The first week of the 2016 MLB season is in the books, so it’s time for fantasy baseball owners to look ahead to the coming week.
Here are five players you should be looking for on the waiver wire for Week 2.
5. Atlanta Braves OF Mallex Smith
Smith was called up to take the place of Ender Inciarte (hamstring), and he should see a lot of playing time in center field in the meantime. He hit .303 with 56 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A last season, so based on speed alone Smith has fantasy appeal.
Yahoo! Ownership: 14%
4. Baltimore Orioles SP Chris Tillman
Tillman’s Opening Day start was rain-shortened, but he struck five over two innings, then he followed that up with a solid second start (5.0 innings, one run allowed on four hits, five strikeouts and two walks). His next scheduled start will come on the road against the Boston Red Sox, so DFS owners will want to look elsewhere, but I like Tillman as someone to add in season-long leagues.
Yahoo! Ownership: 35%
3. Chicago Cubs OF Jorge Soler
Kyle Schwarber’s knee injury has opened up an opportunity for Soler, and he hit his first home run of the new season on Sunday. Soler may see a spike in ownership percentage, and rightfully so, but he meets the criteria for this list this week.
Yahoo! Ownership: 53%
2. Philadelphia Phillies RP Jeanmar Gomez
Gomez got a second straight save on Sunday, so he is moving toward locking down the closer role for Philadelphia. Opportunity volume will not be great on a losing team, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin will have a short leash if the season’s first week is any indication, but Gomez is still worth adding right now.
Yahoo! Ownership: 22%
1. Texas Rangers OF Nomar Mazara
Mazzara was called up from Triple-A to replace an injured Shin-Soo Choo (calf), who is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, and the 20-year old went 3-for-4 with a home run in his major league debut on Sunday. Mazara’s ownership rate is rising every minute it seems, so mixed league owners should act quickly.
Yahoo! Ownership: 42%