Some familiar faces return to the list this week. Several players who were identified as sleepers as early as week one in this series are still contributing in fantasy leagues. Suffice to say, most of these players are not five-tool guys or elite prospects.

Rather, they are role players or category specialists who may fill a need on your NL-only roster. Fantasy owners who like to stream pitchers or utility positions 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.

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

Jonathan Villar (3B/SS, MIL) - 17% owned - He officially leads the league with 15 steals. Even if he were hitting below the Mendoza line, that alone makes him fantasy-worthy. The fact he is hitting .287 with 19 runs scored makes him a must-add. Sure, Orlando Arcia is still waiting in the wings, but Villar is versatile enough to play across the infield, which also benefits fantasy owners. He clearly has a green light and will continue to run. His strikeout rate and lack of power hurts his value slightly in points leagues, but rotisserie owners should be starting him every day for the speed. Many owners are considering selling high on him, but there is no sign Villar will slow down (literally) any time soon.

Gordon Beckham (2B/3B, ATL) - 3% owned - In the off-season, Beckham was brought in to add depth at both second and third base. Now, among the mess that is the Braves' infield, Beckham is getting the chance to start on a regular basis and has made the most of his opportunity. Since returning from the DL on May 10, Beckham is hitting .308 with six RBI and four R in 11 games. The power hasn't shown up, as he is still seeking his first homer. At his best, Beckham has proven capable of 10-15 HR and 45-60 RBI, but that was in the AL and surrounded by better teammates. Even if he hits the low end of those marks, Beckham could be a good addition for NL owners needing pop at either infield spot.

Tommy Joseph (C/1B, PHI) - 2% owned - If you didn't grab Joseph after seeing his name here last week, don't worry, there's still time. It's a small sample size, but in 21 AB so far Joseph is slashing .300/.333/.650 with two homers. An encouraging start to say the least. Joseph isn't playing every day, but homering against a right-hander the other day might instill more confidence. Not that we would ever wish injury on anyone, but... if Ryan Howard happened to land on the shelf, Joseph's value could skyrocket. NL-only owners can already find his power useful.

Eric Campbell (1B/3B, NYM) - 1% owned - Here's a boom-or-bust pick. Campbell has been lackluster in previous call-ups, hitting .228 for his MLB career, but he has hit well over .300 in his last three seasons at Triple-A Las Vegas. Despite the home run on Tuesday, don't count on much power from Campbell. If he hits for average, there could be decent run-scoring and RBI potential. He could be a decent stopgap for Duda owners or anyone else needing an extra corner infielder.

Brandon Drury (3B/OF, ARI) - 21% owned - Drury might not be lighting the world on fire, but his average remains high (.306) and he is maintaining a solid 27% LD%. After shifting around the field through most of April, he has settled in at right field. His seven homers and 15 RBI could even benefit owners in deep mixed leagues at an extra CI or Util spot.

Trayce Thompson (OF, LAD) - 9% owned - By the end of April, Thompson was hitting .261/1/5. With a week left in May, he is up to .281/7/19. The second-year player seems to have adjusted to National League pitching and is a viable starting option. Sometimes, all you need is a little patience.

Tyler Goeddel (OF, PHI) - 2% owned - Hard as you may try, it's getting hard to ignore Tyler Goeddel. He has been hitting the ball well for almost two weeks now, batting .394 over the last 11 games. He hits much better against righties (.294) than lefties (.226) so he may not be worth starting on an everyday basis. Goeddel won't provide much power or speed, so his ceiling is somewhat limited.

Chris Owings (2B/SS/OF, ARI) - 11% owned - One of Owings' best assets is his versatility. He remains eligible as both an outfielder and middle infielder. He is hitting .293 and has kept his average in that neighborhood for most of the year. He has six stolen bases and 15 RBI to boot. Owings won't hurt you in anything but the HR category, so he becomes a great utility player even on fantasy teams.

Ichiro Suzuki (OF, MIA) - 4% owned - Christian Yelich has missed four games in a row with a strained back. That means it's Ichiro time! Since becoming a starter again, he is on fire and has gone 10-for-18 in those four games. You know what to expect from the former superstar at this point in his career - the speed is gone, but he can still hit with the best of them. If he is getting on base, he could score a lot of runs in front of Giancarlo Stanton and the red-hot Marcell Ozuna. As long as is starting IRL, he should be starting for you.

Adam Duvall (OF, CIN) - 8% owned - True confession: I recommended Duvall in week one of this article, picked him up in my own NL-only league and then dropped him a week later out of impatience. Nine home runs later... Duvall has shown enough power to garner roster consideration in deep mixed leagues with a line of .259/9/19. Another example that patience pays off.

 

Pitchers

Chad Bettis (SP, COL) - 16% owned - Bettis has maintained a 1.21 WHIP, which is quite respectable for a pitcher in Colorado. What may be surprising is that he is actually pitcher better at home, with a 4.05 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 8.50 K/BB in Coors Field. His 3.71 FIP is not much different from last year's 3.85 FIP, so this year may not be an outlier, but an indicator of Bettis' true ability. He has shown a much improved walk rate, cutting his BB/9 in half since his rookie season. As with any Rockies pitcher, he may not be able to keep his ratios too low, but he hasn't been susceptible to giving up huge offensive outburts and can provide steady production across all categories.

Matt Cain (SP, SF) - 8% owned - It's been a rough year for Cain, who appears to be on the downside of his career. The last two weeks he has experienced a mini-Renaissance, however. In his last three starts, Cain has only surrendered four ER in 21 innings. His K/9 has jumped up to 7.28 in that time as well. It's hard to envision Cain keeping this up all year, but fantasy owners can take advantage of his May success while it lasts.

Dan Straily (CIN, SP/RP) - 12% owned - The Cincinnati Reds rotation has been a revolving door all season. Journeyman Dan Straily has moved from the bullpen and proven to be their most effective starter thus far. A 2.85 ERA and 41 K in 47 IP sitting on the waiver wire shouldn't be overlooked. His 4.4 BB/9 could stand improving, but Straily has enough value to join fantasy rotations in NL leagues.

Junior Guerra (MIL, SP) - 10% owned - The 31-year-old rookie from Venezuela continues to impress, throwing five scoreless innings (albeit against the Braves) on Wednesday. Guerra now has a 3.30 ERA and is striking out exactly one batter per inning, with 30 of each. Milwaukee's rotation has been a mess this year, but Guerra is improving each time out and should definitely be active in single leagues.

Williams Perez (ATL, SP) - 4% owned - You may want to wait and see if Perez can have success against any team that isn't the Phillies first, but he at least warrants monitoring. His two impressive starts against the team challenging Atlanta for worst offense in the league has allowed Perez to lower his ERA to 3.86. His 3.99 FIP and 1.13 WHIP suggest decent control, but the 4.4 K/9 is unacceptable. Don't rush out to add Perez, but there is some potential there that could develop throughout the year.

Arodys Vizcaino (ATL, RP) - 18% owned - Sure, he plays for the worst team in baseball, but a closer is a closer. A Fleaflicker league ownership of 18% is shockingly low considering his performance this year. On any other team, Vizcaino would be a top-tier reliever. He may not save a ton of games, but he belongs on a roster in leagues of any size. A 12.5 K/9 and 1.45 ERA can provide value even without the saves.

Rubby De La Rosa (SP, ARI) - 14% owned - OK, I have to admit I dropped De La Rosa a few weeks ago too. I'm working on it... He is technically still the most effective of Arizona's starters this year, with a 3.53 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He is striking out more than a batter per inning and has actually been more effective at home despite playing in a hitter's park. De La Rosa will likely still encounter the occasional hiccup, but he is worth starting on a weekly basis.

David Phelps (RP, MIA) - 7% owned - Phelps has been an effective setup man, offering 10 holds and 3 relief wins in 23 appearances. Leagues that count more than five standard pitching categories will value a player like Phelps (and the ones that follow) even more. His 1.38 ERA and 0.92 WHIP can help owners in need of a RP. He appears to be next in line should the Marlins require a replacement for A.J. Ramos.

Ryan Buchter (RP, SD) - 4% owned - Buchter has quietly been unhittable this season, posting a 0.82 ERA and 31 K in 22 innings. More importantly, he may have surpassed Brandon Maurer as the primary setup man for closer Fernando Rodney. He will continue to get holds, but may be the closer-in-waiting if Rodney is injured or dealt before the trade deadline, which seems increasingly likely with the Padres continuing to struggle.

Seung-Hwan Oh (RP, STL) - 8% owned - In his first taste of Major League action, there has been no adjustment period for Oh. He has an impressive 4.57 K/BB and is yet to surrender a home run in 22 appearances. He only has six holds, but may start to see more action in critical situations as the year progresses. Naturally, he is more valuable in deep leagues that require multiple relievers and that count holds or SV+H as a category.

 

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