Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The injuries just don’t stop.
We are just two months into the MLB season and there are already way more injuries than I can count on one hand. Or two hands, or three hands. Simply put, there have been a lot of injuries thus far. And with those injuries comes opportunity for a ton of young players in the league, creating a ton of fantasy relevance. Drafting a good fantasy team is the first step to winning, but being active on the waiver wire is one of the best ways to take home the fantasy gold.
Note: Ownership percentages are based off Yahoo! leagues.
Corey Dickerson, Colorado Rockies (23%)- With Carlos Gonzalez now on the disabled list, Dickerson has an open door to everyday at-bats. A very talented player, but Dickerson can’t see consistent playing time because of the crowded outfield in Colorado, especially after the recent emergence of Charlie Blackmon. In 105 at-bats this season, Dickerson is batting .324 with seven home runs, 18 RBI and two stolen bases. He has the pedigree from the minors and his talent continues to translate to the majors. Batting at home in Colorado is obviously awesome, as Coors Field is seeing 1.314 homers per game this season, good for the fourth-most in baseball. If you need a CarGo replacement, or are in a deeper league, Dickerson is a great option with strong versatility.
Rubby De La Rosa, Boston Red Sox (13%)- De La Rosa may not have a solidified role in this rotation, but he’s been very impressive, and if he continues to, he might stay up in the big leagues. Through two starts, the 25-year old is sporting a 2.84 ERA with one win, 13 strikeouts and two walks. The dude has some serious velocity on his fastball, averaging 94.6-mph on his heater, but his off-speed stuff has generated some swings and misses, too. A short-term add for now with Clay Buchholz and Felix Doubront still on the DL, but De La Rosa has the stuff to stick.
Tanner Roark, Washington Nationals (36%)- Roark is vastly under-owned at 36 percent. The guy is pitching at a high level, sporting a 2.91 ERA with four wins, 61 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP. He is coming off an 11-strikeout shutout performance against the Padres and he’s not walking a ton of batters, sporting the 6th-lowest WHIP in the National League. The kid has some serious talent and needs to be owned in a lot more mixed leagues, that’s for sure.
Kendrys Morales, Minnesota Twins (29%)- The Twins, a darkhorse, emerged and signed Morales to a one-year, $12 million contract, making him their everyday designated hitter, while also making him fantasy relevant again. He’ll have opportunity and can be a solid source of power for fantasy owners in a pinch. Last year with the Mariners, Morales batted .277 with 23 homers and 80 RBI.
Adam Pfeifer is a lead fantasy sports writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
