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

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 1

Brady Grove's fantasy baseball second base and shortstop waiver wire pickups for Week 1. Consider adding and streaming these free agent middle infield options.

As long as the wait may have seemed, the 2019 MLB campaign is off to the races, and as usual, there has been no shortage of surprisingly strong starts from players across the board. With a slew of veteran and up and coming middle infielders starting off with scorching results at the plate in an albeit extremely small sample size, it can be rather fickle to navigate the waiver wire so soon after most leagues have drafted.

Taking this into consideration, it is important to remain diligent and mindful of players off to hot starts who are putting together the building blocks from their work in previous seasons to a more complete game. Second base and shortstop are notoriously shallow positions for fantasy baseball managers to fill, and so picking up on a breakout or comeback season early in the year can make or break a team.

With that, let's have at it and take a look at a fresh batch of second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 1.

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

 

Middle Infield (2B/SS) Waiver Wire Options

Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM) — 27% Owned

Though his major-league experience has been limited, Jeff McNeil has demonstrated a well-rounded offensive skill set for the New York Mets. In 225 AB in 2018, he was able to produce an .852 OPS with three HR and seven SB and appears to have picked up where he left off through his eight AB to kick off 2019 in which he has put together a .500/.556/.875 slash. While he is currently eligible at second base, he has been finding his way to the field by playing third base and left field thus far, though it is encouraging that his versatility will allow him to get consistent opportunity.

In 2018, McNeil produced modest figures of 30.2% and 22% for hard and soft contact respectively, while hitting for a 0.97 GB/FB ratio. To begin 2019, he has been hitting for 50% hard contact (with the other 50% being medium contact) with a marginally lower GB/FB ratio of 0.67. With a seemingly expanding, well-rounded repertoire on offense and the ability to fill open slots in the Mets depth chart, he has potential early-season value to offer.

Kolten Wong (2B, STL) — 13% Owned

Last year was a rather pedestrian one for Kolten Wong, though he was limited to 353 AB, he managed to hit only nine homers while stealing six bases in eleven attempts with a .720 OPS. Wong has started off his 2019 run with the Cardinals on an extremely positive note, smashing two HR with a 1.936 OPS in ten AB across the first three games. A big reason for his humdrum statistics of 2018 was his 28.1% hard contact rate and 21.5% soft contact rate, in conjunction with a GB/FB ratio of 1.57.

The good news is that he very rarely strikes out, with a 14.7% rate from last year and a 9.1% rate this year. With a 44.4% hard contact rate doing work on a 62.5% fly-ball rate, Wong seems to be inching his way towards offensive relevance once more.

Troy Tulowitzki (SS, NYY) — 12% Owned

It wasn't too long ago that this guy was the best offensive shortstop in the game. Now as a member of the New York Yankees following a completely inactive year of 2018, Troy Tulowitzki has had a strong start to his comeback-campaign with a dinger and .333/.500 BA/OBP split. Although he still strikes out at a considerable clip, his 50% hard contact and 0.50 GB/FB ratio could mean a great deal of power potential for the former All-Star within the confines of Yankee Stadium. While the talented New York offense means constant competition in the infield, it also means that they are a team ready to continue scoring a ton of runs on any given day.

Updated (4/2): With the injury to Miguel Andujar, DJ LeMahieu will be manning third base and Gleyber Torres will likely be consistently slotted at second, meaning a huge uptick in lineup appearances for Tulowitzki for the duration of Andujar's labrum tear-induced hiatus.

Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) — 9% Owned

Though he packed 14/10 HR/SB combo last season, Dansby Swanson ended 2018 on a negative note with his overall offensive performance fading in the latter half of the season. The former Vanderbilt star has already knocked a pitch yard through the first two games of the year with the hopeful Braves and has been rather successful across his six AB with a .333 BA and .500 OBP. While he still strikes out in the 20-25% range and his GB/FB ratio is consistently north of 1.00, Swanson's 75% pull rate in combination with a 50% hard contact rate could signal that he's ready to start producing at the plate again for Atlanta and fantasy baseball managers alike.

Ian Kinsler (2B, SD) — 5% Owned

Ian Kinsler had an interesting season in 2018: he won a Gold Glove and hit for 14 homers while swiping 16 bags for the Red Sox and Angels, but finished with a mediocre slash of .240/.301/.380. Now he's a member of the Padres and, with the pageantry of Manny Machado's signing with San Diego, their infield is an exciting place to be. While Kinsler's hard contact rate has remained steady at 30%, his soft contact has decreased significantly so far in 2019 from 19.7% to 10%, and his fly-ball and line-drive percentages of 50% and 30% have allowed him to produce a .970 OPS and a HR through his first three games in the National League. If he is producing fewer duds on batted-balls, Kinsler is a savvy addition to the second base slot.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




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

Malcolm Brogdon

Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon Both Staying with the Knicks?
Detroit Pistons

Charles Bediako Agrees to a Training Camp Deal with Detroit
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery, Uncertain for Training Camp
Charlotte Hornets

DaQuan Jeffries Waived by the Hornets
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Questionable For Saturday
Braden Schneider

Limited in Training Camp
Lars Eller

Recovering From Abdominal Procedure
Nick Jensen

in Danger of Missing Start of Season
Brandon Montour

to Miss Two Weeks After Ankle Surgery
Gabriel Landeskog

a "Full Go" for the Season
Samuel Girard

Avalanche Hope to Have Samuel Girard Available for Start of Season
Mackenzie Blackwood

Out Week-to-Week
Alex Tuch

Day-to-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jordan Greenway

to Sit Out Training Camp
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Considered Day-to-Day
Simon Edvinsson

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
Mikael Backlund

Signs Two-Year Extension
Connor Ingram

to Be Waived by Mammoth
Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP