Week 1 of the Fantasy Baseball season is in the books and with it many of us find ourselves already scouring the waiver wire in hopes of snagging a player who fell through the cracks during the draft and could be the key to this season’s success.  In this addition of Waiver Flavor, I will take a look at the top performing players that are likely still on the waiver wire at each position from the last week and take a look at their upcoming matchups.

Let’s get started!

Catcher

Yadier Molina, STL - Molina finds himself owned in just over 50 percent of standard leagues but given how shallow the catcher position is, fantasy owners could certainly do worse than the veteran backstop. Molina has a mini three-game hitting streak currently in which he has gone 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles, two runs, three RBI and one stolen base.  The Cardinals are playing the Brewers and Reds this week, who both figure to finish toward the bottom of the division and should provide favorable matchups for Molina.

Miguel Montero, CHC - Montero figures to see a bit more playing time than likely expected following the injury to Kyle Schwarber which should immediately boost his fantasy appeal.  Montero has collected his in three of the four games he has played this season, going 5-for-18 (.278) with a home run, three doubles, two runs and five RBI.  Montero hit .248 with 36 runs, 15 home runs and 53 RBI last season and given his role on the club he should be able to reach those levels again.  The Cubs have home series against the Reds and Rockies this week which is good news for Montero as he hit .272 with an OPS of .825 at Wrigley last season.

Francisco Cervelli, PIT- Cervelli has made all three Waiver Flavor articles this season and for good reason as he is hitting .455 with four run, five RBI and an OPS of 1.109 to start the 2016 season.  While obviously Cervelli is not going to maintain those averages he did hit .295 with an OPS of .771 in 2015 which should make him one of the better catching options.  Fantasy owners are realizing that Cervelli is the man to grab off the waiver wire as they made him the highest-claimed player over the last seven days at the position.  The Pirates play two games at home and two games on the road against the Tigers to start the week before welcoming the Brewers to town which is solid news for Cervelli as he hit .290 with an OPS of .802 at home last season.

Honorable Mentions: Nick Hundley, Wilson Ramos

First Base

Mike Napoli, CLE - Napoli had a horrible start to 2015 which saw him hit .207 with an OPS of .693 with the Red Sox, which ultimately led to him being dealt to the Rangers. But he turned his season around in Texas, hitting .295 with five home runs and an OPS of .909 over the final 35 games of the season.  Napoli signed with the Indians in the offseason and figures to see the majority of his playing time against southpaws, who he is hitting .286 with an OPS of .926 against over the past three seasons. Napoli has already homered twice in four games this season and if the Indians manage him correctly, fantasy owners could find themselves with a cheap source of power they can grab off the waiver wire.  The Indians have a three-game set against the Rays coming up which will feature projected matchups against lefties Matt Moore and Drew Smyly, so snagging him now should ensure at least two immediate starts.

Chris Carter, MIL - Carter homered three times in Week 1 which is exactly what fantasy owners who drafted him are looking for. And while he has still managed to strikeout in nearly 50 percent of his at-bats, the potential for 30-plus home runs is what we are investing in here.  The Brewers have road matchups against the Cardinals and Pirates and will face three lefties which should pose favorable matchups for Carter if he is able to make solid contact.

Joe Mauer, MIN - Mauer has three multi-hit games to start the year and through the first seven games he is hitting .375 with three runs, one home runs, two RBI and an OPS of .984.  The Twins have Mauer hitting toward the middle of the lineup, but he is surrounded by strikeout-happy hitters which will put his counting stat production in flux.  For now, fantasy owners should look for Mauer to hit for a decent average while hoping the team around him starts to produce which will help out his overall production.  The Twins have home matchups against the White Sox and Angels this upcoming week, but will be avoiding Chris Sale which is good news for any hitter.

Honorable Mentions: Travis Shaw

Second Base

Scooter Gennett, MIL - Gennett is off to a “white hot” start, hitting .409 with five runs, three home runs, three RBI and an OPS of 1.318.  The Brewers second basemen is coming off of a tough 2015 but his second half showed promise and he has carried that over into the start of this season.  While fantasy owners cannot expect Gennett to continue to hit at this rate, there is little reason to think he can’t return to his 2014 form which saw him hit .289 with 55 runs, nine home runs, 54 RBI, six stolen bases and an OPS of .754 over 137 games.  The Brewers will be on the road this week against the Cardinals and Pirates, but will be fortunate enough to miss the top arms on each staff.

Brock Holt, BOS -  Holt is affectionately nicknamed “The Brockstar” around Red Sox Nation and for good reason as he is off to another hot start, hitting .368 with six runs, two home runs and eight RBI over the first five games of the season.  His two home runs already match his entire 2015 output and seeing as his career high is just four, he looks to be well on his way to surpassing that.  Holt figures to be an every day player for the Sox this season given his ability to play literally every position on the diamond outside of catcher, and that’s just because they haven’t asked him to play it yet. The Red Sox have home series against the Orioles and Blue Jays this upcoming week, but neither have an overpowering staff that should cause any real matchup trouble.

Jonathan Schoop, BAL - Schoop entered the season as a popular sleeper candidate after he hit .279 with 34 runs, 15 home runs and 39 RBI over 86 games last season. The power is real with Schoop and through the first six games of the season he has already gone yard while hitting .316 with two runs and five RBI. The Orioles are on the road against the Red Sox and Rangers this week but outside of a matchup with Cole Hamels neither staff is intimidating. 

Honorable Mentions: Brandon Phillips, Cesar Hernandez

Third Base

Tyler White, HOU - By now the cat is out of the bag with White but he still finds himself owned in just 65 percent of leagues and if you are in one of those leagues where he is on the wire, I’m not sure what else he needs to do to get on your roster.  White is hitting .545 to start the season with three runs, three home runs and nine RBI which has made him one of the top producing players of Week 1.  He is close to getting first base eligibility in all leagues which will only increase his fantasy value.  Houston has some tough matchups this week against the Royals and Tigers, but will benefit from playing at home which is a better hitter’s park than either of the opposing venues.

Adonis Garcia, ATL - The Braves have Garcia hitting cleanup behind Freddie Freeman which should immediately boost his fantasy value even if the Braves figure to be among the league’s worst offenses.  Garcia is hitting .316 with three runs, one home run and two RBI to start the season after bursting on the scene in 2015 to hit .277 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI over the final 58 games.  The Braves are on the road against the Nationals and Marlins this week, which do not present the most favorable matchups. But given how shallow third base is and the fact that Garcia is hitting in the middle of the lineup, he is an intriguing add.

Yunel Escobar, LAA - Escobar is in the leadoff spot for the Angels this season and while he is hitting just .259 to start the year he does have five runs scored over the first seven games which is where his value is really going to come into play.  Escobar hit a career-best .314 last season and while it’s unlikely he repeats that production he should be around his career .280 mark which could see him set a new career high in runs scored given the offense that is behind him.   The Angels are on the road this week against the A’s and Twins which both boast pitcher friendly parks due to the fact that their pitching often leaves something to be desired.  As long as Escobar continues to get on base he should be a solid source of runs this upcoming week.

Honorable Mentions: Nick Castellanos, Martin Prado

Shortstop

Eugenio Suarez, CIN - If not for what Trevor Story is doing out in Colorado the fantasy world might be talking about the start Suarez is off to in Cincinnati.  The Reds third basemen has just shortstop eligibility to start the season which will make him even more valuable once he qualifies at third given how shallow the position.  Through the first seven games of the season, Suarez is hitting .370 with nine runs, four home runs, nine RBI and one stolen base.  After hitting 13 home runs over 97 games in 2015, Suarez looks primed to have a career year for the Reds this season.  The Reds are on the road this week against the Cubs and Cardinals and will unfortunately draw the top of the rotation once they get to St. Louis which is not a good matchup for any hitter.

Eduardo Escobar, MIN - The Twins offense may be off to a slow start but Escobar is not, as the shortstop is hitting .370 with four doubles, two runs and two RBI over the first seven games.  Escobar hit a career best 12 home runs last season and seeing as he figures to get full time at bats in 2016 he should be able to at least reach that number again if not exceed it.  The Twins will be home this week with matchups against the White Sox and Angels but will fortunately miss some of the tougher pitching matchups.

Jean Segura, ARI - Segura is sitting around 80 percent ownership in most standard leagues but he deserves a spot on this list as his ownership has increased nearly 50 percent since draft day thanks to his fast start.  Over the first seven games of the season he is hitting .407 with six runs, three home runs, five RBI and three stolen bases which have helped him quickly become one of the league’s top producing shortstops.  Segura has hit double-digit homers in the past and his new home venue is one of the more hitter friendly parks so it’s not out of the question that he does it again.  His spot at the top of the Diamondbacks lineup is also a favorable one as he figures to score plenty of runs given the lineup behind him which is headlined by perennial MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt.  The Diamondbacks are on the road this week against the Dodgers and Padres but will be fortunate enough to miss the likes of Clayton Kershaw.

Honorable Mentions: Aledmys Diaz

Outfield

Jeremy Hazelbaker, STL - Your initial reaction to this name a week ago may have been "Who?" But that is no longer the case as the long-time minor leaguer is hitting a ridiculous .526 to start the season with five runs, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and two stolen bases over the first seven games.  While it’s unlikely he continues to hit like the best player in baseball, fantasy owners should take notice and snag him now while he is hot and getting at bats.  The Cardinals are at home this week with matchups against the Brewers and Reds who do not boast the most impressive pitching staffs and could lead to another productive week for Hazelbaker.

Joey Rickard, BAL - Rickard was a Rule 5 pick by the Orioles this offseason and therefore they needed to keep him on their roster or risk losing him back to the Tampa Rays who they drafted him from. While Baltimore was certainly high on Rickard it’s doubtful they expected this type of start from the 24 year old rookie.  Through six games Rickard is hitting .409 with three runs, two doubles, one home run and three RBI while hitting at the top of the Orioles lineup.  Rickard was more of a stolen base threat in the minors but he has yet to attempt a stolen base so far this season.  Fantasy owners should snag Rickard now while the league is still trying to figure him out and ride the wave.  Baltimore is the on the road this week with matchups against the Red Sox and Rangers who both have favorable hitting parks and below average pitching staffs.

Colby Rasmus, HOU -  Rasmus hit a career-high 25 home runs in 2015 and is off to a fast start to his 2016 campaign with three homers over the first seven games.  Rasmus is a very streaky hitter and rarely plays against southpaws but that can does not mean there is no fantasy value here given his ability to hit for power.  If you find yourself in need of some cheap pop and can afford to play the matchups Rasmus is certainly a player to look at given the lineup around him. Houston has some tough matchups this week against the Royals and Tigers but will benefit from playing at home which is a better hitter’s park than either of the opposing venues.

Honorable Mentions: Preston Tucker, Leonys Martin, Angel Pagan

Pitchers

Jeremy Hellickson, PHI - Hellickson was the Phillies' Opening Day starter and while some were skeptical given the young and more promising arms on the Phillies staff he has pitched really well over his first two starts, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 11 over 11.2 innings.  More importantly is the fact that Hellickson has walked just one during this stretch which will be key to his success going forward.  Hellickson will make start No. 3 of the season on Friday at home against the Nationals which will be his toughest test yet.

Aaron Sanchez, TOR - Sanchez was fantastic in his season debut, allowing one earned run on five hits while walking none and striking out eight over seven innings against the Rays.  Control has been the biggest issue during his young career but during spring training he was able to limit the walks allowed while still throwing all of his pitches.  Sanchez will get two starts this week with the first coming on Tuesday against the Yankees in what will be a tough matchup against a lineup full of left handed power however they also all strikeout which is a positive thing.  His second start of the week is expected to come on the road Sunday against the Red Sox who are a solid hitting team but also are prone to the strikeout.

Marco Estrada, TOR- Estrada tossed seven shutout innings against the Red Sox in his season debut on Sunday while striking out eight.  His next start will come on Saturday against the Red Sox once again however this time he will be on the road.  Estrada is coming off career year in 2015 which saw him go 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA over 34 games (28 starts) and he is looking to continue that success in 2016.

Jeremy Jeffress, MIL - Jeffress has converted three straight save opportunities for the Brewers and has the closers job locked down.  While the Brewers are not expected to win many games they are also not expected to blow many teams out so the save chances should certainly be there for Jeffress which makes him a quality closer to grab.

Luke Gregerson, HOU - Gregerson has converted both save opportunities this season and with Ken Giles struggling to start the season he figures to have the Astros closing job locked down for the time being.  Gergerson saved a career-high 31 saves in 2015 for the surprising Astros but as they look to repeat their success in 2016 he figures to get plenty of save opportunities.

Honorable Mentions: Vince Velasquez, Edinson Volquez, Joe Ross, Brandon Finnegan, Jeanmar Gomez