Welcome to the catcher edition of National League waiver wire pick-ups. That's how it feels at least, given how this list turned out. Those looking for injury replacements or who participate in two-catcher leagues may want to take notice of the following choices. As always, 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 Targets

Hitters

Randal Grichuk (OF, STL) - 24% owned - The epitome of a buy-low candidate, Grichuk was a top 50 OF on draft day and now makes this list. His demotion to Triple-A after a .206 start to the year rightfully led to a huge drop in ownership. He is now being recalled, initially in a bench role. Grichuk posted an impressive .272 ISO last season with 14 HR, seven triples, and 23 doubles in 323 at-bats. This season, Grichuk has seen a drop in his LD% from 25 to 16 and his ISO has followed, down to .185. The good news is his .243 BABIP will likely increase and he has actually improved his K/BB rate to 3.00. There isn't a guarantee he will perform like last season, but sometimes a brief demotion works wonders for struggling hitters. He may be worth a flyer given his potential.

Yangervis Solarte (1B/2B/3B, SD) - 11% owned - Solarte had already been on fire lately, hitting .444 with a pair of homers last week and a .415 AVG over the last two weeks. On Wednesday, he came up big with three hits, including a homer and five RBI. When healthy, he has consistently produced this season and is in no threat of losing playing time. That positional flexibility is still a great benefit in deep leagues.

David Freese (1B/3B, PIT) - 8% owned - Freese won't go away, no matter how often we tend to forget about him. He is up to .296 on the season after going 7-for-17 last week, including a run-scoring double against Clayton Kershaw. He doesn't bring top-flight power, but a 20 HR season is looking like a possibility. Despite not playing every single day, Freese makes a solid CI option.

Cameron Rupp (C, PHI) - 13% owned - Rupp has been a borderline play as a second catcher most of the season, but in the last seven games he has upped his contact rate to 87% and is hitting .400 with six RBI. With a season average of .289, eight HR and 22 RBI to boot, it is surprising that Rupp's ownership remains so low. There aren't too many viable fantasy options at catcher, so Rupp can certainly help a lot of owners.

Eric Fryer (C, PIT) - 0% owned - Fryer is a relative unknown and for good reason. He rejoins Pittsburgh after four seasons as a little-used backup catcher for Minnesota and St. Louis. He carries a career slash line of .275/.350/.363 and was hitting .368 in 38 at-bats this season. With injuries to Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart, Fryer figures to earn some at-bats and could help owners desperate for catching help in average, if nothing else.

Tyler Flowers (C, ATL) - 1% owned - Flowers is suddenly coming alive, hitting .310 with a pair of homers over the last two weeks. He is still in a time-share with A.J. Pierzynski for some reason, but owners in deep NL or two-catcher leagues could use him for streaming purposes the next week or so while he is hot.

Cody Asche (3B/OF, PHI) - 2% owned - The Phillies outfield had been lacking stability outside of Odubel Herrera until recently. Asche returned a little over a month ago and has hit .300/.345/.588 with four HR, 13 RBI, and 12 R in the past month. Not eye-popping by any means, but he fits the mold perfectly for an unowned player that can help NL-only owners across most categories.

Peter Bourjos (OF, PHI) - 6% owned - The myth of Peter Bourjos' fantasy value may finally be turning into a reality. With a 14-game hitting streak and a ridiculous .457 AVG over that span, Bourjos is approaching mixed-league value as a streaming option. Surprisingly, speed has not been part of the equation, so don't expect SB help. With an equal four HR and four SB on the year, his value lies in his average and OBP. Hey, at least he's on pace for a 10/10 season.

 

Pitchers

Adam Ottavino (RP, COL) - 3% owned - Opportunity knocks. Ottavino returned from Tommy John surgery to face one batter against the Giants on Tuesday. As he works his way back into shape, the closer role may be his for the taking. Jake Mcgee is also off the DL, but interestingly enough was not given the job back. Carlos Estevez is the current closer, but has blown three of his last four chances and has never really shown a closer mentality. It's hard to tell what manager Walt Weiss will do, but Ottavino makes for an interesting stash if you need help in saves or holds.

Lucas Harrell (SP, ATL) - 0% owned - Harrell had a decent 2012 in Houston, posting an 11-11 record and 3.76 ERA. Then, his career took a nosedive as he followed up with a 6-17 record, 5.86 ERA and 1.70 WHIP. After allowing 13 ER in 12.1 IP in 2014, he has languished in the minors ever since. He now re-emerges with Atlanta looking to reclaim a starting job and kick-start his career. He earned a victory in his first turn, allowing just one run and three hits in six innings against the Marlins. It's hard to predict what you'll get with him, but at the very least he warrants monitoring in NL-only leagues.

Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) - 2% owned - After a less than impressive debut, Eflin has settled in nicely. He made a bold statement with a complete game victory against the Braves on Tuesday. He allowed just one run and one walk, striking out six on the way to his first victory. With three consecutive quality starts, Eflin is bound to be a hot pickup this week for deep league owners.

Steven Brault (SP, PIT) - 0% owned - Another week, another rookie starter debuts for the Pirates. Brault actually takes the place of fellow newbie Jameson Taillon, who landed on the DL. Brault had a decent start against the Cardinals, albeit a short one, allowing one ER and four hits in four IP with five K. He will get at least one more turn in the rotation. Given that it's against the Cubs, you may want to wait and see if he impresses enough to stick around.

Tyrell Jenkins (SP, ATL) - 0% owned - Jenkins is more of a diamond in the rough than a polished gem at this point. As opposed to a pitcher like Tyler Glasnow, who has dominated Triple-A before being called up, Jenkins was sporting a 2.91 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 6.2 K/9 in the minors this season. Jenkins acquitted himself well in his first start, surrendering just one ER in 4.2 innings against Philadelphia. Temper expectations, but watch Jenkins in the second half to see if he can learn quickly on the job.

Ryan Buchter (RP, SD) - 21% owned - Although Brandon Maurer is being given first shot at closing games in San Diego with Fernando Rodney gone, Buchter figures to be the better add. Maurer was shaky in his first save, nearly blowing a five run lead, which would have made his fourth BS of the year. His 5.67 should be enough warning to stay away. Buchter maintains a 2.75 ERA and a 13.0 K/9. If your league counts SV+HLD, Buchter is a no-brainer add.

Sergio Romo (RP, SF) - 7% owned - After missing nearly three months with an elbow strain, Romo was activated on the 4th of July and immediately picked up a hold. He joins a convoluted Giants bullpen mix, but immediately brings value in leagues that count holds. Romo has saved 77 games over the previous four seasons and 45 holds the previous two seasons.

Dario Alvarez (RP, ATL) - 1% owned - Dario Alvarez has been nearly untouchable since being recalled by the Braves in mid-June. The former Mets prospect is experiencing success for the first time in the Majors, only allowing one run (to his former club) in 8.2 IP. He has 19 strikeouts, giving him an amazing 19.73 K/9 at the moment. He isn't helping much in the way of holds or saves, but if the Braves deal either Arodys Vizcaino and/or Jim Johnson by August 1st, keep Alvarez in mind..

 

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