The young season is about to be two months old, which means teams that have been primarily sticking with the players they drafted may want to think about making some serious adjustments to their squad if they’re struggling to compete. We’re at the point where preseason expectations no longer take precedence over how athletes have performed over these past two months, so making big dips into the free-agent pool and the trade market may be absolutely necessary for some right now.

On the other hand, if your team has excelled, staying on top of waivers will help you to maintain that edge over your leaguemates. There are still some good options out there who could assist your squad regardless of your situation. That’s why our featured analysts are here to help you uncover which sneaky, but potentially solid pickups are flying under the radar.

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Q1. What one hitter should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Brendan Rodgers (2B/SS – COL): 7% Rostered
“Rodgers was a popular post-hype sleeper pick heading into 2021 fantasy baseball drafts due to a stellar spring training where he accumulated two home runs and five RBIs with a .348 batting average in just 23 at-bats. A right hamstring strain cut his preseason short, which caused him to miss the first couple of months of the season. The former 2015 third overall pick is now healthy and has started five out of the Rockies’ last seven games. The early results are subpar as he’s posted only two RBIs with a .313 batting average in 16 at-bats, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues should scoop him up before the 24-year-old gets on a hot streak playing in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field.”
– Jacob W. Dunne (New Life Fantasy)

“If you have the luxury of stashing a minor leaguer, the add is Rays prospect Vidal Brujan, who is tearing up Triple-A at the moment. But if you need someone now, give Brendan Rodgers a look. Once considered the Rockies’ top prospect, the 24-year-old Rodgers struggled through his first 100 Major League plate appearances, but he could finally be getting an extended opportunity to get acclimated to the Big Leagues. Rodgers made tangible improvements in his second go-around at both Double-A and Triple-A, and he’s still got the potential to produce at a 25 HR, 10 SB pace — with a decent batting average too — if everything finally clicks for him.”
– Andrew Seifter (FantasyPros)

Willie Calhoun (OF/DH – TEX): 16% Rostered
“There is no reason for Calhoun to be rostered in only 16% of leagues. He’s leading off for the Rangers and is on a full-season pace of 25 home runs. His batting average (.262) and slugging percentage (.429) are the product of some bad luck, as his expected batting average (.290) and slugging percentage (.471) are both significantly higher. With just a 12.9% strikeout rate (top six percent in the league) and career-bests in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate, Calhoun is an ideal fifth outfielder or, at the very least, a fine bench piece.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Vidal Brujan (2B – TB): 12% Rostered
“Rays prospect Vidal Brujan is still rostered in just 12% of leagues. It’s only a matter of time before he and Wander Franco are up and making a major improvement to the Rays’ lineup. Tampa is in a dog fight for the AL East and they can’t add salary like New York and Boston, but they can add talent. Brujan has a .321/.415/.617 slash at Triple-A with seven home runs and nine stolen bases. He can be a game-changer even if he plays half a season with the big club.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Q2. What one starting pitcher should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Vince Velasquez (PHI): 13% Rostered
“Velasquez is the perfect candidate to round out your fantasy pitching staff. In six starts this season, the 28-year-old is 2-0 with 33 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched with a 2.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP all while holding his opponents to a .195 batting average. He doesn’t have the greatest track record, but pitcher-needy fantasy managers should take the plunge and roster the former 2010 second-round draft pick. At the very least, consider streaming Velasquez ahead of Monday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Reds with intentions of keeping him when he performs well.”
– Jacob W. Dunne (New Life Fantasy)

Jake Odorizzi (HOU): 12% Rostered
“I’m not generally a fan of relying on lightly-rostered starting pitchers in my leagues, but if you’re in a format where it makes sense to cycle through hurlers, Odorizzi deserves your consideration. He barely played last year because of a chest injury and had a couple rough starts to begin this year before suffering a forearm strain. But the last time we saw him in extended action, he was excellent, winning 15 games for the Twins with a 3.51 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 10.08 K/9 back in 2019. The Astros are a team that seems to know how to get the best out of their starting pitchers, and Odorizzi is set to rejoin their rotation this weekend.”
– Andrew Seifter (FantasyPros)

Logan Gilbert (SEA): 17% Rostered
“It hasn’t been an ideal start for Gilbert, but there’s enough upside to make him rosterable. He hasn’t been good in his three starts, but he’s not hurting himself, tallying just a 4.1% walk rate. He’s also been unlucky, with a FIP, xFIP, and SIERA all more than three runs lower than his ERA. His most recent start against the A’s (four innings pitched, four baserunners, two runs, four strikeouts) was highly encouraging, and if he can learn to avoid the big inning, he should provide back-end-of-the-rotation value given his solid strikeout numbers (9.28/9 innings).”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Jonathan Loaisiga (NYY): 19% Rostered
“With Corey Kluber out for a few months and Luis Severino not ready yet to return from Tommy John, Loaisiga becomes an intriguing addition to fantasy rotations. He is rostered in just 19% of leagues, has starting experience, and has dual RP/SP eligibility in most formats. Loaisiga won’t wow you with velocity, but he’s shown he can get outs at the Major League level and could become a very important pitcher for the Yankees from now until the All-Star break.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Thank you to the experts for naming their under-the-radar waiver wire pickups. Make sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice all season and check out our Leading Off Podcast every single day for quick-hitting takeaways and advice.

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