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 $100 starting 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. Andrew Benintendi 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

Christian Bergman, Mariners: To those of you who took my advice last week when I called Bergman a "decent streaming option", you're welcome. The 29-year-old righty struck out nine over 7.2 scoreless innings against the A's on Wednesday, and with most of Seattle's regular rotation on the DL (and the club probably wishing Yovani Gallardo would join them after his Saturday stinker) that outing probably earned Bergman a longer leash. It might well prove to be his best start of the season, and maybe even his career, but at least you know he's capable of that kind of performance. He is emphatically not a decent streaming option this week, though, as he's lined up for a road start against the Nationals. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Mike Clevinger, Cleveland: Speaking of "the best outing of his career", Clevinger dominated the Astros on Saturday, no-hitting them through six innings and eventually settling for seven scoreless frames with eight strikeouts. Corey Kluber (back stiffness) just began throwing bullpen sessions as the team eases him back into action so Clevinger should get another start or two before being bumped down to Triple-A, and with Carlos Carrasco pitching through some pectoral tightness you never know when another rotation spot could open up and allow Clevinger to stick around. The 26-year-old is still a better keeper option than short-term investment, but the short term is beginning to look pretty good too. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jose De Leon, Rays: So, De Leon's second rehab start at High-A went pretty well, if you consider five no-hit innings with five Ks any good. The 24-year-old will probably move up to Triple-A to continue his recovery from forearm tightness, and with the Rays still using Erasmo Ramirez to keep a rotation spot warm for someone, it's beginning to look like that someone will be De Leon. The former Dodger will still need to sharpen his fastball command in the majors if his lethal changeup is going to play to its full potential, but he has the upside to make a quick impact once he's made his AL debut. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Sam Gaviglio, Mariners: In a normal year, teams don't start adding guys to their rotation that I've never even heard of before until some time after the All-Star break. In 2017, it took them until mid-May. Gaviglio is a sinker-slider-changeup guy who has trouble breaking 90 mph, which means he probably profiles best as a long reliever down the road, but in the current morass that is the M's staff it makes him their No. 4 starter. He was solid against the White Sox in his first start, but there isn't much strikeout upside here and his best asset from a fantasy perspective might be his home park. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ricky Nolasco, Angels: Yeah, I know. The thing is, Nolasco's having one of his good stretches, reeling off three straight quality starts 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB in 19 innings. Will it last? Nope. Are there fantasy pitching staffs out there in shallow leagues so wracked by injuries and ineffectiveness that even Nolasco looks like a decent option to plug in and try to squeeze another couple of weeks of effectiveness out of? Yup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Adalberto Mejia, Twins: Mejia will get his second shot in the majors this season as part of Sunday's doubleheader against the Royals. The young lefty couldn't find the strike zone in his first few starts for the Twins but walks haven't been a big issue for him in the minors and he has a 16:3 K:BB in 20.2 Triple-A innings this season, so if he gets a longer run that should iron itself out. The team's still looking for a fifth starter after kicking Kyle Gibson to the curb, and a solid effort this weekend could keep Mejia in Minnesota for a while. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Martin Perez, Rangers: I could probably just copy and paste the Nolasco writeup and put it here. Perez is only 26 years old but is now in his sixth MLB season, and has never looked like anything more than a back-end starter with limited fantasy utility in all that time. He's having a decent run at the moment, though, posting three straight quality starts with a 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB in 19.1 innings. His current 6.4 K/9 on the year would be a career high if he can keep it up, which tells you everything you need to know about his fantasy ceiling. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Hector Velazquez, Red Sox: Hey, look, another starting pitcher I've never even heard of before. At least in this case that makes sense. Velazquez was signed out of the Mexican League in the offseason and he's 28 years old, so he's not exactly a prospect, but after posting some strong numbers at Triple-A Pawtucket the Red Sox decided to give him a shot in their rotation Thursday. It, uhh, didn't go well, as the A's hit three homers in five innings off him. Velazquez is another soft-tossing righty with little fantasy ceiling, but if he can stick as Boston's fifth starter for a while he might sneak out a win or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Adam Wilk, Twins: Wilk is currently the most likely candidate to make a spot start Monday, as rainouts and Sunday's doubleheader have mucked with the Minnesota rotation. The 29-year-old southpaw has actually put up decent numbers at Triple-A over the last couple of years – look past his 5.91 ERA in six starts for Las Vegas earlier this year and focus on his 29:5 K:BB in 32 innings – but his two big-league appearances in 2017, one with the Mets and one with the Twins, have been duds. Still, it's probably going to be him or Mejia as the team's fifth starter heading into next week, and if Wilk is ready to enter the crafty lefty phase of his career he could surprise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Steve Cishek / James Pazos / Nick Vincent / Tony Zych, Mariners: The Mariners have already said that they plan to work Edwin Diaz back into the closer role once he gets his mechanics straightened out, but at the moment he's out, which means somebody else will see ninth-inning duty, or perhaps multiple somebodies. Cishek's the one with closing experience but he's already blown his first save opportunity since Diaz got the hook. Zych is the one with a closer's arsenal, averaging about 95 mph with his fastball. Vincent's the one pitching well at the moment, while Pazos is the left-handed one (actually he's one of two left-handed ones, but I don't want to have to type out Marc Rzepczynski's name more than once.) It's all a big muddle that seems headed for a committee unless Diaz reclaims the job, and there's an excellent chance if you pick any of these guys up you won't get more than one or two saves out of them. Still, saves is saves, and if you need them you can't afford to leave any stone unturned. Cishek – 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15 / Pazos – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Vincent – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Zych – 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Nate Jones, White Sox: Jones has been out of action since the end of April, but seems to be getting close to returning to the White Sox bullpen. The 31-year-old still has an overpowering fastball and big-time strikeout potential, and he's still the heir apparent at closer if the team trades David Robertson, although if the front office holds a fire sale Jones will likely attract just as much interest as Robertson. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Zach McAllister, Cleveland: The 29-year-old righty has been on an absolute strikeout tear lately, to the point that you might think he was an Astro. McAllister's 12.7 K/9 on the year would be a career high, and he's being used for multiple innings these days which makes that strikeout rate even more valuable in fantasy formats that still use bulk Ks instead of K/9. He may not see many saves or holds, but multi-inning relievers tend to fall into some wins, especially when backed by an offense like Cleveland's. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Brad Peacock, Astros: Peacock's been very good in long relief this season, but he'll make his first start of the season Monday in place of Dallas Keuchel, who's sidelined with a pinched nerve in his neck. Keuchel isn't expected to miss more than one start, but it wouldn't take much for the Astros to delay his return if they have any concerns. Peacock's matchup isn't stellar (at home against the Tigers) but the 29-year-old can get some strikeouts and could be worth streaming. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ryan Tepera, Blue Jays: Tepera's working on an impressive 10-game scoreless streak, during which he has a 0.55 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB in 16.1 innings. The 29-year-old righty is slowly working his way into higher-leverage situations as well, and has three wins, a save and a hold on the year. As the Blue Jays offense heats up, Tepera could prove to have plenty of value in deeper formats as a high-K relief option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Alex Wilson, Tigers: Alex is definitely the lesser Wilson in the Tigers bullpen right now, but he picked up a save Thursday when Justin was unavailable and seems to be next in line for the closer job should it open up again. The right-handed Wilson has great ratios on the season but his 5.7 K/9 isn't particularly useful from a fantasy standpoint, so he's really only worth considering as a handcuff for the left-handed Wilson. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Mark Canha, Athletics: Profiled last week, Canha is making a strong case for more playing time by hitting .421 (8-for-19) over the last week with three homers. His primary role is as Matt Joyce's platoon partner in right field, but if Canha keeps raking the 28-year-old could spell in at first base or DH as well. After missing most of 2016 due to back problems the slugger was mostly forgotten heading into this season, but the back woes may have just delayed his age-27 breakout by a year. Don't go overboard in your bidding based on one big week, but there is more upside in Canha than you might think. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

C.J. Cron, Angels: Cron was probably left for dead on the waiver wire in many leagues after his ice-cold start to the campaign and subsequent foot injury, but he started five straight games after coming off the DL and the Angels may not have given up on him yet. Of course, he's still not hitting (4-for-18 with six Ks since his return) but with Luis Valbuena needed over at third base to cover for Yunel Escobar for a while, Cron should continue seeing plenty of playing time over the next few weeks. He doesn't have a huge ceiling, but he's better than he's shown so far. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

John Hicks, Tigers: Hicks was called back up to take Victor Martinez's roster spot while the veteran is on paternity leave. That means Hicks' stay in Detroit will likely be a brief one, but with Miguel Cabrera nursing an oblique strain he might get a start or two at first while he's up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Whit Merrifield, Royals: The 28-year-old has settled in as the Royals' starting second baseman and has gone on a nice little run at the plate, slashing .320/.370/.480 over the last week with a homer and two steals. That's more than good enough to put him on the radar if you're looking for short-term help at middle infield, although his long-term value looks less appealing with Raul Mondesi finding his groove at Triple-A. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Raul Mondesi, Royals: Speaking of which, Mondesi has an 11-game hitting streak going at Omaha, during which he's put together a .405/.444/.786 slash line with three homers and three steals. The Royals aren't out of it yet in a very winnable AL Central, but given the age of their core and contract situations on many of their key players it seems like just a matter of time before they given to trade away veterans and hand jobs to kids, at which point Mondesi should be back at the keystone for them. If he was dropped after his demotion, consider stashing him on your bench. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Yolmer Sanchez, White Sox: The 24-year-old switch hitter has taken over the starting second base job for the Pale Hose with a .405/.476/.486 line over the course of a seven-game hitting streak. Sanchez's skill set is still fairly raw – he's 2-for-6 on stolen base attempts this season – and Yoan Moncada looms on the horizon, but he could be worth a short-term play. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Third Base

Adrian Beltre, Rangers: Beltre's finally running the bases and seems almost ready to begin a rehab assignment, which could put him a couple of weeks away from rejoining the Rangers. The 38-year-old has a lot personal milestones to collect this season, as he's only 58 hits away from 3,000 and five homers away from 450, but losing two months to a calf injury is a big warning sign that Beltre may be approaching the end of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. If he was dropped he'll probably put up useful numbers upon his return, even if Joey Gallo has hit 13 HR in his absence, but further breakdowns remain a distinct possibility. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $31

Pablo Sandoval, Red Sox: Brock Holt's continuing issues with vertigo now make it look likely that Sandoval will beat him back to the big-league roster to reclaim the starting third base job in Boston. Panda wasn't dong much when he hit the DL with a knee injury, but he did have three home runs in 17 games and none of the Red Sox's other options at the hot corner have amounted to much. It's hard to say what kind of ceiling the 30-year-old has left, but Sandoval should at least see fairly consistent at-bats in a potent lineup. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki, Blue Jays: Tulo has missed the last month due to a hamstring strain, but appears poised to rejoin the Jays lineup any day now. Given his lackluster numbers when he got hurt, he's yet another veteran who may have been cut loose in shallower formats, and while his numbers since coming to Toronto haven't been great he'll still play every day when healthy (which, granted, he's had trouble with) and should provide a decent batting average with some counting stats – a package that has plenty of value at a middle infield spot. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: Owned

Outfield

Anthony Alford, Blue Jays: Alford was called up from Double-A after injuries and Kevin Pillar's inner jackass escaping through his mouth left the Jays' outfield short-handed over the weekend. The organization's No. 3 prospect, Alford was tearing it up for New Hampshire and the 22-year-old could eventually have a four or even five-category fantasy profile, he shows far more speed than power right now. He was also striking out much less at Double-A, an important step in his development. His stay in the majors will likely be a brief one, but if you're in the rare dynasty league where he's available, grab him and stash him as he could be back up for good fairly soon. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jared Hoying, Rangers: The 28-year-old got the call when Carlos Gomez hit the DL and was immediately inserted as the Rangers' starting center fielder. The results haven't been great – he did have a four-hit game with a homer, but has gone 1-for-15 with five Ks otherwise – but he should see steady at-bats, at least in the short term, which gives him value in deeper formats, and he's flashed both power and speed in the minors. There will be some roster dominoes to fall once Beltre is healthy, though, and one very plausible scenario would see Gallo move to left field, forcing Delino DeShields to center and cutting drastically into Hoying's playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Austin Jackson, Cleveland: Jackson began a rehab assignment Thursday and should return from his toe injury this week. The veteran was hitting pretty well in a part-time role when he got hurt, and it seems likely that he'll be back on the bench once he's activated, especially if Cleveland electes to give Bradley Zimmer a long look in center field. Jackson has zero home runs and two steals in 2016, though, so what fantasy ceiling he had in his youth may be long gone. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Boog Powell, Mariners: Called up Tuesday, Powell was drawing walks like it was going out of style at Triple-A (his 21.3 percent walk rate was almost double his previous best) and he's kept it up in his brief time in the majors this season, getting three free passes in 14 PAs. He'll probably head back to Tacoma once Mitch Haniger is off the DL, and Powell doesn't offer much in non-OBP leagues other than the occasional steal, but the sudden evolution of the 24-year-old's approach at the plate is worth keeping an eye on. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Josh Reddick, Astros: Reddick's currently riding at the high end of his usual range, but he's been amazingly consistent over the last four seasons when he's been healthy, hitting between .264 and .281 with an OPS between .749 and .799 every season since 2014. That steadiness makes him a nice short-term play in shallow leagues, but the lack of upside from the 30-year-old should have GMs churning that roster spot looking for the Next Big Thing instead of using it on someone as vanilla as Reddick. Sometimes, though, vanilla and boring is just what you need to help stabilize a roster beset by injuries. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Daniel Robertson, Cleveland: After floating through the Rangers, Angels and Mariners systems over the last few years, Robertson escaped the AL West and headed to the heartland. He strained his hamstring towards the end of spring training and only recently returned to action for Triple-A Columbus, just in time to get called up to the bigs when Brandon Guyer and Abraham Almonte went down. Robertson will probably hand his roster spot off to Jackson in the next couple of days, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland: Those outfield injuries in Cleveland opened the door for the front office to promote one of their top prospects. The 24-year-old Zimmer was slashing .294/.371/.532 at Triple-A with five homers and nine steals in 33 games, highlighting his multi-category appeal, but strikeout issues will probably keep his batting average low in the majors. The club seems committed to getting him regular at-bats in center field and letting him sink or swim, though, and while a 2-for-12 start with seven Ks isn't ideal both hits went for extra bases, including his first big-league home run Wednesday. In re-draft leagues Zimmer is very high-risk/high-reward, but in dynasty formats where he's available he's a must-add. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $21