Fantasy: 3 players to target on waivers
Every Sunday, theScore's MLB editors will shed light on three potential targets to claim on the waiver wire in your fantasy league in a player-versus-player format.
*Players must be owned in 30 percent or less of Yahoo fantasy leagues to qualify.
Kevin Kiermaier vs. Nori Aoki
If you're looking for an outfielder off the wire to spell an injured starter, Kiermaier and Aoki are likely your best bets at the moment. That's about the only thing these two have in common. Whereas the 24-year-old Kiermaier offers upside and power potential - he hit 10 homers in 331 plate appearances last season and already has two through 11 games this year - Aoki remains a solid source for average and steals.
Aoki is off to a great start for the defending champion San Francisco Giants, and as the leadoff hitter should provide decent run value despite his club's underwhelming lineup. His .327 average probably isn't here to stay, thanks to a .383 BABIP, but he's a good bet to finish somewhere around .285 again.
Kiermaier is in an equally meager lineup with the Tampa Bay Rays, but if he continues to show anywhere close to this kind of power (.361 ISO!), he could emerge as a legitimate 15-20 homer type with an average somewhere in the middle-to-low .200s.
Pick: Owners in 5x5 leagues will be tempted by Kiermaier's power, but if you're that desperate for homers, your roster probably has more holes than a third or fourth outfield spot. While Aoki's value is better suited in an OBP league, he gets the edge here thanks to consistency and his two-category strengths - average and steals - both of which can be increasingly hard to come by in fantasy.
Sergio Romo vs. Kelvin Herrera
Finding relievers who offer value in non-holds leagues is difficult - especially when the stronger options are buried behind incumbent closers. Case in point with Herrera and Romo.
Herrera's dominance came into clear focus during last year's postseason, when the 24-year-old right-hander displayed the type of tantalizing swing-and-miss stuff that makes for an elite high-leverage option. The Kansas City Royals flamethrower has picked up right where he left off, with five strikeouts to one walk in four innings this season.
Romo, on the other hand, has been working to repair his fantasy reputation after losing the closer's job to Santiago Casilla last year. So far, so good. Romo has eight punchouts in just 4 2/3 innings.
Pick: Romo. While Herrera's path to more saves is clearer with Greg Holland on the disabled list, Romo is entrenched in Bruce Bochy's good books after re-signing with the champs for less money. The Giants skipper also indicated recently that Romo could slide into the ninth on occasion, and it wouldn't surprise us if the right-hander overtook the job at some point this season.
Yasmani Grandal vs. Miguel Montero
Given the lack of depth at catcher, it's surprising to see Montero and Grandal owned in fewer than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues. One look at their numbers explains why.
Both players are known more for their power than anything else - the days of Montero hitting .280 are long gone - but neither is batting his weight and it's doubtful they'll play enough to hit 20 homers.
Pick: Based on lineup factors alone, Grandal (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Montero (Chicago Cubs) will be popular wire pickups throughout the year until either one proves capable of holding down a starting spot on your roster. We're willing to gamble for now on Grandal, given his exceptional 17.6-percent small sample walk rate, first-base eligibility, and upside (more than five years younger than Montero).