Waiver Wire Pickups - MAY - Fantasy Baseball 2011

If you want to win a championship in your fantasy baseball league, then learning how to scour the waiver wire and make the appropriate adds at just the right time needs to become a priority in your fantasy management skills.

Just ask anyone who added Jose Bautista, Martin Prado, Kelly Johnson, Brett Gardner, Angel Pagan, Drew Stubbs, John Buck, Andres Torres, Austin Jackson, or pitchers Mat Latos, Trevor Cahill, Jaime Garcia, Gio Gonzalez, Jonathan Sanchez, Colby Lewis, Ricky Romero, RA Dickey, Brandon Morrow, CJ Wilson, Carl Pavano, Matt Capps or John Axford to their team last season. Heck when you think about it, you could have missed your leagues entire draft, then picked up these free agents to begin the season, and quite possibly have won your leagues championship last year! Just sayin.....

So with this in mind, here are my top players to keep tabs on in your league right now. The number after each players name is their current % owned in 12 team mixed yahoo leagues. The date after each players name is the date the player was posted here.

Matt Joyce - OF - Tampa Bay Rays - (4%) - (5/1/11)
While Joyce is definitely not a reliable contributor for fantasy baseball teams on an everyday basis, he definitely has solidified his playing time in the Rays lineup to go along with a hot bat entering the first week in May. With 4 three game series matchups against the Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians and Orioles to begin the first two weeks in May, Joyce could easily see plenty of weak pitching matchups in his favor to excel at the plate over the next 14 days. Having already compiled a stat line that includes 2 homeruns, 8 rbi, 9 runs, 2 stolen bases, 8 doubles, 5 walks, and a .354 batting average over 65 at bats against right handed pitching so far this season, Joyce seems poised to be a near MUST start against all right handed pitching matchups. Overall, at under 5% owned in mixed 12 team yahoo leagues, Joyce is an excellent speculative OF pickup for any fantasy baseball team in any deep or 12 plus team league.

Brett Wallace - 1B - Houston Astros - (9%) - (4/26/11)
If you are in a deeper league and want to simply take a flyer on a hot player right now, then Wallace is an excellent gamble. He has always been touted as a likely .300 plus hitter in the majors, and so far this season Wallace has not disappointed in that department as he has tallied a .324 batting average over 71 at bats this season. With 6 consecutive home games against the Cardinals and Brewers in store for Houston over the next week, Wallace who has racked up an excellent .345 batting average, .441 on base percentage, and .517 slugging percentage in 10 home games for Houston this season, could definitely be a worthwhile starter for fantasy baseball teams this week.

Johnny Damon - OF - Tampa Bay Rays - (28%) - (4/26/11)
Even though Damon suffered a broken finger last week, he has continued to play through the injury.....and he has played extremely well even at that. Riding a 13 game hitting streak entering Tuesday's game, Damon has been outstanding batting in the #2 spot in the Rays lineup over the past two weeks. With Sam Fuld leading off and getting on base consistently, and Evan Longoria just a few days away from getting back in the lineup, Damon is an excellent addition to any fantasy baseball team right now, and he could easily be headed for an excellent month of May once Longoria is back. At under 30% owned in 12 team leagues, Damon is a solid plug and play immediately, and the next 3 week outlook appears comfy as well with matchups against the Twins, Angels, Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians, and Orioles again. Now is the time to take a flyer on Damon.

Ryan Theriot - SS/2B - St Louis Cardinals - (33%) - (4/26/11)
I mentioned Theriot here two weeks ago, and he deserves to be mentioned again this week. Theriot is still batting well over .300, with an official batting average of .311 over 90 at bats this season. Add in the likelyhood that Albert Pujols will be heating up with the weather in May, and Theriot at just 33% owned is an excellent pickup for any fantasy baseball team looking for infield help.

Ryan Theriot - SS/2B - St Louis Cardinals - (26%) - (4/18/11)
A leadoff hitter batting .303 over the first 15 games of the season, combined with duel eligibility at SS and 2B, then throw in the fact that Rasmus, Pujols, Holliday and Berkman follow him in the lineup, and can someone please tell me why Ryan Theriot is only owned in 26% of 12 team yahoo fantasy baseball leagues?!? With 2 stolen bases and 7 rbi already in the bag this season, Theriot clearly has enough potential to tally 20 stolen bases, 65 rbi, 90 runs scored, and a batting average around .290 this season. Right now, there is no reason not to have Theriot on your fantasy baseball roster if you are evenly slightly short of having a rock solid SS and/or 2B on your team.

Derek Holland - SP - Texas Rangers - (33%) - (4/20/11)
After two stellar starts to begin the season, Holland ran into a minor speed bump in his last outing against the Yankees in New York. However even though Holland allowed 5 earned runs in that game, he still managed to pitch 7.2 innings and rack up a respectable 5 strikeouts. With an extra days rest in store for this week and a matchup at home against the Kansas City Royals, followed by likely starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics, fantasy baseball teams gotta love the possible return on the just 33% owned Holland over his next three starts. 3 wins are absolutely attainable.

Jed Lowrie - SS/2B - Boston Red Sox - (17%) - (4/18/11)
After Lowrie's excellent second half to finish out last season, combined with the fully expected decline of Marco Scutaro this season, it looks like Lowrie is finally on the cusp of taking over as the Red Sox everyday starting shortstop. Offering solid power hitting ability that could top out at 15 homeruns if given 450 at bats over the course of a season, Lowrie is a duel eligible SS/2B player that all fantasy baseball teams need to keep a close on eye. Given the potent Red Sox lineup for this season, it seems realistic to think that it does not matter what spot in the batting order Lowrie hits in, he could definitely rack up stats across the board. If you have a spot to take a flyer on a high potential player, Jed Lowrie is the guy you want to go and pick up immediately.

Sam Fuld - OF - Tampa Bay Rays - (48%) - (4/18/11)
One would think the Fuld Fun is nothing but a mirage so far this season, but with Fuld's playing time nearly guaranteed and his hits continuing to roll in as the Rays leadoff hitter, there is little reason not to go grab Fuld off your leagues waiver wire and plug him into your starting lineup immediately. Considering the fact that Fuld has tallied 3 seasons of at least 20 stolen bases in the minors over his career, there is an exceptional chance that Fuld will top the 20 stolen base plateau with the Rays this season. If anything, at least pickup and start Fuld in your lineup immediately so you can at least try to take advantage of his hot streak at the plate right now.

Chris Narveson - SP - Milwaukee Brewers - (44%) - (4/14/11)
The Narveson name is still relatively unknown around the MLB and in fantasy baseball leagues, but after tallying 13 scoreless innings to start the season, while adding in 14 strikeouts over those innings, Narveson's name could be flying up the radar after his Friday start against the Washington Nationals. In fact, it would not be surprising if Narveson was able to keep his scoreless inning streak intact against the Ryan Zimmerman less Nationals tomorrow. If you want to stream a starting pitcher, Narveson should be one of your best and most likely available SP in your leagues free agent pool right now. So if you are willing to take a calculated risk, go pick up Narveson right now and get him in your starting lineup for tomorrows game.

Zach Britton - SP - Baltimore Orioles - (49%) - (4/14/11)
So far the prospect hype has proven worthy for Britton through his first two major league starts, and with his third start taking place on Friday against the Cleveland Indians, fantasy baseball teams will definitely want to consider taking the stream add of Britton today so they can start him tomorrow. Another win as well as a possible 6 innings of 2 or less earned runs allowed could certainly be in store for Britton in tomorrows matchup.

Alberto Callaspo - 2B/3B - Los Angeles Angels - (11%) - (4/7/11)
Not much of a power threat, Callaspo has already tallied 2 homeruns and 5 rbi through the first 5 games of the season, including posting at least 1 hit in each of those games. However while I do not expect those power numbers to continue, Callaspo is a multi-position qualifying player in fantasy baseball leagues right now, and with Erick Aybar headed to the DL with a strained oblique, Callaspo could easily find himself playing shortstop as well. Add in the fact that the Angels will play 6 consecutive homes games starting Friday April 8, including 3 against the Blue Jays and 3 against the Indians, and it clearly makes sense to believe that those pitching matchups will not be a tough play for Callaspo. So if you want a short term play who can fill your lineup at different positions, Callaspo is a nice cheap option who is hitting the ball extremely well right now.

Russell Martin - C - New York Yankees - (52%) - (4/7/11)
While I am anything but certain than Martin can rediscover his 2007 fantasy baseball glory season, I do think that Martin is an absolute steal right now as a waiver wire pickup in nearly any sized fantasy baseball league. If Martin truly is fully healthy and can stay that way for the majority of the season, there is no reason to doubt that Martin could not tally 10-15 homeruns, 10-15 stolen bases, and respectable rbi, runs, and batting average stats across the board. At around 50% owned in mixed 12 team leagues, Martin appears to be a top 10 catcher who should be owned in nearly every fantasy baseball league that has 12 teams or more.

Lance Berkman - 1B/OF - St. Louis Cardinals - (34%) - (4/7/11)
There is no denying that being able to stay healthy is the main sticking point with Berkman in fantasy baseball league right now. At age 35 and playing right field on an everyday basis could easily catch up with Berkman by midseason, however with fresh legs and health on his side, Berkman can definitely add a much needed offensive punch to fantasy lineups in the short term. Add in Berkman's cleanup spot in the lineup after Albert Pujols, and Berkman could potentially be a first half lifesaver for fantasy baseball teams this season.

Jordan Walden - RP - Los Angeles Angels - (27%) - (4/5/11)
Just 4 games into the 2011 season, and the Angels have already removed Fernando Rodney from the closers roll. Walden has the ideal pitching makeup to become an outstanding closer in the majors, and right now the only thing he lacks is experience. Armed with a fastball that routinely sits in the upper 90s range and can even hit 100 mph, Walden could potentially tally 80 plus strikeouts over 60 innings pitched this season. All in all, Walden is a must add pickup in all fantasy baseball league formats right now. So if Walden is still available in your league, please do yourself a favor and pick him up immediately.

Sean Burnett - RP - Washington Nationals - (15%) - (4/3/11)
After earning the first save of the season for the Nationals, Burnett has all the makings of becoming one of the top free agent closer pickups for the 2011 season. Having already proven to be an effective late game option for the Nationals over the last two seasons, there is likely little reason as to why the Nationals would not give Burnett a fair shake at taking over the full time closers roll right now, and for the immediate future. With Drew Storen struggling mightily, the likelihood that the Nationals take it slow with Storen to begin the season is getting more and more evident. In fact it would not be out of the question to see Storen removed completely from the closers roll for the entire first half the season. Offering solid strikeout potential to go along with low ERA and WHIP numbers, Burnett is one relief pitcher I would rather have on my fantasy baseball right now than more popular names like Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney.

Kyle Drabek - SP - Toronto Blue Jays - (21%) - (4/2/11)
After a brilliant pitching performance in his first start of the season, Drabek will definitely find his name on the hot list of numerous fantasy baseball teams heading into his second start. While division foes will be an unfriendly matchup for Drabek more often than not this season, the upside with this young starting pitcher is significant. If your fantasy team has a deep bench or you have an open spot to take a flyer on any player right now, adding Drabek would be a great move that could pay off nicely. Overall, Drabek will no doubt go through some rough games this season as a rookie pitcher, but when all is said and done, Drabek should have no problem becoming a must start matchup-play SP for plenty of fantasy baseball teams this season.

Brandon Belt - 1B - San Francisco Giants - (24%) - (4/1/11)
Honestly, adding Belt should not really even be a question right now in the majority of fantasy baseball league setups. Belt is still only 24% owned in 12 team yahoo leagues after Opening Day, but that percentage could easily shoot up to well above 50% within the next week. After an encouraging showdown against Clayton Kershaw that resulted in Belt's first major league hit as well as a walk, there should be little doubt that Belt definitely has the talent and ability to handle matchups against even the best pitchers in the league. Assuming Belt can maintain his level of play and stick as the Giants starting 1B for the entire season, he could finish the season with 20 homeruns, 10 stolen bases, 80 rbi and .285 batting average. Clearly not a bad return for a free agent pickup in fantasy baseball leagues right now.

Kila Ka'aihue - 1B - Kansas City Royals - (15%) - (3/30/11)
As one of the premiere power hitters in the entire minor leagues over the past three years, it appears that the Royals have finally decided to give Ka'aihue a fair shake at becoming a permanent name in their everyday starting lineup for the 2011 season. With the ability to play better defense at 1B than Billy Butler, Ka'aihue who has produced an outstanding spring at the plate, should begin the season as the Royals #4 or #5 hitter after the on-base magnet known as Billy Butler. A 25-30 homerun and 90-100 rbi season could be in the works for Ka'aihue in 2011.

Mark Trumbo - 1B - Los Angeles Angels - (4%) - (3/30/11)
Often times fantasy teams can inflate the short-term value of a replacement player, however on a few occasions a replacement player can fly under the radar. Entering the 2011 season, Trumbo is an example of one of these few occasion players. With Kendrys Morales not able to play to begin the season, even if it is only a week or two, Trumbo is a power hitter entering the season on a hot streak after blasting pitchers throughout spring training. Whether you are in a head to head league with weekly matchups, or a roto scoring league, Trumbo could definitely carry your team for a week or two or even more to begin the season. Add in matchups against the Royals for 3 games to start the season, followed by a likely David Price-less 2 game series against Rays, and then consecutive 3 game series matchups against the Blue Jays, Indians, and White Sox, all of which offer very hittable starting pitching rotations.

Brandon Beachy - SP - Atlanta Braves - (10%) - (3/30/11)
While spring training stats tend to never really tell the whole truth about a player, Beachy's 2011 spring training performance clearly has the potential to be an exception. After going undrafted out of college and never considered to be a top prospect, Beachy put his name on the minor league prospect map during the 2010 season with a breakout showing at both Double A and Triple A. Having put together an outstanding spring training on the mound, Beachy enters the 2011 season having won the 5th spot in the Braves starting rotation. Offering a high strikeout rate to go along with a low walk rate, Beachy could definitely become the 2011 version of former 2010 rookies Mat Latos, Ricky Romero or Jaime Garcia from last season.

Alex Gordon - 3B/OF - Kansas City Royals - (23%) - (3/30/11)
Yes we have all been through the Alex Gordon hoax before, but after absolutely mashing the baseball during spring training, there is still a glimmer of light shinning in this deep wooded forest. If Gordon starts the season with a good first couple of games, I would not hesitate to grab him off the waiver wire immediately within the first week of the season. Gordon will qualify at 3B in all fantasy baseball leagues, so while he will play the outfield for the Royals in 2011, fantasy teams will find more value for him at 3B in their lineup.

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- Hawk Michaels

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