It’s all about the balancing act. We don’t want to miss out on early season breakouts by waiting too long to strike on the waiver wire, but at the same time, it’s not prudent to drop a struggling player abruptly. Most teams only have two series under their belts at this point, so do we really have enough information to cast judgement on players we just drafted? Managing the fantasy baseball waiver wire is a very important part of in season management and some players I have an eye on this week include Connor Joe, Brandon Nimmo, and Tony Gonsolin. 

 


Top Waiver Wire Hitters

 

1B/OF; FAAB Bid: 3%

Connor Joe emerged on the scene last season and finished things off on a high note hitting .285 in 63 games with eight home runs and 35 RBI. The quality of contact was there with a 9.9%-barrel rate and 14.6-degree launch angle, but there were doubts about what Joe’s role would be this season. Through the first week, that question has been answered and Joe is hitting .316 in five games with two home runs and seven runs scored. In each of Colorado’s last three games, Joe has hit lead-off and it’s looking like what we saw last season wasn’t a fluke. 

 

 

1B/2B/OF; FAAB Bid: 1-2%

Depending on the site in which you play and your league settings (also eligible at 1B and OF) determines how valuable he is, or can be, from a roster management perspective. More importantly, Jurickson Profar has a hit in each of the five games he has started this season and is hitting .353 overall with two home runs and seven runs scored. The talent has been there for Profar, but to this point he has struggled to put things together. However, with 20 home runs in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, there is a solid major leaguer in there.

 

 

OF; FAAB Bid: 1%

While the Marlins appear to be committed to seeing what Jesús Sánchez can do at the major league level, he has moved around the batting order to begin the season. Both of Sanchez’s home runs came in the same game, and in 21 plate appearances he is hitting .250 with a BABIP of .214. This is a situation where I am betting on the talent and it is a good sign that, even though it’s early, his strikeout rate is just 19%. 

 

 

OF; FAAB Bid: 3%

After watching Brandon Nimmo continuously have success after missing the first game of the season, I was a little surprised to see him owned in just 18% of Yahoo leagues as of Wednesday night. Nimmo bats atop a strong Mets’ lineup and is hitting .333 through the first six games with two home runs and six runs scored. The outfielder also continues to be an asset with his .429 on base percentage and his role is secure as long as he can stay healthy.

 

 

2B/SS; FAAB Bid: 1%

When I was searching for speed in the late rounds of drafts this spring and also looking to fill a middle infield spot, Nicky Lopez ended up on some of my teams in deeper leagues. In Yahoo leagues, Lopez is readily available with just an 18% ownership rate. While he might not jump off the page, Lopez does play everyday and he is batting .357 with three runs scored. Lopez hasn’t stolen a base yet this season, but I won’t forget the 22 bases he stole last year. 

 

Top Waiver Wire Pitchers

 

FAAB Bid: 2%

This early in the season, it’s hard to truly read into pitch counts for starters in the first turn or two through the rotation. Tony Gonsolin was not immune to that in his first start of the year against Colorado, but he did make it out of Coors Field unscathed based on the fact that he allowed just one run, but he needed 62 pitches to get through three innings while allowing five runs and a walk. Out of Gonsolin’s 62 pitches, 42 were for strikes as he struck out three and generated nine swings and misses. With a .455 BABIP and 2.05 FIP, not only is Gonsolin a strong streaming option at home against the Reds on Friday but he is a solid option for the remainder of the season.

 

 

FAAB Bid: 3%

If there weren’t questions about Zach Eflin’s health entering the season I’m thinking he would have been owned in more than 31% of Yahoo leagues. Eflin began the year with four scoreless innings against Oakland in which he struck out three while allowing four baserunners. His next start comes Friday in a favorable matchup against Miami and after a solid 2021 season in which he recorded a 4.17 ERA (3.84 xERA) while striking out 8.43 batters per inning and walking just 1.36. 

 

 

FAAB Bid: 2%

Just like fantasy managers, the Yankees need all the pitching they can get, and once again they are looking Nestor Cortes Jr.’s way. After he posted a 2.90 ERA (3.30 xERA) in 93 innings last season while striking out about 10 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.42, I was still skeptical of Cortes for the 2021 season. It’s just one start, but perhaps I was being unfair to Cortes as he kept Toronto off the scoreboard in 4.1 innings while striking out five. While we are going to have to worry about a quick hook-on Cortes this year, I do feel comfortable going back to the well here. The fact that Cortes faces Baltimore in his next start also helps. 

 


 

 

FAAB Bid: 5%

At a 46% ownership rate on Yahoo, our window to add Daniel Bard is quickly closing. Now I’m not saying Bard is going to be a fantastic option, but currently he is one of 30 major league closers and it’s possible that the Rockies are a little better than we initially thought. It also helps that any games they win are likely going to be close and he has proven that he can pitch in Coors Field. While it might be ugly, Bard does have two saves in three games this season while also picking up a victory after allowing a run. 

 

 

FAAB Bid: 1%

While Jake Diekman did pick up the save on Sunday while Matt Barnes was dealing with a back injury, I’m not sure he is going to be the long-term solution for Boston at closer. The left-hander will likely end up with a few other saves throughout the year, but he will consistently be used in high leverage situations. Diekman picked up holds in each of his other two outings this year while striking out five and not allowing a run. 

RELATED LINKS

Fantasy Baseball 2022