Fantasy Baseball 2021: Pickups and MLB Waiver-Wire Adds for Week 3
One of the best fantasy baseball replacements for Fernando Tatis Jr. could be the player who took over his spot in the San Diego Padres order.
Ha-Seong Kim blasted his first MLB home run Saturday night and could be getting more comfortable with his temporary starting role.
Kim was thrust into starting duty when Tatis went down with a left shoulder injury, and he has the potential to bring hits and runs value to fantasy lineups from the bottom of the San Diego order.
The National League West may be the best place to look for under-the-radar waiver-wire acquisitions this week since the Colorado Rockies' Garrett Hampson showed he could have some value during his ballclub's first home stand.
Over in the American League, one pitcher may have rediscovered the things that made him successful a few years ago, which could make him an intriguing early waiver-wire pickup.
Ha-Seong Kim, SS, San Diego
Kim's breakout game in the San Diego lineup occurred Saturday
The shortstop produced a home run, two runs and four total bases in a victory over the Texas Rangers. In three of the four games prior to Saturday, Kim did not reach base through a hit.
Were Saturday an early turning point for Kim, he could come with strong fantasy value in the runs and hits categories.
If Kim is able to reach base multiple times in a game, he could set up Trent Grisham and Jurickson Profar with RBI opportunities in front of the power hitters.
The power aspect would be the added boost to Kim's fantasy value. It is worth noting Saturday's home run came against the struggling Texas Rangers.
Kim's upcoming matchups with the Pittsburgh Pirates make him an even more intriguing waiver-wire add for at least the next week. The Pirates gave up 30 runs in a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds and allowed 18 runs in five meetings with the Chicago Cubs.
Garrett Hampson, OF, Colorado
The final two games of Colorado's first home stand put Hampson on fantasy radars.
The outfielder stole four bases and scored on five occasions Wednesday and Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Those two performances are likely the fantasy ceiling for Hampson, but if he continues to swipe bags, his fantasy value will go up.
Finding a player on the waiver wire with a decent stolen base volume can be a tough task. So if he continues to attempt stolen bases, he could be used as a streaming outfield option.
Hampson also recorded a hit in six of Colorado's first seven home games. The Rockies have an eight-game home swing that begins at the end of Week 3 versus the New York Mets.
The Rockies begin the week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom they faced in their opening series. If Hampson benefits from the familiarity with the Los Angeles staff and gets on base, he could open up his hits, runs and stolen bases tallies in road games.
Griffin Canning, SP, Los Angeles Angels
Griffin Canning had an OK season debut, but there was one number that stood out immediately.
Canning fanned seven Toronto Blue Jays batters over 5.1 innings despite giving up a pair of home runs.
In 2019, Canning had 10 starts with six or more strikeouts. He only had four starts with that total during the shortened 2020 campaign.
Canning's first strikeout total of 2021 could be an indicator for which direction his pitching form is headed in, and it is a bit more impressive because it was recorded against Toronto.
His next start will likely come against the Kansas City Royals. That matchup could make him a strong streaming option this week. If you like what Canning produces in that start, he could be a mainstay in the back end of your fantasy rotation.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from MLB.com.