X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2B and SS Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 1

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.

Featured Promo: Get any MLB Premium Pass FREE ($119 value) AND up to a $200 deposit match when you sign up with Rival Fantasy. Rival offers 6 and 12-team Best Ball, weekly and daily contests, for as little as $3 per entry. No roster management, just draft and Rival sets your best lineup automatically. Playing fantasy baseball has never been easier! Sign Up Today!

 

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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Clarkson31 mins ago

Won't Suit Up Friday
Caleb Martin51 mins ago

Probable Against Portland
Logan Cooley60 mins ago

Nets First Career Hat Trick Versus Nashville
Frederik Andersen1 hour ago

Continues Winning Streak With Second Shutout
Jackson Chourio1 hour ago

Leading Off In Brewers Opener
Anton Forsberg1 hour ago

Shuts Out Chicago
Kevin Love1 hour ago

Probable On Friday
Joel Eriksson Ek1 hour ago

Makes Scoring Return Thursday
Nathan MacKinnon1 hour ago

Home Point Streak Ends
Jaime Jaquez2 hours ago

Jr. Expected To Play Friday
Ryan Graves2 hours ago

Evaluated For An Upper-Body Injury
Tyler Herro2 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Against Portland
Timothy Liljegren2 hours ago

To Miss "Some Time"
Alec Burks2 hours ago

Questionable On Friday
Dean Wade2 hours ago

Won't Play Against 76ers
OG Anunoby3 hours ago

Ruled Out Again Friday
Nick Senzel11 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray11 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele11 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons13 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler14 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson14 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele14 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle14 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans14 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic14 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney14 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga14 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant14 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith14 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen14 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara15 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele15 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes15 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
David Bednar15 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Rhys McKee15 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Chidi Njokuani15 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson15 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo15 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley15 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque16 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez16 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler16 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel17 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley17 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal17 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes18 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis18 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer19 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw20 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler20 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager20 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz20 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds22 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Aaron Ekblad1 day ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin1 day ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard1 day ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist1 day ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear1 day ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen2 days ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers2 days ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore3 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson3 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery3 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown3 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff3 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins3 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams3 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT3 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Nick Chubb3 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift3 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson3 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell3 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Pittsburgh Steelers4 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson4 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas4 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF