Finding waiver wire players

I have stressed the importance of working the waiver wire to be a successful fantasy player (baseball or football). More than half of the players on my roster, including all eleven of my pitchers, were waiver wire acquisitions. Granted, I drafted a few of them, dropped them and then picked them up again.

There are three reasons that I can think of to get a player off the waiver wire. The first reason is that you lose a player. Usually, you lose a player because of injury, but you can also lose a player through a suspension. I lost my second baseman, Robinson Cano, of the Mariners in May, when he was suspended for 80 games.

A second reason to acquire a player from the wire is that you simply want to replace a healthy player who is not performing. I drop and add players regularly. Sometimes, I’ll pick up the player I dropped later when he starts to turn things around. Don’t drop a player too soon, but don’t hang on to him too long, either.

A third reason to acquire a player is that the available player is too good to pass up. This player may have been dropped by one of the other general managers in your league, and you think the player is worth acquiring. More often, the available player is an emerging  star, whose stock is rising and you simply want to own him.

Tomorrow: What to consider when you evaluate waiver wire prospects.