The second half is officially on, in a way that might resemble Donkey Kong. As teams increase roster movement in preparation of the trade deadline, certain role players may gain more prominent roles. With an absence of starts this week, we will focus more on relief pitchers who have performed well as of late.
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
Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT) - 20% owned - It can only go downhill from here for Bell: two Major League at-bats, one grand slam and a 1.000 batting average. Bell is a prospect that has been polishing his game in the minors for five years to prepare for this moment. He was slashing .324/.407/.535 with 13 HR and 53 RBI in Triple-A this season and is the type of player who can steal someone's job (looking at you, John Jaso). Unfortunately, he may not be up for long unless the Pirates make a move or someone gets injured. Bell is worth a stash in deep leagues if you have the space. If not, be ready to pounce if/when his opportunity to play regularly arrives.
Jhonny Peralta (3B/SS, STL) - 22% owned - Peralta is only hitting .223 in 103 AB since returning from injury, but may be in line for a better second half. His .253 BABIP is well below his .311 career mark. The power is still there, as he is posting a solid .184 ISO. In fact, most of his ratios suggest strong plate discipline and contact rates, so it may just be a matter of time before the production increases. An All-Star in two of the last three seasons, Peralta has plenty left in the tank and is a must-own in NL-only leagues.
Yasmani Grandal (C, LAD) - 22% owned - Have a day, Yasmani Grandal. If anyone ended the first half with a bang, it was Grandal. On July 8th, he went 5-for-5 with three HR and six RBI against the Padres, including a grand slam. In his last nine games overall, Grandal has six HR and nine RBI. His paltry .212 average has kept his ownership low, but much like fellow backstop Derek Norris, he is slowly heating up over the past month and his power numbers (12 HR, 37) place him among the top ten catchers fantasy-wise.
Tommy Joseph (1B, PHI) - 4% owned - Joseph was beginning to look like a younger, right-handed Ryan Howard for a while, but he raised his average by 40 points in the week leading up to the All-Star break up to .255. The power has been there all along, as Joseph has slammed 11 HR in 153 AB. Most of them have been of the solo variety, as his 21 RBI and 22 R limit his value across mixed leagues. Still, he makes a decent power source for those needing some pop at the CI position.
Hernan Perez (3B/SS, MIL) - 1% owned - Perez will finally get the chance to hold down a regular spot in the Brewers lineup with the departure of Aaron Hill to Boston. Perez had been hitting above .300 until June arrived and his playing time dipped. There is almost no power to speak of here, but he has stolen 10 bases in 52 games this season. He's no Jonathan Villar, but then again, who is? Perez makes a low-end SB/AVG option for those needing help in the infield.
Austin Hedges (C, SD) - 1% owned - The future catcher for the Padres may become the present catcher very soon. His time in the majors last year went miserably, with a .168 AVG in 137 at-bats. He has taken out his frustration on pitchers in Triple-A this year to the extreme. Hedges has a scorching .397 AVG, 16 HR, 53 RBI and .809 SLG in just 141 AB even after missing several weeks. Nothing officially has happened to expedite Hedges' recall, but he is sure to see action with the big club in the second half. If (when) Derek Norris is dealt, Hedges becomes an immediate must-add in NL-only and two-catcher leagues.
Pitchers
Tyler Anderson (SP, COL) - 12% owned - I recommended Anderson a couple of weeks ago and he is still yet to blink in his first taste of the bigs. Anderson finally earned his first Major League win last week, but has registered four quality starts and has only allowed more than two ER once. Four of his starts so far have come at Coors Field, where he has a 2.63 ERA and 9.8 K/9. He has given up his share of hits, but it limiting walks and has kept a 1.26 WHIP. Anderson appears to be the real deal and can certainly help deep league owners going forward.
Mike Foltynewicz (SP, ATL) - 5% owned - When he's on, he's really on. Just before the break, Folty threw seven scoreless against the White Sox, striking out 10 and walking none. He flashes his immense talent on occasion, but injuries and inconsistency have held him back from being a viable option as of yet. That and the fact he plays for the Braves. Keep an eye on whether Foltynewicz can string together a couple of successful starts before pulling the trigger.
Daniel Hudson (RP, ARI) - 6% owned - Brad Ziegler is now in Boston, which leaves the closer position for Arizona open. Although Tyler Clippard is probably going to see most of the save opportunities initially, he is already owned in nearly half of fantasy leagues. Hudson could see the occasional save and makes a decent fallback option if Clippard should struggle. After a solid start to the season, Hudson has struggled mightily, allowing 13 ER in his last seven innings. If he can regain his control, he can contribute holds and possibly a small amount of saves as well.
Mauricio Cabrera (RP, ATL) - 1% owned - Arodys Vizcaino hasn't been removed from the closer job, but a few eyebrows have been raised at the fact Cabrera picked up his second save last Thursday. The hard-throwing Dominican was clocked at 102 MPH against the Cubs and certainly could profile as a future closer. Despite Vizcaino's recent batch of rough outings, Cabrera is merely a watch list candidate at the moment.
Joe Blanton (RP, LAD) - 14% owned - Moving to the bullpen has been a revelation for Blanton. Prior to last season, he hadn't kept an ERA below 4.00 since 2007 (3.95). He has been a model of consistency for the Dodgers this year, with a 2.09 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 48 K in 47.1 innings. With four wins in relief and 14 holds, Blanton can fill a RP spot in deep NL leagues for owners looking to hold steady across multiple pitching categories.
Addison Reed (RP, NYM) - 13% owned - The former closer is still just a handcuff to Jeurys Familia, but if you are in needs of holds, then Reed can deliver. He has 19 holds on the year and is limiting hitters to a .190 BAA. His 5.78 K/BB ratio shows that he is still a strong late-inning option. See, there's some good news, Mets fans!
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