As week two comes to a close, fantasy owners are going through the first motions of roster decisions. In most mixed leagues, the talent floor between free agents and the bottom of a team's roster are fairly close, allowing for less agonizing over dropping slumping players. For AL-only owners, that is not the case as the diminished player pool makes the talent drop quite noticeable.

Which is why I recommend standing pat with any slumping "sure things" you may have. Don't be the owner who gave up a couple weeks too early and make a drop for a hot player today. But that doesn't mean you need to start the slumping player. If you have the roster room, here are some possible free agents (all owned in 25% or less of Flea Flicker leagues) to keep in mind for the weekend and first half of next week, that can give your team a little boost.

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.

 

American League Targets - Hitters

J.J. Hardy (SS, BAL) - 10% Owned

It wasn't that long ago that J.J. Hardy would have never ended up being owned in only 10% of leagues. 2013 to be exact. But then the power dropped out of his game in 2014, and his fantasy relevance has whittled away to today's minuscule amount. After hitting only 17 home runs the past two seasons combined, Hardy already has two in eight 2016 games. Coming off of a season where he hit .219 with eight home runs, it would be silly to expect the world from him. But if he can maintain this level of production, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think Hardy couldn't produce stats in the vicinity of his 2014 stat line of a .268 average, nine home runs and 52 RBI.

Mike Napoli (1B, CLE) - 18% Owned

I can't speak for the rest of you, but personally, I was of the mindset that Mike Napoli's days of fantasy relevance in the Majors were through last year when Boston cut him mid-season after hitting .207 in 329 at-bats. Turns out, I was only mostly right as he went on to hit .295 in 78 at-bats with Texas, who found success with Napoli as they limited his exposure to right-handers. Cleveland has been deploying him almost exclusively against left-handers so far in 2016 (five of his six starts have come against a lefty starter), allowing him to open 2016 hitting .231 (.285 versus left-handers) with two home runs, three RBI and seven runs scored in seven games. If that platoon keeps up, there's no reason he can't keep this level of production up all year.

Michael Saunders (OF, TOR) - 8% Owned

The ballad of Michael Saunders is well-known to this lifelong Mariners fan, and it goes by the title Potential Injury. I can't recall the full lyrics at the moment, but they are mostly about how he has the potential to be a decent low-end fantasy outfielder, but is instead constantly injured. Coming off a lost 2015, Saunders is off to a great start, hitting .310 with a home run and three RBI so far this season. His ability to maintain any semblance of fantasy value is tied directly to his health, so if he can stay on the field, there's a chance he could hit double digit home runs with an acceptable average.

Jonathan Schoop (2B, BAL) - 22% Owned

Jonathan Schoop looked to be coming into his own last year, hitting .279 with 15 home runs in an injury-shortened campaign. 2016 has started off on same foot, with him hitting .267 with one home run and five RBI in nine games, including hits in all but one game. If Schoop is available, scoop him up before the Orioles' series against the Blue Jays starting next Tuesday. Over his short career, he has eaten up Toronto pitching to the tune of a .287 average and six home runs in 28 games.

Danny Valencia (3B, OAK) - 15% Owned

It took him a good while, but Danny Valencia may have finally figured out how to consistently hit Major League pitching. After hitting .290 with a career high 18 home runs and 66 RBI, he's begun 2016 hitting .312 with zero home runs and two RBI in nine games. With an ability to hit for both power and average as well as a guaranteed roster spot (something that hasn't always been a given over his career), Valencia could hit himself into past AL-only waiver wire fodder to mixed league starter status by summertime.

 

American League Targets - Pitchers

Mat Latos (SP, CWS) - 18% Owned

A knee injury and its lingering recovery robbed Mat Latos of his ability to effectively pitch last season, causing him to struggle mightily through a frustrated 2015. Seems like that knee is finally back up to full strength as he has been awesome this year, going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 0.50 WHIP. To give you an idea of what the 29-year-old could give fantasy owners if this is real, he went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 32 starts back in 2013, his last healthy season.

Brad Brach (RP, BAL) - 9% Owned

Brad Brach has been quietly carving out a reputation as a solid fantasy reliever since he debuted in 2011, winning 17 games with a 3.18 ERA and 9.5 K/9 over 251.2 innings. This year has been no different as Brach is already 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP and eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings. He'll face Texas in their home park this week, which is great news for fantasy owners. Over his career, he has a 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings against the Rangers, including a 0.00 ERA at Rangers Ballpark.

Nick Tropeano (SP, LAA) - 4% Owned

After a successful audition last year, the Angels awarded Nick Tropeano the first chance to fill a rotation hole, and he did so with gusto. During his first start Monday, he went five innings, giving up no runs while striking out six. With a minor league track record as a strikeout pitcher prone to giving up walks and hits, Tropeano is going to have to work harder than most starters to get positive results. If he can keep his ERA below 4.00 though, he'll be a fantasy asset.

Kevin Jepsen (RP, MIN) - 10% Owned

With Glen Perkins going on the DL with a shoulder injury, Kevin Jepsen has been named the closer in the meantime. While he has given up runs in two of his three outing this year, Jepsen saved 10 games last year for the Twins with a 1.61 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 28.0 innings. With no real threat to the closer's seat, he is a must grab for any and all save trolls.

Clay Buchholz (SP, BOS) - 25% Owned

Always the enigma, Clay Buchholz has been awful out of the gate. Actually, that might be underselling the situation. After two starts, his ERA is 10.00, his WHIP is 1.89 and he has only three more strikeouts than walks (9 to 6). While it seems iffy Buchholz can right the ship during his next start against Toronto, the following start against Houston is less murky. He has been a monster when facing the Astros, going 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

 

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