In fantasy sports, the general idea is to win in the draft. Get the best players at the best values and build your team to win. But, since fantasy baseball is such a long and grueling process, the waiver wire becomes a key asset to your fantasy team.
Here are a few players to add this week to your team
Bruce Chen, Kansas City Royals
Chen seems to be the ageless wonder. Every single year he is passed on in fantasy baseball, but continues to get the job done. So far this season, Chen has allowed one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts. He pitches tonight against the Twins, so monitor his name for next week's start. Chen had a 3.27 ERA last season to go along with a 1.18 WHIP. You could do worse than the 36-year old journeyman in your lineup. Not to mention, next week he is slated to start against the Houston Astros, who always present a good matchup for an opposing pitcher.
Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants
No, this is not a 2007 post. Tim Hudson and Bruce Chen are back to the "Add 'Em" list for the first time in what seems like years. But Hudson has been dominant so far this season in two starts. He has 15.2 innings pitched, zero walks, 11 strikeouts and has only allowed one run.
Keep in mind that Hudson has pitched extremely well exact the same team, which would scare some people away. But in reality, it should do the opposite. In baseball, a hitter wants to see the same pitcher over and over to get used to his stuff, and become familiar with where each pitch ends up. Hudson has shut down one of the best offenses in the National League so far in the Diamondbacks. Get him on your team before someone else picks him up and beats you with him.
Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks
Parra has been excellent so far this season with eight runs scored, 20 total bases, and seven runs batted in. Parra also has the speed to steal double-digit bags for the rest of the season. Why add him? Parra has a hit in all but three games this season, and when he does not get a hit, he has the patience to walk, giving him a high floor in points leagues.
Next week, Parra has a three game set with the Mets who possess a rotation and bullpen full with right-handed pitching. Parra is hitting .323 against righties this season, so get him now and reap the benefits against the Mets next week. Keep in mind that Parra is in the Diamondbacks lineup, meaning Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo are in front him, giving him plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
Be sure to check out eDraft's fantasy baseball predictive model and last year's stats to show you who has true value.