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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

Brayan Bello15 mins ago

Continues Improving
Connor Wong24 mins ago

Expected To Return On Monday
Jarren Duran32 mins ago

Scratched From Sunday's Lineup
Zach Penrod39 mins ago

To Miss Significant Time
Ryan Blaney2 hours ago

The Heavy Favorite To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Larson2 hours ago

Can Kyle Larson Finally Get A Good Finish At The New Atlanta?
Chase Elliott2 hours ago

Can Win This Weekend
William Byron2 hours ago

Don’t Overlook William Byron At Atlanta This Weekend
Austin Cindric2 hours ago

Looking To Contend Once Again At Atlanta
Ross Chastain2 hours ago

Will Start Deep in the Field at Atlanta
Zac Veen2 hours ago

Goes Deep On Saturday
Daniel Suarez2 hours ago

Looking To Continue Magic At Atlanta
Bobby Miller2 hours ago

Still Experiencing Headaches
Christopher Bell2 hours ago

An Obvious DFS Pick At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin2 hours ago

Is One of the Top DFS Options Of The Week For Atlanta Lineups
Carmen Mlodzinski2 hours ago

Building Up To Starter's Workload
Joey Logano2 hours ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Atlanta
Prelander Berroa3 hours ago

Exits Saturday's Contest With Elbow Discomfort
Kyle Busch3 hours ago

Expect Kyle Busch To Compete For The Win At Atlanta
Shohei Ohtani3 hours ago

Touches 95 MPH In Bullpen Session
Ty Gibbs3 hours ago

Should Not Be Overlooked For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Tyler Reddick3 hours ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Tyler Reddick At Atlanta This Week?
Brandon Woodruff3 hours ago

Throws Live Batting Practice
Alex Bowman3 hours ago

Is Alex Bowman Worth Rostering For DFS Lineups At Atlanta?
Shane Van Gisbergen3 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Value Option For Atlanta
Juuse Saros3 hours ago

Stands Tall On Saturday
John Hunter Nemechek3 hours ago

Should John Hunter Nemechek Be Considered For Atlanta DFS Lineups?
Kirill Kaprizov3 hours ago

Expected To Miss Longer Period Of Time
Carson Hocevar3 hours ago

Is A Fantastic Value Option For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Alex Tuch4 hours ago

Sustains Undisclosed Injury
Noah Gragson4 hours ago

Is A DFS Fade For Atlanta Lineups
Tom Wilson4 hours ago

Could Miss Sunday's Contest
John Gibson4 hours ago

Exits Early With Upper-Body Injury
Corey Lajoie4 hours ago

Corey LaJoie Is One Of The Top Value Plays For Atlanta
Andrew Copp4 hours ago

Doubtful For Sunday
NASCAR4 hours ago

Should DFS Players Roster A.J. Allmendinger At Atlanta?
Austin Dillon4 hours ago

Atlanta History Does Not Inspire Confidence For DFS Lineups
Mark Andrews11 hours ago

A Potential Salary Cap Casualty?
Norman Powell11 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Sunday
Kawhi Leonard11 hours ago

Could Miss Sunday's Game
P.J. Washington11 hours ago

Questionable Against The Warriors
Mark Canha11 hours ago

Joins Brewers On Minor-League Deal
Josh Hart11 hours ago

May Miss Another Game On Sunday
OG Anunoby12 hours ago

Questionable Against Boston
Aaron Gordon15 hours ago

Set To Play Against The Lakers
LeBron James15 hours ago

Available Versus Denver
Luka Dončić15 hours ago

Luka Doncic Cleared For Saturday Night
Hyeseong Kim15 hours ago

To See Work In Center Field
Nolan Arenado15 hours ago

Astros Rekindle Talks For Nolan Arenado
Michael Kopech15 hours ago

Throws Off The Mound
Brayan Bello16 hours ago

Still Not Throwing Bullpens
Blake Mitchell16 hours ago

Suffers Broken Hamate Bone
Andrés Muñoz16 hours ago

Andres Munoz Working On Changeup
Dante Fabbro17 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Saturday
Sean Durzi17 hours ago

Returns From 52-Game Absence
Matthew Tkachuk17 hours ago

Will Not Play Against Kraken
Jordan Eberle17 hours ago

Back In Action Saturday
Boone Jenner17 hours ago

Ready For Season Debut Against Blackhawks
Nico Hischier18 hours ago

Returns To Devils Lineup Saturday
Mika Zibanejad18 hours ago

Available Against Sabres
Igor Shesterkin18 hours ago

Good To Go Saturday
Lucas Sims20 hours ago

Set To Throw Batting Practice On Sunday
J.B. Bukauskas20 hours ago

Suffers Significant Lat Injury
Wilyer Abreu20 hours ago

Still Battling Illness
Brandon Sproat20 hours ago

Tinkering With Sinker
Washington Commanders21 hours ago

Jonathan Allen Could Be Salary Cap Casualty
Treylon Burks22 hours ago

Could Use A Fresh Start Elsewhere
Tampa Bay Buccaneers22 hours ago

Jamel Dean A Cut Candidate For Buccaneers
Jarrett Allen22 hours ago

Set For An MRI, X-Rays Negative
Seattle Seahawks22 hours ago

Dre'Mont Jones' Cap Figure Is Untenable
Cam Thomas22 hours ago

Nearing A Return?
Pittsburgh Steelers22 hours ago

Steelers Could Be Looking To Replace Larry Ogunjobi
Philadelphia Eagles22 hours ago

Darius Slay Has Sixth-Highest Cap Hit For Eagles
Graham Gano23 hours ago

Could Be On His Way Out
Derek Carr23 hours ago

Saints Could Cut Derek Carr
Kendrick Bourne23 hours ago

Patriots To Move On From Kendrick Bourne?
Minnesota Vikings23 hours ago

Vikings Likely To Move On From Ed Ingram
Jason Sanders23 hours ago

Could Be A Cap Casualty
Cooper Kupp23 hours ago

Rams Could Cut Cooper Kupp
Los Angeles Chargers24 hours ago

Something Has To Give With Joey Bosa
EDM1 day ago

Matt Savoie Set To Make Team Debut
SEA1 day ago

Cale Fleury Promoted To NHL
Evander Kane1 day ago

Resumes Skating
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

A Game-Time Decision
Elias Pettersson1 day ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Quinn Hughes1 day ago

Not Expected To Play On Saturday
Jacksonville Jaguars2 days ago

Jaguars Hire James Gladstone As New General Manager
Donald Parham Jr.2 days ago

Steelers Sign Donald Parham Jr. To One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Nolan Smith Has Surgery For Torn Triceps Muscle
George Kittle2 days ago

Discussing Extension With 49ers
Matthew Stafford2 days ago

Rams Give Permission To Matthew Stafford's Agent To Talk To Other Teams
Patrick Williams2 days ago

To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Jarrett Allen2 days ago

Won't Return On Friday
Fred VanVleet2 days ago

Nearing Return
Josh Giddey2 days ago

Considered Probable For Saturday
Jalen Smith2 days ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jabari Smith Jr.2 days ago

Will Come Off The Bench On Friday
Nikola Vučević2 days ago

Nikola Vucevic Probable For Saturday
DaQuan Jeffries2 days ago

Remains Out On Saturday
Mike Conley2 days ago

Back In Action Friday
Mark Williams2 days ago

Removed From Injury Report
Rudy Gobert2 days ago

Will Not Play Against Rockets
Skyy Moore2 days ago

Could Be Salary Cap Casualty
Arizona Cardinals2 days ago

Cardinals Plan To Be Active In Free Agency
Henry Cejudo2 days ago

Set For Bantamweight Clash
Song Yadong2 days ago

Faces A Legend At UFC Seattle
Anthony Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brendan Allen2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jean Matsumoto2 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Rob Font2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Seattle
Melsik Baghdasaryan2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jean Silva2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Seattle
Alonzo Menifield2 days ago

Opens Up UFC Seattle Main Card
Julius Walker2 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut
Jeremy Lauzon3 days ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
PGA4 days ago

Kris Ventura A Strong Value Pick At The Mexican Open
Sam Ryder4 days ago

A Player To Watch At The Mexican Open
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

An Intriguing Option At The Mexican Open
Mac Meissner4 days ago

Looking To Regain Form At The Mexican Open
PGA4 days ago

K.H. Lee A Player To Avoid At The Mexican Open
Stephan Jaeger4 days ago

Aims For Consistency At Mexican Open
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Poised For Strong Performance At Mexican Open
Joel Dahmen4 days ago

Difficult To Trust At Mexican Open
Michael Thorbjornsen5 days ago

Looks To Get Things Going In The Right Direction At Mexico Open
Davis Riley5 days ago

An Unlikely Candidate For Success At Mexico Open
Luke List5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At Mexican Open
Carson Young5 days ago

A Volatile Option At Mexican Open
Ryan Fox5 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Play At Mexican Open
Alex Smalley5 days ago

A Solid Play At Mexican Open
Kevin Yu5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At Mexican Open
Taylor Moore5 days ago

An Intriguing Option At Mexican Open
Rasmus Hojgaard5 days ago

Eyeing A Major Bounce-Back At Mexican Open
Michael Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Momentum Going At Mexican Open
Sam Stevens5 days ago

Continues His Excellent 2025 Season At Genesis Invitational
Patrick Rodgers5 days ago

Finishes Tied For Third At Genesis Invitational
Thorbjorn Olesen5 days ago

Makes First PGA Tour Start In 2025 At Mexico Open
Gregory Rodrigues6 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 102
Jared Cannonier6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Nazim Sadykhov6 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Ismael Bonfim6 days ago

Suffers Fifth Career Loss At UFC Vegas 102
Rodolfo Vieira6 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 102
Andre Petroski6 days ago

Extends His Win Streak
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

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