With Opening Day now a thing of the past, the 2024 MLB season is officially underway. And fantasy baseball players are beginning their journey to winning a league championship.
Week 2 of the fantasy baseball season allows those players to see the early landscape of competition. It's a long season and there will be plenty of speedbumps along the way. But heading into Week 2, owners can get a good look at their team and see what needs to be added.
Perhaps it's a short-term addition for a player faded on draft day. Maybe it's a more deep-rooted issue that needs a long-term answer. Either predicament can be solved by strong waiver wire usage.
There, you'll find players oft-forgotten about. And yet, some are putting up the best stat lines early on in MLB's 2024 campaign. Each player still has plenty to prove, but these four's strong start made them worthy of a Week 2 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup.
Every player on this list is owned in 20 percent or less of all ESPN fantasy baseball leagues.
Travis d'Arnaud, catcher, Braves
While the fantasy baseball season is still young, there is still short-term value to be had. Following Sean Murphy's injury, catcher Travis d'Arnaud now fines himself in a position with loads of potential.
Murphy has been diagnosed with Grade 1 oblique strain. Manager Brian Snitker called it the “best case scenario,” based on all potential outcomes Murphy could've faced, via Kevin McAlpin of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. Still, Atlanta placed Murphy on the 10-day injured list, meaning he will be out at at least a week+.
In the meantime, d'Arnaud will be filling in at catcher. While he went 1-for-5 in his first opportunity, the catcher did record two RBI. He struggled in 2023, but was an All-Star in 2022 after hitting .268 with 18 home runs and 60 RBI.
It'll be hard to truly expect another All-Star season from d'Arnaud. However, he is now seeing regular playing time in one of the best lineups in baseball. Especially at a scarce catcher position, d'Arnaud makes for a strong fill-in as long as Murphy is out.
Oswaldo Cabrera, third base, Yankees
With the New York Yankees dead set on making a World Series run, all the attention has been placed on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. However, Oswaldo Cabrera is proving he isn't a player to be forgotten early in the 2024 season.
Cabrera has started all three games for New York to begin the campaign, hitting an astounding .538 with two home runs and six RBI. His seven hits currently lead the American League, as the Yankees have gotten out to a 3-0 start.
In many fantasy baseball leagues, Cabrera has outfield eligibility after spending 92 games across left and right field. However, he has played exclusive third base to open the campaign. Gaining another position of eligibility would only make Cabrera more valuable in fantasy baseball.
Hitting in a lineup with Judge and Soto, Cabrera will have plenty of run scoring opportunities throughout the lineup. But if he keeps swinging the bat as he has, manager Aaron Boone will have no choice but to keep him in the lineup.
Kutter Crawford, starting pitcher, Red Sox
The first start of the season for a pitcher must come with a grain of salt, especially in fantasy baseball. Perhaps it was just a good outing and the wheels fall off in their next start. But while it was a risk, there's no denying how strong Boston Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford looked in his 2024 debut against the Seattle Mariners.
Over six innings, Crawford allowed just one unearned run, striking out seven and walking one. While the Red Sox feel 4-3, Crawford continued his strong momentum from the 2023 season.
That campaign, the righty held a 6-8 record with a 4.04 ERA and a 135/36 K/BB ratio. He lowered his ERA from 5.47 a year prior and saw his BB/9 drop from 3.4 to 2.5. All of that while handling almost 130 innings at the major league level and putting up impressive strikeout numbers.
Crawford will need to prove he can be consistent throughout an entire season. Boston may not be a team racking up wins on a regular basis. However, Crawford's performance against the Mariners at least proved that he has the potential to be an underrated fantasy baseball addition.
Jared Jones, starting pitcher, Pirates
There was nothing underrated about Jared Jones' MLB debut. One of the top prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates' system, all eyes were on the right-hander as he took the mound against the Miami Marlins.
Over 5.2 innings, he allowed three unearned runs on three hits while striking out 10 and walking two. Pittsburgh and Jones came away with a 9-3 victory. His double digit strikeout performance – and earning a win in his first start – caught the eyes of MLB fans and fantasy baseball players accordingly.
Jones entered the 2024 ranked as the third-best prospect in Pittsburgh's organization and the 59th-best in all of baseball, via MLB Pipeline. As the Pirates go throughout they're season, he will be one of the many players Pittsburgh is trying to build their foundation around.
Game one was certainly a good start for Jones. Adding him off the waiver wire could be a gamble as the right-hander gets adjusted to MLB. But if he is putting up wins and high level strikeouts every time he is on the mound, Jones is a Week 2 pick up that could still be paying off come playoff time.
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