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Tony Peters analyzes some American League players to target as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups & adds in Week 24. These AL-only targets can be sleepers.
With the fantasy season coming to a close, the waiver wire for many a league is in the middle of a dry spell. But just because the well is low on water doesn't mean our rosters don't thirst for fresh innings and at-bats.
Below are some names to consider to help fill some holes between now and the end of the season. All players are owned in 25% or less of Flea Flicker leagues.
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American League Waiver Wire Targets
Hitters
Terrance Gore (OF, KC) - 0% Owned
Rookie outfielder Terrance Gore isn't your typical fantasy asset. The speedy outfielder has yet to record a single plate appearance in his first five games with the Royals, yet he has six stolen bases and three runs since September 3rd. Gore spend all of this season at Double-A, hitting only .233 with no home runs and 44 stolen bases in 253 at-bats despite being over a year older than his average competitor. The Royals clearly understand how he can help them and how he can hurt them, and with him 8-for-8 in steal attempts at the Major League level this year, they have no reason to ground him now.
Lonnie Chisenhall (3B/OF, CLE) - 9% Owned
If your team has plenty of power but needs a little kick in the batting average, outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall is closing out 2016 offering up a heaping bowl full of it. Though he has yet to hit a home run or steal a base in September, he is hitting .343 with seven runs and six RBI in 35 at-bats this month. Chisenhall draws favorable fantasy matchups into next week, starting first with three games on the road against the White Sox, a place he's hitting .462 at in four games there this year. The Indians then return home for a lengthy homestand where Chisenhall is hitting .320 with four home runs and 34 RBI in 169 at-bats this year.
Brock Holt (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, BOS) - 24% Owned
Utility man Brock Holt is starting to pick back up at the plate after missing some of May and all of June on the disabled list. Over his past month of games, he's hitting .340 with one home run and one stolen base, providing the same type of value that Chisenhall offers as the two both profile as average-only fantasy players. With the ability to play at any offensive position outside of catcher, Holt can help out on most deep league teams looking to plug a last-minute roster hole or maximizing their roster's off-days.
Chris Young (OF, BOS) - 2% Owned
Helping to fill in for injured rookie outfielder Andrew Benintendi, veteran outfielder Chris Young has been swinging a fresh bat for the playoff-bound Red Sox. In 20 at-bats in September, he's hitting .450 with three home runs, four RBI and one stolen base. Young is still being used as a part-time player, limiting his appeal to only the deepest of leagues. But as a cheap power source that can hit like a superstar in short spurts, he makes a fairly intriguing late-season pickup for any team in need of some long balls and RBIs.
Yulieski Gurriel (3B, HOU) - 23% Owned
That rookie third baseman Yulieski Gurriel is only owned in 23% of leagues--one less than the rather one-dimensional Holt--is quite a surprise as he has been able to meet the lofty expectations placed on him after signing with the Astros only a couple months ago. After his first 64 at-bats in the Majors, he's hitting .344 with three home runs, eightRBI and one stolen base, flashing all of his offensive tools in a perfect slice of fantasy pie. Gurriel's power is just starting to show up as well, with his three dingers all coming in the past week. He is a must-own in all leagues, regardless of depth.
Pitchers
Tyler Skaggs (SP, LAA) - 19% Owned
Coming back from Tommy John surgery isn't an exact science, but the common thought is that one doesn't simply come back from it, it takes at the very least half a season of innings to truly recover from (in performance terms). Starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs is proving that to a "T" this season, throwing two scoreless outings in his first starts since 2014 before following that up with four bad ones in a row. But the clouds are beginning to part again as Skaggs approaches 50 innings pitched on the season, going 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 21 strikeouts over his last 18 innings. While normally one wouldn't recommend starts against Seattle and Texas as fantasy favorable, as they are division rivals that represent his most recent 12 innings of work, he gets a pass.
Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL, SP) - 8% Owned
Somehow, in some unbelievable way, starting pitcher Ubado Jimenez is throwing quality fantasy innings. The man who only just pushed his season ERA under 6.00 by getting it to 5.98 has been a completely new pitcher since returning from a bullpen banishment. Since August 25th, he's 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 28.2 innings and four starts. With only one of those starts against a team not in the playoff race, this hot streak is here to stay until Jimenez's mechanics drive his fantasy value into the nearest ocean. A true fantasy hot potato.
Matt Bush (RP, TEX) - 5% Owned
Wrapping up a highly successful debut season with another solid month, reliever pitcher Matt Bush offers nice ratio stats, strikeouts and a bigger-than-normal chance of win vulturing. He belongs to a bullpen that leads the Majors in wins with 35--seven of which are his--thanks to a starting rotation that struggles to both go deep into games and supress baserunners. Over Bush's last 14 innings, he's 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 10.9 K/9 and five holds. While wins are an unpredicatable stat, he stands as good of a chance as a reliever can in nabbing another one or two before the season ends.
Danny Farquhar (RP, TB) - 0% Owned
Known more for his strikeout abilities than his run-surpressing ones, relief pitcher Danny Farquhar has been absolutely lights out over the past month. In his last 12 innings, he's 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 12.8 K/9, having not allowed an earned run since August 22th. Fantasy owners looking to squeeze out as much pitching value as they can would do well to pair a high-strikeout reliever like Farquhar with another similar one to easily surpass the production of many bargain bin starters left floating around on the waiver wire.
Sean Manaea (SP, OAK) - 8% Owned
Returning from injury to start Wednesday, rookie starting pitcher Sean Manaea is looking to pick up where he left off. After some early season struggles stripped his fantasy value bare, he built his way back up to fantasy respectability by going 4-6 with a 3.45 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 88.2 innings since June 1st. Manaea has struggled on the road this year though, which will occupy two of his last three starts, so be 100% sure you want to roll the dice on a starter before picking him up.
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