Believe it or not, April is almost coming to an end. Before it does, we'll look at some of the men at first and third base who have made a good early impression, but are still underowned in fantasy leagues.
The corner infield positions traditionally offer power with the potential for high averages, so you may want to target players that can offer an advantage in those categories to bolster your team. In this piece, I'll identify Week 4 waiver wire targets for first base and third base who should be able to contribute in multiple categories, either as replacements or bench depth. These players are owned in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues.
From here on out we'll also look at the names mentioned in last week’s post, noting which players have graduated off of the waiver wire (ownership higher than 50%), which are still recommended pickups, and which we are dropping off the list entirely.
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Week 4 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Daniel Vogelbach (1B, SEA) - 2% owned
Hoping to have a start similar to fellow Mariners rookie Mitch Haniger, it's now time for Vogelbach to show he deserves the starting first base job. Many were surprised when he didn't make the Opening Day roster, but veteran Danny Valencia edged him out due to experience. Now that Valencia is hitting a miserable .145 with no homers on the season, Vogelbach could be here to stay. He's off to a good start with a hit and an RBI in his first game, but he isn't a must-add outside of AL-only leagues just yet.
Gerardo Parra (1B/OF, COL) - 15% owned
A popular sleeper heading into last season, Parra's introduction to Coors Field was a minor letdown. He's never been much of a power hitter, but seven HR was his lowest output since 2012. It's not like he made up for it in other ways, hitting .253 with a .271 OBP. He still isn't providing much power, with just one home run so far, but he's at least hitting .318 and has run-scoring potential even if he sticks at the sixth spot in the lineup. Parra rarely sees time at 1B, but if you're in a league with 12 teams or more, he might be useful at the CI position.
Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT) - 26% owned
Bell got off to a sluggish start, but is picking up the pace this week with a pair of homers and three RBI in back-to-back games. The loss of Starling Marte won't help anyone in the Pirates lineup, but it could work in Bell's favor if he takes up permanent residence in the #2 spot. For some reason, manager Clint Hurdle insists on putting Jordy Mercer at the top of the lineup every so often, but Bell could force his way into a permanent stay if he can hit lefties better than his current .118 clip. As a switch-hitter, this shouldn't be a problem, but he only batted .211 against southpaws in his MLB debut last season. Bell is more of a player to monitor at the moment, but can make for a speculative add in 14-team leagues.
Graduated
Ryan Zimmerman (1B, WAS) - 70% owned
It took a while, but people are finally starting to believe in Zimmerman again. Not to jinx him, but let's just hope he can stay healthy.
Chase Headley (3B, NYY) - 62% owned
Who saw this coming? Headley is finally cooling down a bit, but he's been the most pleasant surprise at the hot corner this season, hitting .362 with three HR and three SB. His .419 BABIP will surely regress quite a bit, but the fact he's improved his plate discipline to a 0.83 BB/K may indicate that he's seeing the ball better and isn't simply getting lucky.
Hold For Now
Joey Gallo (3B, TEX) - 26% owned
Although "Moonshot Homers" isn't a common fantasy category, Gallo's power display is certainly impressive. The average still isn't good (.207 on the season), but that was always to be expected. His four home runs this past week are too tempting to pass up if you are in the hole early on in power categories.
Mitch Moreland (1B, BOS) - 28% owned
Moreland is hitting a solid .290 with seven RBI over the past week and has settled in nicely as Boston's first baseman. He is mostly hitting fifth, but has been seen in the cleanup spot more frequently. His value remains high given the surrounding cast.
Cut Bait
Lucas Duda (1B, NYM) - 11% owned
Well, that didn't take long. Duda didn't last a month without hitting the DL, this time due to a hyperextended left elbow. While this isn't a serious injury, it just goes to show that players with a checkered past in the health column can never be fully trusted.
Logan Morrison (1B, TB) - 13% owned
LoMo is ice cold, collecting just two hits in his last 21 at-bats. Keep in mind, as I mentioned last week, he is traditionally a slow starter so he could return to provide value later in the season.
Howie Kendrick (1B/2B/3B/OF, PHI) - 23% owned
A Grade 1 oblique strain will keep Kendrick shelved for 2-3 weeks. Unless you are in a ridiculously deep mixed or NL-only league, he should be dropped in favor of one of these other options.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds
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