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Brian Polking breaks down the latest sleeper waiver wire pickups at third base and first base. These MLB sleeper hitters can have an immediate impact on your fantasy baseball team.
There is a healthy mix of new blood fantasy baseball sleepers, and veterans, headlining this week's list of waiver wire options at the hot corner. Perhaps more importantly, there are a few potential pickups that have a chance to help out in several offensive categories and not just one or two specific departments. Of course, there are also a few category specialists widely available, and overall, there is a decent amount of value still out there for this point of the year. If you need help at 1st base or 3rd base, these waiver wire pickups can help you out.
Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Brock Holt (3B, BOS)
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
ANALYSIS: With six multi-hit performances in his last 10 games, Holt has his average up to .333, and he has been producing across the board since getting inserted into Boston's starting lineup. In addition to the solid average, Holt has 19 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 4 steals in 147 at-bats to go along with a .831 OPS. He has produced at the plate at all levels throughout his career so his fast start offensively could be legit, and batting in the top part of Boston's lineup is only going to help the cause. Holt is currently owned in just 33 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and that number is way too low for a player that can contribute in four of the five offensive categories.
Casey McGehee (3B, MIA)
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues
ANALYSIS: No week would be complete without a plea for more fantasy owners to consider McGehee. His ownership currently sits at just 37 percent in Yahoo! league despite the fact that he continues to be an excellent two-category contributor. McGehee has 44 RBIs this year, putting him fifth among all third-base eligible players and first among National League first basemen. He is also hitting .313, leaving McGehee and Miguel Cabrera as the only two third-base eligible players that are hitting at least .300 that also rank in the top five in RBIs at the position. That is pretty good company for any player to be in, especially one that is widely available. Sure, he has just a single home run, but he other contributions can more than compensate for his lack of power in deep leagues.
Matt Dominguez (3B, HOU)
BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting
ANALYSIS: The former 12th overall pick continues to show signs of putting it all together at the plate, and a home run and 4 RBIs over the past couple of days has him sitting at 10 homers and 31 RBIs on the year. As it stands, he looks like a safe bet to top 20 home runs for the second year in a row while upping his average a bit. Meanwhile, his improvements at the plate coupled with Houston's improving lineup make his long-term value worth keeping an eye on. Dominguez is currently owned in just 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues so you can afford to sit back and watch how he develops going forward before pulling the trigger.
1st Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Jon Singleton (1B, HOU)
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
ANALYSIS: The sample size remains relatively small, but Singleton has more than flashed the power that has made him a prized prospect in the minors. In 47 at-bats for Houston, he has 4 home runs and 10 RBIs, and he is slugging. 532. The trade-off is a .234 batting average, but that has a chance to improve as he continues to adjust to major league pitching. In the meantime, Singleton should continue to produce in the power categories. His ownership just went above 50 percent in Yahoo! leagues so the window to add Singleton is starting to close. His upside alone makes him worth considering in all formats. Meanwhile, power can be tough to find, and he is a great add if you need help in the home run department.
Ryan Howard (1B, PHI)
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues
ANALYSIS: His .230 average isn't overly inviting, but his power numbers actually stack up quite well among other first basemen. His 12 home runs rank sixth in the NL at his position, and his 43 RBIs rank fifth. In fact, Howard's RBI total puts him in the top 10 among all first basemen. At this point in his career, the average probably isn't going to improve much. However, Howard finally looks healthy for the first time since 2011 when he hit 33 homers and drove in 116 runs. If he continues on his current pace, he should approach 30 HR and 100 RBI in 2014. Howard is currently owned in 65 percent of Yahoo! leagues so there is still a decent chance he could be available. If you need help in the power categories, consider adding Howard.
Kendrys Morales (1B, MIN)
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
ANALYSIS: Whatever Morales was doing to stay ready while he waited to be signed certainly worked. He has collected at least one hit in seven of his eight games since joining the Twins, posting a .310 average to go along with 4 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Morales has already entrenched himself in the middle of Minnesota's lineup, which should help ensure that he has steady RBI opportunities the rest of the year. Morales is currently owned in 42 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and that number is only going to increase as he gets more at-bats under his belt and adds to his totals. In fact, the only reason he is still so widely available is because he remained unsigned for the first couple months of the year. Don't miss the chance to add a solid all-around bat to your lineup.
