Joe Mauer (1B, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 21% of Fleaflicker leagues

ANALYSIS: Joe Mauer has certainly put last years .265 batting average behind him, and is in the midst of a slight resurgence after two straight disappointing seasons. Constantly plagued by the injury bug throughout his career, Mauer looks poised to play close to as many games as he did in 2015; 158, the most in his 12-year stint in the big leagues. He has revisited his bread and butter from prior seasons.

Mauer owns an impressive .455 OBP, and has walked 16 times compared to his eight strikeouts. In the past, it was his ability to frequently reach base and limit the strikeouts that made him so effective for fantasy. It's the same reason why he deserves an add in deep leagues of more than 12 teams. His K% of 9.1% is significantly lower than last season's 16.8%, and while the first base position is filled with production-candidates, it never hurts to have a solid backup. It will be interesting to see if Mauer can sustain the high average and OBP, but it would be wise to grab him regardless while his value remains quietly high.