The Blair Pitch Project: How Pitch Counts & Inning Limits Affect Rookie Fantasy Values

Babe Ruth had a candy bar named after him, Willie McCovey got a cove, and Tommy John... well, he got a career-threatening surgical procedure named in his honor. This procedure has become synonymous with hard-throwing young pitchers who need to recover from devastating injuries. The procedure is by no means an absolute guarantee to work, […]

Brandon Moss (1B, STL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Brandon Moss is two years removed from an All-Star appearance and three years from a 30-HR season. His brief time in St. Louis at the end of last season didn't go so swimmingly though. The slugger only produced four homers in 132 at-bats with the […]

Drew Pomeranz (SP, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: It's amazing what a change of scenery can do. Moving from the rarefied air of Colorado to sunny California has done wonders for Drew Pomeranz. He is continuing his success as a reliever/spot starter in Oakland on to this year in San Diego's rotation. In four […]

Yangervis Solarte (1B/2B/3B, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Yangervis Solarte is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list from a strained hamstring, but will likely need another week or two to rehab. His third base position has been filled with lackluster results from a combination of Brett Wallace and Adam Rosales. When […]

Yasmany Tomas (3B/OF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 40% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: If power potential at the corner infield spot is something you're looking for, Yasmany Tomas might be your man. Although he is playing almost exclusively in left field, his 3B eligibility makes Tomas a coveted waiver add at the corner. Tomas is starting to heat […]

Enrique Hernandez (2B/SS/OF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 38% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: This is why you have utility players. The Dodgers are thanking their lucky stars for Enrique Hernandez right now, because he has become a semi-starter at left field in the absence of numerous injured Dodgers outfielders. Although Carl Crawford is due to return soon, it […]

Erasmo Ramirez (SP, TAM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 32% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Erasmo Ramirez was widely expected to be the fifth starter for Tampa Bay, but began the season in the bullpen. It turns out a short reliever role is suiting him just fine. Ramirez has managed to put up four wins and two holds in relief, […]

Brandon Finnegan (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 28% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: The Cincinnati Reds' bullpen is a mess right now, but they have gotten surprisingly good returns from some of their young starters. Brandon Finnegan entered the year with four starts under his belt, but is pitching like a seasoned veteran. He has three quality starts in five […]

Michael Saunders (OF, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 12% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: It's simple - if Michael Saunders can stay healthy, he can produce. Saunders only saw 36 plate appearances last year in Toronto. The previous season in Seattle, he made 263 plate appearances. In his previous two relatively healthy seasons, his HR/SB production was 19/21 and […]

J.T. Realmuto (C, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 31% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Fantasy owners stuck deciding between waiver options at the catcher position, take notice. J.T. Realmuto is finally starting to warm up. On Sunday, Realmuto smacked his first homer in a 4-for-4 performance against the Giants. With seven hits in his last 11 at-bats, Realmuto is […]

Marcell Ozuna (OF, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Marcell Ozuna is the third of the trio that was proclaimed the best outfield in baseball by SI before last season. After a disappointing 2015 all around for the Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich are holding up their end of the bargain this year. Ozuna […]

NL-Only Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Four: Conley, Blair, Plawecki and more

This week a couple of catchers join the list for waiver wire eligibility. One returning from injury, the other an injury replacement. As we get deeper into the season, the pickings get slimmer, but savvy owners will check here frequently to get ahead of the game. The following players are owned in 25% or less […]

Jonathan Schoop (2B, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 31% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Jonathan Schoop was a popular sleeper in deeper drafts this season, but has not yet delivered what fantasy owners were hoping for. Schoop has hit 16 and 15 HR respectively over the past two seasons. Decent output for a second baseman as it is, […]

Adam Conley (SP, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Adam Conley won the final spot in the Marlins rotation with a strong spring. He looks to carry that momentum forward to the regular season, after a solid 2015 season with a 3.76 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. His stats so far this year can be […]

Bryan Holaday (C, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two Catcher leagues, deep AL-Only Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Robinson Chirinos will be out for another two months, which means regular playing time for the first time in Bryan Holaday's career. The Rangers are standing pat with their current roster, so the idea of Jonathan Lucroy or Derek Norris taking over is not […]

Nathan Eovaldi (SP, NYY) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Nathan Eovaldi is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. A hard-throwing right-hander pitching in the Bronx has the potential to be a valuable commodity. Just when Eovaldi seems to be putting it all together, he comes up just short. The good news is that over […]

Melvin Upton Jr. (OF, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 11% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Melvin Upton Jr. is having a revival year after three disappointing seasons in the National League. He is currently hitting .286, 41 points above his career average. More importantly, he is flashing some of his former 20/20 skills with two home runs and four stolen […]

Adonis Garcia (3B/OF, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 8% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Adonis Garcia made his Major League debut at the age of 30 last year and managed 10 HR in 191 AB. As the cleanup hitter in Atlanta, he is tasked with providing support for Freddie Freeman. So far, Garcia is picking up the slack for […]

Yasmani Grandal (C, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 31% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Yasmani Grandal has seen limited action this season due to injury, but he is back as the primary catcher for the Dodgers. He is off to a nice start with four hits in his first 12 at-bats, which is encouraging after he hit only .189 last April. […]

NL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Three: Nicasio, Chacin, Moss, Upton and more

As we enter week three of the MLB season, most of the hot prospects and sleepers have likely been picked over in fantasy leagues. Now is the time to take advantage of the overlooked players and apparent busts that owners may have given up on. Several players have seen their ownership rates drop dramatically after […]

Anibal Sanchez (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 48% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Sanchez is not a #2 starter these days, but it's certainly too early for fantasy owners to write him off completely. Last year was admittedly rough as he barely managed to keep his ERA below five (4.99). However, keep in mind that between 2009-2014 Sanchez posted an […]

Brandon Phillips (2B, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 53% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Phillips was a model of consistency at the second base position until 2014 when his numbers dipped dramatically. His streak of eight straight years hitting 17 or more home runs was snapped as he contributed only eight HR and two SB all season. Last year he proved […]

Danny Valencia (3B/OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Valencia is off to a relatively slow start, as he is yet to homer and has only driven in two runs. Impatient owners may be ready to jump ship and place him back into the waiver pool. Valencia is getting on base (.286 AVG, .340 OBP), […]

Jorge Soler (OF, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 60% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: One of the biggest injuries this young season occurred when Kyle Schwarber tore two ligaments in his left knee. The door is wide open for Soler to reclaim the job that was supposed to be his in 2015. Management and Cubs fans would love nothing […]

Alexei Ramirez (SS, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team leagues OWNERSHIP: 18% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Alexei Ramirez, aka The Cuban Missile, has been a fairly steady performer throughout his career. He has logged seven seasons of 13 or more stolen bases, including three with over 20 SB. He also has five seasons of 15 or more home runs. Finally, he […]

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNERSHIP: 4% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: The departure of Alex Avila (given the boot by his father, GM Al Avila) necessitated the signing of a backup to new starter James McCann. Saltalamacchia was added in the off-season after being dumped by the Marlins for his poor performance. "Salty" did not take well to the […]

NL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Two: Hazelbaker, Smith, Stripling and more

The first week hype is over and fantasy managers have finally had a chance to evaluate their talent over a small sample size. Single leagues create the unique challenge of limiting waiver options available throughout the season. That's why if you don't pick up every single one of these players right now, they will be gone before […]

Bryan Holaday (C, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues, deep AL-only leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: With Robinson Chirinos sidelined for 10-12 weeks, Holaday takes over everyday catching duties in Texas. The Rangers acquired Holaday from Detroit in the off-season to bolster their catching depth and now Holaday has a chance to show he deserves the starting job. […]

Cameron Rupp (C, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNERSHIP: 1% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: If you're looking for a backstop who will don the mask behind home plate for at least 100 games, Cameron Rupp might suit your needs. Carlos Ruiz, now 37, is not what he used to be and will now serve as the secondary catcher. The Phillies […]

Nathan Eovaldi (SP, NYY) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team teagues OWNERSHIP: 16% in Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: In most cases, being in the Yankees' starting rotation is enough to warrant fantasy consideration. Nathan Eovaldi has been under the radar thus far, despite posting a 14-3 W-L record last season. The main reason he is undervalued is due to his career 4.14 ERA […]