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

Top 5 Hitter Streamers For Week 2: Waiver Wire Targets

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Brad Miller") [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

RotoBaller's Kyle Braver breaks down the top five MLB hitter waiver wire pickups for week 2 of fantasy baseball. These guys are hot to start the 2014 season and should be owned.

Even though the fantasy season has just begun, injuries have already made their mark on fantasy owners' teams. For those owners who play in weekly leagues, these kind of injuries to important players can be devastating, as finding a streamer pick on free agency who you can trust for a full week is a difficult task. It's for this reason that I'll be writing a weekly article for Rotoballer on what I consider to be the top 5 streamer picks for the following week in weekly leagues. Each of the players I mention will be owned in less than 50% of leagues (I use the ESPN ownership numbers myself as they're easiest to access and compare, but the numbers should translate well to Yahoo and CBS for most players) and I'll try to present a wide spread of different positions, highlighting ones which would complement well with major recent injuries. It is my hope that these articles will help you stay competitive each week despite the injury bug that can be the bane of fantasy baseball.

 

Editor’s Note: be sure to check out our famous Waiver Wire Pickups List, updated daily with waiver wire options for different positions. Our Waiver Wire Pickups iPhone app is also free, and available for download in the Apple Store.

 

5 Waiver Wire Hitter Streamers For Week 2

 

1) Brad Miller (SS)

17.8% owned

Opponents: Angels and Athletics

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Brad Miller") [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

After reading about the Jose Reyes injury, I decided that a couple shortstops should definitely make this list. While Miller is no Jose Reyes, I like the fact that he offers both power and speed to his fantasy owners (given a full season he has a 15/15 season in him I think) without hurting you in batting average. He's been hitting second in the order since the start of the season, and batting right in front of Robinson Cano will offer him both lineup protection and run scoring opportunities. I also love that he'll have the luxury of playing at home the entire week. The only pitchers he could face that scare me a bit are Sonny Gray and CJ Wilson (I'm no Jared Weaver fan this year), but I trust that Miller has the talent to deal with these equally talented arms. If you've got a hole at short he's the guy I would turn to this next week to patch it.

 

2) Grady Sizemore (OF)

44.2% owned

Opponents: Rangers and Yankees

After two years of utter fantasy irrelevance I can't believe I'm writing an article suggesting you pick up Grady Sizemore, but that's exactly what I find myself doing. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Sizemore to stay healthy for the whole season or to be able to continue hitting the way he currently is. That said, he's healthy right now and he's one of the hottest hitters in the majors right now. He'll be facing the tattered remains of the Ranger's starting rotation to start off the week and afterwords will face a Yankee rotation with a lot of question marks surrounding it. When you throw in the fact that he'll be playing against both of these opponents at home in one of the best hitter parks in the majors, plus the fact that unlike many teams, the Red Sox don't have an off day on Monday allowing Sizemore owners a possible 7 days of production, plus the fact that he'll be hitting in the middle of one of the most talented offenses in the major leagues.......well you have the makings of a very, very nice streamer pick. Don't count on him long term, but for next week Sizemore is the guy I'd turn to for outfield help in your league.

 

3) Dexter Fowler (OF)

42.5% owned

Opponents: (at) Blue Jays and (at) Rangers

If I had to go out and name two of the worst pitching staffs in the majors right now, they just might be the Blue Jays and the Rangers. The Jays are coming off a season in which they posted a team ERA of 4.25 and the Rangers were reduced to starting Tanner Scheppers on Opening Day because he was the best healthy arm they had available. Fowler's a talented player who's shown the ability to hit for both power and average in the past and he's always been a stolen base threat when healthy. He'll be facing these rotations in two of the best hitters parks in the majors and almost certainly batting leadoff the entire time. He may not have the most talented lineup behind him, but I think that even the Astros can hit off Tanner Scheppers.

 

4) Chris Owings (SS)

1.2% owned

Opponents: (at) Giants and Dodgers

Brad Miller is a popular sleeper target in some circles so I also wanted to include Chris Owings' name on this list as well in the event that Miller is already taken. He faces some tough matchups in the Giants and Dodger pitching staffs, matchups which offset his value somewhat. That said if you need a shortstop he has the kind of talent that's worth taking a chance on. Owings consistently hit for power and average in the minor leagues and he has the kind of speed that makes him a threat on the bases as well. Chase Field, his home park, is one of the better parks to hit in for power, especially during day games where the hot desert air aids fly ball distance. Talent wise, I trust him to hold his own against the pitchers he'll be facing. He's definitely worth the chance if you need help.

 

5) Yan Gomes (C)

16.7% owned

Opponents: Padres and White Sox

Wilson Ramos was a popular catcher to draft late this season (I was definitely one of the people leading that particular bandwagon), but with the broken hand he suffered in his first game, many owners who waited on catcher are likely back in the hunt for one. These people would do well to look towards Yan Gomes for help next week. He has a 7 day homestretch ahead of him against two very weak staffs in the Padres and the White Sox. Gomes has surprising pop and contact skills for a catcher and could make a very nice stopgap (with the upside for more) for a fantasy owner in need.

 




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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF