformed this season. Sure, they've been without Aaron Judge since the beginning of June, but guys like LeMahieu need to be better. Luckily, the veteran seems to be on the upswing.... Read More

Jordan Westburg (2B/3B/SS BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 44% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The loaded Orioles farm system keeps on producing quality fantasy options. The latest example; Jordan Westburg, who is slashing .295/.367/.455 with eight runs and six RBI through his first 12 Big League games. Not only are his surface numbers off to a good... Read More

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds ANALYSIS: Now that many of the other prospects that occupied the top part of these rankings for the last several weeks are up in the Majors, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is left standing in the middle of an empty room like Will Smith at the end of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But... Read More

Nick Pratto (1B/OF, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 5% of Leagues ANALYSIS: While Nick Pratto has flaws, they aren't strong enough to warrant putting an above-average everyday hitter in the five-percenters club. Pratto is slashing .255/.341/.403 with six home runs, 27 runs, and 28 RBI in 63 games. His poor plate discipline (36.9% strikeout rate,... Read More

Jordan Westburg (SS, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 40% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The endless chain of Oriole prospects to graduate to the Majors now includes Jordan Wesburg and the number-four prospect in Baltimore's loaded farm system has gotten off to a nice start in the Big Leagues. Through 10 games, the 24-year-old is slashing .314/.400/.457... Read More

Ryan O'Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 10% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Orioles' rotation of hitters is getting crowded, and the approaching return of Ryan Mountcastle won't help matters. Still, Ryan O'Hearn continues to rake. He's slashing .307/.353/.526 with seven home runs and a 143 wRC+ across 45 games this season. Despite the wealth... Read More

Kyle Manzardo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays ANALYSIS: When the Rays selected Kyle Manzardo with their second-round pick in 2021 out of Washington State, his ability to make contact was not in question. But many were not sure if he would have enough power to work as a first baseman. In his first full season... Read More

Tyler Soderstrom - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Tyler Soderstrom, C/1B, Oakland Athletics ANALYSIS: Moving out west, we have a pair of Oakland Athletics bats that will likely receive some playing time before the end of the season. Let's start with Tyler Soderstrom who has the higher fantasy upside of the Oakland duo. In 66 games this season, Soderstrom has already cranked 15... Read More

Matt Mervis - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs ANALYSIS: Since being sent back down to Triple-A Iowa, Mervis is hitting .263 with a pair of home runs and five walks in 11 games. His first stint with the Cubs was underwhelming on the surface, but Mervis produced impressive quality of contact metrics with a 13.8% barrel rate... Read More

Nick Pratto (1B/OF, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 8% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Kansas City is on the road all next week, but the pitchers they face are right-handed. Against righties on the road this season, lefty Nick Pratto has a .309 batting average, with a home run and eight RBI in 77 plate appearances.... Read More

Jordan Westburg (SS, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 15

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 46% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In the pantheon of top prospects, Jordan Westburg got lost in the shuffle. Perhaps it's because of the loaded Orioles farm system, which includes a higher-rated shortstop in Jackson Holliday. Whatever the reason Westburg was overlooked, he's in the Majors now and got... Read More

Should I Stash Christian Encarnacion-Strand In Redraft Leagues? Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlook

Christian Encarnacion-Strand tormented minor-league pitching at the Single-A and Double-A levels from 2021 to 2022. The 23-year-old has maintained this status at Triple-A Louisville in 2023, slashing a hearty .326/.399/.634 with 17 home runs and 52 RBI over 227 at-bats. Encarnacion-Strand has gradually dipped, to be fair, in each month of play with descending triple-slash... Read More

Joey Votto (1B, CIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 33% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Reds' 12-game win streak may have been snapped by the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, but Cincinnati is still atop their division and just added 39-year-old veteran Joey Votto back to their lineup. Votto returned on June 19 in the midst of the... Read More

Lamonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SF) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 40% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Yes, he's back. The Giants are 9-1 in their last 10 games, and LaMonte Wade Jr. has been a big part of that. He's batted .321/.443/.482 across his last 15 games, with a home run, 10 RBI, and 13 walks. Overall, he's... Read More

Nick Pratto (1B/OF, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 8% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Nick Pratto has been featured here frequently. The fact remains he's a consistent fantasy contributor that's more available than he rightfully should be. Pratto continues to operate as the Royals' leadoff hitter and carries a respectable .271/.356/.425 slash line with five home... Read More

Yorfran Medina - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Yorfran Medina, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers ANALYSIS: Medina was signed out of Venezuela last January as part of the Dodgers' huge Latin signing class. In fact, the Dodgers signed the most players of any team in the 2021-2022 international signing period. That also means that none of the players signed got "huge" bonuses, needing... Read More

Matt Mervis - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs ANALYSIS: Given that he was just sent down a few days ago, I'm not expecting Matt Mervis to be recalled in the near future. But this is a bat you shouldn't completely write off this season. While the .167/.242/.289 slash line doesn't offer much inspiration, the 13.8% barrel rate,... Read More

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds ANALYSIS: Tick tock, tick tock. Honestly, I'm getting tired of writing about Christian Encarnacion-Strand in this weekly stash article. I'd much rather be writing about what he's doing in the Major Leagues but Cincinnati isn't allowing that to happen just yet. Over the last 28 days, Encarnacion-Strand is slashing... Read More

Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 18% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The former No. 1 overall pick, Spencer Torkelson, is again beginning to heat up for the lowly Tigers. After slashing just .228/.323/.456 in his previous 15 games, he's since slugged .643 and reached base at a .406 clip, blasting two homers and collecting... Read More

Owen Miller (1B/2B/3B, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 33% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Owen Miller is a batting average machine who has also been racking up the counting stats as he leads off versus lefties and bats cleanup versus righties. The 26-year-old is one of the best contact hitters in baseball, and it's led to a... Read More

Ryan O'Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 12% of Leagues ANALYSIS: With Ryan Mountcastle moved to the injured list, Ryan O'Hearn becomes the beneficiary. He's been playing every day over the past week and making the most of the opportunity. O'Hearn may be more a streaming option than a long-term asset, depending on how... Read More

Ryan Noda (1B/OF, OAK) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 17% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In a largely subpar Oakland lineup, Ryan Noda continues to produce, hitting from the two-hole. He's carrying an impressive .838 OPS with seven home runs and 13 doubles through 67 games played. Though he wasn't a particularly heralded prospect before this season,... Read More

Rangel Ravelo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Rangel Ravelo, 1B, San Diego Padres ANALYSIS: After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft out of a Florida high school by the Chicago White Sox, Ravelo began a journey that led him across four major league organizations before deciding to ply his trade in Japan in 2021. The Padres signed... Read More

Zach Kokoska - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Zach Kokoska, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies ANALYSIS: The Rockies drafted the lefty-swinging outfielder from Kansas State in the 10th round in 2021. He's slowly moved up the Rockies' system over his first two seasons as a pro, spending all of his time patrolling the outfield while offering a balanced offensive approach. This season, the Rockies... Read More

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds ANALYSIS: Hey Cincinnati, what the (word redacted) are you waiting for? With Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz now up in the Majors, the last piece of the puzzle for their 2023 promotions is Christian Encarnacion-Strand who continues to mash in Triple-A. Over the last month, Encarnacion-Strand has cranked 11... Read More

Lamonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SF) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 44% of Leagues ANALYSIS: LaMonte Wade Jr.'s breakout season continues to impress. He's slashing .279/.420/.463 with eight home runs through 61 games. Operating as the Giants' primary leadoff hitter, Wade is getting plenty of opportunities at the dish. Additionally, he has remained in the lineup more often... Read More

Miguel Vargas (1B/2B, LAD) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 37% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Fantasy baseball managers love to chase the next big thing while easily giving up on the previous big thing. Case in point, Miguel Vargas was all the rage during the draft season but is now available in over 60% of fantasy leagues. The... Read More

Imanol Vargas - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Imanol Vargas, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers ANALYSIS: Vargas signed with the Dodgers out of Venezuela in 2017. He has slowly progressed through the minor leagues and could still be in Double-A when his 25th birthday comes around at the end of June. Although Vargas is primarily a first baseman, he has spent more than... Read More

Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 48% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Not only is Minnesota Twins infielder Willi Castro slashing .320/.357/.560 over the last seven games, but he's also collected two home runs, four RBI, and four stolen bases, as well as an anticlimactic walk-off sacrifice fly (as seen below).   𝙒𝘼𝙇𝙆 𝙊𝙁𝙁!!! 🗣🗣🗣... Read More

Michael Massey (2B, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 3% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Like Milwaukee Brewers infielder Owen Miller, Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey got off to an atrocious start to the season but really turned things around in May. Through the season's first month, Massey was batting .167 and was a complete afterthought... Read More

Owen Miller (1B/2B/3B, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 11

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 45% of Leagues ANALYSIS: In the intro, we mentioned how some players with overall numbers are being dragged down by a poor April. Exhibit A: Owen Miller. The Brewers second baseman led all qualified second basemen and shortstops with a .600 slugging percentage in May while collecting... Read More

Owen Miller (1B/2B/3B, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 43% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Last week, I placed Owen Miller (forearm) under the "Deeper Waiver Wire Options to Consider" category when he was just 5% rostered. A week later, the Brewers infielder is now 43% rostered after having another solid week at the plate for Milwaukee. As... Read More

Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 30% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Minnesota Twins first baseman and outfielder Alex Kirilloff was called up from Triple-A in early May to help shore up the team’s depth chart after Max Kepler (hamstring) went down. Kirilloff has accomplished more than just fortify the offense, generating a lively .886 OPS... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Deep League Waiver Wire Adds - Paul DeJong, Owen Miller, Kyle Farmer, Mickey Moniak, Jeimer Candelario

This article will discuss fantasy baseball deep league waiver wire hitters that are undervalued and under-rostered going into Week 10 of the season. Whether your team is injury-riddled or you’re ready to give up on underachieving players, we’ve got you covered.  As we move through the season, our data is ever-changing and we have to... Read More

Gavin Sheets (1B/OF, CWS)- Fantasy Baseball Hitter Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9

BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 1% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Outside of a 16.2% strikeout rate and a 21% whiff rate, there's nothing exceptional about Gavin Sheets' game. He puts the ball in play and consistently hits in the middle of the order for the White Sox against right-handed pitching. Sheets carries a... Read More

Josh Naylor (1B/OF, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 39% of Leagues ANALYSIS: According to his batted-ball profile, Naylor has been one of the unluckiest hitters in the league this season. However, things have finally started looking up for the 25-year-old. Naylor has hit safely in five consecutive games, including three multi-hit efforts and four home... Read More

Justice Bigbie - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Outlook and Analysis

PROSPECT: Justice Bigbie, 1B, Detroit Tigers ANALYSIS: Bigbie is a talented, hard-working prospect who was selected in the 19th round of the 2021 draft. He had put together an impressive career at Western Carolina and seems to be producing similar results through less than two seasons in the Tigers' system. The 24-year-old has shown flashes... Read More

Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 10% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Alex Kirilloff made his season debut on May 6 and has gotten off to a hot start. Across 22 plate appearances, he's batting .438 alongside an insane 1.466 OPS.   Alex Kirilloff x2 🔥🔥 I love him#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/CSnuD5TiWw — Twins Talk (@LetsTalk_Twins)... Read More

Nick Pratto (1B/OF, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 18% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Nick Pratto, the former first-round draft pick, has been one of the few bright spots for the last-place Royals. The 24-year-old did a bit of back-and-forth between Triple-A and the major league club in April, but based on his recent performance, it... Read More

Josh Naylor (1B/OF, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 30% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Naylor has homered in back-to-back games for the Guardians, with a monster game on Saturday night against Los Angeles. He hit a dinger and three RBI.   Josh Naylor has had a go-ahead home run in the 8th inning in THREE STRAIGHT GAMES.#ForTheLand... Read More

Miguel Vargas (1B/2B, LAD) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 46% of Leagues ANALYSIS: The Dodger rookie got off to a miserable start to the season, but he's really picked things up over the past couple of weeks, capped by back-to-back games with a two-run homer last Tuesday and Wednesday. Miguel Vargas is hitting for power... Read More