As we head toward the All-Star break, it's time to evaluate some players who may be headed for a turn-around in the second half of the season. This list represents players who haven't yet garnered a great deal of attention in mixed-leagues, streaming options suitable only for deeper leagues or category specialists who may fill a specific need on your NL-only roster.
Fantasy owners needing help should be on the lookout for these potential additions in the coming week. The following players are owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.
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National League Waiver Wire Targets
Hitters
Brandon Nimmo (OF, NYM) - 6% owned - Goodbye Michael Conforto, hello Brandon Nimmo. After a great end to 2015, including the playoffs, Conforto has struggled mightily all season and finally got demoted. Nimmo gets a shot to continue his hot hitting from the minors. He was slashing .328/.409/.508 in Triple-A Las Vegas over 250 AB before being called up. His ceiling is certainly nowhere near as high as Conforto, but he could end up being more productive if he can hit for average. Of course, the entire Mets offense is a hot mess right now, so tread carefully.
Travis Jankowski (OF, SD) - 2% owned - Jon Jay was finally put on the DL Tuesday after missing the past several games with what was thought to be a bruise at first. With news that he actually has a fracture in his right forearm, he will potentially miss several weeks. Jankowski has been filling in and will likely see the bulk of the starts going forward. Jankowski's value lies in his speed. He already has 10 SB in just 96 plate appearances. Down the stretch, he may be competing for time with a host of other young outfielders in the Padres system, including the recently recalled Alex Dickerson. For the time being, Jankowski is a top add consideration in deeper leagues.
Alex Dickerson (OF, SD) - 0% owned - Dickerson was called up to take the place of Jon Jay, who will be out for 6-8 weeks with a broken forearm. It will be either Jankowski, Dickerson or both filling his spot. Each brings something different to the table. With Jankowski, it is all about speed. Dickerson, while not a true power bat, has more pop. When Dickerson plays, he will be in left field and Melvin Upton Jr. slides over the center. If Dickerson continues to hit as he has in Triple-A (.351/10/51), then he could see the bulk of the playing time. Of course, if every Major League player hit like they did in Triple-A, we'd need to triple the roster for the All-Star game.
Chris Herrmann (C, ARI) - 20% owned - Wellington Castillo is still the starter, but Herrmann is seeing the field every 2-3 games consistently. As thin as the catcher position is, he is bringing value to owners in two-catcher or deep NL leagues. He is hitting .298/6/26 on the year in 121 AB.
Angel Pagan (OF, SF) - 20% owned - Pagan still isn't getting the respect he deserves. In the past week, he has a blazing .524 AVG with six RBI and four R. In the past two weeks, he's hitting .341 with 11 RBI and seven R. The speed isn't there any more for the soon-to-be 35 year-old, but he is still a run-producing threat in the Giants lineup.
Adonis Garcia (3B, ATL) - 2% owned - It may not be a huge power surge, but Garcia is finally bringing some wood to the ballpark. Garcia has two HR and seven RBI this past week, including a clutch game-winner against the Mets. He is showing signs of being the type of player the Braves expected all along and his suddenly improved defense will keep him the lineup every day at third base.
Derek Dietrich (2B/3B/OF, MIA) - 7% owned - Dietrich hasn't gone away and he still has a few more weeks until Dee Gordon reclaims second base in Miami. Dietrich continues to sacrifice power for contact, but it seems to be working in his favor. He is hitting .389 in the last seven games with four runs scored. He can be plugged in at various positions, which often proves useful in deeper single leagues.
Peter Bourjos (OF, PHI) - 1% owned - It's been too long since a Phillies position player has made this list, so what the heck. Actually, Bourjos is hitting .484 over the last week with six runs scored and has even homered. No stolen bases, interestingly enough, which is what his fantasy value is usually predicated upon. Will the hot hitting last? Probably not, but I have fulfilled my ethical duty by informing you of his hot streak.
Pitchers
Jon Gray (COL, SP) - 25% owned - Gray's ownership has dropped a bit recently, perhaps due to the mention of arm fatigue, which is always concerning. He didn't look too fatigued against the Blue Jays in a tough match-up on Monday. He lasted seven innings and struck out eight with no walks. The Ks remain high, as does the ceiling for this young ace. Don't let the Rockies uniform scare you - he is worth owning even in mixed leagues. Over the past month, he has a 3.77 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. Keeper league owners should take notice as well.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (SP, LAD) - 19% owned - After an unexpected delay in his comeback from injury, Ryu looks ready to rejoin the Dodgers in the near future. Manager Dave Roberts even proclaimed Ryu may make a start before the All-Star break. This is a good time (maybe the last chance) to grab him and stash him until he takes the mound again. Ryu has a 3.17 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over the 2013-2014 seasons. He missed all of 2015 and is yet to play this season. He can help with ratios, although he isn't a high strikeout pitcher.
Chad Kuhl (SP, PIT) - 5% owned - Talk about pressure - how about going up against Clayton Kershaw for your first big league start? Kuhl played the part his name sounds and kept his cool by picking up the win. He limited the Dodgers to three ER in five innings, striking out five while walking four. The fact he was called up before Tyler Glasnow must mean something, right? Juan Nicasio is back but will stay in the bullpen for the time being. It's unclear how many more starts Kuhl will get, but he is scheduled to start Sunday against Oakland and may be worth streaming against a mediocre offense.
Andrew Cashner (SD, SP) - 19% owned - It's hard to whole-heartedly recommend Cashner considering the way he's pitched this year, not to mention the injuries. His upside is higher than most waiver wire options though, so he may be worth another shot if you need starting pitching help. Cashner will rejoin the rotation later this week with a 4.75 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 36 K in 53 IP.
Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 2% owned - Despite being a hard-luck loser again on Wednesday, Anderson surrendered just two runs in six innings to a hard-hitting Blue Jays team. Anderson has not allowed more than two ER in any of his four starts. It's time to start believing there may be another Rockies pitcher worth owning.
Bud Norris (ATL, SP/RP) - 6% owned - The resurgence is real. Norris continues to show that he isn't done for yet. Norris shut down the Mets offense for seven innings on Sunday. He now has a 2.60 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over his last three starts with 21 K in 17.1 IP. You may not fully trust a player named Bud, but we can always make an exception.
Edubray Ramos (PHI, RP) - 0% owned - Now we come to the portion of the show where you have to use Google just to figure out who some of these players are. Ramos is not as big a name as some of the Phillies' other pitching prospects who have already been called up. In fact, he only has one full season over Single-A under his belt. So far, he has pitched 3.1 scoreless innings and earned two holds. He has the stuff to be a closer-type in the future, so keep his name in mind down the road.
Dario Alvarez (RP, ATL) - 0% owned - Alvarez, a former Mets prospect who struggled in his limited Major League experience, was picked up by the Braves just last week. Since then, he has allowed one ER in 4.2 IP with 11 K. He really won't help you right now, but if a team lures away Arodys Vizcaino before the trade deadline, Alvarez could see more late-inning action than anybody could have expected.
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