Pick up these free agents off the waiver wire and remember to churn the back-end of your fantasy baseball roster.
The first week of the fantasy baseball season is in the books! Fantasy baseball is a game of patience, but it’s also a good idea to be ahead of the game if a player looks to be in a groove. With a shortened Spring Training in 2022, there was a lot we didn’t have the chance to see.
Of course, it’s a small sample size, but did anyone expect to see the Guardians leading the league in run scored? How about Brewers’ pitching having the tenth highest ERA?
One early observation is that pitchers are not going as deep into games, and some are struggling more with the short ramp-up. I expect these things will normalize over time, but in the meantime, there also appear to be some exciting prospects on the rise.
Let’s dive into some players looking sharp early in the season. Remember, we are only a week in and do not drop your studs, but it’s okay to freshen up your bench.
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Hitters
Connor Joe, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
One of the late-round hitters we predicted would benefit from the DH is making good.
Joe is batting .316 with two homers, seven runs scored, and a stolen base across 24 plate appearances. He could qualify at both infield and outfield, he's often batting at the top of the order, and his home ballpark is Coors. Ride this wave if you can.
Andrew Vaughn, 1B/OF, Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are so good that a guy hitting .462 with two home runs and a 1.458 OPS doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the lineup. That's the bad news. The good news is that you may still be able to grab him now. And you should. They'll find a way to use his bat sooner than later.
Ji-Man Choi, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
He's off to a blazing start for the Rays, batting .563 with a hard-hit rate in the top 7% of the league and an average exit velo in the top 5%. His stat cast page is red. He is on the strong side of a platoon and worth an add in daily leagues.
Brandon Belt, 1B, San Francisco Giants
Belt looks healthy and ready to follow up on his strong but shortened 2021 season. He's batting .435 and slugging .875 with two homers through the season's first week. It's a small sample size, but I like Belt as long as he's healthy if you need a corner infielder.
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Owen Miller, 1B/2B, Cleveland Guardians
Originally thought to be on the short side of a platoon for first base, Miller is making his case to be there full time. Miller currently leads the league in doubles, and he's batting .524 with two homers and eight runs scored in 22 plate appearances. Plus, he could qualify at both 1B and 2B, depending on your league's rules.
Jurickson Profar, 2B, San Diego Padres
Profar is off to a good start to the season, batting .353 with two home runs—one of which was a grand slam. One of the best things about Profar, though? You can play him everywhere. Depending on your league, he qualifies at 1B, 2B and OF.
Maikel Franco, 3B, Washington Nationals
I admit it. I love Maikel Franco. I'm always rooting for him to do well, and so far, he is pulling me in again for 2022. His hard-hit rate is in the top 1% of the league, while his max exit velo and average exit velo are in the top 6%. He has a home run, seven RBI, and batting .346 through the first week of the season for the Nationals. At a thin 3B position, I'm optimistic. Again.
Elvis Andrus, SS, Oakland A’s
Wouldn't it be great if we could see Elvis Andrus return to fantasy relevance? Maybe the pressure being off in Oakland will help him have a renaissance. So far, he's not striking out, and he's taking his walks. He stole 12 bases last year, and if he can combine that with a better bat, he could be an excellent value. Through the season's first week, Andrus is batting .308 with a home run and seven runs scored.
Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Have you heard the legend of Steven Kwan? Through the season's first four games, Kwan reached base 15 times. No, that's not a typo. The young Guardians centerfielder is batting .566 and slugging .778 with a 1.456 OPS as of this article. He shows extraordinary plate discipline, so it's okay to jump on the hype train.
Seth Brown, OF, Oakland A’s
Seth Brown can hit the ball hard, and he's already off to a good start with two long balls and eight RBI for the A's. Playing time shouldn't be an issue, and the lefty is batting cleanup.
Oscar Mercado, OF, Cleveland Guardians
This list is full of Guardians- which is probably an indicator that there's only been one week on MLB play, but the fact remains this club has scored more runs than any other team- and not by a small margin. Mercado is chipping-in with a surprising three home runs and nine RBI in just 25 plate appearances. Will it last? Hard to say, but the intriguing thing about Mercado is that he also has the potential to contribute double-digit steals. He's worth an add in deeper leagues.
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Pitchers
Tylor Megill, SP, New York Mets
Last week, we had Tylor Megill in this article, and since then, he has pitched 10 innings of scoreless baseball, struck out 11 and logged two wins. He also has a ridiculous 11.0 K/BB ratio. You know what to do.
Jesus Luzardo, SP, Miami Marlins
Luzardo was on our sleeper list after a strong spring training, and he more than exceeded expectations.
He will no longer be a value after striking out 12 across five innings while allowing only two hits and one earned run. Oh, and did I mention he faced Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani? Get those bids in.
Kyle Wright, SP, Atlanta Braves
Wright looks to have earned the number three spot in the Braves rotation after pitching six scoreless in his debut. Wright allowed only two hits while walking one, striking out six, and logging the win. Besides looking sharp himself, he'll have that potent Atlanta offense to back him up (don't worry- they'll wake up).
Matt Brash, SP, Seattle Mariners
Brash is another player we had on the list last week, and he proved exactly why he earned the fifth spot in the Mariners rotation out of camp. Brash's fastball hit 99.2, while his curve and slider induced a 35% whiff rate from the Chicago White Sox. Across five innings pitched, Brash allowed two runs while striking out six.
Alex Cobb, SP, San Francisco Giants
Another reclamation project for the Giants! Cobb allowed four hits and two runs while striking out ten Padres on Tuesday night. He went five innings and logged the win.
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Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Greene impressed in his major league debut with the Reds, striking out seven Braves with a heater that hit 101.6 and averaged 99.7- and he threw 56 of them. Greene allowed three runs but logged the win.
Merrill Kelly, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Kelly has worked 9.1 scoreless innings across two starts, striking out a combined 13 Padres and Astros.
Michael Lorenzen, SP, Los Angeles Angels
On Monday, Lorenzen was sharp in his Angel's debut, striking out seven Marlins across six innings of work while allowing only two hits and one earned run. He used a six-pitch mix, and his four-seamer hit 96.8. It's a six-man rotation in Anaheim, but Lorenzen could be worth streaming in daily deep leagues.
Nick Martinez, SP, San Diego Padres
Martinez led the underdog Padres to a 4-3 victory over the Giants Monday night (we took that bet at SI Sportsbook and won). Martinez is the fifth starter for the Friars, at least until Mike Clevinger returns, and he looked good in his debut, allowing only one run while striking out men at a rate of 10.8 per nine in five innings. Deep leagues only.
Paul Blackburn, SP, Oakland A’s
Did you see the A's wallop the Rays 13-2 on Monday? If you didn't see that coming, don't worry. Neither did the rest of the world. Paul Blackburn was on the mound, striking out seven and allowing only three hits for the A's. The A's aren't expected to give you a lot of wins, but that means they also should have a long leash for their budding talent. If Blackburn can continue to impress, he could be a steal.
Jhoan Duran, RP, Minnesota Twins
The Twins are still looking for a closer, and Duran made his case Monday night, throwing a 102 mph fastball to JP Crawford in the last at-bat of the game. A top-rated prospect, Duran was a starter in the minors, but the Twins could get creative with this kind of raw power. He's worth a speculative grab in deeper leagues.
Jake Diekman, RP, Boston Red Sox
Diekman threw a perfect inning striking out the heart of the Yankees order on Sunday and earning his first save. If Matt Barnes had been available, maybe he wouldn't have been used, but Diekman was lights out, and he looked like he had no problem handling pressure—that is until they brought him into work out of a bases-loaded jam on Wednesday vs. Detroit and hit a batter. Diekman or Hansel Robles should be on your radar if you're speculating on saves.
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