“It’s still early. Small sample sizes. Don’t trust stats in April.” All these cliches, among so many others, get tossed around this time of year like peanuts at a ballgame. They’re true, but what are you supposed to do with them when it comes to your fantasy team?

This time of year, it’s better to be more aggressive in picking up players who could blossom over the rest of the season, even with just early returns to work with. There are times when players have rewarded early pickups. During his 2008 Cy Young season, Cliff Lee was an early waiver wire pickup in most leagues coming off a season with a 6.29 ERA. Last year, I grabbed Kyle Wright in a dynasty league that is very deep, and he registered most of his 21 victories for my team. So you can be rewarded for being quick on the waiver wire or spending up in FAAB this time of year.

Just make sure to keep an eye on certain factors. While Trayce Thompson‘s three-homer night may make fantasy managers want to get him, he’s a right-handed hitter playing primarily against lefties. Leave him on the waiver wire unless you play in an NL-only league. Adam Duvall, though, looks to be playing every day and has the Green Monster as his target for half the games. He could be a season-long factor for a Red Sox team with few top prospects in the high minors.

It may be early, but not too early to jump into the meat of this article. Time for some deep sleepers and waiver wire pickups made up of players outside the Top 200 in FantasyPros ECR.

Deep Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 2)

Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) | ECR: 217

There is something to be said about players who are going home to play for the first time. Nathan Eovaldi is from Houston and went to high school in Alvin, Texas – the hometown of Hall of Famer and all-time fireballer Nolan Ryan. Eovaldi’s fastball sat at 96.1 in his first start, in line with where he’s been the past two seasons. Striking out about a batter per inning over that span, Eovaldi should benefit from pitching in the roomier Globe Life Field after five seasons at Fenway Park. Today he’s pitching in Wrigley Field, and the forecast is a high of 48 degrees  – great for fireballers.

Masataka Yoshida (OF – BOS) | ECR: 220

Masataka Yoshida’s incredible WBC performance is still fresh in the memory bank. With 13 RBI, Yoshida led all players who participated in the WBC, though I’m most impressed by his striking out just once in 22 at-bats (against four walks). He’s already popped a home run and swiped a couple of bags, so Yoshida has acclimated himself stateside. The outfielder is also hitting cleanup and will have plenty of RBI opportunities as long as he stays in the heart of the Red Sox lineup.

Keibert Ruiz (C – WAS) | ECR: 245

With the Nationals playing in Denver this weekend, Keilbert Ruiz hitting in the light air will be very inviting in DFS. As far as the rest of the season, there is something to be said about betting on a player finally arriving at age 24. Ruiz hit 21 homers in just 72 Triple-A games in 2021, the last time he was in the minors. After hitting just seven homers – and stealing six bases – last year, Ruiz has positioned himself so fantasy players can bet on that power showing up at a position as shallow as catcher. This series in Colorado may be a springboard to his coming-out party.

Charlie Blackmon (OF – COL) | ECR: 239

How far has the 36-year-old former fantasy stud fallen? This weekend, though, with the Nationals coming to town and a pair of right-handers on tap for the series, Charlie Blackmon could be reliving his offensive heydays. He hit .284 at home last season, up from .241 on the road. Yes, it’s early, though his BABIP is a hearty .353 already in the season’s first week of games played away from mile-high conditions. Blackmon could be a nice DFS play against a young pitching staff not used to the high altitude.

James Outman (OF – LAD) | ECR: 287

The home run James Outman hit on Opening Night was pretty sexy, but what is under the radar is his batting eye improvement. Outman has four walks in just 18 plate appearances already in the first week and has a decent exit velocity of 90.9. He even hit two triples in a game, the first Dodger to do that since Yasiel Puig in 2014. Outman is on the strong side of a platoon now, though his good defense in center field could get him on the field and pick up at-bats in the late innings. He also has a stolen base and had double-digit steals yearly in the minors, with a high of 23 in 2021.

Garrett Mitchell (OF – MIL) | ECR: 345

This is another young player making a big early impression in the Major Leagues. Garrett Mitchell has three homers in his first six games this season, which comes on the heels of his stealing eight bases in a 28-game audition late last season after being called up by the Brewers. He has power and speed, and he’s on the waiver wire in most leagues. Snap him up now when you can.

Brice Turang (2B/SS – MIL) |ECR: 364

Back in the fall, Pat Fitzmaurice and I chatted about the possibility that Brice Turang might make the Brewers’ big club this year. That was only partly spurred on by my carrying over Turang in an NL-only league team. Turang looks like he’s sticking in the Brew Crew’s lineup, as he hit his first big league homer, a grand slam, earlier this week. He also has a couple of stolen bases after swiping 34 bags at Triple-A last year. A lefty hitter, Turang is still sitting against Southpaws, but he’s stellar with the glove, so he’ll sub in and get extra at-bats. He may reach double-digit homers in that ballpark, but that speed will definitely help fantasy teams.

Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

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