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

Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Rangers: It would be so much easier if Bibens-Dirkx was really good, and had a moniker like "Bibs" or "ABD" that everyone would immediately recognize as him. Alas, he's a 32-year-old rookie right-hander with fringy stuff, so I'm stuck spelling out his entire last name. He wasn't awful against Tampa in his first career big-league start Wednesday, but with Tyson Ross on the cusp of coming off the DL, Bibens-Dirkx's brief dalliance with fantasy relevance even in deep leagues could end quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Buck Farmer, Tigers: He was sent back to Triple-A last week too quickly to be eligible for a bid in many leagues after his 11-strikeout gem against the White Sox, but the Tigers may have cleared a spot in the rotation for Farmer permanently by demoting Matt Boyd. Before you get too excited, though, consider the following two facts: 1) Farmer has been just OK at Triple-A, posting a 3.92 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 149:40 K:BB in 160.2 innings over 30 starts for Toledo in 2016-17; 2) the White Sox are really, really inept against RHP, sitting 29th in wOBA and 26th in K rate against them. Of course, Farmer's next start if he does get called back up would be against the Angels, who are 26th against RHP in wOBA – and that was when Mike Trout was healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

J.A. Happ, Blue Jays: The veteran lefty's first start back in the bigs Tuesday wasn't great, as he lasted just four innings and the Reds tagged him for a couple of solo home runs, but the important thing is that he's back. Happ had a 20:0 K:BB in 16 innings before his elbow got cranky, and if he got cut loose by an impatient GM when he hit the DL, grab him if you can. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: Owned

Brian Johnson, Red Sox: Johnson was all set to return triumphantly to the majors and take Eduardo Rodriguez's spot in the rotation after ERod hurt his knee, but then injured his calf for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, putting that plan in jeopardy. If Johnson's injury is just cramping he should still be called up as the team's fifth starter for next weekend, but if it's something more serious, the Red Sox will have to look elsewhere. Johnson showed his upside with a shutout the last time he was in Boston, but until his status gets cleared up he'll remain more long-term stash than short-term spec play. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Francisco Liriano, Blue Jays: The Jays just keep getting healthier – and while they're still in the AL East basement, they're only 6.5 games back of the Yankees, who Liriano beat in his return from the DL on Friday. Hmm. The veteran lefty's best days are probably behind him, but he's still got a 9.5 K/9 and has posted a K/9 rate north of 9.0 every season since 2012. If you're targeting a Toronto southpaw this week Happ's the better buy, but Liriano should still have value even if his ratios are a bit shaky, especially if the Jays offense gets hots over the summer. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $25

Alex Meyer, Angels: Meyer came off the DL on Thursday and pitched pretty well, holding the Twins to one run over six innings. The 27-year-old righty's control issues keep him from pitching too deep into most games, but he had been on the upswing prior to getting shut down briefly with a sore back, and he's now got a 3.32 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB over 21.2 innings in his last four starts. If you can handle the ratio risk, Meyer's upside is still substantial if things begin to click for him, and he'll have no competition for a rotation spot until fellow member of the Fragile Arms Club (your 10th DL visit is free!), Tyler Skaggs, is back from an oblique strain in late June or early July. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

David Paulino, Astros: Injuries to Charlie Morton and Joe Musgrove opened up a rotation spot for Paulino, and while he lasted only four innings against the Twins on Wednesday he did post an 8:1 K:BB. He's a tall kid with a heavy fastball, but keeping his mechanics in sync (and the resulting control issues) remains his biggest obstacle to big-league success. With Musgrove due back Tuesday, Paulino should head right back to Triple-A, making him a decent stash in shallower dynasty leagues but a poor short-term investment. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mike Pelfrey, White Sox: The veteran righty has found a groove, posting a 1.13 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB in 16 innings over his last three starts. Pelfrey also had a 5.70 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 8:10 K:BB in 23.2 innings prior to that. One of those sets of numbers is a lot closer to his career stats than the other, and I'll give one guess which it is. Stream him if you must while he's hot, but things could turn ugly in a hurry if you try to catch this ex-Tiger by the tail. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyson Ross, Rangers: Ross made his third Triple-A rehab start Saturday and while he lasted five innings and only gave up two runs, a 2:4 K:BB isn't exactly what fantasy owners are looking for. The righty with the nasty slider could end up being another data point in the debate over whether pitchers can ever be effective again after thoracic outlet surgery (as if Phil Hughes and Matt Harvey weren't making the case compelling enough yet), but right now it's still easy to look at Ross' numbers with the Padres in 2013-15 and imagine a strong return. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Eric Skoglund, Royals: Sure, his name sounds like a lesser jarl under Ragnar Lothbrok, but Skoglund's 6.1 scoreless innings in his big-league debut against the Tigers on Tuesday can't be discounted. The lefty's 4.53 ERA at Triple-A disguised how well he's actually been pitching, and his 40:10 K:BB in 43.2 innings for Omaha was stout. Skoglund flashed a good fastball, three useful secondary pitches and strong control in his debut, and that's a combination that could allow him to succeed in Kansas City. You may want to wait and see how he does Sunday against Cleveland before placing your bid, but if he at least holds his own this is a spot where you might want to be a bit aggressive. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Relief Pitcher

Cam Bedrosian, Angels: The countdown to Bedrosian's return is finally being measured in days rather than weeks. The 25-year-old has the stuff to close and has posted great numbers the last couple of seasons when healthy, but his inability to stay off the DL has cost him, and Bud Norris' performance while Bedrosian was on the shelf may force the younger hurler to settle for a setup role when he returns. Norris is hardly a lock, though, so Bedrosian could work his way back into the ninth-inning role soon enough. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Sean Doolittle, Athletics: Doolittle began a rehab assignment Friday, putting him a week or maybe two away from rejoining the A's bullpen. Santiago Casilla has been adequate as the closer in his absence but hasn't done much to dissuade Bob Melvin from returning to a ninth-inning platoon between Casilla and Doolittle. The lefty had only one save and five holds when he hit the DL at the end of April, though, so he can't be counted on to move the needle too much in the saves category. Expecy good ratios and Ks, and the occasional save as a bonus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Yusmeiro Petit, Angels: The veteran swing man has found himself very busy this season in a long relief role behind a battered Angels rotation and has been impressive, posting a 2.10 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 10.2 K/9 that's just a hair shy of his career high. Petit probably won't keep up that pace in the ratio categories, but he can still supply bulk strikeouts and the occasional win or save even if he's merely treading water in ERA and WHIP. In deep leagues, that skill set has value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Caleb Joseph, Orioles: Welington Castillo's latest minor injury puts Joseph back in a starting role for Baltimore. The last time Castillo was sidelined, Joseph hit .333/.348/.533 over the first two weeks of May, but it's probably asking too much to expect the 30-year-old to repeat that performance. Still, he should get at-bats in a underperforming O's offense, and if players like Manny Machado happen to get hot at the right time, Joseph could fall into some extra run and RBI opportunities. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Francisco Pena, Orioles: Called up to caddy for Joseph while Castillo is on the DL, Pena's only been used as a late-inning defensive replacement in four games since joining the Orioles. He did have a two-homer game during his last big-league stint and has some power (including a 27-homer campaign for Triple-A Omaha back in 2014), but he'll need to get into the lineup to be able to show it. Still, as emergency catchers go, he's got more upside than most. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kevan Smith, White Sox: Smith has been slowly wresting playing time away from Omar Narvaez, starting nine of the last 14 games for Chicago and hitting .323/.344/.452 over that stretch. Rick Renteria is probably just riding the hot hand, but in deep two-catcher fantasy formats that's more than enough reason to snap someone up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

First Base

Greg Bird, Yankees: The young slugger finally started his rehab assignment Thursday, going 3-for-6 with a double in his first three games at High-A, and he could about a week away from returning to the Yankees lineup. There's still a lot to like about Bird – even if you discount his big spring, 11 homers in 46 regular-season games in 2016 is harder to shrug off – but there is some reason for caution here. He was awful this season before hitting the DL, although his ankle injury can certainly account for much of his struggles, and there is the issue of playing time upon his return. Chris Carter is no obstacle for Bird but a hot-hitting Aaron Hicks might be, at least once Jacoby Ellsbury is healthy. The Yankees will have six players (Bird, Hicks, Aaron Judge as the young studs, and Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Matt Holliday as the aging but still productive vets) for five spots between the outfield, first base and DH, and while the latter trio should see more frequent rest than the kids, all of them could see fewer at-bats than expected and could be vulnerable to a benching for a few games if they aren't hitting. Bird's upside makes it worth being aggressive in your bidding, but the 24-year-old isn't a lock for big numbers. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $19; 12-team AL: $45

C.J. Cron, Angels: Cron took his frustration at being demoted out on Triple-A pitchers, slashing .340/.396/.723 with four homers in 12 games for Salt Lake, and the Angels took the hint and brought him back up. Jefry Marte was sent the other way to make room for him and Luis Valbuena isn't doing anything at the plate, so Cron should immediately jump right back into the starting job at first base. Of course, he's still not a difference-maker at the position from a fantasy perspective, but he should at least be the guy we all expected him to be at the beginning of the year. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Joe Mauer, Twins: Mauer's been on some kind of heater since the beginning of May, hitting .351 over his last 25 games and wiping away the memory of his bad April, but his typical lack of power (four homers, 15 RBI) has made him a less appealing fantasy option than many of the other red-hot first baseman during that time. That may be changing, though. He's homered twice in the last week, and while the sample size is still too small to draw any conclusions, there are signs he might be starting to buy into the launch angle revolution as his groundball rate is a career-low 42.6 percent so far. A Mauer who still hits for a strong batting average but can tease 20 homers would be a good fit for almost any fantasy roster. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Second Base

Whit Merrifield, Royals: As he sets his sights on a 20-game hitting streak (he's at 18 heading into Sunday), Merrifield is rapidly changing the perception of him as a ballplayer. Last year he was seen as a stereotypically scrappy middle infielder, perhaps the heir to Buddy Biancalana's legacy, but after blasting six homers in 38 games with the Royals this season Merrifield clearly intends to be something a whole lot more impressive. On a team heading into an inevitable rebuild, having him emerge as an impact bat (he'd be on pace for a 25-25 season over a full 162-game schedule right now) would be a huge bonus, so Kansas City has every incentive to give him playing time to see if he's legit. Of course, Raul Mondesi just had his own 18-game hitting streak snapped at Triple-A, but the Royals would love to have too many capable second basemen for a change, and once the trade deadline approaches there could be other openings on the diamond. For now, view Merrifield as a short-term pickup while he's hot, but there's more upside here in the long term than you might have thought back in March. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Chad Pinder, Athletics: Pinder looks set to see more playing time at shortstop for the A's, but that may not be a good thing. Sure, he had a two-homer game Wednesday, but in three starts since then he's gone 0-for-10. The extra at-bats make him worth a roster spot in deeper formats, but be warned that in exchange for his occasional power he'll be a batting average risk. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Third Base

Adrian Beltre, Rangers: Old Man Beltre finally came off the DL on Monday and promptly started five straight games, so it seems safe to say he's healthy and will be a fixture in the Texas lineup as long as he stays that way. How's he done in those five games, you ask? Oh, he's just hitting .421 with three doubles, a homer and five RBI. He may be in the twilight of his career, but he's going down swinging. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $17; 12-team AL: $39

Alex Bregman, Astros: Bregman might finally be finding his stroke at the plate, homering in three straight games at Target Field earlier this week. His numbers on the season are mediocre at best, but he's now 102 games into his big-league career and might be ready to make the adjustments that will allow him to unlock his potential. If he got cut loose in a shallow league, this is the time to pick up back up and try to catch a hot streak. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Yunel Escobar, Angels: Escobar missed the back half of May with a hamstring injury but has gone 6-for-12 since his return. He doesn't offer much in the way of power or speed, but he's a dependable corner infield bat who can plug a hole in shallow leagues. Chances are he's still available due to the injury and the fact that so many first baseman seem to be putting together career seasons, but if you miss on your other FAAB targets he's a nice safety net. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Pablo Sandoval, Red Sox: Panda was anything but sad upon returning from the DL on Wednesday and has gone 4-for-13 with a homer since. The third base job is Sandoval's to lose for the rest of the year unless the Red Sox make a trade or get frisky with Rafael Devers, and while his fantasy ceiling may be inversely proportional to his waistline, he should still be a solid bat in a potent lineup. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Shortstop

Tyler Smith, Mariners: Called up when Jean Segura hit the DL, Smith is a 25-year-old making his big-league debut with limited fantasy upside. He'll back up Taylor Motter while Segura's out for the next couple of weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Jorge Bonifacio, Royals: For now, Bonifacio has won the battle in right field over Jorge Soler, who got sent back to Triple-A to figure things out. Emilio's little brother didn't just win through attrition, though, as he's hitting .339/.381/.661 with five homers and 10 RBI over his last 16 games, providing a struggling Royals lineup with a nice power boost. Despite a long development period in the minors, Bonifacio is still only 24 and probably hasn't reached his ceiling yet, and while Soler could put pressure on him later in the year if he heats up at Omaha, by then Kansas City could have cleared some room in left field or at DH so both of them can see regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: Owned

Billy Burns, Royals: Soler's spot on the roster was filled by Burns, who was hitting a feeble .246/.358/.275 at Triple-A. The 27-year-old has pretty firmly established that he's a fourth outfielder, at best, in the majors, and while his upside in steals is tantalizing of he gets consistent playing time, don't expect another 2015-like performance from him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland: Chisenhall's been out since May 22 with a concussion but seems close to a return, and he began a (likely brief) rehab assignment Saturday. He'll slot right back in as the starting right fielder upon activation, and like so many other hitters this season the 28-year-old was on a career-best power pace before landing on the DL. Given Chisenhall's current .273 BABIP, 30 points lower than his career rate, suggests the .261/.333/.543 slash line he amassed over the first seven weeks of the year isn't even his ceiling. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Robbie Grossman, Twins: The latest Kennys Vargas experiment once again ended in failure, and with him back in Triple-A the Twins' DH job has reverted back to Grossman. The 28-year-old switch hitter is more valuable in OBP leagues, but even in standard formats a .273/.411/.455 slash line can be very helpful when it comes with steady at-bats. He's been hitting second for Minnesota as well, which is not only a good use of his skills but makes him a nice add if you need to beef up your run scoring. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Mitch Haniger, Mariners: Seattle was hoping he would have begun a rehab assignment by now, but lingering soreness in his oblique has delayed his return. Things appear to be back on track after Haniger took batting practice Saturday, however, and he could come off the DL by next weekend. He was an early-season sensation for the M's, justifying his placement on all those sleeper lists, and while he might have a hard time maintaining a 1.055 OPS upon his return, he'll slot right back into a corner outfield spot and an assignment in the heart of the batting order. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $17; 12-team AL: Owned

Taylor Motter, Mariners: The Mariners' Swiss Army knife (he's played everywhere except pitcher, catcher and center field this year) will fill in at shortstop while Segura is on the DL, and celebrated his return to the starting lineup Friday with a grand slam. Motter doesn't have a lot of fantasy upside despite his early-season hot streak, but if you're scrounging for help at middle infield he'll at least be getting steady at-bats in a solid lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alex Presley, Tigers: Somewhat improbably, the 31-year-old Presley now finds himself as the starting center fielder for the Tigers. A little hot streak since his promotion from Triple-A (5-for-15 with a homer and two steals) helps, but his good fortune is mostly due to the inability of his competition to prove they deserve even semi-regular at-bats. Presley's hot streak and his starting job will both fade soon enough, but if you need a short-term stopgap, he's probably available. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ben Revere, Angels: This is how bad things have gotten for the Angels: Revere is now one of their starting outfielders. After hitting at least .294 in four straight seasons the 29-year-old has completely fallen off a cliff since 2015, but he's still capable of stealing a base every now and then on the rare occasions he gets on base, and with Mike Trout sporting a cast on his thumb and the slow-healing Cameron Maybin nursing an oblique strain, Revere could be in line for a couple of weeks or more of regular at-bats. If you need stolen bases he's worth an add, but don't expect anything else from him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Shane Robinson, Angels: Called up to provide some depth with Trout and Maybin sidelined (call this movie "Triage in the Outfield", I guess), Robinson was hitting .289/.372/.358 at Triple-A, which isn't actually all that great at Salt Lake. He's got no power or speed but Revere and Eric Young are hardly locks to hold onto their starting jobs, so Robinson could stumble into some playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Steven Souza, Rays: The whiff-happy Souza is in the middle of another hot streak, slashing .342/.444/.789 with five homers and 10 RBI in his last 10 games. While his Tampa career has been a massive disappointment so far, especially considering what Wil Myers and Trea Turner have done in their respective homes since the three-way deal that sent Souza to the Rays, he is still only 28 and has upside as a power hitter when he's making enough contact. Right now, that contact is very loud indeed, making him a solid add in shallow formats as long as you are prepared to drop him the moment he goes cold again, as the downside with Souza can sabotage your batting average in a hurry. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Eric Young Jr., Angels: The concept of "replacement level" really gets stretched when you're talking about replacing a megastar like Trout, but Young actually isn't that bad. He's racked up three multi-hit games in his first six starts since being called up, and the veteran still has some wheels, swiping 15 bases (granted, on 22 attempts) in 44 games at Triple-A this year. In fact, looking at the state of the depth chart it's somewhat curious that Young was in the minors at all and not already on the big-league bench, but the Angels gonna Angel. With Trout potentially gone until August, Young could be a valuable source of steals in the meantime. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9