Our first fantasy baseball edition of combing the wire is here. Each week, we will give you the names of ten players you should consider picking up and why.
Here are ten players you should target on the waiver wire this week.
1. Jose Pirela, OF, San Diego Padres: Pirela has been on fire the past two weeks after taking over the lead off spot for the injured Manuel Margot. Pirela is currently hitting .324 with 10 RBI and 2 stolen bases. He is a table setter at the top of the Padres order. Grab him while he’s hot.
2. Todd Frazier, 3B, New York Mets: Frazier is the face of the Mets fast start. He is absolutely raking right now. It won’t last long however because Frazier doesn’t hit for average and he strikes out a ton. Hedge your bets on him while he is swinging a hot bat.
3. Josh Hader, RP, Milwaukee Brewers: Hader has temporary taken over closer duties from the injured Corey Knebel and he has been lights out. Hader can set up or close. He will be a valuable piece out of the Brewers bullpen and worth owning right now.
4. Tyler Skaggs, SP, L.A Angels: Skaggs has been the Angels second best starter to start the season. He throws three pitches effectively and he gets ground ball outs. Skaggs won’t pile up the strikeouts but he’s an innings eater. Skaggs is currently sporting a 1.69 ERA so he is worth taking a flier on right now.
5. Keynan Middleton, RP, L.A Angels: Middleton has picked up four saves and seven strikeouts in six appearances. Middleton can be an adventure at times but he’s getting the job done right now.
6. Joey Lucchesi, SP, San Diego Padres: Lucchesi has been the Padres best pitcher thus farthest season. The lefty has an ERA of 1.66 with 25 strikeouts through four starts. Lucchesi is on quite the streak. If you need a streaming option this week, look at Lucchesi. He has a tough match up against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
7. Asdrubel Carbrera, 2B, 3B, SS, New York Mets: The veteran infielder was swooped up in leagues across the country last week. Cabrera can hit and he offers line up versatility which is important given all the rainouts we’ve had in the past week.
8. Nick Pivetta, SP, Philadelphia Phillies: Pivetta has been strong in his last two starts. He has struck out 19 on the season and currently sports a 2.70 ERA.
9. Drew Pomeranz, SP, Boston Red Sox: Pomeranz is scheduled to return from a forearm injury on Friday. He is only owned in 41% of standard leagues in ESPN fantasy. If he’s sitting on your wire, grab him!
10. Francisco Cervelli, C. Pittsburgh Pirates: The veteran catcher is off to the best start in his career at the plate. Cervelli is hitting .283 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI. This type of production out of Cervelli won’t last forever. Grab him if you need more offense out of the catcher position.