May 6, 2016

Pierre Camus analyzes some National League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 5. These NL-Only targets can be sleepers.

When the going gets tough, the tough look desperately to the waiver wire in hopes of finding the next Aledmys Diaz. I think that's how that saying goes...

One month of the MLB season is officially in the books. Fantasy owners likely have a good sense of their team's strengths and weaknesses by now. Whether you are targeting a specific position to upgrade, or a certain category to improve, there is likely an available player or two that can help out. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. Prefer using your phone? Our free waiver wire app is available for download in the Apple & Android Stores.

National League Waiver Wire Pickups

Hitters

Brandon Drury (ARI, 3B) - 12% owned - Drury seems to be the highest-trending offensive pickup at this moment. Fantasy owners have taken notice of his four HR and six RBI over the past week. He doesn't seem to have a true position, as he has played at 3B, 2B, LF and RF. Of course, this also plays into his favor as he should soon gain OF eligibility. A .276 hitter in the Minors, Drury didn't flash much power above Single-A ball, so don't expect a prolific home run pace. Manager Chip Hale has stated he will find a way to keep Drury in the D-backs lineup as long as he is hitting. Simple suggestion: do the same.

Derek Dietrich (MIA, 2B/3B) - 5% owned - When a star player is injured or suspended for the majority of the season, fans sulk. Meanwhile, fantasy owners immediately think "Who's his backup?" In the unfortunate Dee Gordon situation, the answer is Derek Dietrich. Needless to say, if you are swapping one for the other, you can kiss those 50+ SB goodbye. Dietrich is more of a slugger and so far this year has a nice .650 SLG. He's never been a full-time starter, though that is mainly due to a stiff glove. His .325 AVG is helped by an inflated .379 BABIP - don't expect much more than his .240 career batting average. He shouldn't necessarily be starting on your team, even in single leagues, but he makes an adequate consolation prize for Gordon owners feeling the pain.

Jonathan Villar (MIL, 3B/SS) - 7% owned -  Where did that come from? The 25 year-old is currently second in the Major Leagues in stolen bases with eight, right behind Jose Altuve. Villar was not expected to receive much playing time this year, with Orlando Arcia waiting in the wings. If Villar continues to get on base (.378 OBP), he can fill the position a while longer and delay Arcia's debut. Villar's ceiling isn't exceptionally high, but cheap speed at both infield spots is worth an add.

Martin Prado (MIA, 3B) - 22% owned - Prado has never been an overly exciting player, but he brings a veteran presence and consistent approach to each game. That doesn't mean much in the fantasy world, but you know what you're getting with Prado: high average (.293/.341/.426 for his career), double-digit homers and between 50-70 RBI. He is off to a scorching start so far, currently hitting .398. He is far from done so don't discount him because of age.

Adeiny Hechavarria (MIA, SS) - 7% owned - Next to Prado in the Marlins infield is a gold-glove caliber shortstop who is steadily improving his offense. Hechavarria has only compiled 11 HR and 25 SB over the past four seasons, but his average is improving each year, up to .281 last season. With Dee Gordon out, he could potentially move to the #2 spot in the order to provide the speed Derek Dietrich doesn't have. Needless to say, hitting in front of Giancarlo Stanton would increase his run-scoring potential exponentially. Keep an eye on the Marlins lineup card the next couple of weeks.

Jayson Werth (WAS, OF) - 23% owned - Just when you want to count him out, Werth keeps pounding out homers. Werth has produced five home runs and 14 runs batted in this season. You'll have to sacrifice average for that power, though (currently .217). Of course, there's also a good chance he'll get injured again just when he gets hot, but single league owners can afford to take the risk.

Asdrubal Cabrera (NYM, SS) - 15% owned - Cabrera is four years removed from his last All-Star season with Cleveland and has shuffled around the league since then. His numbers last season were not too far off those prime year, so don't be surprised if he managed a 15 HR/60 RBI line. He is not a speed threat any more, but if he can continue to hit anywhere near .317 in the Mets lineup, his ownership will shoot up.

Mark Reynolds (COL, 1B/3B) - 7% owned - The Sheriff of Swattingham in Coors Field seems like a match made in heaven. Shockingly, Reynolds is pulling a complete reversal of his career trends by hitting .302 with only two homers in 63 AB so far. Someone must have disrupted the space-time continuum. His insanely high .447 BABIP might have something to do with it. That average will likely drop 100 points by the All-Star break. Look for Reynolds to jack 20+ HR and strikeout many, many times.

Pitchers

Jon Gray (COL, SP) - 6% owned - So when do we start declaring the Rockies starting pitching to be their strength? This young staff has shown a lot of promise, but Gray has been tabbed as the future ace. His debut was a bit... rocky (couldn't resist) but give him time. Those 23 strikeouts in 14 innings are no joke. Gray had a 10.2 K/9 in the minors. Stash him for now, unless you can live with some inflated ratios in order to gain Ks.

Cesar Vargas (SD, SP) - 2% owned - When you think of all the top pitching prospects who have made debuts in 2016, Cesar Vargas probably does not jump to mind. To this point, he may be the best of the bunch. Vargas has only allowed four earned runs this season in a total of 29 innings. Of course, that includes Double-A ball, but he has posted three solid outings for the Padres. He is not pitching deep into games, which will limit his chances for victories. He is not a high strikeout guy either, but his ratios are excellent so far and he should definitely be owned in NL-only leagues.

Jeremy Hellickson (PHI, SP) - 20% owned - The Phillies have been the most pleasant surprise in MLB early this season and Hellickson likely qualifies as their most surprising player. His career seemed to be trending downward after he was jettisoned by Tampa Bay, but he is showing some of the form he had back in 2011-12. Hellickson has shown inconsistency and thus far is pitching much better on the road. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Nats last week and had lowered his ERA to 3.88. He followed that up with his first bad road outing. It's hard to tell which Hellickson you're getting on a given night, but he is showing signs of continued improvement.

Andrew Cashner (SD, SP) - 15% owned - Cashner's ownership has dropped precipitously, as it should. He seems to have a rather pronounced home/road split. His 4.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and two wins at home make him a streaming option in deep leagues. His 7.04 ERA on the road thus far suggest you should check the schedule closely before plugging him in.

Matt Wisler (ATL, SP) - 10% owned - Wisler was flat-out dominant against the Mets the other night, pitching eight scoreless innings. This start wasn't an aberration either, as Wisler has quietly been the Braves most effective starter. He has only walked nine batters in 33 innings and a 0.90 WHIP certainly deserves some attention. Don't expect too many wins (it's the Braves, after all), but the ratios are encouraging.

David Hernandez (PHI, RP) - 7% owned - Failed in his bid to win the closer job, Hernandez has been a solid setup man instead. With seven holds, he is among the leaders in the category. Jeanmar Gomez has done enough to hold onto the closer job so far, but it wouldn't be far-fetched to think Hernandez could be in line for saves at some point this season. His 2.83 FIP suggests he has been more effective than it appears. His 22/5 K/BB is just flat out impressive.

Justin Nicolino (MIA, SP) - 9% owned - The Marlins are hoping Nicolino can be another Adam Conley. A young leftie brought up from the Minor Leagues to take over a rotation spot (you can leave any time now, Tom Koehler). Nicolino is not a hard-thrower like Conley, however, and his meager 5.8 K/9 will leave fantasy owners wanting for more. He is a streaming option only at this point.

Adam Conley (MIA, SP) - 9% owned - Speaking of Conley--you nearly throw a no-hitter and only have 9% ownership? Veteran fantasy managers know better than to overreact to one start, but in this case there is good reason for optimism. Conley has made this list before, but is still barely owned because of his role as the fifth starter on a marginal Marlins team. Conley's near no-no also came against a free-falling Dodgers team that was swept by the Fish in four games. That shouldn't take away from Conley's overall performance this season. The 9.3 K/9 will be a season-long asset for owners who take a chance on him.

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