Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report (Week 2): Add Jonathan India, Garrett Hampson

Welcome to the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report! Each weekend, I will list relevant players to keep an eye on when making waiver decisions in your season-long league. Some are must-adds, some are worth keeping an eye on, while some might be popular names others are buying who I think you should avoid.

This piece is also specifically focused on position players. We’ll be back on Sunday with a starting pitcher planner to help you get ready for next week.

Have other questions regarding roster construction? Find me on Twitter @_jeff_hicks_.

Pick Them Up

Nate Lowe – 1B, Texas Rangers

Ownership: Yahoo: 61%, ESPN: 38%

I mentioned Lowe in last week’s inaugural column, and he has not disappointed in the week following. Lowe had at least one hit in four of five games, and in his one hitless game he stole a base. He will not finish as a .320 hitter, but he could be the team’s leading RBI producer.

Garrett Hampson – INF/OF, Colorado Rockies

Ownership: Yahoo: 47%, ESPN: 30%

Hampson has been tantalizing as a potential top of the order hitter with the propensity to steal bases in bunches. He has showed up to the party a little late now that the Rockies are bad and without former franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado.

Hampson stole six bases in in 53 games in 2020 and his halfway to that total in one week.

Jonathan India – 2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds

Ownership: Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 21%

The Reds have been high on India prior to 2021, and he is showing why with a six-game hit streak to start the season. His strong play is why the Reds felt confident moving Eugenio Suarez to shortstop.

The Reds offense is regressing positively after a historically bad 2020 and India is the player leading the way.

Cedric Mullens – OF, Baltimore Orioles

Ownership: Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 24%

Mullens has been excellent to start 2021 and is locked in everyday with the injury to Austin Hays (this is becoming an issue for Hays). He will come back to earth in due time (.611 BABIP), but he is on a good offense in a division with questionable pitching.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa – C/SS/3B, Texas Rangers

Ownership: Yahoo: 80%, ESPN: 33%

IKF’s ownership splits are something and if you are in an ESPN league your window to add Kiner-Falefa is shrinking. He has continued to hit like he did in 2020 (two of seven hits have gone for extra bases) and he has logged a stolen base.

If your league values on-base percentage, he may not help a lot; Kiner-Falefa has 57 walks in 794 career at-bats.

Luis Arraez – 2B/3B/OF, Minnesota Twins

Ownership: Yahoo: 32%, ESPN: 13%

Unlike IKF, Arraez will take his walks and has four in five games. With Josh Donaldson on the Injured List, Arraez is going to start more games than not and is a batting average darling off the waiver wire.

Worth A Look

Ha-Seong Kim – 2B/SS – San Diego Padres

Ownership: Yahoo: 31%, ESPN: 15%

The Fernando Tatis Jr. injury is a crushing blow to the Padres and fantasy players who used a top three-to-five pick on the burgeoning talent. Kim was the cherry on top for San Diego’s busy offseason and stands to see the biggest jump in playing time.

There is no replacing Tatis, but if you drafted him, get Kim.

Nick Senzel – OF, Cincinnati Reds

Ownership: Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 39%

Ugly start to 2021 for Senzel. The good thing for him was the walks showed up and he broke out the past two games against Pittsburgh. Senzel has a 3:5 K/BB ratio and should continue to see looks around the middle of the Reds batting order.

Manuel Margot – OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Ownership: Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 38%

Steals are always at a premium and Margot is too available to not have as a reserve outfielder. In his last three full seasons (excluding 2020’s shortened schedule), Margot has stolen 30-plus bases each season.

He also gets the benefit of RBI potential hitting in the middle of the Rays lineup.

Jurickson Profar – 2B/OF, San Diego Padres

Ownership: Yahoo: 18%, ESPN: 17%

Profar should also benefit from Tatis’ injury with more playing time and probably a boost in the batting order.

Short-Term Solutions

Tyler Naquin – OF, Cincinnati Reds

Ownership: Yahoo: 19%, ESPN: 9%

Tough to ignore a seven RBI output, but Tyler Naquin is just a guy that has yet to produce consistently. He has already matched his 2020 home run total and is over one-third the way to his career high of 14. It is great to see Naquin healthy. Enjoy the ride.

Akil Baddoo – OF, Detroit Tigers

Ownership: Yahoo: 42%, ESPN: 31%

The Rule 5 pick has had a storybook start to his MLB career and if you added him after Opening Day, awesome. Like many young hitters, regression is coming. He may end up glued to your fantasy bench sooner than later.

Detroit clearly saw something in Baddoo to pluck him prior to the season so there is enough upside and opportunity for him on a bad team.

Omar Narvaez – C, Milwaukee Brewers

Ownership: Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 8%

I can guarantee majority of the people reading this are starting a much worse catcher than Narvaez. He has almost tripled Manny Pina in at-bats on the team and has good pop.

He is not a top-five catcher like he is at the moment, but he is a must-add if you have someone like Danny Jansen or Jorge Alfaro in your lineups.

I Am Skeptical

Tucker Barnhart – C, Cincinnati Reds

Ownership: Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%

This is now a Cincinnati Reds column.

I am buying any Reds starters available, but Barnhart is playing well and still may lose at-bats to Tyler Stephenson. Stephenson has the prospect pedigree, strikes out less than Barnhart, and has more long-term power upside. Great start for the serviceable veteran but add his teammate if you want to but the position.

Ryan McMahon – INF, Colorado Rockies

Ownership: Yahoo: 63%, ESPN: 75%

The Rockies can hit for now, but Arizona is not playing them every game. McMahon is a power source but nothing else. He is a prime sell-high candidate if someone in your league wants the Colorado home boost.

Ty France – 2B/3B, Seattle Mariners

Ownership: Yahoo: 45%, ESPN: 40%

It hurts to put France in this section but how much more can he do on a mediocre offense? What happens when Kyle Lewis and Jared Kelenic are healthy?

I have a hard time seeing him stay atop the order when the faces of the franchise are healthy and that is where he has made hay to start 2021.

Jazz Chisholm – 2B/SS, Miami Marlins

Ownership: Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 2%

Fun player, scary floor. I think he is a year away from being a relevant fantasy player. His bright spots to start the season are his stolen bases and walks.