AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

1. Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Estimate how much of your free-agent budget you should bid on them.

This year, we're incorporating grids into the FAAB articles, so users can easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grids, which are sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Carlos Correa would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar high-impact prospects stepping into an everyday role.

As always, if there is a player that was not discussed in the article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask about the player in the comments.

Starting Pitcher

Matt Boyd, Tigers: It feels like I'm writing up Boyd every couple of weeks now, but as long as he keeps pitching well and keeps being underowned in fantasy leagues he'll keep appearing in this article. He's won four straight decisions and four of his last five starts (plus an appearance in Tuesday's 15-inning marathon against the Mariners) with a 2.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB in 28.1 innings over that stretch, including seven shutout innings on the road against the Rangers on Saturday. Those are numbers good enough for a spot on any roster, no matter how shallow the league. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Dylan Bundy, Orioles: If there's an AL pitcher hotter than Boyd right now, it's Bundy. The righty's also won four of his last five starts with a 1.84 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB in 29.1 innings over that stretch. Given his prospect pedigree and impressive strikeout rate, the only thing holding him back from being among the truly elite is the length of his outings. Once he starts routinely pitching into the sixth inning or later, the Orioles might finally have that homegrown ace they've been trying to develop for years. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Jhoulys Chacin, Angels: Chacin's back in the rotation for the apparent purpose of making Angels fans remember Tim Lincecum a bit more fondly. If the team had anyone else healthy he'd be right back in the bullpen after giving up seven runs in 1.1 innings Thursday, but alas, they don't. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ross Detwiler, Athletics: Wow, who saw that coming? No, sorry, nobody believes you. Put your hand down. Detwiler's eight scoreless innings against the Orioles on Wednesday came out of nowhere, but hold on a minute before you rush out to bid on him. He'd pitched pretty well in a handful off appearances for Triple-A Nashville before his promotion, but he's still a guy who hasn't had anything close to major league success since 2012 and was never a big strikeout pitcher even when he was posting decent numbers for the Nationals. It's easy to think "Veteran lefty, one-time prospect, finally putting it all together... he's the next Rich Hill!" but he really isn't. The A's will give him plenty of leash after Wednesday, but if he supplies even league-average innings for the next seven weeks it'll be a bit of a surprise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joe Musgrove, Astros: If there's an AL pitcher hotter than Bundy right now, it's Musgrove. His debut has gone swimmingly and he has a 1.47 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 21:2 K:BB in his first 18.1 big league innings. He won't keep up that kind of pace, as he's more of an elite control pitcher than an overpowering strikeout artist, but he doesn't have to in order to be a valuable asset. If he somehow slipped through the cracks last FAAB period, expect to pay big bucks for him now. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $31

Daniel Norris, Tigers: Another repeat from last week (and, for that matter, the week before), Norris finally got the call Tuesday and turned in five solid innings in his return to the big league rotation. Upside-wise the 23-year-old lefty's a much better rotation option for the Tigers than Anibal Sanchez or Mike Pelfrey, but Norris will need to stay healthy and prove he deserves to stick around on the mound and not on paper. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $7

Zach Neal, Athletics: Oakland's swing man got a start Tuesday and pitched 5.1 solid innings, likely earning himself some further turns in the rotation given how desperate the A's are for arms at the moment. Neal's a low-K innings-eater at best though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

James Paxton, Mariners: Paxton's been cruising along for a while now, but last Sunday's outing in which he was two outs away from a complete game before taking a line drive off the elbow that not only got him removed from that game but cost him his next start as well pretty much sums up his career to date. If he makes it through a bullpen session this weekend he should rejoin the rotation Tuesday or Wednesday though and he's still available in many shallower formats. The upside is too high to leave him on the waiver wire any longer. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Anibal Sanchez, Tigers: Very considerately, Sanchez got his inevitable disaster of a start out of the way before most people would have considered picking him up again rather than afterwards. He had been pitching well, posting a 3.12 ERA and 27:5 K:BB in 26 innings over four starts heading into Friday, but the Rangers hung eight runs and four homers on him in four innings to send his season ERA shooting back above 6.00. The recent run was encouraging, but you're playing with dynamite if you add him to your roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Andrew Triggs, Athletics: Moved into the rotation due to a lack of other options for the A's, Triggs wasn't half-bad Thursday, giving up four runs in four innings but with a 4:0 K:BB. The soft-tossing righty doesn't have a lot of upside but he could give you some serviceable innings in a pinch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Relief Pitcher

John Axford, Athletics: With Ryan Madson unavailable and Sean Doolittle still weeks away from coming off the DL, Axford got the save for Oakland on Wednesday and seems to be next in line for chances at the moment. That makes him worth a look in deep leagues where every save counts despite his otherwise pedestrian numbers, but unless GM Billy Beane pulls off an August waiver deal for Madson, don't expect Axford to get too many more opportunities to close. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Matt Bush, Rangers: Bush also got a save Wednesday with both Sam Dyson and Jeremy Jeffress needing a night off, but even if Dyson were to lose his hold on the closer's role there are a lot of people between Bush and the job. He's also hit a bit of a rough stretch, posting a 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB over his last seven appearances and eight innings. Arbitrary endpoints aside, he remains a fairly fungible setup guy rather than a spec saves play. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Chris Devenski, Astros: Throwing five scoreless innings in a spot start Thursday is going to attract notice, but Devenski's been quietly effective all year in whatever role the Astros have used him in. He'll give you good ratios and volume Ks, but don't count on much more than that. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jake Diekman, Rangers: Much like Bush did, Diekman got a save early in the week and promptly gave up four runs over his next two appearances to scare off potential bidders. As the primary lefty in the Rangers' 'pen, he'll get the occasional matchup save but is more valuable in formats that count holds thanks to his excellent ratios and K/9 rate north of 9.0. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Luke Gregerson, Astros: Gregerson came off the DL on Friday but has yet to make an appearance in a crowded Astros bullpen. Even with Ken Giles on paternity leave it was Will Harris who got the save Friday, so Gregerson would appear to be way at the back of the line for future chances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Deolis Guerra / J.C. Ramirez / Fernando Salas, Angels: Cam Bedrosian's finger injury has left the back of the Angels' bullpen in turmoil with no obvious candidates to close, but these are the three most likely suspects. Guerra's been solid this season but lacks the big fastball managers like to see in the ninth inning. Ramirez has pitched better in Anaheim than he did in Cincinnati earlier in the year plus he heat closer-like heat (96.3 mph average fastball this season), but his numbers are still mediocre overall. Salas has put up the worst numbers of his career in 2016, but he's got that veteran savvy Mike Scioscia might decide makes him the best option in save opportunities. Of course, the Angels have lost nine straight games, so this might all be moot if the team doesn't generate any save chances before Bedrosian comes off the DL. Guerra: 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4; Ramirez: 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1; Salas: 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jandel Gustave, Astros: The Astros' latest hard-throwing relief prospect won't work his way into the save mix this year and likely won't even see many holds in a crowded bullpen, but anybody that can scrape triple digits with their fastball probably deserves a roster spot in deep formats as you never know what may happen down the road. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Will Harris, Astros: Harris got the call Friday with Giles on paternity leave, but he gave up a solo homer while picking up the save and has been scored upon in five of his last six outings. Pick him up only if every save is precious to you right now, as Harris is no threat to get the closer job back any time soon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Matthew Strahm, Royals: Strahm got called up from Double-A at the end of July and has been outstanding so far for the Royals, striking out 11 batters in five innings. He was being used as a starter for the last year and a half or so in the minors after recovering from Tommy John surgery but the lefty's ultimate role in the majors remains to be seen. His improved control at Double-A is encouraging, but given his injury history he probably profiles best as a reliever until he emphatically proves otherwise. That said, the team's rotation isn't exactly set and if they follow the Danny Duffy plan with Strahm he could become very valuable very quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Juan Centeno, Twins: Centeno's having a decent season as Kurt Suzuki's backup, getting 2-3 starts a week and supplying a solid batting average with a smidge of pop, but the news that Suzuki was placed on trade waivers opens up the possibility that Centeno could be the starter down the stretch. John Ryan Murphy's not doing much hitting at Triple-A, so there's no other internal threat to the job if Suzuki is sent packing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Omar Narvaez, White Sox: With Alex Avila (hamstring) still out indefinitely and Dioner Navarro struggling at the plate, Narvaez is beginning to get some more playing time for the White Sox. There isn't much in his minor league profile to suggest he'll supply much offense despite his current small-sample slash line, but in deep formats playing time rules all. If you need catching help, he's worth a look. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Geovany Soto, Angels: The Angels have already turned their starting catcher job over to relative youngster Jett Bandy, but Soto figures to be his backup now that he's off the DL. As he has throughout his career, Soto will flash occasional power and productivity but mostly remains a batting average liability. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

C.J. Cron, Angels: Cron started a rehab assignment this weekend as he makes his way back from a hand injury and should return to the Angels' lineup late next week. He's been having a solid year when healthy and the team can use whatever offense it can get right now, so he should immediately resume a starting role when he gets activated. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Mitch Moreland, Rangers: Apparently all it takes for Moreland to catch fire is for Prince Fielder to be out of the way. Over his last 30 games, Moreland's hitting .341/.386/.732 with nine homers and 15 RBI and his early-season struggles still mask his impressive turnaround. If he's out there in shallower leagues snap him up, as other than ducking the occasional tough lefty his playing time should be secure down the stretch.12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Justin Morneau, White Sox: He's been swinging a nice stick since joining the White Sox, hitting .295/.341/.487 through 23 games in his return to the AL Central. With Avisail Garcia now on the DL, Morneau's got little competition for at-bats at DH even if the team decides to start handing jobs to more kids, so expect him to remain productive down the stretch12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Max Muncy, Athletics: Listed as a first baseman, Muncy's been seeing action at second base and in right field with Josh Reddick in LA and Jed Lowrie on the DL. Muncy's not doing much with his at-bats, mind you, but at least he's getting them. He'll run into the occasional homer, but don't expect much more out of him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Second Base

Logan Forsythe, Rays: Forsythe's power surge early in the week just capped an impressive run that's seen him slash .291/.375/.473 over the last couple of weeks with 12 runs scored out of the Rays' leadoff spot. As long as he can stay healthy, always a risk with Forsythe, he should continue putting up strong numbers. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: Owned

Tony Kemp, Astros: Kemp got called up last Sunday and has been seeing regular at-bats in left field ever since as injuries and the decision to finally cut bait on Carlos Gomez have opened up a lot of playing time. Kemp's gone just 3-for-18 though, and Yulieski Gurriel is set to be called up Tuesday, so he may be headed back to Triple-A sooner rather than later. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Matt Duffy, Rays: As expected, Duffy's come off the DL and started two straight games at shortstop for the Rays, going 2-for-8. His "true" level of production probably lies somewhere between last year's surprising numbers and his disappointing first half, but once he gains eligibility at shortstop his 10/10 HR/SB profile will look a whole lot better from a fantasy perspective. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $9

Yulieski Gurriel, Astros: The Astros are wasting no time in getting Gurriel to the majors, with a Tuesday promotion on tap despite a poor showing in four Double-A games. The accelerated schedule makes sense given his age but the 32-year-old may not make an instant impact with his bat given his long layoff from organized ball while waiting to get signed by an MLB club. Alex Bregman is also finding his groove at the plate and it seems unlikely the team would want to disrupt their prized prospect, but Gurriel's played nothing but third base so far in the minors and one of them will have to go to left field, creating more uncertainty surrounding the veteran's playing time and ability to adjust. The hype might drive up the bidding on Gurriel, but don't get sucked in. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Shortstop

Dixon Machado, Tigers: The Tigers wisely decided that maybe giving Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine regular time at shortstop wasn't such a good idea after all and called up Machado to fill in for the injured Jose Iglesias. Machado did have 17 steals in 117 games at Triple-A this year, but that's about the extent of his potential fantasy impact. Still, he should see plenty of at-bats while Iglesias is out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ketel Marte, Mariners: It took Marte about three weeks to shake off his case of mono, but he's back in the lineup now. He hasn't stolen a base since early June but the illness could easily be to blame for his lethargy on the basepaths, so once he gets his legs back under him don't be surprised if he starts making up for lost time in that category down the stretch. He probably won't be able to completely undo his weak start to the season, but he should be better than his current numbers indicate. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Jorge Polanco, Twins: Nothing highlights how much of a mess the Twins are right now as an organization than their handling of Polanco. Not that he was a top prospect or anything coming into the year, but the front office decided he would be better off playing second base in the minors despite the fact that they had a revolving door at shortstop in the majors and Brian Dozier entrenched at second. Well, Polanco's up now, and lo and behold manager Paul Molitor has discovered that the kid is his best option at short. Who woulda thunk it? The 23-year-old is taking full advantage of the opportunity too, hitting .357 in 56 at-bats since coming up. He doesn't offer much power and will only steal the occasional base, but if he continues hitting for a plus batting average he'll be plenty valuable in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $5

Outfield

Tyler Austin, Yankees: The oft-injured prospect got called up Saturday and promptly made history, as he and Aaron Judge became the first teammates to hit back-to-back homers in their first MLB at-bats. Austin was having a great season at Triple-A and still has time to grow into a lineup regular at 24 years old, but the 108 games he's played across three levels this year is the most action he's seen since 2012 so he'll need to prove he can stay healthy before he'll work his way into the Yankees' future plans, especially with Judge and Clint Frazier around. Austin will have to split time at first base for now, but down the road he might best fit as a fourth outfielder. There's upside here, but also plenty of risk. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $4

Nick Buss, Angels: The 29-year-old was putting up solid numbers for Triple-A Salt Lake before getting promoted, but there's a reason he hadn't sniffed the majors since 2013. Buss is purely a bench player and could be sent back down as soon as Cron comes off the DL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ezequiel Carrera, Blue Jays: Carrera is set to return from his Achilles injury early next week and not a moment too soon for a Blue Jays squad that just lost Kevin Pillar (thumb) and Jose Bautista (knee) to injury. Carrera will probably get regular at-bats right away, but his pre-All-Star break surge is ancient history. Anybody hitting in the Jays' lineup has some value, but don't expect too much. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Rusney Castillo, Red Sox: Could Castillo actually be figuring things out? His major league performances were so poor that he cleared waivers when the Red Sox sent him down (although his contract had a lot to do with that) but he's made some adjustments to his swing at Triple-A and is hitting .410 (25-for-61) over his last 15 games. He hasn't homered during that stretch but he hasn't just been slapping the ball the other way, collecting seven extra-base hits (three doubles and four triples) over that stretch. Boston doesn't have a need for him right now with Andrew Benintendi getting a look in left field, but if he carries his improved approach forward he could put himself back into the team's plans, which makes him a very interesting stash in keeper leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $5

Darrell Ceciliani, Blue Jays: Fun fact – there have only been three players in big league history whose last names started with 'Cecil', and two of them are on the Jays' current roster. (The third was a wartime pitcher for the Red Sox named Rex Cecil). All the injuries to the Toronto outfield have given Ceciliani some short-term at-bats, but those will dry up once Ezequiel Carrera comes off the DL. Don't look for value here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jason Coats, White Sox: Coats is having a big year at Triple-A but his numbers in a couple cups of coffee this year have been far less impressive. The 26-year-old could be a late bloomer and has some power and speed, but more likely he's just a Quad-A bat who'll bounce around for a while. If you have a roster spot to churn in a keeper league though, there are worse uses for it than taking a chance on a player like Coats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler Collins, Tigers: Collins has been getting regular playing time in center field while Cameron Maybin (thumb) is out, but as yet he hasn't done much with it. His prospect status stems from a couple of good power years in 2013 and 2014 but he's been a disappointment since, although to his credit he has made some marginal improvements to his plate discipline since then. The Tigers don't have any other viable options though, so Collins should continue to collect at-bats for the next couple of weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Teoscar Hernandez, Astros: The 23-year-old was called up when Carlos Gomez was sent packing, but looking at Hernandez's minor league league numbers you'd think the two were twins. He at least showed some improvement in his K-rate this season to warrant the promotion, but he still profiles as a low-BA player with some power and speed, which makes him a perfect fit for the Astros. Expect Hernandez to get a long look in center field. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $11

Aaron Judge, Yankees: The hulking prospect finally got called up after recovering from a knee injury in the minors and promptly crushed a homer in his first big league at-bat. Judge is the Yankees' right fielder of the future and probably the present as they begin a new youth movement, so unless he struggles mightily at the plate he should get regular playing time down the stretch. His batting average could be an issue, but his power is legit. He and Clint Frazier could be the corner outfield cornerstones for the franchise starting as soon as 2017. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Junior Lake, Blue Jays: Lake continues to serve the Jays admirably as emergency outfield depth, but there's really no fantasy appeal here. He's just a bench bat. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Drew Stubbs, Rangers: Out since late May with a toe injury, Stubbs came off the DL this week and has already seen action in three games... as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch runner. That tells you all you need to know about his fantasy potential. He might steal a couple of bases for you, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Melvin Upton Jr., Blue Jays: Traded into a fourth outfielder role with Toronto at the deadline, Upton now finds himself starting again after Jose Bautista (knee) and Kevin Pillar (thumb) hit the DL. He's looked more like the Braves version of Upton than the Padres version since heading north, but he might be able to find his batting stroke again with regular at-bats. Chances are he's still rostered in most formats, but if he was dropped in a shallower league after the trade he could be worth picking up again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Owned

Chris Young, Red Sox: Young is set to come off the DL next week after recovering from a hamstring injury. He'll probably resume his role as a lefty-killing option off Boston's bench, but with rookie Andrew Benintendi currently patrolling left field, Young's playing time range is wide open. If Benintendi locks up a starting job at-bats could be few and far between for Young, but if the kid struggles Young could find himself seeing more than just platoon starts. As long as he primarily faces lefties though, he should put up solid slash numbers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3