X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

AL-Only Leagues: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 2

Source: Ed Zurga/Getty Images North America

Dan Sausville recommends some fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for AL Only leagues. These super deep pickups should be targets for your fantasy team.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - AL-Only Leagues

Each week I will be treading through the murky waiver wire in the American League to try to find you some hidden gems that could pay off exponentially.  These players should be owned in AL Only leagues and some will even be rosterable in deep mixed league formats.  This is the first installment. All ownership percentages from Yahoo!.

 

1. Abraham Almonte - OF, SEA

Source: Ed Zurga/Getty Images North AmericaAlmonte was an afterthought when he came over from the Yankees before the 2013 season, but he propelled himself to the big leagues last September after a strong 2013 minor league season (.314 BA .401 OBP 20 SB 11 HR). After injuries depleted the Mariners outfield in the offseason, Almonte was given the first crack at the center field job this spring. He did not hit the ball all that well, but he still showed a patient eye, and the Mariners trusted him with the opening day leadoff spot in their lineup. In his first week in 2014 he hit .286 with a homer and a steal. Almonte could be a 15/25 HR/SB guy in 2014 and will hit leadoff in a pretty potent lineup. He is currently owned in 11% of CBS leagues, and only 5% of Yahoo leagues. His ownership should be higher, and now would be the time to do it. I am bold on Almonte's outlook for the future, but obviously you would have to revisit him in a few months once he has been around the league a few times.

Check out this majestic bomb Almonte hit on Saturday vs the A's:

[iframe width="100%" height="220" src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=31849687&topic_id=52448062"]
 

2. David Lough - OF, BAL

Lough came over from the Royals in the offseason, after playing in 96 big league games in 2013. The Royals did not have a spot for Lough, and he had already conquered the triple-a level after hitting .275 there in 2012 with 26 SB and 10 HR. He batted leadoff a couple times at the end of the week replacing Nick Markakis who moved down to the 5 spot for the Orioles, so the organization is showing faith in this 28 year old in his first season with the team. Sure Lough has Delmon Young lurking over his shoulder for at bats, but it seems like the Orioles know Nelson Cruz needs to DH more than he plays outfield, and Young has never been a great defender, so Lough is currently safely parked in the leadoff spot playing left field. At worst he will always play against righty's, and at best he turns Delmon Young into a utility outfielder that gives guys days off and is injury insurance. He stole bags in the past 2 games, and also hit 2 triples, so now seems like the time to pounce. A .270/15 HR/20 SB line is within reach. Lough is 2% owned on CBS and 1% owned on Yahoo.

Check out this video of Lough taking 2013 AL Cy Young Award Winner Max Scherzer out of the yard:

[iframe width="100%" height="220" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6C1oPDOMyII"]

 

3. Jarred Cosart - SP, HOU

This former 38th round pick of the Phillies, was brought over in the Hunter Pence trade 2 years ago, and made his major league debut in 2013. He made 10 stars, and finished with a sub 2 ERA. His peripherals were ugly, but he worked his way out of trouble and showed enough promise to have the front office predicting 15 wins for him this year. In his first outing, he beat the Yankees, by going 5 innings, giving up 4 hits, no runs and striking out 3. Of utmost importance, Cosart did not issue a walk, and after an offseason in which he spoke repeatedly about cleaning up his mechanics and trying to throw more strikes, he delivered. He made a subtle adjustment in his delivery, dropping his hands down to his waist on takeoff, so his arm should be better equipped to "catch up" which will stop him from missing on his arm slot like he did in 2013. If those walks stay low, this could be a steal. Cosart is currently owned in 7% of Yahoo leagues, and 28% of CBS leagues. I doubt he will be a helper in strikeouts, but the whip and the era, as well as wins is where this young hurler will help your fantasy team. Grab him and ride it out, if he starts to pile up walks, cut bait, but his potential is too great to leave him sitting on the waiver wire.

Check out some video of Cosart's 2014 debut against the Yankees:

[iframe width="100%" height="220" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_xFS9mfZ4nQ"]

 

4. Conor Gillaspie - 3B. CHW - 1% Owned

Gillaspie, a former Wichita St. standout, and first round pick of the Giants got his first taste of steady big league at bats in 2013 under Robin Ventura. He did not set the world on fire, but showed enough progress at bat to at bat to give Ventura the confidence to put him smack in the middle of the lineup to open 2014, and he has delivered hitting .400 in his first week. Gillaspie is not going to be a high home run guy, but he can be a very cheap option for BA and RBI with the potential to hit 15 HR. There is a lot of value in the White Sox lineup right now, and this guy is at the forefront. Hitting behind Jose Abreu should be prove to fruitful as the year goes on, but waiting too long on him could cost you your chance. Don't hang on to the guys you had to reach for on draft night, you didn't want them then, and you still don't. Grab Gillaspie now if third base is a problem spot for you, or if you are searching for a solid and safe backup for your roster. He is currently 1% owned on Yahoo, and 2% owned on CBS, but that will change if he hits .400 again this week. Don't take the chance, make the move now!

Check out this clutch extra inning home run Gillaspie hit last year against the Royals:

[iframe width="100%" height="220" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jSvFXrs-9Ss"]

 

5. Robbie Ross - RP/SP, TEX

This could be the biggest boom or bust guy on this list. Ross was a starter all the way through the minor leagues, but broke camp with the team in 2012 as a reliever. The team had World Series aspirations, but did not have a quality bullpen, so Ross won a spot. The team decided to take a chance with his development in order to help the big club, but finally in 2014, because of injuries, the opportunity for Ross to start again has presented itself. He had a tremendous spring, and had a very nice first start in the regular season going 5 innings, striking out 7 and giving up 2 earned runs. Ross was always a pretty high strikeout guy in the minors, and has proven time and again that he has what it takes to get big league guys out due to his sub 3 era over his first 125 appearances as a reliever. Ross could potentially lose this spot to someone like Neftali Feliz, but the other Rangers starters have struggled, so Ross's job appears safer than theirs do currently. He will make another start this week, and the team will probably make a decision on his future after that. He is currently owned in 20% of CBS leagues, and only 3% of Yahoo leagues. This is the one guy on this list I think could be an integral piece of winning your league, Ross could end up being the #2 starter on a playoff team in 2014. Buy now, sort it out later, or else you will regret it if he has another stellar outing this week.

Check out footage from his first major league start last week:

[iframe width="100%" height="220" src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=31774255&topic_id=6479266"]
 
 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF