Championships are won in fantasy football through the draft.
In fantasy baseball, that’s not necessarily the truth. Oftentimes, fantasy baseball championships are won by those who take chances on the early season fantasy baseball waiver wire.
So now’s the time to take a few chances with the waiver wire, in hopes of finding a player or two who far exceeds expectations. Here’s three position players who deserve a chance on your roster, just to see if they can remain a viable option into the summer.
Preston Tucker, OF, Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are hot on the offensive end. And Tucker is one of the main reasons why.
He was owned in less than 1 percent of leagues when the fantasy baseball season kicked off. Entering week 2 of the fantasy baseball season, he’s owned in a little more than 50 percent of leagues on ESPN.
If he’s still residing on your league’s waiver wire, do yourself a favor, and give him a chance.
Tucker is slashing .370/.400/.667 this season, with two homers and nine RBI. His past isn’t pretty when compared to this season, but this is only is third season, and the new scenery (he was in Houston the previous two years) may have provided him a rebirth.
He’s worth a pickup, just to see if he can continue to offer solid power numbers for a team that appears poised to be better on the offensive end than many expected.
Dansby Swanson, SS, Atlanta Braves
We’ll stick with the hot-hitting Braves. Swanson is another one of those young players on Atlanta’s roster who is hitting lights out in the early stages of 2018.
Swanson is batting .382 so far this season with seven RBI and five runs scored. What I like most about Swanson is that he was a highly touted draft pick, who just didn’t seem to get much going in his first full season in 2017.
He hit just .232 last season, with an on-base percentage of .312. Because of those numbers, he was forgotten heading into 2018. Don’t give up on him just yet, though. He was a big-time draft pick for a reason and he’s showing that hitting ability now that many expected right away.
Some players take a little time, so don’t be discouraged by Swanson’s season last year.
Freddy Galvis, SS, San Diego Padres
OK, I’ll take the bait.
Galvis is a known commodity, so that hot start in the batting average department shouldn’t fool me much. However, he does have new scenery, which may serve as a motivating factor, and he’s showing some of that power production that was lost last season.
When Galvis was at his best, he hit 20 homers, registered 67 RBI and stole 17 bases. His batting average left a lot to be desired, but that’s not horrible production in a 12-team league.
This season, he’s showing less speed (no stolen bases), but he has a .364 batting average with five RBI. If he can get back that speed, while also continuing to hit for power, he can be a serviceable candidate.
We have some evidence of previous power, so he may be able to contribute to your fantasy baseball roster.
