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Searching the Baseball Waiver Wires for Fresh Talent
by Bram Teague
 
To be successful in Fantasy Baseball you must constantly search the waiver wires for fresh talent. This is crucial as there will always be players that can help your team, and many of them will be playing better than players you currently own. I’ll check the wires at least 2-3 times per week and sometimes more depending on how my team is doing.
 
Now, it’s important to not get carried away with adding and dropping every time a player has a good or bad week. Players will fluctuate with their performance and some good and bad weeks are to be expected. If you have a guy on your team that has not been performing well over an extended period, then it’s time to take a look on the wires to see if you can improve your team.
 
As a general rule you should have a list of players that should be for the most part undroppable. These are the players that do well year-in and year-out and may just be experiencing a cold spell. You always have the option of trading these players and getting fair value for them rather than dropping them.

There are however the other 15-20% of your players that could be dropped at any time depending on their performance. At this point, you should look to the wires to grab a hot player or capitalize on another owners’ poor judgment. Certain owners will inevitably drop marquee players that can help your team over the long haul. It's happened in almost every league I’ve participated in and it's up to you to take advantage of their mistakes.
 
First, identify the players on your team that aren’t doing well. Next hit the waiver wire and see who can take their place. If you can get a guy that plays more than one position providing flexibility, then all the better. Hit the last 15 days/last 30 day tabs to see how they’ve been performing lately to ensure they haven’t been mired in a slump. Looking at their stats from last year or their current year projections will allow you to use as much information as possible to make a solid decision. Also, view the latest news to gain even more information on that player.
 
Next add that player and closely monitor their progress and that of the player you dropped as well. If they're not performing up to standards then hit the waivers again and find the next talented player that will help your team.