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Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 18 (American League)

While the August 1st trade deadline has come and gone, the dust isn't about settle as the ramifications of all the moves as just starting to materialize. What the big ticket waiver wire additions players such as new Rangers additions catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress and starting pitcher Francisco Liriano will impact is rather clear, but what about all the positions vacated by the players traded away? We're about to find out in a rather exciting final two months of the season.

Here's a list of some of the players who are looking to take advantage of new opportunities (and some regular guys too), all owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker Leagues.

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

Gary Sanchez (C/DH, NYY) - 5% Owned

With the trade of designated hitter Carlos Beltran to the Rangers, the Yankees have opened up the position to serve as home for whichever one of their newly-paired catcher tandem of veteran Brian McCann and debuting rookie Gary Sanchez's isn't behind the plate. One of both New York's and the game's top prospects, Sanchez's first call-up is an exciting roster decision that could have large fantasy effects. The young catcher was hitting .285 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 309 Triple-A at-bats. With this promotion a 2017 job audition, Sanchez could be setting himself up for prime 2017 sleeper status.

J.J. Hardy  (SS, BAL) - 4% Owned

Shortstop JJ Hardy has been raking--well, for his current self, at least--since his June return from the disabled list. Over the past month and a half, he's hit .299 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 134 at-bats, raising his season average 31 points to .278 in the process. With the Orioles in the thick of the playoff hunt and the veteran Hardy presumably fresher than normal this late into the season due to his time off, there's enough hope here that he can maintain this pace that he should be picked up by any fantasy owners in need of shortstop or middle infielder help.

Raul Mondesi (2B/SS, KC) - 3% Owned

After an early season promotion to Triple-A did little to cool his bat, rookie shortstop Raul Mondesi made his Major League debut a little over a week ago. Since the Whit Merrifield experiment came to an end a couple weeks ago, the Royals are looking for someone to stabilize second base after Omar Infante and Christian Colon have failed to impress. After 24 at-bats, Mondesi has looked impressive for a 21-year-old, hitting .273 with two RBI and one stolen base. A dynamic player that has both speed and power, Mondesi could be a fantasy game-changer not unlike National League rookie sensation shortstop Aledmys Diaz.

Jorge Polanco (2B/SS, MIN) - 0% Owned

With the Giants taking Eduardo Nunez off the hands of Minnesota during the trade deadline craziness, the Twins are in need of a new backup infielder. Enter rookie Jorge Polanco. During his first full season at Triple-A this season, he was hitting .276 with nine home runs, 39 RBI and five stolen bases in 293 at-bats before the call-up. At the Major League level so far, that's translated into a .275 average with one home run, eight RBI and one stolen base in 40 at-bats. With the Twins playing for next year, Polanco is likely to continue to get additional chances to prove he deserves to be a part of the team's 2017 plans despite no clear path to at-bats.

Andrew Benintendi (OF, BOS) - 2% Owned

Unlike the majority of players to make this week's article, this one has everything to do with what moves his team didn't pull the trigger on. Instead of bringing in an upgrade from outside of the organization, the Red Sox decided to promote one of the game's top prospects, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, instead. He'll make his Major League debut having skipped Triple-A completely, coming from a Double-A slash of .295/.357/.515 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases in 237 at-bats.  With the Red Sox committed to giving Benintendi a chance to stick with in the Majors and energize the offensive as they make a playoff push, he could be the biggest fantasy producer from the five names here over the next two months.

 

Pitchers

Dario Alvarez (RP, TEX) - 1% Owned

Coming over in the Rangers' trade for starter Lucas Harrell, rookie relief pitcher Dario Alvarez brings with him serious strikeout potential. In 15 innings pitched for the Braves prior to the trade, he was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a bonkers 16.8 K/9. That's an elite-level strikeout rate that puts above relief aces like Dellin Betances (15.8) and Andrew Miller (15.1) this season. The only knock on Alvarez is that his work has been only over a small sample size of 15 innings for a last place team. How well he'll respond to pitching for a first place team playing half of their games in the desert heat has yet to be seen. But with that strikeout rate, it is well worth it for fantasy owners to see where his journey goes next.

Jose Berrios (SP, MIN) - 20% Owned

Tuesday brought with it a glimpse of the Jose Berrios that many fantasy owners like myself have been waiting for since the top prospect made his Major League debut earlier this season. In his first start since his initial cup of coffee, he looked a lot more like the can't-miss prospect that was expected, holding the first-place Indians to three runs over six innings. Most important of all is that he was able to strike out five without walking anyone or giving up a home run after struggling with both his first time up. If Berrios can continue to keep those two things down to a minimum, his future ace-like skills can start to shine at baseball's highest level.

Drew Storen (RP, SEA) - 17% Owned

Relief pitcher Drew Storen failed miserably in Toronto after fantasy owners were hopeful the former lights-out closer could re-find his form. The team decided it had seen enough after half a season and cut him loose, ultimately agreeing to swap bad relievers with the Mariners. He did nothing to make a good impression with his new team, giving up four runs in his first appearance for Seattle, pushing his season ERA up to 6.81. It was only last year that Storen was one of the best closers in all of baseball, there has to still be some of that magic in his arm...right? With the Mariners' turning over the closer role to unproven rookie Edwin Diaz, there's still a chance Drew Storen, if he's able to get right, could be in line for some saves before the season's ends.

Matt Andriese (SP. TB) - 17% Owned

With starting pitcher Matt Moore traded to the Giants, rookie Matt Andriese returns to the rotation after a successful temporary turn as a reliever. He re-enters the rotation with a 6-2 record, 2.75 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 6.8 K/9 over 72 innings and eight starts. Though he doesn't strikeout a ton of batters, his ability to limit home runs and hits this season has helped keep him out of trouble so far this season. Andriese isn't the most electric rookie pitcher out there, but if he can continue to build upon this current success and keep working on improving the weaker parts of his game (as he has so far), there's no reason he can't help out fantasy teams in need of quality innings.

Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA) - 15% Owned

The Angels had to place fragile closer Huston Street on the disabled list with a knee injury Tuesday, giving way to a closer-by-committee. But as much as manager Mike Scioscia wants to play it cool having just watched obvious choice Joe Smith traded away, he has to be as excited as fantasy owners should be at Bedrosian's potential. After 39 innings pitched so far this season, he's 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11.1 K/9. No one else in the Angels' bullpen comes close to this numbers. Unless he completes falls apart, the closer gig will be his for the remainder of the season.

 

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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

Terry McLaurin

Commanders "Optimistic" Terry McLaurin Will Return in Week 6
Saquon Barkley

Dealing With Knee Injury, Expected to Play on Thursday
J.T. Miller

Available Tuesday
Artemi Panarin

Cleared for Opening Night
Jake Walman

Inks Seven-Year Extension With Oilers
Connor McDavid

Signs Two-Year Extension With Oilers
Omarion Hampton

Placed on Injured Reserve with Ankle Injury
Brock Bowers

Labeled "Week-to-Week" After Missing Week 5
Jalen Coker

Expected to Practice on Wednesday
CeeDee Lamb

Could Return Within Next Two Weeks
LeBron James

Teases "Second Decision" Ahead of Season 23
Karl-Anthony Towns

Slims Down to Shine at Power Forward
Stephen Curry

Focused on Present, Not Retirement Clock
Ben Sheppard

Won't Play in Preseason Opener
CFB

Jermod McCoy Unlikely to Play Against Arkansas
CFB

Conner Weigman in Concussion Protocol
Dyson Daniels

There is "Distance" Between Hawks, Dyson Daniels in Extension Talks
Washington Wizards

Wizards Sign Skal Labissiere to Exhibit 10 Deal
CFB

Florida State's Quindarrius Jones Set for Season-Ending Surgery
Ja Morant

Suffers Sprained Ankle, Considered Week-to-Week
CFB

Mark Gronowski Viewed as Day-to-Day with Knee Injury
Xavier Worthy

is Fine and Expected to Play Against the Jaguars
Omarion Hampton

May Miss Some Time With an Ankle Injury
Alex Pereira

Becomes Two-Time Light-Heavyweight Champion
Magomed Ankalaev

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Cory Sandhagen

Gets Dominated In The UFC 320 Co-Main Event
Cory Sandhagen

Merab Dvalishvili Dominates Cory Sandhagen
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Scores Comeback Win
Kyle Burroughs

Placed on Injured Reserve
SJ

Egor Afanasyev to Start Season on Injured Reserve
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Suffers Third-Round Knockout Loss
Mattias Janmark

to Miss 1-2 Weeks
Jake Walman

Suffers Setback
Alex Vlasic

Traveling With Blackhawks
Youssef Zalal

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Josh Emmett

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abus Magomedov

Gets Submitted
Joe Pyfer

Gets Second-Round Submission Win
Breece Hall

Maximizes Efficiency in Loss to Dallas on Sunday
DeVonta Smith

Breaks Free for 114 Yards in Week 5 Loss
Calvin Ridley

Explosive in Week 5 After Rough Start to Season
David Montgomery

Gets Involved in Trickery, Totals Two Touchdowns Against Cincy
Stefon Diggs

Gets Big Revenge in Primetime Win Over Bills
Theo Johnson

on the Rise, Scores Two More Touchdowns in Week 5 Loss
Ryan Flournoy

Leads Cowboys in Receiving -- Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
Jake Ferguson

Records Two Touchdown Grabs in Week 5
Rashid Shaheed

Rides 87-Yard Touchdown to Breakout Week 5
Jaylen Waddle

Records Season-High in Targets, Catches, and Receiving Yards
Rachaad White

Finds the End Zone Twice in Week 5
AJ Barner

Records Two Touchdown Catches in Week 5
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates Buccaneers Defense in Week 5
Jonathan Kuminga

Golden State Expected to Put Jonathan Kuminga on the Trade Block Once Eligible
Alex Laferriere

Questionable for Opening Night
Jonathan Toews

Practices on Sunday
Oskar Sundqvist

Injured at Sunday's Practice
Jonathan Drouin

Returns to Practice Sunday
Cole Perfetti

Out Week-to-Week With Ankle Injury
CHI

Matt Grzelcyk Inks One-Year Deal With Blackhawks
Ryan Ellis

Sharks Acquire Ryan Ellis From Flyers
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Back at Practice
Ryan Preece

Is A Favorable DFS Option for the Charlotte Roval
Zane Smith

Might Be Worth Playing In DFS Lineups for the Charlotte Roval
Cole Custer

Is Cole Custer Playable In DFS Lineups for the Charlotte Roval?
Kyle Larson

Will Likely Go for the Win Over Stage Points
Ryan Blaney

Might Look Past Charlotte Roval to Focus on Last Two Playoff Rounds
Denny Hamlin

Could Focus on Stage Points to Clinch Round of 8 Spot
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Unlikely to Make the Round of 8
Austin Cindric

Very Unlikely to Advance to Round of 8
Alex Bowman

Reliably Consistent at Charlotte Roval
Daniel Suarez

Unlikely to Run Well at Charlotte
Carson Hocevar

Will Likely Earn a Lot of Place-Differential Points at Charlotte
Brad Keselowski

Probably Won't be Viable for DFS
Ty Dillon

Earns Best Qualifying Result at Charlotte Roval
Jackson Chourio

Exits With Hamstring Injury in Game 1 of NLDS
Jayson Tatum

to Return in March?
Justin Faulk

Misses Preseason Finale
Kirill Marchenko

Cleared for Saturday's Action
Macklin Celebrini

Makes Preseason Debut Saturday
Kaiden Guhle

Available Saturday
Noah Dobson

Rejoins Canadiens Lineup Saturday
Max Scherzer

Left Off Blue Jays ALDS Roster
Bo Bichette

Officially Out for ALDS
Texas Rangers

Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker as New Manager
Trevor Megill

Ready for NLDS
Will Smith

Will be Available to Catch in NLDS
Clayton Kershaw

to Pitch Out of Bullpen in NLDS Against Phillies
Lawrence Butler

Undergoes Knee Surgery on Friday
Brandon Woodruff

Will Not Pitch in NLDS
Devin Booker

Likely Playing on Friday
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Won't Play This Weekend
Josh Giddey

Returns to Full Practice
Matas Buzelis

has Team Optioned Accepted
Alex Pereira

Can Become Two-Time Light-Heavyweight Champion
Magomed Ankalaev

Set For His First Title Defense
Cory Sandhagen

An Underdog At UFC 320
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Third Title Defense
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Returns At UFC 320
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Returns At UFC 320
Youssef Zalal

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Josh Emmett

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Joe Pyfer

Looks To Earn Top 15 Ranking
Abus Magomedov

Set To Open Up UFC 320 Main Card
Cam Schlittler

Dazzles in 12-Strikeout Performance, Yankees Advance to ALDS
CFB

Quintrevion Wisner Expected Back vs. Florida
CFB

Emmett Mosley Probable for Longhorns vs. Florida
Giannis Antetokounmpo

to Join the Bucks in Miami
Jaden Ivey

Fully Recovered From Fractured Fibula
OG Anunoby

Was Inactive for the Knicks' Preseason Opener
Joel Embiid

Adem Bona Starts in Place of Joel Embiid on Thursday
Dominick Barlow

Grabs 10 Boards in Abu Dhabi
Miles McBride

Leads the Knicks to an Exhibition Win in Abu Dhabi
VJ Edgecombe

Drops 14 Points in Thursday's Exhibition
Shane McClanahan

Expected to be "Fully Ready" for Spring Training
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to be Ready for ALDS
Bryce Eldridge

to Undergo Wrist Surgery
Atlanta Braves

Brian Snitker Will Not Return as Braves Manager
Luke List

Looking to Win Again at Sanderson Farms Championship
Tom Kim

Could Be in For Long Week in Mississippi
Max Homa

Are Things Beginning to Turn Around For Max Homa Ahead of Sanderson Farms?
Nicolai Hojgaard

an Interesting Play at Sanderson Farms
Davis Thompson

Looks to Keep Momentum Going in Mississippi
Nick Dunlap

Hoping to Turn Woes Around at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid a Volatile Option at Sanderson Farms
Thorbjorn Olesen

a Solid Play at Sanderson Farms
Stephan Jaeger

a High-Upside Play in Mississippi
Hayden Buckley

Trying to Find Form at Sanderson Farms
Ben Martin

Struggling Mightily with Golf Game
Jacob Bridgeman

Leaning on his Putter at Sanderson Farms
Lanto Griffin

Heating Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Quade Cummins

Trying to Make Cut at Sanderson Farms
Carson Young

Aims to Rebound from Procore Championship
Matt Kuchar

Still a Golfer to Watch This Week
Doug Ghim

Trending Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Eric Cole

May Struggle at Sanderson Farms Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Ready for Sanderson Farms Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Eyes Another Strong Week at Sanderson Farms
Andrew Putnam

a Solid Value Play in Mississippi

RANKINGS

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