Travis Shaw (3B, TOR) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team leagues

OWNED IN: 4% of leagues

ANALYSIS: 

Travis Shaw is coming off a horrendous year in Milwaukee that saw his average plummet to .157 with only seven home runs in 86 games while battling various injuries. Shaw blamed some of his struggles on a swing change, and there's reason to give him the benefit of the doubt. Shaw's strikeout rate skyrocketed to 33 percent last season after being just 18.4 percent in 2018. His launch angle increased from 16.8 percent in 2018 up to 24.6 percent last year, despite nearly no change in average exit velocity.

A change in scenery and some adjustments to his swing could make Shaw a valuable piece in fantasy. He had 30-plus homers in back-to-back seasons before last year and still boasts an elite walk rate, further justifying strikeout increase as a swing issue and not a decline in skill. He's projected to bat fourth or fifth in a sneaky-good Toronto lineup that features several high-OBP guys in front of him. Shaw will have plenty of RBI opportunities and could be a source of cheap power available on waivers in most fantasy leagues.