We have completed another week of baseball action and are ready for our second waiver wire free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) run. It’s too early to overreact to some studs who may have gotten off to slow starts, but it is also time to start taking chances on others who may have gotten off to fast starts. Early in the season, we’ll be taking some chances on some players who need to be rostered in most formats.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire & FAAB Targets

Each week, I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly waiver wire FAAB process, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others that may be better fitting for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter (@bdentrek).

Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.

Hitters

Jacob Wilson (SS – ATH)

Rostered: 42%
Suggested Bid: 13%

Entering the season, most were wondering what Wilson would bring to the table for fantasy. Would it be an excellent batting average with nothing else? That seemed to be a common thought, but that thought was way off. Wilson has been great this season. Entering the weekend, Wilson had hit safely in 22 of 24 games this season. He is hitting .330 on the season with two home runs and a stolen base. Wilson is striking out only 4.2% of the time to go with a great 131 wRC+. Wilson started the season as a deep league target, but now he should be rostered in most fantasy formats.

Chandler Simpson (OF – TB)

Rostered: 34%
Suggested Bid: 12%

Simpson got called up this past week, and the hype around Simpson has been tremendous. Simpson brings a great hit tool, no power, and more speed than one can imagine. He stole 104 bases in the minors last season; the expectations are high. In his first five games entering Friday, Simpson has hit safely in each game with five singles, a double, and two stolen bases. With the injury to Jake Mangum, Simpson should play every day, and with that, could bring a solid batting average and a whole lot of steals.

Agustin Ramirez (C – MIA)

Rostered: N/A%
Suggested Bid: 27%

With the injury to Rob Brantly and Nick Fortes already on the IL, Ramirez was finally called up. Ramirez is an offensive force for the catching position. Last year at Triple-A, he hit 25 home runs while stealing 22 bases and hitting .267. In his first three games with the Marlins, he’s 7-10 with a home run and four doubles. He’s also one for two stealing bases without a strikeout and two walks. Ramirez is hitting in the middle of the order and could be a Top-10 fantasy catcher if he continues to be the primary catcher for the Marlins.

Pitchers

Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN)

Rostered: 46%
Suggested Bid: 7%

Abbott has looked great in his first two starts of the season. He has allowed an earned run in each start, with 16 strikeouts over 11 innings pitched for a 32.5% K-BB. He struggled on Friday night in Coors, allowing four runs over four innings with five walks and four strikeouts. He had not been walking guys in the first two starts, so hopefully it was just a blip on the radar. Abbott is showcasing plenty of upside and should be a streaming option for the upcoming weeks.

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – ARI)

Rostered: 25%
Suggested Bid: 6%

Rodriguez is putting together a nice start to the season through his first five starts. He has a 4.40 ERA, but his 3.02 SIERA suggests he’s been better. He has 34 strikeouts with only seven walks (good for EROD) for a nice 22% K-BB. Rodriguez has allowed three earned runs or less in three starts, nearly four starts if those final runs didn’t score with two outs. Rodriguez may never be the near ace he once was, but he’s proving he can be a viable stream this season.

Matthew Liberatore (SP – STL)

Rostered: 18%
Suggested Bid: 13%

There have been high expectations for Liberatore in his career, and after struggles, he appears to have found his form in the Cardinals’ rotation. He entered his start on Friday with a 3.60 ERA and 2.98 SIERA through four starts with 24 strikeouts and two walks for a 22.4% K-BB. On Friday night, he was solid again, allowing one earned run over six innings with four strikeouts and no walks. He faces the Reds and Pirates in his next two starts, which bodes well as both are struggling versus LHP this season.

Closers

Camilo Doval (RP – SF)

Rostered: 26%
Suggested Bid: 7%

There are a lot of save specs on the radar this week. Doval is one of the best options this weekend. Ryan Walker has been struggling, and even when Walker was throwing well, Doval still got an occasional save. Entering Friday, Doval has five saves and a hold with eight strikeouts over 12 innings pitched. Doval is getting close to returning to his all-star closing form, and he’s worth speculating about before potentially securing the job full-time.

Porter Hodge (RP – CHC)

Rostered: 14%
Suggested Bid: 8%

Speaking of save specs, Hodge is another excellent option. He picked up the save on Wednesday versus the Dodgers while Ryan Pressly is out nursing a knee injury. Pressly has dealt with a knee injury in the past, not to mention that he has not been dominant when he’s pitched this season. Hodge has a save and five holds on the season with 15 strikeouts over 12.2 innings pitched. If Pressly’s injury or struggles continue, Hodge could find his way into more save chances.

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