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Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 17 (American League)

As the August 1st trade deadline approaches, the internet has been abuzz with all the rumors and whispers regarding which players could be on the move. These moves are particularly of interest to single-league owners, where trades potentially bring in new players to the waiver wire. Trades also create new opportunities for different players to receive the lion's share of playing time at a position suddenly empty.

Here are some players to consider claiming after the big ticket prizes are gone, all owned in 25% of Fleaflicker leagues or less.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller offers the best Premium MLB Subscription - only $1.99 per week. All the tools you need to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Under-the-Radar Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, plus daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

American League Waiver Wire Targets

Hitters

Justin Morneau (1B, CWS) - 1% Owned

In his first action since last year, first baseman Justin Morneau has been decent despite the time off. Back in the American League for the first time since 2013, he's hitting .233 with one home run and four RBI in 30 at-bats for the White Sox. That's not going to light the world on fire, but it's a start. Morneau revived his career in 2014 when he led the National League in batting average with a .319 mark, and was off to a .310 mark before injuries cut short his 2015. With him receiving starter's at-bats in the near future, he's a worthy bench stash investment at the very least.

Jake Smolinski (OF, OAK) - 4% Owned

Outfielder Jake Smolinski might be a bit long in the tooth to have a big breakthrough, but that could be what we are seeing. After failing to make any traction in the Majors in the years prior, he's hitting .317 with six home runs, 22 RBI and one stolen base in 120 at-bats this season. After hitting .248 with three home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases in 145 at-bats in Triple-A prior to his call-up, these results are a bit of a surprise. But with a .281 average, 21 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 620 career Triple-A at-bats, maybe Smolinski's just a late bloomer.

Jett Bandy (C, LAA) - 2% Owned

Rookie catcher Jett Bandy is making a case to be the Angels' starting catcher of the future. After following up a successful 2015 at Triple-A with more solid production there this year, he has continued to hit as a member of the big league club. Over 39 at-bats, he's hitting .308 with two home runs and six RBI as he splits time behind the plate with the .221-hitting Carlos Perez. With veteran Geovany Soto due back sometime in August, if Bandy can keep hitting, it won't be him who is shipped back to the minors, giving him serious two-catcher league appeal.

Delino DeShields (OF, TEX) - 13% Owned

After struggling out of the gate this season and getting himself demoted, outfielder Delino DeShields is back for a second try at sticking in the Rangers' outfield. In his first four games back, he's hitting .308 with one home run and one stolen base, which is a far cry from the .217 average he put up his first 30 games. DeShields was fairly useful as a fantasy player last season when he hit .261 with 10 triples, two home runs and 25 stolen bases, and that potential still exists. As one of the few speed options possibly still available to deep leaguers, he is a must-own to see if he returns to form.

Joey Gallo (3B/OF, TEX) - 23% Owned

Rookie Joey Gallo is getting his first taste of action with the Rangers this season as they look to fill the hole left by the recent injuries to Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo. Though he continues to struggle to hit for average, his big-time power keeps showing up right on cue as he leaves Triple-A with a .246 average and 19 home runs in 244 at-bats. After hitting barely hitting above .200 anywhere outside of Double-A last season, the chances of Gallo turning into another Chris Carter or John Singleton is decent. Whether that has value to you or not is negligible, but as one of the name's top prospects, he should be owned in any deep league he's still available in.

 

Pitchers

Matt Boyd (SP, DET) - 3% Owned

Starting pitcher Matt Boyd was a disaster during his first three attempts at sticking with the Tigers this year, going 0-2 with a 6.44 ERA in 29.1 innings. Fourth time though, things have been quite different. Since returning July 9th, the results have been the exact opposite, with him going 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 15.1 innings. He's still working on building his pitching count above 80, but if he can keep himself closer to the pitcher who has a 2.25 ERA in 64 Triple-A innings this year, he could help fantasy teams.

Tyler Skaggs (SP, LAA) - 24% Owned

On Tuesday, starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs made his first start since 2014, and did he ever look like the pitcher the Angels were hoping for when they traded for him back then. He held the Royals scoreless over seven innings, allowing only three hits and one walk, striking out five. As great as this outing was, Skaggs hasn't pitched in the Majors in well over a year and was more potential than production when he was injured, so keep expectations tempered. That said, he should provide a boost to pitching-depleted teams as he looks to builds towards a full season next year.

Darren O'Day (RP, BAL) - 19% Owned

Elite relief pitcher Darren O'Day quietly returned from the disabled list Sunday, immediately returning to fantasy gold. He pitched a perfect inning, striking out all three batters he faced to pick up the win. Though his season stats are rather pedestrian for a pitcher who hasn't had an ERA north of 2.00 since 2013, there is little reason to think O'Day won't spend the next two plus months pushing that ERA as low as he can.

Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA) - 7% Owned

With many a club looking towards the bottom-dwellers for relief help at the trade deadline, Angels' closer Hudson Street has found his name among those floating around in the rumor mill. With those rumblings picking up steam, so have those regarding who would inherit his closer role. While Joe Smith seems like a logical choice based on experience, there is absolutely no denying that reliever Cam Bedrosian is the most deserving based on stats alone. On a team going nowhere, the Angels should look to the future and pass the torch to Bedrosian and his 0.97 ERA and 10.5 K/9 in 37 innings this season.

Dylan Bundy (SP, BAL) - 13% Owned

After making this list recently as a reliever, Dylan Bundy is now in the starting rotation and it was worth the wait. After a rough first start, his second outing was much better, as he gave up zero earned runs on five hits and zero walks over five innings, striking out five as he picked up the win. On Wednesday, he was no-hitting the Rockies for five innings before finally ceding three ER on two hits, while striking out eight. Once a top-three prospect, he has had to overcome injuries and growing pains to get to this point. Though he still has much to prove when it comes to fantasy value, Bundy's current 3-2 record with a 3.30 ERA and 8.0 K/9 are a good start.

 

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Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Francisco Alvarez

Needs Thumb Surgery, May Play Through Injury
Willy Adames

Out With Side Soreness on Tuesday
A.J. Brown

on Track to Play in Week 1
Jacob deGrom

Being Skipped in Rotation Due to Shoulder Fatigue
Adley Rutschman

Scratched on Tuesday With Abdominal Discomfort
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Austin Riley

Doesn't Appear Ready to Return Any Time Soon
Aaron Judge

Unikely to Throw Normally Again This Year
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Marcelo Mayer

to Have Season-Ending Wrist Surgery
Samuel Basallo

Called Up From Triple-A Norfolk
J.K. Dobbins

Expected to Win Starting RB Job?
Quentin Johnston

Suffers Concussion in Preseason Loss
Jaxson Dart

Plays Well on Saturday Night
Marcus Semien

Avoids Serious Injury
Kyle Stowers

Heads to Injured List With Left-Side Strain
Zack Wheeler

Placed on Injured List With Blood Clot in Shoulder
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Optimistic Terry McLaurin Deal Can Get Done Soon
De'Von Achane

De’Von Achane Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin From PUP List
Rashee Rice

NFL Could Reach Settlement Before Hearing
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
NHL

Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team
NBA

Cole Swider Links Up with EuroLeague Powerhouse

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP