Fantasy Baseball 2017: Week Two Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds
By Bill Pivetz
The second week of the fantasy baseball season isn’t over but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to add these players off the waiver wire.
It’s early in the season but fantasy owners are already making moves to improve their roster. Depending on the size of your league, the waiver wire may be riddled or void of talent. If you are in need of a boost in a certain stat, it’s important to act now before it’s too late.
Managing and staying ahead of the waiver wire is key to winning your league, for obvious reasons. You want to add a player before the rest of your league-mates. But you also want to add the right players at the right time.
There will be plenty of players on the waiver wire but not all are worth adding. Based on your league settings, roster need and player skill, one player may have more value for you than your opponents.
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I work the waiver wire for starting pitchers a little differently. After a pitcher makes his start, if it’s good, owners are going to add him the next day.
However, he won’t be used until his next start, usually four days later. That means the pitcher is just sitting on that team’s roster, wasting a space until he makes his next start. That owner had to drop someone, hopefully, another pitcher in his case, to make room.
Though, if you need to make a change to your pitching staff, I look for pitchers making a start that day. Some like to call it ‘streaming.’ You add a pitcher, start him, and then drop him afterward. You get the stats and then move on.
Hitting is a little different because they play mostly every day. You want to add a hitter that will get constant playing time and be successful in that time. Batters are a bit more streaky than pitchers so you want to add the hitter at the right time and bail before you are stuck with him.
There are plenty of players available on both sides of the ball that can help your team in both the short and long-term. I will list players owned in less than 60 percent based off the most added list from ESPN.
There are a bunch of players that we as a team have written about as waiver wire adds. I mentioned some Gary Sanchez replacements here. These infielders are lighting up stat sheets and need some love, too.
Howie Kendrick (PHI) – 2B: The veteran also has outfield eligibility so he may be enticing on two fronts. He is hitting .407 with four runs scored, five RBI and a steal. Kendrick doesn’t have much power but he’s due for one soon. I expect a drop off in his average, but if he can keep it over .300 then that’s a win in my book. The Phillies are hitting well for a rebuilding team and Kendrick is benefitting.
Chris Owings (ARI) – SS: The Diamondbacks had three shortstops competing for the starting job this spring. Many thought Nick Ahmed would get it but Owings crushed the ball in Spring Training and won the job. He has translated that to a good first two weeks. Owings is hitting .333 with a home run, five RBI, four runs scored and four steals. He’s at 50.9 percent owned so act now.
Chase Headley (NYY) – 3B: We know how bad the Headley experience has been in New York so far. This season is starting off differently. In the first eight games, he is hitting .393 with two homers, seven runs, three RBI and a steal. Like Kendrick, I don’t expect the average the stay where it’s at by September, but if he’s having multiple multi-hit games, which five of the eight games have been, why not add him?
With the amount of starting outfielders and teams using platoons more, there are plenty of options to add.
Steven Souza (TB) – RF: The Tampa Bay offense is one of the big surprises so far. They scored 38 runs in their first nine games or 4.2 runs per game. Souza is one of the key pieces to that. He has six RBI, four runs and a home run with a .344 average. He is also a patient hitter with just five strikeouts and six walks. He is available in 73 percent of leagues.
Mitch Haniger (SEA) – CF: Hitting towards the top of this good Seattle lineup is helping his success. He is hitting .257 with three home runs, 10 runs, six RBI and a steal. Haniger is a good contributor to get on base and score. He is on a six-game hitting streak and has scored at least once is each of them. His value will rise even more if he can go 2-for-4 instead of 1-for-4.
Avisail Garcia (CWS) – RF: Speaking of having multi-hit games, Garcia is doing that after seven games. He is hitting .435 with one home run, five RBI and four runs scored. Garcia had three multi-hit games in his first four games. If he can curb the ground balls and get some more lift under the ball, he’ll be a dangerous hitter.
This section will feature two starting pitchers and a relief pitcher.
Brandon Kintzler (MIN) – RP: After 4.1 innings, Kintzler has a 0.00 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and three saves. He is dealing with a cracked right index fingernail but was warming up in the ninth inning on Tuesday. While we won’t know the extent of the injury until he pitches, he is the clear-cut closer for the Twins and should be owned if you need to catch up in saves.
Kendall Graveman (OAK) – SP: Graveman has posted back-to-back good starts. He went six innings with two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven against the Angels. His next start against the Rangers, another good offense, was just as good. He went seven innings with one earned run on two hits and one walk with five strikeouts. The A’s may not win 80 games but if you play with quality starts, Graveman is worth adding. He faces the Houston Astros at home on Friday.
CC Sabathia (NYY) – SP: Sabathia won’t get you eight innings but when he does pitch, it’s been good. In 11 innings, he has a 1.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 5:6 K:BB ratio. Sabathia is having trouble with command. However, he’s been limiting the damage caused by the base runners. That may not last as he faces the St. Louis Cardinals at home in his next start on Saturday.
The waiver wire is rich with talent this early in the season. Fantasy owners are dropping good players to pick up the one-week wonders. Take advantage of that and improve your roster for the long-term.