Call-up season is in full effect. The big names have been out there for a while, but some lesser known players are also making their Major League debuts this time of the year. This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster.

Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

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National League Waiver Wire Pickups

Hitters

Albert Almora Jr. (OF, CHC) - 4% owned - There are prospects and then there are Cubs prospects. Given their recent track record, any call-up made by the Cubs should raise eyebrows in the fantasy community. Almora, the sixth overall pick in 2012, is especially deserving of attention. He was raking in Triple-A, with a .318 AVG, 30 RBI and 33 R in 54 games. As always, playing time is the main issue. With Jorge Soler on the DL and not overly impressing anyway, Almora could very well stick in the outfield. He is mainly seeing pinch-hitting duties at the moment, so temper expectations until something changes.

Jimmy Paredes (2B/OF, PHI) - 1% owned - Paredes may be the most undervalued of the hitters listed this week, as he is neither hot new prospect or proven commodity. In 104 games with the Orioles last season, Paredes hit .275 with 10 HR and 42 RBI. The presence of Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado made him expendable in Baltimore, and Devon Travis' return did the same in Toronto, so he returns to the NL as the Phillies new second baseman. In 26 at-bats in Philly, he is hitting .231 with a homer and five ribbies. Paredes could provide some pop at MI spot for deep NL leagues and is worth a bench stash right now.

Hernan Perez (2B/SS, MIL) - 2% owned - The only issue with Perez this season has been playing time, not performance. With Aaron Hill struggling again, Perez has seen more starts and is hitting .301 with eight SB in 93 at-bats. Although he doesn't have a track record of this kind of success in the majors, he is just 25 and could now be coming into his own with extended playing time. Consider him a poor man's Aledmys Diaz, which is still quite a compliment.

Peter O'Brien (OF, ARI) - 9% owned - One of the more anticipated call-ups since his mammoth spring training home run put him on the map, O'Brien will finally get a chance to power up in Chase Field. He is off to a 1-for-15 start, with that one hit not surprisingly being a home run. Think a young Mark Trumbo here: all-or-nothing with each swing. He will likely hurt your average, but the power potential might be worth it if you are in need of HR.

Angel Pagan (OF, SF) - 14% owned - Pagan returns to the division-leading Giants after missing three weeks with a strained hammy. Pagan should resume playing every day, especially with Hunter Pence on the shelf. Pagan provides virtually no power and the speed isn't what it used to be, but he has scored 20 runs in 35 games and should continue to score in the Giants' offense.

Mark Reynolds (1B/3B/OF, COL) - 10% owned -Reynolds made this list several weeks ago after starting out with a shockingly high (for him) .311 average at the end of April. He appears to have truly turned a corner in his approach by forsaking power for average. Reynolds is currently slashing .297/.367/.436 with four HR and 21 RBI. Unbelievably, his power numbers in Coors Field are pretty disappointing but if you need help in runs (29) or average, Reynolds is your guy. The world sometimes just doesn't make sense, does it?

Jarrett Parker (OF, SF) - 1% owned - With a plethora of injuries in the San Francisco outfield, Parker is getting his chance to shine. So far, the results haven't matched his previous success. In his cup of coffee last season, Parker hit .347/6/14 in 49 AB. This season, he has started nearly every day in June, but is only hitting .172 in that time. Parker has three homers in 53 AB this year and has doubled his GB/FB ratio to 1.13 from 0.65. Given time, he may show improvement, but he is merely one to monitor at the moment.

Ender Inciarte (OF, ATL) - 23% owned - As someone who is covering the Braves daily for this esteemed website, it is hard to whole-heartedly recommend any Atlanta position player. That said, Inciarte is slowly starting to show signs and has the speed potential to be worth adding in the deepest of leagues. He only has three steals on the season, but is hitting .278 with three RBI over the last week.

 

Pitchers

Anthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) - 25% owned - Young starter and auto-correct nightmare Anthony DeSclafani finally made his 2016 debut on June 10th. He pitched six strong, surrendering just one earned run and earning a quality start. He has the stuff to stick in the rotation, especially with the news that Raisel Iglesias will spend the remainder of the season in the bullpen. Like the rest of the Reds rotation, expect inconsistency, but DeSclafini has the stuff worth taking a chance on.

Bud Norris (ATL, SP) - 3% owned - Norris is playing the role of Comeback Kid, recovering nicely after a horrible start to the year. In five miserable April starts, Norris managed a 1-4 record with an 8.74 ERA. After figuring things out in the bullpen, Norris has only allowed one ER in each of his two starts since rejoining the rotation, including seven strong innings against the Cubs. Norris is a veteran with past success, but his chances to earn wins remains limited in Atlanta. Deep NL owners are probably the only group who should take a chance on him at the moment.

Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) - 2% owned - He got rocked in his Major League debut, allowing eight earned runs in 2.2 innings on Tuesday at Toronto. Things can't get any worse, right? Eflin will get another chance to redeem himself with Vince Velasquez still on the 15-day DL. It might be best to take a wait-and-see approach after his first outing, especially since he may face Arizona the next time out.

Robbie Ray (SP, ARI) - 7% owned - The inconsistent Ray was back up this week with 7.2 scoreless innings against the Marlins. Ray makes a great streaming option if you can pick him up before Friday's game against the hapless Phillies. Arizona is playing better lately and chances of a victory are fairly high. He currently has a 4.57 ERA and 1.59 WHIP, so pick your spots wisely with him.

Jason Motte (COL, RP) - 9% owned - In a slight surprise, it was Carlos Estevez, not the experienced Motte, who was named closer in Jake Mcgee's absence. Motte saved 42 games for the Cardinals in 2012, but has not been a full-time closer in any season before or since. Motte just recently returned to game action this season and has a 2.45 ERA in 7.1 IP. If Estevez can't hold onto the job, Motte may be next in line, at least temporarily.

Zack Godley (ARI, SP) - 1% owned - As a player who needs no nickname, The Godley One pitched a quality start in his season debut against the Marlins. He went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out three. If he is in the rotation again in this weekend's upcoming series with Philadelphia, he could make a good under-the-radar option once again.

Felipe Rivero (WAS, RP) - 5% owned - Shawn Kelley is the unofficial closer for the Nats while Jonathan Papelbon is on the shelf. While Kelley's ownership levels don't qualify him for this list, he is the best reliever to add if available this week. Rivero may get the occasional save as well though, as manager Dusty Baker may want to be careful with Kelley, who has undergone Tommy John surgery in the past. Rivero has an ugly 5.46 ERA right now, but a FIP of 3.63 suggests some bad luck. He has one save this year and was two out of three on save opportunities last year.

Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS) - 15% owned - Giolito has not yet been called up by Washington and it's unclear if/when that will happen. Giolito is on fire in the minors, earning Eastern League Player of the Week honors. He has thrown seven straight quality starts and holds a 2.64 ERA on the year with a minuscule walk rate. Owners who took a chance on Jameson Taillon can attest to the immediate impact a rookie can make in his first start. Giolito makes a strong speculative add this week if you have room on your bench.

 

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