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Hunting for values on the waiver wire is one of the most fun, and most challenging, parts of any fantasy season. This can be especially true at the infield corners, an area where the stars are readily scooped up and finding a low cost alternative can be often difficult. Here at RotoBaller, we're always looking for ways to help our readers succeed in all aspects of the game. With that aim in mind, here are my which waiver wire 1st and 3rd base targets for week 6. These players should be on your radar as you peruse the waiver wire. Let's get started.
Editor’s Note: for other waiver wire options, check out RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list. It's updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging NL-only options, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.
Top 1st Base Waiver Wire Option
Adam LaRoche (1B, CWS)
ESPN: 54.4% owned; Yahoo: 63% owned
It's rare that I recommend a struggling player in this column, but it's worth making an exception in this case. The hate has simply gone too far with Adam LaRoche. Yes, through the first month and a half of the season he's been unwatchably bad. With a .212/.330/.341 slash line and only three home runs, many owners have already jumped ship and dropped him. Considering that LaRoche is only just now moving past 100 plate appearances on the season, I can't help but see this as an overreaction and a mistake. It is also perhaps an opportunity for other owners still in search for a long-term solution at first base.
LaRoche began his 12th season of professional major league baseball this year. Throughout that career he's played in 1503 games, logging 5945 plate appearances with five separate organizations. Of those 1503 games, he's played 264 of them in March and April. He's hit a career .222 during this period. In every month after he's averaged at least .260. Some players are just slow starters. Looking at the data, it's reasonable to assume LaRoche might be one of them. While the sample is tiny, he's in fact already started to heat up and is batting .294 through the start of May.
If LaRoche starts hitting better, his spot at the heart of the Sox batting order makes him even more appealing. While the team has been admittedly disappointing from an offensive standpoint so far, it's impossible to ignore the value that hitting cleanup behind Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera, and Jose Abreu affords. There's a reason LaRoche was drafted in 100% of leagues after all. If some owners have forgotten this because of 100 plate appearances of poor results, let that be your opportunity. Risky or not, you don't often find this kind of player on the waiver wire.
Other Notables
Logan Morrison (1B/OF, SEA)
ESPN: 2.8% owned; Yahoo: 6% owned
In a quiet sort of way Morrison has been on fire of late. He's hitting .385 with four home runs through the first seven games of May. A player that locked in could do some real damage over the next two weeks when the Mariners play the Red Sox (team ERA: 4.95) at home and then the Orioles (team ERA: 4.38) and Jays (team ERA: 4.67) on the road. While I do wish he hit higher up in the order, there are worse things in the world than following up behind Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. LaRoche might be my favorite long-term play out of the first basemen in free agency, but Morrison absolutely oozes short term upside.
Ryan Howard (1B, PHI)
ESPN: 12.6% owned; Yahoo: 12% owned
Howard shouldn't be on the radar of standard league players, but he makes an interesting target in deep leagues right now. Even if the Phillies' lineup is made of paper mache and string, there's still some upside to be had for a cleanup hitter batting behind Ben Revere, Freddy Galvis, and Chase Utley. It's also worth noting that Howard has looked strong so far this May. He's batted .364 with two home runs against fairly good competition this month. Hitting a home run off Matt Harvey isn't something a lot of people can do you know.
The biggest thing standing in Howard's favor, however, is his schedule. After a tough homestand against the Pirates, the Phillies will welcome the Dbacks to Philadelphia. So far this season, no team in baseball has been worse against left handed hitters than Arizona. They're sporting a horrendous team ERA of 4.69 against southpaws like Howard. After that Philadelphia embarks on a road trip to...Coors Field. See why I like their schedule so much?
Top 3rd Base Waiver Wire Option
Trevor Plouffe (3B, MIN)
ESPN: 35.2% owned; Yahoo: 28% owned
Joe Mauer might not be the fantasy star that he used to be a few years back, but there's one thing the former catcher can still do with the best of them: get on base. For Trevor Plouffe this could be key to big time fantasy value. The Twins' rather underrated 3rd baseman has been locked in lately. He's hitting .346 with two home runs over the last seven days. Most impressively is the nine RBI he's delivered for his fantasy owners over that period. In fact, over the past two weeks, Plouffe has been the sixth most productive player in all of baseball in this category. It turns out being the cleanup hitter behind Brian Dozier, Torii Hunter, and Joe “Always On-Base” Mauer is a pretty sweet job to have. Plouffe isn't going to keep this level of production up forever. The lineup he hits in is set up perfectly to maximize this hot streak while it lasts though. Fantasy owners should enjoy this one.
Other Notables
Brett Lawrie (2B/3B, OAK)
ESPN: 32.6% owned; Yahoo: 52% owned
Anyone who's read this series from the beginning knows about my man-crush on Brett Lawrie. I've long touted him as a 20/15 candidate if he could just stay healthy for a full season. So far the numbers haven't exactly supported my faith. Thanks to the worst strikeout rate of his career, Lawrie has been an absolute basement dweller this season with a .267/.295/.362 batting line and no speed.
Much like LaRoche, however, Lawrie is a notoriously slow starter. Now that we're past the first month of the season, his bat has already begun to heat up. He's currently hitting .364 on the month and although is power hasn't shown up yet, there's no reason to suggest he can't still hit the long ball with the best of them. It's discouraging that Lawrie is still striking out at an over 30% rate, something he'll need to get under control if he wants to be able to keep his bat alive long-term. Plouffe is still my number one target this week, but if he's already taken in your league, I'd be tempted to grab Lawrie while he's seeing some recent success and make a bet on talent winning out.
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