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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Week 1
One of my favorite parts of fantasy sports – the waiver wire. The first week of fantasy baseball goes from July 23 – August 2, and in some leagues, waivers run daily or weekly. We’ll look at players that may have gone undrafted in leagues or owned in less than 50% of Fantrax leagues.
If you play in leagues with a free agent acquisition budget (FAAB), then the recommended percentage of FAAB will be included as well. Each FAAB bid should take into account your team needs and league depth. Make sure you get a feel for how your league bids on players. For instance, if league mates typically have higher or lower FAAB bids, then adjust your FAAB bids accordingly. If your league doesn’t use FAAB, then this is the order I’d prioritize my waiver claims.
Aaron Hicks, OF, New York Yankees
20-25% FAAB
Aaron Hicks looks to be healthy now and projects to bat fifth for the Yankees. On Opening Day, Hicks led off with D.J. LeMahieu on the bench since LeMahieu missed the first couple weeks due to testing positive for COVID-19. In 2018, Hicks hit 27 home runs with 11 steals and slashed .248/.366/.467. Hicks showed solid on-base skills with the power/speed combination. Last year he missed time due to injuries, and his strikeout rate jumped up from about 19% in 2017 and 2018 to 28.2% in 2019. Hicks would be my top waiver add for players under 50% owned.
Franchy Cordero, OF, Kansas City Royals
15% FAAB
After being traded to the Royals, Franchy Cordero was a hot waiver add. However, if he is somehow still available, then put a claim in for him now. Unless it’s a three outfielder shallow 10-team league, then he should be snagged off waivers. My main concern would be playing time with Cordero, but he’s slated to bath seventh and platoon against righties on Roster Resource.
Eric Thames, 1B, Washington Nationals
10-15% FAAB
Eric Thames projects to hit against right-handed pitchers while batting fifth. Thames crushed righties and hit 23 of his 25 home runs against right-handers. His 43.8% hard-hit rate ranked in the 82nd percentile, and 90.7 mph average exit velocity ranked in the 78th percentile. The Nationals will play the Blue Jays for four games and the Marlins for three games. The only lefties to fear on the Blue Jays and Marlins include Hyun-Jin Ryu and Caleb Smith, but that’s assuming they face the Nationals in those games.
Danny Duffy, SP, Kansas City Royals
10% FAAB
Danny Duffy is a streaming pitcher option next week as he looks to pitch on Wednesday at the Detroit Tigers. Since Duffy will pitch on Wednesday, that means he should have a two-start week in week two. However, the two matchups would be at the Cubs and home against the Twins. If it’s a deeper league, he may be worth starting in one or both matchups in the potential two-start week.
Tony Gonsolin, P, Los Angeles Dodgers
5-10% FAAB
More of a speculative add because I think Tony Gonsolin will make spot starts during the season. The Dodgers optioned him to their alternative training site, and he won’t make the Opening Day roster. However, in deeper leagues, I’d want to stash this guy if I can. Gonsolin uses a four-pitch mix with two above-average pitches. Last season his slider resulted in a 22.2% swinging-strike rate with a 44.3% whiff rate. His splitter also performed well with a 19.9% swinging-strike rate and a 38.7% whiff rate.
Garrett Cooper, 1B/OF, Miami Marlins
5-10% FAAB
Garrett Cooper projects to bat eighth and be the DH for the Marlins. Last season he finished with 15 home runs, 52 runs, 50 RBI, and a .281 batting average in 421 plate appearances. He has reverse splits where he crushed righties last year with ten home runs and a .305 batting average. Cooper has the positional flexibility with 1B/OF, and worth an add in deeper leagues for a corner infield or fifth outfield spot.
Clint Frazier, OF, New York Yankees
5% FAAB
More of a deeper league guy, but it looks like Clint Frazier adjusted his swing this offseason. In a game over the weekend, he rocked a home run, and his stance appeared to be more neutral or closed. Frazier is more of a bench bat or speculative add if Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton can’t stay healthy. The tweet below will show you Frazier’s new batting stance.
If Clint Frazier can hit an absolute bomb of a home run wearing a mask, then you can wear a mask. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4Fsn2BYbO8
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 19, 2020
Shed Long Jr., 2B, Seattle Mariners
5% FAAB
Shed Long Jr. seems to be a bit underrated. He projects to bat leadoff for the Mariners and could be a cheap source for runs and chip in with a few steals. Long Jr. is more of a deeper league consideration for a middle infield spot but could provide sneaky value.
Jason Castro, C, Los Angeles Angels
5% FAAB
Jason Castro is more relevant in two-catcher leagues. While sharing playing time with Mitch Garver last season, Castro hit 13 home runs in 275 plate appearances. Being a lefty, he played most of his games against right-handed pitchers. Castro projects to bat ninth, and will not be platooning with the Angels. Last year in the limited sample, he finished with a 45.7% hard-hit rate and a 17.2% barrel rate. Castro ranked 21st with a 96.5 mph average exit velocity on FB/LD right behind Eloy Jimenez and Yordan Alvarez.
Trent Thornton, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
2-5% FAAB
Trent Thornton projects to be the fourth starter for the Blue Jays. Thornton is more of a deeper league or streaming pitcher, but his slider is pretty solid. Last season his slider resulted in a 13.2% swinging-strike rate, 31.8% whiff rate, a .228 batting average against, and a .251 xWOBA. Thornton’s a pitcher to add or monitor if you already lost a pitcher to injury.
