June 23, 2016

Pierre Camus analyzes some National League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 12. These NL-Only targets can be sleepers.

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 Targets

Hitters

Chris Coghlan (OF, CHC) - 2% owned - With Dexter Fowler hitting the DL, the recently acquired Coghlan may be in line for consistent playing time. His .160 AVG is unsightly, but most of that was due to his time in Oakland. Since joining the Cubs, Coghlan is actually hitting .294 and has scored seven runs in 10 games. I don't need to tell you that hitting at the top of the Cubs lineup is an ideal spot for scoring runs. This former Rookie of the Year can hit for average and score, although there isn't much power there. He makes a solid streaming option the next couple of weeks and possibly longer, depending on whether Albert Almora hits well enough to stay on the team.

Michael Taylor (OF, WAS) - 6% owned - Ironically, now that Ben Revere is back healthy and starting to contribute, Taylor seems to be hitting well. Given the chance to start in April with Revere out, Taylor laid an egg, hitting .186 with three HR and four SB through May 6. Taylor is starting to turn it around in June, with seven hits in his last 17 at-bats and three stolen bases in the last week alone. Taylor and Revere are now in a lefty/righty platoon which at least assures Taylor of more consistent AB. He is worth owning in daily formats as long as you check lineups. Revere owners would be wise to add him and take advantage of the split.

Yasmany Tomas (OF, ARI) - 25% owned - Tomas hasn't quite delivered on his power potential the way D-backs fans and fantasy owners expected, but he may be heating up as summer begins. Tomas has three HR in the past week, giving him 10 on the year. He is hitting homers at twice the rate of last year (21.8 AB/HR vs. 45.1 AB/HR) and has a respectable .194 ISO. 25 HR isn't promised, but the potential is definitely there for the young Cuban. He is still playing right field every day and is one of the best power options available on waivers.

Howie Kendrick (2B/3B/OF, LAD) - 25% owned - Kendrick has hit .285 or higher each of the past five seasons and has a career average of .290. His current line of .238/.297/.321 can only mean one thing - a hot streak is coming! He has 15/15 potential as well, as he has reached double-digit HR on four occasions and double-digit SB six different times. Throw in his positional versatility and Kendrick can prove useful down the stretch even in mixed leagues.

Jace Peterson (2B, ATL) - 1% owned - Peterson was extremely mediocre as the regular 2B for the Braves last season. This season didn't start much better and when he landed on the DL, it seemed he might not regain the job. Lucky for him, the Braves have absolutely nobody to replace him with. Gordon Beckham had shown signs, but when he hit the DL too, all bets were off. Peterson is now hitting .353 with six RBI in the last two weeks. He possesses adequate base-stealing skills, but has only attempted two in that time. He doesn't stand out in any category, but could help fill a void in your lineup.

Peter O'Brien (OF, ARI) - 7% owned - I told you what you would be getting with O'Brien last week and he hasn't disappointed, so to speak. He has four HR and eight RBI over 33 AB. He is also hitting .152 and has managed one base hit that wasn't a long ball. If you need power and can afford to sacrifice average, he's worth starting.

Jose Peraza (2B, CIN) - 1% owned - Peraza has three steals in three starts since being called up. The problem is he may not be up for long. If Billy Hamilton is good-to-go after suffering a mild concussion, Peraza will either ride the bench or move back to Triple-A. If Peraza is in the lineup, he is always a threat to swipe bases.

Ichiro Suzuki (OF, MIA) - 5% owned - If you want to know why Ichiro is worthy of a roster spot in deep leagues, read here. He isn't an everyday starter, but he somehow has managed to log 127 at-bats and is hitting .354. If you're reading this article, you need him.

Pitchers

Cody Reed (SP, CIN) - 24% owned - Hot prospect Cody Reed got his chance to debut this week and was mostly solid. He went seven innings and allowed four ER on six hits, striking out nine. The high strikeout rate is certainly encouraging to owners, especially in dynasty leagues. Reed had a 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 in 11 Triple-A starts before being recalled. He has a high ceiling and is worth the risk is all but the shallowest of leagues if you need pitching help. Expect bumps in the road, as with any rookie, but he could be a great help in the second half if he proves ready.

Matt Garza (SP, MIL) - 3% owned - Just when you thought he was out of our lives, Matt Garza reappears just in time for the trade deadline. Garza, who has pretty much said he hates everyone in Milwaukee, is doing his best to boost his value. In two short starts since returning from the DL, Garza owns a 0.90 ERA and a 7/1 K/BB ratio. A small sample size to be sure, but he still is talented enough to be a mid-rotation guy when he's healthy and motivated. Or should I say if he's healthy and motivated.

Adam Conley (MIA, SP) - 19% owned - Conley has proven maddening to fantasy owners all year, showing glimpses of greatness only to get tagged his next time out. This week, he has put together back-to-back strong performances against the Rockies and Braves (yes, they are technically a Major League team, so it still counts). He has a 2.59 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in June, with just one bad outing against Arizona. He continues to reduce his walk rate and has 76 K over 83 IP. In NL-only leagues, Conley deserves a rotation spot.

John Lamb (CIN, SP) - 2% owned - Lamb has also been up-and-down all year, but threw a solid game against the Astros last Friday by allowing just one run in 5.1 IP. In fact, he has surrendered exactly one ER in three of his four June starts. For some reason he seems to have a much harder time against AL teams (curse you, interleague play!) but has the Padres at home coming up, which is a favorable match-up.

Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 2% owned - The former first-round pick out of Las Vegas has looked sharp in his MLB rookie season so far. In two starts, Anderson has surrendered just three ER in 12 innings and has only walked one batter compared to 10 strikeouts. Granted, the Padres and Marlins aren't exactly offensive juggernauts, but in the fantasy world, stats are stats. Even more encouraging is the fact that the Rockies are stretching him out already, with 92 and 102 pitches for each start. We've been through this road before with young Rockies pitchers, but at least give him a chance before you start rolling your eyes.

Logan Verrett (SP/RP, NYM) - 1% owned - With news of Noah Syndergaard experiencing elbow discomfort, a lot of Mets fans are also experiencing a great deal of discomfort. It's too soon to make a prognosis, but at the very least his spot in the rotation will need to be filled for the next start or two. Verrett performed well as a spot starter early in the year, throwing six scoreless innings in consecutive starts. Since rejoining the bullpen, he has been hit around a bit more and was sent down temporarily to work things out. Now, he'll get the opportunity to show he can fill Thor's shoes (boots?) for a while. If his injury proves serious, along with news of Zach Wheeler's recent setback in rehab, Verrett could start a lot more games than the Mets ever expected.

Jim Johnson (ATL, RP) - 1% owned - Yes, that Jim Johnson. He earned his first save since August 27, 2015, but don't read too much into it. Arodys Vizcaino is still the closer, but Johnson is now next in line with Jason Grilli traded to Toronto. Johnson's 1.34 WHIP is his lowest since 2014 and his 8.72 K/9 is the highest of his career, but his 3.32 BB/9 rate is still worrisome. His holds should increase over the remainder of the season and he will pick up the occasional save.

Jorge De La Rosa (COL, SP) - 2% owned - For the record, I don't feel good about putting him on this list, but he seems to be trending upward in ownership, so what the heck. Despite a 7.17 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 2.3 HR/9 and playing half his games in Coors Field, De La Rosa has shown improvement since moving back to the rotation. He threw five scoreless against the Yankees and a quality start against the Marlins. Maybe he got tired of sitting in the bullpen every day and just needed to feel important again.

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