This is my first waiver wire article of the year. I’ve been making moves like crazy over the last few days. This is the time we need to take advantage of the waiver wire. You will never find as much value on the waiver wire than in these opening two weeks because this is when players truly emerge. We will try our best to point you in the right direction for where to find players for which categories, so let’s go ahead and get into it.

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The list comprises the 10 main categories in roto leagues. Under each category, you’ll find a player who can specifically help you with that individual stat. Most players will offer help in more ways than one but their primary contributions should come under the category they are listed.

I’ll be putting out a similar piece every week, so check back every Sunday, as I’ll have a new list of players not previously mentioned.

Without further ado, here are this week’s waiver additions based on categories.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 2)

Home Runs

Hunter Renfroe (OF – KC): 12%

Hunter Renfroe used to be a must-roster player but he’s been forgotten with his move to Kansas City. Playing for the Royals should guarantee him everyday at-bats, which makes him an enticing option in the heart of their lineup. Renfroe has at least 26 homers in four of the last six years, posting a .474 SLG in that span. What we love this week is that he’s one of the only players who gets seven games. It’s seven games against pitiful pitching, facing the White Sox four times and the back-end of the Orioles rotation. Renfroe should get 30 at-bats in this seven-game week. It would be surprising if he went homerless with that sort of opportunity.

RBI

Brandon Lowe (2B – TB): 39%

Brandon Lowe was a top-100 pick just a few years ago. Turning into a platoon bat has killed his fantasy value. That’s why he’ll be a good streamer at times this year, crushing right-handers throughout his career. Lowe has a .349 OBP, .500 SLG and .849 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That’s why he always bats second for the Rays in these circumstances, hitting a grand slam just a few days ago. He’s projected to face four righties this week in four fantastic spots. Not only does Tampa have a road series in Coors Field but they also face a Rangers rotation with three starters missing.

Runs

Ryan Noda (1B – OAK): 5%

We won’t have many Oakland bats in this section but Ryan Noda is a sneaky streamer. This on-base machine has been gifted the leadoff role for this lackluster lineup, posting a .364 OBP in a breakout rookie season last year. That rate is incredible for a leadoff hitter and it should give him plenty of chances to round the bases with some favorable matchups. He faces six righties this week and gets to avoid the Tarik Skubal portion of the Tigers rotation. Noda should be a sneaky source of runs if he hits leadoff with the platoon advantage in his favor.

Batting Average

Andrew Benintendi (OF – CWS): 5%

Andrew Benintendi hasn’t been a fantasy-relevant option in years but he’s always an intriguing option when discussing batting average. That’s his only valuable skill anymore, providing a career .276 AVG and .764 OPS. That might not jump off the page but a .276 average is incredible in today’s MLB. What adds to his intrigue is that he gets seven games against right-handers. Benintendi has a career .281 AVG against righties and gets to face the Royals four times this week.

Steals

Jose Siri (OF – TB): 32%

Jose Siri has always been a speed demon but he’s been causing mayhem throughout opening week. The Rays speedster has three stolen bags through the opening three games and has the green light to run all he wants. That’s very attractive since it looks like he’s locked into an everyday role with Josh Lowe out, especially since we’ve seen Siri flirt with 50 stolen bases in the minors. Getting three games in Coors Field against the worst pitching staff should allow Siri to sprint around the bases, making him a good bet for three steals this week.

ERA

Kenta Maeda (SP – DET): 47%

Kenta Maeda was miserable in his debut but we’re willing to overlook that. This guy has been one of the most underrated pitchers throughout his career, posting a 3.92 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Those are difficult averages to find on the waiver wire but seeing him have a bounceback season in a pitcher’s park like Comerica wouldn’t be surprising. We want him this week because of his matchup against Oakland. The A’s were 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xWOBA last season — they might be even worse this year. Don’t be surprised to see Maeda bounce back with 5.2 one-run innings here.

Strikeouts

James Paxton (SP – LAD): 20%

I’ve always been a massive fan of James Paxton’s repertoire. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a bounceback season with the Dodgers. We’ve seen that with numerous journeymen throughout the last decade but Paxton is better than that. The lefty has a 3.46 career FIP and a 26% K rate. Injuries are the only thing that has held him back. Getting two starts against the Giants and Cubs makes Paxton a phenomenal option. Paxton could tally 10-15 Ks across 10-12 innings of action.

WHIP

Tyler Wells (SP – BAL): 48%

Many people don’t realize this but Tyler Wells led the league in WHIP for most of last season. He finished the year with a 0.99 WHIP and has a 1.03 WHIP throughout his career. That’s on par with some of the best relievers in baseball. It’s hard to believe he’s still sitting on numerous waiver wires. We usually prefer to use Wells at home since Camden Yards is pitcher-friendly but PNC Park is right there. The Pirates were 23rd in xWOBA last season and will be projected to score fewer than four runs in this spot.

Wins

Tanner Houck (SP – BOS): 42%

We will use pitchers against the A’s and Rockies in this section all season. Oakland looks like a historically bad team, projected to win about 55 games this year. That should put a ton of opposing pitchers in line for wins. Tanner Houck likely enters this matchup as a -200 favorite. We already mentioned Oakland was near the bottom of every offensive category last season — it has become even more difficult in a spacious park like Oakland Coliseum. Houck is no joke, collecting a 3.86 ERA and 1.23 WHIP throughout his career.

Saves

Abner Uribe (RP – MIL): 31%

There are a handful of guys worth considering (Griffin Jax, Jason Foley and Yimi Garcia) but Abner Uribe is the best long-term option. Devin Williams will be out for the next three months with a back issue and Uribe stepped in for the first two saves over the weekend. That’s awesome since he’s available in so many places as most people had their chips on Joel Payamps taking that gig. We also don’t mind that Milwaukee has all home games this week, which means they could be favored in almost all of those, leading to more save chances.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant, which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections, to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much, we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball season.

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