The first week of fantasy baseball is nearing an end and despite most players only having 20-30 at-bats or 1-2 starts, there’s the inevitable early season push to turn over roster pieces and grab the up-and-comers. While guys like Scott Kingery are more than likely claimed already, there are plenty of other players with potential upside that still remain readily available.

We realize that sorting through all the names can be difficult so we’ve asked our featured experts below to name who their favorite under-the-radar pickups are with less than 25% consensus ownership.

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Q1. What one hitter should fantasy owners look into picking up that is owned in less than 25% of leagues?

Amed Rosario (SS – NYM)
“Rosario is the perfect blend of potential plus opportunity. An elite prospect, Rosario had a disastrous debut in the majors last season, which led to him being largely forgotten in fantasy circles during draft time. But he’s off to an excellent start so far this season, batting .333 with an .842 OPS. Rosario is batting ninth, which will limit his plate appearances, but should also allow him to utilize his speed and tack on 20 or 25 steals over the course of the season. At a thin position, Rosario could easily be an impact player, and should at least be more widely owned as a middle infield option.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Hunter Renfroe (OF – SD)
“While it may only last two weeks, Renfroe is expected to join the Padres’ starting lineup with Wil Myers out. There is a good chance he never gives up a spot in the lineup after this stretch. The former top prospect is off to a great start this season and hit 26 homers last year in 122 games as a rookie. Prior to his debut, he was a masher in the minors as well, knocking 30 home runs and hitting .306 with 105 RBIs.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Nick Markakis (OF – ATL)
“Markakis is severely under-owned. He is one of those players who is not going to win you leagues, but he sure won’t lose it for you either. That said, he has had a great start to the season batting cleanup for the team who currently leads the league in runs scored. That will certainly help keep him more relevant and when Ronald Acuna gets called up we could see more production.”
– Joe Bond (Fantasy Six Pack)

Randal Grichuk (OF – TOR)
“I’m not giving up on Grichuk because of one putrid week. He has gone 2-for-27 with nine strikeouts to start his Blue Jays tenure, but there’s still easy 30-homer power waiting to be untapped. Severe ebbs and flows come with the territory for a slugger of his ilk, so I still want him in deep leagues or a format with ample bench spots to wait for a hot streak.”
– Andrew Gould (Bleacher Report)

Marcus Semien (SS – OAK)
“Semien’s right around 25% owned depending on what league you’re talking about, but I think he can be a valuable fantasy asset. He was more aggressive on the basepaths last year and I think he can be a good source of both speed and power with an average that won’t kill you.”
– Ben Palmer (Pitcher List)

Q2. What one starting pitcher should fantasy owners look into picking up that is owned in less than 25% of leagues?

Tyler Glasnow (SP – PIT)
“Glasnow is only weeks from being picked up everywhere. The Pirates didn’t give him a job right out of spring training, but they have been stretching him out in the bullpen to keep him geared up for a jump to the rotation if he pitched well. That is exactly what he has done, allowing 1 run through 5 innings while striking out 7 batters. Don’t wait too long to scoop up last year’s top minor league pitcher (1.93 ERA, 140 K in 93 IP).”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Jake Junis (SP – KC)
“I would take a chance on Junis. It is easy to look past the first start to the season considering it was against the Tigers and think he can’t be this good. Think again. The second half of last season Junis was good, really good posting a 3.55 ERA with a 5.78 K/BB ratio. Only Kluber, Sale, Tanaka and Carrasco were better during that span of time. I think at worst Junis can be an SP4/5 for you with the upside to be an SP3/4.”
– Joe Bond (Fantasy Six Pack)

Jack Flaherty (SP – STL)
“Flaherty barely makes the cut at 24% ownership, but that number needs to be doubled or tripled immediately. His debut against the Brewers was electric, with nine strikeouts in just five innings. Yes, he’s been relegated to the minors for now, but if you watched Adam Wainwright pitch on Thursday, you know Flaherty won’t be there for long. Pitchers who are widely available who can even sniff “fantasy ace” potential are few and far between, but Flaherty is one of them. Make some room on your bench, add him immediately before he gets called back up, and avoid the rush.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – BOS)
“Rodriguez is set to make his 2018 debut on Sunday, so grab him now. While inconsistency has kept him from morphing into a mixed-league fixture, he made positive strides last year with a 9.83 K/9 and career highs in first-pitch (61.2) and swinging-strike (11.6) percentage. The 24-year-old southpaw remains a high-upside arm to use carefully, but a matchup with the Rays makes him an immediate starting option.”
– Andrew Gould (Bleacher Report)

Mike Minor (SP/RP – TEX)
“Minor’s first start wasn’t incredible but it was encouraging. The guy has some great stuff and dominated out of the bullpen last year. If he stays healthy, he should be a solid fantasy starter.”
– Ben Palmer (Pitcher List)

Thank you to the experts for naming their under-the-radar pickups. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and subscribe to our podcast below for all the latest discussions this season.

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