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

Parker Bridwell, Angels: The Angels now have a whole rotation on the DL with Matt Shoemaker the latest casualty, so Bridwell could get pressed into service Tuesday. He's got a mediocre minor-league track record but did give the Halos a quality start a couple of weeks ago against a Braves squad that struggles against righties. The Yankees, on the other hand, lead the league in wOBA against RHP at .359, so even as a streaming option Bridwell's a desperation play at best. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Luis Cessa, Yankees: Cessa will get the nod for the Yankees on Sunday in place of CC Sabathia and could receive a couple of turns in the rotation while the veteran lefty recovers from a hamstring strain. The 25-year-old has a big fastball and not much else going for him, but he will have a potent offense behind him and could fall into a win or two as a result. Of course, if he dazzles against the A's on Sunday, you might need to be a bit more aggressive if you want him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jacob Faria, Rays: Matt Andriese's hip issue finally gives Faria a regular spot in the Rays' rotation, and so far the 23-year-old has dominated in the majors just as he did at Triple-A, racking up a 13:3 K:BB in 12.2 innings. Faria doesn't have an overpowering fastball and relies on his nasty changeup to generate whiffs, but so far it's been working. Because I'm stubborn, I remain skeptical about his long-term upside as a starter, but my skepticism isn't going to reduce the amount of FAAB you'll need to throw his way to secure his services. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $19; 12-team AL: $45

Daniel Gossett, Athletics: Gossett got bombed by the Marlins on Wednesday, but the A's are desperate enough for healthy arms to give him another chance. The 24-year-old has moved quickly through the system after being a second-round pick in 2014 and posted solid numbers in the high minors the last couple of years, but his upside is probably that of a back-of-the-rotation guy rather than someone who'll move the needle in shallower fantasy formats, and his lack of a go-to strikeout pitch could make his adjustment period a lengthy one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cole Hamels, Rangers: Hamels is finally back on the mound after suffering an oblique strain at the end of April and looks to be a couple of rehab starts away from rejoining the Rangers. The veteran lefty was posting his usual ratios when he got hurt but had only a 15:12 K:BB in 32.2 innings, which combined with decreased velocity in his fastball is perhaps a cause for concern. He was popping 93 mph in his first rehab outing, though, and he could easily come through with a big second half once he's back in the big-league rotation. If he got cut loose, now's the time to pounce. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: Owned

Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners: The 35-year-old has been out since early May with shoulder trouble and wasn't looking great before he was shut down, but he dominated over four innings in a rehab start Wednesday at High-A. Iwakuma will make another start at Triple-A on Monday and could be back in the Mariners' rotation by the weekend, as the team needs all the help it can get on the pitching front. He likely won't be a difference-maker, but if his shoulder is feeling better than it was in April he should supply solid ratios. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Ubaldo Jimenez, Orioles: Baltimore is so desperate for rotation help that they're actually turning back to Jimenez, which seems like it should get somebody in the front office fired. The veteran righty does have an 18:1 K:BB in 13.2 innings over four appearances since moving to the bullpen, but that comes with a 5.27 ERA – which, granted, is still better than he was doing before the move to a relief role. The improved strikeout and walks rates give a glimmer of hope, but he's got a lot to prove before he's worth considering in most formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Francis Martes, Astros: The 21-year-old's first big-league start Wednesday went swimmingly, as he held the Rangers to one run over five innings while fanning seven. The Astros' rotation is set to get a slew of reinforcements off the DL over the next week or so, however, so Martes is probably headed back to the minors after making one more start. He's an excellent stash in dynasty leagues given his awesome fastball and curve, but don't expect much production in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nick Martinez, Rangers: Martinez snuck back into the rotation Tuesday and put together a quality start, albeit with his usual lack of strikeouts or ability to keep the ball in the park. Just about any starting pitcher on a decent team is worth consideration in only formats, but when your K/9 (4.8) is barely double your HR/9 (2.2), you can become fantasy poison in a heartbeat. The 26-year-old is also likely to be the first person bumped to the bullpen or back down to Triple-A when Texas gets a starter back from the DL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyson Ross, Rangers: Ross finally made his 2017 debut Friday and didn't do too badly, just missing a quality start by one out and fanning five. His fastball barely topped 90 mph, however, and he'll need that to improve if he's going to come close to regaining his old form. 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 already), but right now it's still easy to look at Ross' numbers with the Padres in 2013-15 and imagine a strong return on your investment. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

James Shields, White Sox: Shields will make his return to action Sunday after being out since mid-April with shoulder trouble. He put together some good ratios over his first few starts through sheer veteran moxie, but a 5.4 BB/9 and 1.6 HR/9 prior to his DL stint don't bode well. He's no longer the borderline ace he was in Tampa and Kansas City, and he might not even be a serviceable innings eater either. Buyer beware. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Matt Strahm, Royals: The Royals have committed to using Strahm as a starter going forward and the initial results were promising, as he stifled the Angels over five innings Thursday. The 25-year-old lefty has a ton of upside given his big minor-league K numbers, but Thursday's outing was his first career start above Double-A so some growing pains are to be expected, and fantasy GMs who grabbed him as a sleeper to begin the season still have nightmares about the damage he did to their ratios. Strahm's keeper value is higher than his re-draft value at the moment, but that could change if he puts together another strong start or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers: It's been a rough (OK, really rough) start to the season for Zimmermann, but the 31-year-old might be turning things around. After delivering only two quality starts in his first 10 trips to the mound he's now reeled off three straight in June, with a 2.25 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over that stretch. A 14:5 K:BB in 20 innings isn't exactly elite and the sample size is small, but if the veteran righty has made the necessary adjustments he could be a solid source of ratios for the rest of the year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Relief Pitcher

Cam Bedrosian, Angels: Bedrosian finally came off the DL on Saturday and fired a perfect eighth inning in a 9-0 win, which doesn't exactly clear up what his role will be going forward. In all likelihood he'll move into a setup role for now, as Bud Norris hasn't done anything egregious to lose his spot at closer, but the Angels are also 11.5 games back in the AL West. If they aren't in the playoff picture by the trade deadline Norris could be trade bait, and Bedrosian could re-inherit his ninth-inning duties. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Brad Boxberger, Rays: The right-hander with the career 11.5 K/9 is getting close to rejoining the Rays bullpen, having now struck out five of the last seven batters he's faced on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham. He figures to slot into a setup role when he comes off the DL, but Alex Colome's name keeps surfacing in trade rumors and Boxberger should be next man up given his 41-save campaign in 2015. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Sean Doolittle, Athletics: Doolittle returned to action last weekend and has been lights out since then, striking out six in three scoreless innings while picking up a save Saturday. That could juice the bidding for him, especially considering that Santiago Casilla has been pitching better lately (11:3 K:BB in his last five innings), but if the duo do form the ninth-inning platoon manager Bob Melvin suggested at the beginning of the year, Doolittle should get at least a handful more save chances over the next three-plus months. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Huston Street, Angels: The veteran reliever moved his rehab up to Triple-A on Friday, and while he hasn't exactly been sharp since returning to the mound he should rejoin the Angels bullpen early next week. Cam Bedrosian came off the DL ahead of him, however, and it's hard to see Street as anything more than a setup option when everyone is healthy, and third at best in the pecking order for saves. At this stage of his career, the 33-year-old doesn't have good enough ratios or strike out enough batters to carry much fantasy value if he's not seeing ninth-inning work, but there's always the chance the team tries to showcase him for a trade if you're scrounging for saves. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Kyle Higashioka, Yankees: With Gary Sanchez banged up, Higashioka rejoins the Yankees and will back up Austin Romine for a few days. The 27-year-old has barely played since he was demoted to Triple-A due to a rib injury, but his .326/.383/.558 slash line in 11 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre highlights his upside should he ever get enough at-bats to acclimate to the majors. That's not likely to happen any time soon, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Wilson Ramos, Rays: Ramos is now officially ahead of schedule in his rehab, catching eight innings in a game at Triple-A on Friday, and while the Rays aren't going to push him too quickly as he recovers from ACL surgery, Derek Norris is hitting .109 (6-for-55) over his last 16 games and seems to be doing everything he can to play his way off the roster. A 2017 debut before the end of the month for Ramos seems assured barring a setback. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $35

Jesus Sucre, Rays: While Tampa waits for Ramos to make his debut, Sucre has started to cut into Norris' playing time as the club tries to get any kind of offense at catcher. Of course, Sucre has a career .212/.245/.290 slash line, so don't expect too much, but the additional at-bats give him a smidge of value in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Chris Carter, Yankees: Greg Bird's comeback is in jeopardy again after he was yanked from his rehab assignment late in the week and another round of doctor's appointments was scheduled for him. That gives Carter some job security, and he's responded by hitting .286/.333/.571 over his last 11 games with four homers and nine RBI. That's the high end of what you can expect from him, especially in batting average, but at least he's found his power stroke again. If he got dropped in anticipation of Bird's return, or just never got picked up in a shallow league, he's worth a roster spot in case Bird's absence extends into the second half. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

John Hicks, Tigers: Hicks continues bouncing between Toledo and Detroit, with Victor Martinez's illness being the latest reason for his promotion. He likely won't see enough playing time to have much use as a corner infielder, but Hicks has played seven games in the majors at catcher so far this season, and his occasional power could play behind the plate if he's eligible in your league. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Steve Pearce, Blue Jays: Pearce has had a miserable first half, hitting poorly when he's been healthy enough to play, but he's now back off the DL and has a clear path to regular at-bats in left field. The 34-year-old has hit at least 13 homers in each of the last three seasons in a part-time role, and he did smack a line drive over the wall Friday in his return to action, so he could be a nice source of power over the second half despite his weak .212/.269/.412 current slash line. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

David Washington, Orioles: Called up when Chris Davis hit the DL, Washington was having a strong campaign for Triple-A Norfolk, but the 26-year-old strikes out too much to think his skill set will translate to the majors. He'll also see limited action behind Trey Mancini while Davis is out, making him a poor use of a roster spot for either the short or long term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Alen Hanson, White Sox: Hanson's hit the ground running since his escape from Pittsburgh, hitting .357/.400/.571 in his first five games with his new club. He's also seen a couple of starts in center field, and his combination of speed and defensive versatility could give him a bit of value in deep formats. Of course, that description fits about half of the White Sox roster, so it's tough to say exactly how much playing time Hanson will get going forward, but Chicago will probably want to see what they've got in him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Matt Chapman, Athletics: Called up Thursday, Chapman has started three straight games at third base and the A's cut Trevor Plouffe loose to make room for him, so there's a good chance he's here to stay as the team begins to turn their roster over to prospects. The 24-year-old's power stroke is for real, but contact issues will make him a batting average liability and he was hitting just .259 at Triple-A when he got his promotion. He's a good stash in dynasty formats, but in re-draft leagues there many be safer sources of homers available. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Shortstop

Darwin Barney, Blue Jays: Huh, Devon Travis' injury turned out to be a lot more serious than initially thought and he'll now be out for months instead of weeks. This is my shocked face. Barney should split time at the keystone with Ryan Goins going forward, and while neither offers much offensive upside, Barney is the slightly better hitter of the two. There's also no help coming from the Jays' farm, either, as the middle infield prospect closest to the majors is probably Richard Urena, who's slashing .236/.282/.341 at Double-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Eduardo Escobar, Twins: Escobar's been on a tear, slashing .526/.550/.789 over his last 10 games with three homers and eight RBI. A lot of his playing time during that stretch has come with Jorge Polanco on the bereavement list, and with Polanco now back Escobar should go back to a bench role, but manager Paul Molitor might be inclined to keep him in the lineup as long as he's hot. Grab him as a short-term fill-in, but don't hesitate to drop him once he cools down. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ryan Goins, Blue Jays: While Barney has the marginally better bat, Goins has the slicker glove of the two Blue Jays utility infielders, and that could allow him to see more action than Barney while Travis is on the DL, making up in volume what he lacks in per-PA production. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Derek Fisher, Astros: The Astros haven't shied away from using Fisher since promoting him Wednesday, as he's started three straight games in left field and hitting .333/.500/.667 with his first career homer. That level of production might not be a fluke, either, as the 23-year-old carried a .335/.401/.608 line at Triple-A when he got the call with a career-best 19.3 percent strikeout rate, showing significant growth at the plate. The team's No. 2 prospect might head back to Fresno once Josh Reddick recovers from his concussion, but then again it's not like Norichika Aoki has done much for Houston, and if Fisher is still raking when the time comes to clear a roster spot it could be Aoki who's cut loose, with Fisher settling into a permanent role with the AL West leaders. Given his five-category upside, the kid is worth throwing beaucoup bucks at if you need to roll the dice to make up ground in the standings, but be aware that at this point he's not guaranteed to stick around for the rest of 2017. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $65

Ben Gamel, Mariners: Mitch Haniger's return to action might eventually send Gamel to the bench, but with a .406/.451/.484 slash line in June he's got a hammerlock on the starting left field job in Seattle for the moment. Before you get too excited, the 25-year-old has essentially been a two-category player during that time, scoring 13 runs but supplying only four RBI and two steals, but as long as Gamel is hot and rooted at the top of the Mariners' order, he's going to have fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Carlos Gomez, Rangers: Out since mid-May with a hamstring injury, Gomez returned to action Friday and went 3-for-8 in his first two games back with a homer and six RBI. The crowded outfield situation could cut into his playing time, but a healthy Gomez can still supply some power and speed, and the 31-year-old is well worth picking up if he got dropped while injured. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Hyun Soo Kim, Orioles: With Mancini needed at first base, Kim has gotten a little more action in left field as of late, starting four of the last six games and going 5-for-14 (.357) with three runs and three RBI. Chris Davis should be sidelined for at least a few more weeks, making Kim a solid roster addition in deeper leagues if he was cut loose when he lost his starting spot to the rookie, but his limited upside makes him an iffy pickup in shallow formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Daniel Robertson, Cleveland: With Michael Brantley on paternity leave it's been Robertson seeing most of the available at-bats in his place, but an 0-for-13 skid heading into Sunday has dropped his slash line to .207/.258/.345 over his last eight games. Abraham Almonte could come off the DL soon as well, so Robertson's brief flirtation with fantasy relevance could be about to end. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dwight Smith, Blue Jays: Injuries to Ezequiel Carrera and Chris Coghlan have left Smith as the Jays' top outfield reserve at the moment, and the 24-year-old has celebrated with five hits in eight at-bats since being called back up. Playing time could be hard to come by, but it's not like Pearce is a lock in left field so Smith could fall into some sneaky value if he stays hot at the plate, and he does have a .303/.364/.443 slash line at Triple-A this year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Mason Williams, Yankees: Called up to fill in for Aaron Hicks while Hicks nurses an Achilles strain, Williams has picked up hits in each of his first two big-league starts this season. The 25-year-old's prospect status faded a while ago, though, and his lackluster .243/.289/.275 slash line at Triple-A suggests his promotion was more a result of expediency than a reward for any sudden turnaround he's experienced. Even if Hicks' injury proves to be more serious than the Yankees think, Williams likely wouldn't be the player to benefit. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Trey Mancini, Orioles: Mancini hasn't missed a beat since sliding from left field to first base to cover for Davis while the latter deals with an oblique strain, and the rookie is now hitting .339/.373/.643 through 15 games in June with four homers, 13 RBI and 10 runs. The 25-year-old has been overshadowed by Aaron Judge in the AL Rookie of the Year race so far, but 11 homers in 53 games is still darn impressive and his plus batting average is supported by his performance in the minors even if his .373 BABIP seems inflated. If he's still available in a shallow format, it's far past time to scoop him up, as Mancini appears to be the real deal. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: Owned