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Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 18 (American League)

While the August 1st trade deadline has come and gone, the dust isn't about settle as the ramifications of all the moves as just starting to materialize. What the big ticket waiver wire additions players such as new Rangers additions catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress and starting pitcher Francisco Liriano will impact is rather clear, but what about all the positions vacated by the players traded away? We're about to find out in a rather exciting final two months of the season.

Here's a list of some of the players who are looking to take advantage of new opportunities (and some regular guys too), all owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker Leagues.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller offers the best Premium MLB Subscription - only $1.99 per week. All the tools you need to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Under-the-Radar Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, plus daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

American League Waiver Wire Targets

Hitters

Gary Sanchez (C/DH, NYY) - 5% Owned

With the trade of designated hitter Carlos Beltran to the Rangers, the Yankees have opened up the position to serve as home for whichever one of their newly-paired catcher tandem of veteran Brian McCann and debuting rookie Gary Sanchez's isn't behind the plate. One of both New York's and the game's top prospects, Sanchez's first call-up is an exciting roster decision that could have large fantasy effects. The young catcher was hitting .285 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 309 Triple-A at-bats. With this promotion a 2017 job audition, Sanchez could be setting himself up for prime 2017 sleeper status.

J.J. Hardy  (SS, BAL) - 4% Owned

Shortstop JJ Hardy has been raking--well, for his current self, at least--since his June return from the disabled list. Over the past month and a half, he's hit .299 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 134 at-bats, raising his season average 31 points to .278 in the process. With the Orioles in the thick of the playoff hunt and the veteran Hardy presumably fresher than normal this late into the season due to his time off, there's enough hope here that he can maintain this pace that he should be picked up by any fantasy owners in need of shortstop or middle infielder help.

Raul Mondesi (2B/SS, KC) - 3% Owned

After an early season promotion to Triple-A did little to cool his bat, rookie shortstop Raul Mondesi made his Major League debut a little over a week ago. Since the Whit Merrifield experiment came to an end a couple weeks ago, the Royals are looking for someone to stabilize second base after Omar Infante and Christian Colon have failed to impress. After 24 at-bats, Mondesi has looked impressive for a 21-year-old, hitting .273 with two RBI and one stolen base. A dynamic player that has both speed and power, Mondesi could be a fantasy game-changer not unlike National League rookie sensation shortstop Aledmys Diaz.

Jorge Polanco (2B/SS, MIN) - 0% Owned

With the Giants taking Eduardo Nunez off the hands of Minnesota during the trade deadline craziness, the Twins are in need of a new backup infielder. Enter rookie Jorge Polanco. During his first full season at Triple-A this season, he was hitting .276 with nine home runs, 39 RBI and five stolen bases in 293 at-bats before the call-up. At the Major League level so far, that's translated into a .275 average with one home run, eight RBI and one stolen base in 40 at-bats. With the Twins playing for next year, Polanco is likely to continue to get additional chances to prove he deserves to be a part of the team's 2017 plans despite no clear path to at-bats.

Andrew Benintendi (OF, BOS) - 2% Owned

Unlike the majority of players to make this week's article, this one has everything to do with what moves his team didn't pull the trigger on. Instead of bringing in an upgrade from outside of the organization, the Red Sox decided to promote one of the game's top prospects, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, instead. He'll make his Major League debut having skipped Triple-A completely, coming from a Double-A slash of .295/.357/.515 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases in 237 at-bats.  With the Red Sox committed to giving Benintendi a chance to stick with in the Majors and energize the offensive as they make a playoff push, he could be the biggest fantasy producer from the five names here over the next two months.

 

Pitchers

Dario Alvarez (RP, TEX) - 1% Owned

Coming over in the Rangers' trade for starter Lucas Harrell, rookie relief pitcher Dario Alvarez brings with him serious strikeout potential. In 15 innings pitched for the Braves prior to the trade, he was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a bonkers 16.8 K/9. That's an elite-level strikeout rate that puts above relief aces like Dellin Betances (15.8) and Andrew Miller (15.1) this season. The only knock on Alvarez is that his work has been only over a small sample size of 15 innings for a last place team. How well he'll respond to pitching for a first place team playing half of their games in the desert heat has yet to be seen. But with that strikeout rate, it is well worth it for fantasy owners to see where his journey goes next.

Jose Berrios (SP, MIN) - 20% Owned

Tuesday brought with it a glimpse of the Jose Berrios that many fantasy owners like myself have been waiting for since the top prospect made his Major League debut earlier this season. In his first start since his initial cup of coffee, he looked a lot more like the can't-miss prospect that was expected, holding the first-place Indians to three runs over six innings. Most important of all is that he was able to strike out five without walking anyone or giving up a home run after struggling with both his first time up. If Berrios can continue to keep those two things down to a minimum, his future ace-like skills can start to shine at baseball's highest level.

Drew Storen (RP, SEA) - 17% Owned

Relief pitcher Drew Storen failed miserably in Toronto after fantasy owners were hopeful the former lights-out closer could re-find his form. The team decided it had seen enough after half a season and cut him loose, ultimately agreeing to swap bad relievers with the Mariners. He did nothing to make a good impression with his new team, giving up four runs in his first appearance for Seattle, pushing his season ERA up to 6.81. It was only last year that Storen was one of the best closers in all of baseball, there has to still be some of that magic in his arm...right? With the Mariners' turning over the closer role to unproven rookie Edwin Diaz, there's still a chance Drew Storen, if he's able to get right, could be in line for some saves before the season's ends.

Matt Andriese (SP. TB) - 17% Owned

With starting pitcher Matt Moore traded to the Giants, rookie Matt Andriese returns to the rotation after a successful temporary turn as a reliever. He re-enters the rotation with a 6-2 record, 2.75 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 6.8 K/9 over 72 innings and eight starts. Though he doesn't strikeout a ton of batters, his ability to limit home runs and hits this season has helped keep him out of trouble so far this season. Andriese isn't the most electric rookie pitcher out there, but if he can continue to build upon this current success and keep working on improving the weaker parts of his game (as he has so far), there's no reason he can't help out fantasy teams in need of quality innings.

Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA) - 15% Owned

The Angels had to place fragile closer Huston Street on the disabled list with a knee injury Tuesday, giving way to a closer-by-committee. But as much as manager Mike Scioscia wants to play it cool having just watched obvious choice Joe Smith traded away, he has to be as excited as fantasy owners should be at Bedrosian's potential. After 39 innings pitched so far this season, he's 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11.1 K/9. No one else in the Angels' bullpen comes close to this numbers. Unless he completes falls apart, the closer gig will be his for the remainder of the season.

 

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Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Derrick Jones Jr.3 hours ago

Moving Into Starting Five
D'Angelo Russell3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Deni Avdija3 hours ago

Tagged As Doubtful For Thursday
Jerami Grant3 hours ago

To Remain Sidelined On Thursday
Bam Adebayo3 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Aaron Gordon4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.4 hours ago

Mets Have Checked In On Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Jamal Murray4 hours ago

Good To Go On Wednesday
Nikola Jokic4 hours ago

Out Versus The Rockets
Karl-Anthony Towns4 hours ago

Dealing With Multiple Issues With His Thumb
Trayce Jackson-Davis4 hours ago

Active For Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Kyle Anderson4 hours ago

Inactive On Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Draymond Green4 hours ago

Out On Wednesday Against Timberwolves
Gary Trent Jr.4 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Tari Eason5 hours ago

Out For Wednesday Night Matchup Against Nuggets
Khris Middleton5 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup
Kyrie Irving5 hours ago

Officially Out On Wednesday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Available For Wednesday's Contest
Jay Huff5 hours ago

Available For Wednesday Against Spurs
Dejounte Murray5 hours ago

Available On Wednesday For Matchup Against Mavericks
Donovan Clingan5 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In One Week
A.J. Brown5 hours ago

Held Out On Wednesday
Josh Okogie5 hours ago

Hornets Acquire Josh Okogie In A Trade With Phoenix
Alex Laferriere6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Joe Mixon6 hours ago

Finds His Way Onto Injury Report On Wednesday
Calvin Pickard6 hours ago

Faces Wild Wednesday
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Returns To Sabres Lineup
Brock Faber7 hours ago

Still Out Wednesday
Kirill Kaprizov7 hours ago

To Miss 10th Consecutive Game
CAR7 hours ago

Dustin Tokarski Gets The Nod For Wednesday's Action
Mattias Ekholm7 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Lamar Jackson7 hours ago

Not On The Injury Report For Divisional Round
Tristan Jarry7 hours ago

Placed On Waivers
Diontae Johnson7 hours ago

Ravens Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Texans
Will Zalatoris10 hours ago

Looking To Keep Momentum Going At The AmEx
Zay Flowers10 hours ago

Missing From Wednesday's Practice
Ha-Seong Kim10 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
Las Vegas Raiders11 hours ago

Momentum Building For Ben Johnson To Become Raiders Next Head Coach
David Montgomery12 hours ago

Says He's "Ready To Go"
Indianapolis Colts12 hours ago

Colts To Play In First-Ever NFL Game In Berlin In 2025
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.16 hours ago

Given Contract-Extension Deadline
Leevi Merilainen16 hours ago

Wins Third Straight Contest On Tuesday
David Pastrnak17 hours ago

Busy In Tuesday's Victory
Kyle Connor17 hours ago

Scores Natural Hat Trick In Victory
Cole Caufield17 hours ago

Tallies Pair Of Points On Tuesday
Ryan McDonagh17 hours ago

Exits Tuesday's Contest Early
Thomas Chabot17 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston A Volatile Player With Upside At American Express
Justin Thomas1 day ago

Fits The AmEx Layouts Like A Glove
J.J. Spaun1 day ago

Carrying Plenty Of Momentum Into American Express
Adam Schenk1 day ago

Breaks Slump Ahead Of American Express
Alex Bregman1 day ago

Cubs Having Contract Conversations With Alex Bregman
Patrick Mahomes1 day ago

Practices In Full On Tuesday
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Practices In Full On Tuesday
Troy Terry1 day ago

Returns To Action Tuesday
John Marino1 day ago

Set For Utah Debut On Tuesday
Jack Eichel1 day ago

Expected To Return To Vegas Lineup Tuesday
Charlie McAvoy1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Struggles Continue Ahead Of American Express
Chris Kreider1 day ago

Poised To Return Tuesday
Michael Bunting1 day ago

Back For Penguins Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
David Montgomery1 day ago

Practicing In Full
Tom Kim1 day ago

Looking To Bounce Back At American Express
Diontae Johnson1 day ago

Cut Loose By Texans
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Looking To Keep Momentum Going At La Quinta
PGA1 day ago

Sungjae Im Is A Hot Commodity At The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout1 day ago

Makes 2025 Debut At PGA West
Harry Hall1 day ago

In Great Form Ahead Of American Express
Eric Cole1 day ago

Seeking First Tour Victory At American Express
Tony Finau1 day ago

Eyeing Victory At American Express
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Looks To Stay Hot At La Quinta
Billy Horschel1 day ago

A Fade Candidate At American Express
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of American Express
Keith Mitchell1 day ago

Tough To Trust At American Express
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

A Player To Fade At The American Express
PGA1 day ago

Ben Silverman A Risky Option At PGA West
Nick Taylor1 day ago

Aims For Back-To-Back Victories At American Express
Cameron Young1 day ago

A Golfer To Watch At American Express
Luis Arraez2 days ago

Padres Would Prefer To Hold Luis Arraez
Tyler Higbee2 days ago

In Stable Condition At Hospital, Expected To Be OK
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Rams Defense Wreaks Havoc Monday
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Mike McCarthy Set For Meeting With Chicago
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Deion Sanders In Talks With Cowboys About Head-Coaching Vacancy
MLB2 days ago

Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays Finalists For Roki Sasaki
Donovan Solano2 days ago

Inks One-Year Deal With Seattle
Jayden Reed2 days ago

Doesn't Need Shoulder Surgery
Zay Flowers2 days ago

Ravens In "We'll-See" Mode With Zay Flowers
Lamar Jackson2 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited In Practice This Week
Justin Verlander2 days ago

Feeling Good
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Raiders "Enamored" With Ben Johnson
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Mike McCarthy Out In Dallas
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Loses Second Fight In A Row
Mackenzie Dern3 days ago

Scores Submission Victory At UFC Vegas 101
Carlston Harris3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 101
Santiago Ponzinibbio3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Abdul Razak Alhassan3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 101
Cesar Almeida3 days ago

Scores Knockout Victory
Robert Suarez3 days ago

Padres Have "Entertained" Trade Talks For Robert Suarez
Uros Medic3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 101
Punahele Soriano3 days ago

Gets A Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 101
Austin Bashi3 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Vegas 101
Christian Rodriguez3 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC Vegas 101
Chris Curtis3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 101
Roman Kopylov3 days ago

Scores Last-Second Knockout At UFC Vegas 101
Bo Bichette3 days ago

Has "No Real Interest" In Re-Signing With Toronto
Yandy Díaz3 days ago

Yandy Diaz Not Expected To Be Traded
Sean Sullivan4 days ago

Invited To Spring Training
Sandy Alcantara5 days ago

Will Not Be Traded Before Opening Day
Jeff Hoffman5 days ago

Inks Three-Year Deal With Toronto
Amanda Ribas5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mackenzie Dern5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 101
Zac Gallen5 days ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration With Zac Gallen
Josh Jung5 days ago

Will Be Full-Go For Spring Training
Santiago Ponzinibbio5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Carlston Harris5 days ago

Set For Welterweight Matchup
Pete Alonso5 days ago

No Deal Close Between Pete Alonso And The Mets
Abdul Razak Alhassan5 days ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 101
Cesar Almeida5 days ago

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Uros Medic6 days ago

Opens Up UFC Vegas 101 Main Card
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Remains At Welterweight At UFC Vegas 101
Christian Rodriguez6 days ago

Looks To Start Off 2025 On Right Note At UFC Vegas 101
Josh Naylor6 days ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.6 days ago

Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration
Andrew Kittredge6 days ago

Inks One-Year Deal With Baltimore

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