May 11, 2016

Tony Peters analyzes some American League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 6. These AL-only targets can be sleepers.

If there is one takeaway from the movie Captain America: Civil War, it is that superhero ensemble movies greatly benefit from the right amount of new blood mixed with the old. Newcomers Spider-Man and Black Panther stole the screen anytime they showed up, injecting new-found excitement and possibilities for the Avengers' future. But by limiting the amount of new additions and using the ones brought in as a way to strength the film's core instead of build for future years, Civil War managed to avoid the superficiality Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice experienced building it's ensemble cast on-screen.

Fantasy owners should be looking to their teams as we roll into Week Six, identifying where they can bring in some fresh meat from the streets. With so many choices, even in AL-only leagues, it can be daunting to know just who to target, let alone knowing who is likely to turn into a pumpkin and when. The following players are all owned in less than 25% of Flea Flicker leagues, but not all of them may keep their fantasy relevance as long as Civil War will be in theaters.

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

Steve Pearce (1B/2B/OF, TB) - 8% Owned

Power, average and patience are a rare package, but infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce possesses all three. Problem is, he has rarely been able to show it off, having never finished a season with more than 338 at-bats. After he failed to make it three decent partial seasons in a row by hitting .218 last season as an Oriole, Pearce is looking to re-re-establish himself as a member of the Rays. Over the past two weeks, he's hitting .300 with two home runs and five RBI, while walking as many times as he struck out (two each). With two of the starters he is backing up slumping mightily to start 2016--outfielder Desmond Jennings (slashing .169/.239/.229) and first baseman Logan Morrison (hitting .114 with zero home runs)--Pearce looks to be in line for a big bump in at-bats this month, especially with three left-handers on-deck this week.

Justin Smoak (1B, TOR) - 5% Owned

As a lifelong Mariners fan, I can't in good faith write about first baseman Justin Smoak with scowling due to him being such a huge bust in Seattle. In Toronto though, things have progressively gotten better for the once top prospect, though rarely in a fantasy relevant way. 2016 has been different in that respect, as a hot May has him slashing .286/.423/.413 with two home runs and eight RBI on the year. His secret must be something mechanical as he is not only hitting right-handers over 100 points above his career average against them (.341 this year, .227 career), but he's drawing far more walks from them than usual as well. With Chris Colabello serving an 80-game suspension, the first base job is wholly Smoak's for the time being. History says this'll be a short ride for fantasy owners who hop on, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Curt Casali (C, TB) - 2% Owned

He may have gotten off to a slow start in 2016, but catcher Curt Casali is starting to pick things up. Since the calendar flipped to May, he's hitting .375 with three home runs and four RBI. He once projected as an average offensive catcher, but that star seemingly faded after he was unable to consistently hit Triple-A pitching. Yet, Casali hit 10 home runs in the Majors last year in 101 at-bats after only 30 in 1,071 minor league at-bats. He might not get the average up above last year's .238, but he's proven so far to be a cheap power source at a throwaway price.

Avisail Garcia (OF/DH, CHW) - 8% Owned

Outfielder Avisail Garcia has been on fire since late April, bringing a 10-game hitting streak into Tuesday. He's hitting .417 during that with two home runs, seven RBI and 11 runs scored. This has brought his season line up to a much more fantasy palatable slash of .273/.350/.477 with four home runs, 11 RBI and 17 runs scored. After his strikeout rate skyrocketed last year to more than double his previous career high of 59, his 22 so far demonstrate that's likely not going anywhere and limits his ceiling. Still, he's a great fill-in or bench stash for the long season ahead.

Jonathan Schoop (2B, BAL) - 18% Owned

After crushing two homers on April 15th, second baseman Jonathan Schoop went into a massive slump, going hitless in five straight games, and eight of nine. But since breaking that 0-for streak, he's on an 11-game hitting streak entering Tuesday, hitting .350 with two home runs and four RBI during that time. At 24 years of age, he's still developing consistency in the batting average department, but his power and ability to drive in runs are already here. With Schoop on pace to easily best his career-highs in home runs (16) and RBI (45) with five and 12 already, respectively, the time to grab is now if he has been foolishly left on the waiver wire.

American League Targets - Pitchers

Chris Devenski (SP/RP, HOU) - 5% Owned

Rookie starting pitcher Chris Devenski appears to be killing it in his first two starts after beginning the season in the bullpen. He's gone 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 innings after being lights out as a reliever. But with Lance McCullers approaching the end of his disabled list stay, Devenski seems destined to end up back in the bullpen sooner rather than later. Which is actually a good thing, believe it or not, because with only one above average pitch--his changeup--and fly ball tendencies, he is best suited for a swing role that keeps him from overexposure. If he can continue to take to the role (not to mention stay in it), just like the Rays' Erasmo Ramierz has this season, he could contribute to fantasy rosters throughout the year.

Henderson Alvarez (SP, OAK) - 4% Owned

Unlike Lance McCullers, another AL starter close to making his 2016 debut after starting the season on the disabled list, Henderson Alvarez is only owned in 4% of Flea Flicker leagues as opposed to McCullers' 40%. The fantasy baseball world can be so fickle that way, which is exactly how the bargain hunter wants it. Alvarez is wrapping up a very successful rehab assignment that has seen him go 0-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and nine strikeouts in 13.2 innings so far. This falls in line with his performance in the two seasons prior to his injury-shortened 2015, where he went 17-13 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 289.2 innings with the Marlins. He is an immediate add in all AL-only leagues. Let him collect those first couple starts on your bench as opposed to watching him from the waiver wire, he isn't likely to stay there long.

Nick Vincent (RP, SEA) - 4% Owned

Relief pitcher Nick Vincent has been quite the acquisition for the Mariners, coming over in an off-season trade with the Padres. In his first 13 games for the team, he looks nothing short of the team's new closer of the future. So far this season, he is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, one save and 15 strikeouts in 13 innings. With multiple veterans between him and saves, his focus in 2016 will continue to be on performance and building trust with his new club. With a career ERA of 2.53 and K/9 of 9.7, he's well on his way to end the season as one of the AL's best relievers.

Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA) - 0% Owned

The AL West has turned into a breeding ground for young budding relievers with two making it into this week's article. On a team looking like a shoe-in to finish in last place in the AL West thanks to a weak pitching staff, relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian has a pleasant surprise, looking to have finally honed his pitching talents. He has started the season with a 1.17 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 7.2 innings, a far cry from the pitcher who finishing last season with an ERA of 5.40. He has been prone to giving up too many hits in the past, so the longer he can suppress that tendency, the longer he can help fantasy teams with his 14.1 K/9 on the year.

Nathan Karns (SP, SEA) - 13% Owned

The Mariners are currently atop the AL West, thanks in part to an overall stronger rotation that is anchored by new additions like starting pitcher Nathan Karns. He has gone a very solid 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 34.2 innings so far, easily outperforming the Rays' return in the trade, Brad Miller. He's improved his walk rate, allowing only three free passes in two May starts after allowing 11 in three April ones. If he can continue to minimize the walks, he could zoom past his previous career-highs in wins (seven), ERA (3.67) and strikeouts (145) as opposed to simply passing them.

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