Football season is officially underway, but us die-hard baseball fans are still dedicated to the grind all the way to the bitter end. Whether you're in a crucial playoff battle or just hoping to stay out of the cellar, there are still waiver wire options that can improve your squad.
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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Hitters
Ryan Schimpf (2B/3B, SD) - 14% owned - You need power, he's got power. He's still mashing, with two HR and six RBI this week. Schimpf continues his He-Man impression by obliterating concepts of isolated power with a .342 ISO and .567 SLG. Not bad for a 28 year-old rookie who stands 5'9". Yes, he has proven the power is sustainable. No, he will not hit above .250 at any point this season. Take the homers, put him in your MI slot and balance him out with an Ender Inciarte type and you're good.
Nick Markakis (OF, ATL) - 15% owned - Without much fanfare, the Greek God has put together a decent season. Markakis is up to 81 RBI on the year and has been an iron man, appearing in 142 games to lead the NL. He is catching fire lately with a .421 average in the past week, six RBI and five R. He isn't the most exciting pickup, but he could solidify an outfield position on your roster to close out the year.
Ichiro Suzuki (OF, MIA) - 2% owned - That man is at it again. Ichiro has raised his average back over .300 on the year and has driven in six runs over the last seven games. He has also scored ten runs in 10 September games. No, the speed hasn't magically reappeared, but if you missed out on Ender Inciarte weeks ago and need help in average and runs, don't sleep on the legend.
Sean Rodriguez (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, PIT) - 2% owned - Josh Harrison is done for the season, so utilityman Sean Rodriguez will become a semi-regular. He's put together a nice season in the utility role, hitting 12 HR and 40 RBI in 234 at-bats. A career .230 hitter, he's not going to do much better than his current .248 average but he could provide some pop. Besides, just think, you could play him at a different position every day of the week!
Tom Murphy (C, COL) - 1% owned - After a cup of coffee last season, Murphy has made another late-season appearance in Colorado. So far he has six hits in 16 AB and has smacked two homers. He showed a bit of power last year too and has reached the 20 HR mark three times in a season across the minors. He will be a name to remember for next season, but could help deep league owners in need of a second catcher.
Tyler Flowers (C, ATL) - 1% owned - A.J. Pierzynski appears to be unofficially retired as of last weekend when he was placed on the 15-day DL. Flowers resumes the starting catcher gig for Atlanta, which is a lot more inspiring now than it was in the first half. The Braves offense has been on fire since the All-Star break, hitting .276 which is good for fourth in the Majors. Flowers has chipped in four hits and five RBI in the last three games. In NL-only leagues, you could do worse.
Pitchers
Hunter Strickland (RP, SF) - 20% owned - It took way too long, but Santiago Casilla has finally been removed from the closer role in SF (just in time for the pennant run - good thinking, Bochy). He hasn't been anointed the closer, but Strickland stepped in for the save on Sunday against Arizona. Strickland has long been expected to see time at the role and now gets to show off his 97 MPH fastball in the ninth inning. Be warned, he imploded the other day versus San Diego, giving up four ER in the ninth inning and taking the loss. He has a 3.24 ERA in 58.1 IP this season. His 8.1 K/9 is trending downward from his rookie year, as his BB/9 has increased, but he should still be a reliable fireman. Bochy hasn't shown a quick hook, so give him some time.
Alec Asher (SP, PHI) - 3% owned - Asher acquitted himself well in his debut start against the Nats, tossing six scoreless innings with just two hits allowed. On Tuesday, he kept the Pirates in check as well by posting a quality start. He went 6.1 IP and gave up two ER on four hits. The man they call the Big Cat (funny, he looks nothing like Andres Galarraga) is having much better success than last season when he was creamed for a 9.31 ERA in seven starts. Asher is probably not worth adding in mixed leagues, but NL-only owners could fit him in.
Adam Morgan (SP, PHI) - 2% owned - Morgan's pitiful 2-10 record may be a bit unfair, considering how well he's pitched over the past month. Morgan has a 3.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP in the last month and he has only walked two batters in his last 18.2 IP. Don't expect the victories to turn around as Philly auditions their minor league squad over the remainder of the season, but his ratios could be beneficial.
Jose Urena (SP, MIA) - 4% owned - Urena has taken to the starting role much better than his initial time in the bullpen. Urena has a 3.88 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in nine starts, compared to a 7.52 ERA, 1.77 WHIP as a reliever. He isn't a high strikeout pitcher, averaging just 6.1 K/9, but he continues to show improvement as the season progresses. After coming within one out of a CG shutout against the Dodgers, Urena can be taken seriously as a starter.
Clayton Richard (SP, SD) - 12% owned - You've seen Edwin Jackson in this column a couple of weeks ago. Now, another former starter, turned Cubs reliever, turned starter for the pitching desperate Padres seems to be reviving his career as well. Richard has made five starts for the Friars and has an inexplicably low 1.15 ERA in that time. He is walking too many batters (3.4 BB/9) to maintain a respectable WHIP (1.34) and his 3.46 FIP suggest regression is coming. Still, his numbers aren't a complete fluke and the Padres don't have an especially grueling schedule coming up. His next start comes at Coors Field, so don't buy in too soon on Richard.
Robert Gsellman (SP, NYM) - 9% owned - Gsellman hasn't had quite the success of Seth Lugo, but he's held his own thus far. A 3.08 ERA and 7.4 K/9 are fairly decent for deep league owners, but he will need to show better control. Blanking the Nats for 5.2 innings, walking just one batter on Wednesday is a step in the right direction. He gets the Braves at home next time up, assuming he's still needed in the rotation.
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