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: Bridwell put together an outstanding July, winning three of his four starts with a 1.69 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 20:6 K:BB in 26.2 innings. The 25-year-old righty doesn't profile as an ace so the regression goblin is lurking, but he's shown the stuff and poise to comfortably slot into the middle of a big-league rotation, and even with a bunch of other arms getting closer to returning from the DL for the Angels, it's hard to imagine Bridwell is going to lose his spot given his current form. Then again, it's also hard to believe the O's gave this guy away for essentially nothing this spring, but here we are. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Trevor Cahill, Royals: KC's front office took a look at the core of their roster, soon to be scattered to the winds due to age and free agency, and decided, "Aw, what the heck, let's go down swinging." Cahill looks to be their big deadline addition, and while his numbers with the Padres were solid, they were buoyed by a ridiculous 0.72 ERA and 0.88 WHIP at Petco Park. Kauffman Stadium is a nice place to pitch, but it's no Petco. The 29-year-old's jump in strikeout rate this season could be legit, though, as his slider and curve have both been nasty, allowing his 90.9 mph fastball to play up. The ratios might take a tumble as a Royal, but don't assume a complete collapse is coming just because the Red Sox roughed him up a little in his return to the Junior Circuit. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Jharel Cotton, Athletics: Out since July 3 due to blister issues, Cotton will make his return to the rotation Sunday as the A's buy themselves an extra day to try and trade Sonny Gray before he takes the mound again. The 25-year-old struck out nine over six shutout innings at Triple-A in his last rehab start, but we know he can get out Triple-A hitters. It's whether that success will begin to translate to the majors that's the big question with Cotton. He's an upside gamble at this point in re-draft formats, but an intriguing one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Doug Fister, Red Sox: David Price is back on the DL and Brian Johnson is dealing with some shoulder fatigue at Triple-A, so Fister finds himself in a rotation spot with Boston again. He hasn't pitched since July 18 and didn't look that great last time he was needed, but he does get a two-start week next period. Monday's start against Cleveland (.335 wOBA against RHP, sixth in the majors) doesn't exactly make him an appealing streaming option, but it's balanced out next weekend with a matchup against the White Sox (.304 wOBA, 29th).12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jaime Garcia, Yankees: I had a whole thing written about how trading for Garcia was the Twins' way of making a show for their fans of being contenders even though the front office knew they really weren't, but then they flipped him to the Yankees on Sunday morning and ruined it. The veteran lefty is serviceable enough, giving Minnesota a quality start in his one appearance for them, and his win potential improves in the Bronx, but he's not likely to move the fantasy needle much no matter what uniform he's wearing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $6

Kevin Gausman, Orioles: If you're not in a position where you feel comfortable taking risks with your pitching staff – maybe you're perched precariously at the top of a big clump of teams in ERA and WHIP, for instance, and stand to lose far more there than you might gain in wins and Ks – just skip right over this one. For the rest of us, though, it's time to start paying attention to Gausman again as something more than a punchline or punching bag. In six trips to the mound in July he posted four quality starts and dealt nothing but goose eggs in three of them, including an active 15.2 inning scoreless streak. Now sure, he did give up 14 runs in seven frames in those other two starts, but hey, I said he was a risk, not a guaranteed roster savior. Despite the wild swings, those six July starts produced a 3.63 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 45:11 K:BB in 34.2 innings, and those numbers play. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

A.J. Griffin, Rangers: Griffin seems ready to return to the rotation for the Rangers, although in Saturday's rehab start he tossed only two innings, which isn't exactly getting stretched out. His numbers in eight starts this year prior to hitting the DL were no better than his weak numbers last year, but in deep AL-only leagues innings is innings, and Texas needs 'em. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Andrew Heaney, Angels: The Angels currently have a ridiculous six starting pitchers on the DL, so the odds are at least a couple of them have to get healthy eventually, right? It's just science. Heaney likely won't be the first guy to return, but after missing almost all of 2016 due to elbow trouble that resulted in Tommy John surgery, he'll take his rehab assignment to Triple-A on Monday and could rejoin the big-league roster a couple of weeks into August. The lefty had some good strikeout numbers in the minors, and while you can't expect too much from him in however many starts he gets before the end of the year, keeper league GMs should make him a priority stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jeremy Hellickson, Orioles: Baltimore's pitching staff is bad enough that Hellickson represents an upgrade for them, so I guess this counts as a deadline deal. The massive plummet in his strikeout rate this season with the Phillies has led to a 5.55 FIP, though, so it's hard to imagine a situation where he'd be an upgrade for a competitive fantasy roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Austin Pruitt, Rays: Jake Odorizzi landed on the DL for what's expected to be a brief stay, but rather than bring up Brent Honeywell the Rays decided Pruitt would be able to get them through. The 27-year-old has been great at Triple-A this year, but 51 hits allowed in 36.2 big-league innings (fueling a 6.63 ERA and 1.66 WHIP) seems like more than just bad luck. His start Wednesday is also in Houston, which is a bad place to be pitching if you're not fooling anyone. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Erasmo Ramirez, Mariners: Apparently, you can go home again. Ramirez returns to Seattle to to try and help solidify the back end of their rotation, an area the M's have struggled with all season. Before you get too excited, though, consider that the 27-year-old has a 4.71 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 107 career innings at Safeco Field, making his long-term value as a Mariner murky, and his upcoming two-start week features road games against the Rangers and Royals, either or both of whom could take him to the woodshed. He's not the same pitcher he was when he broke into the majors, so there is some upside here in a full-time starting gig, but this deal won't magically improve his fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Skaggs, Angels: The other rehabbing Angels starter seems closer to rejoining the big-league rotation than Heaney, and Skaggs may only need one more start at Triple-A before being activated. He's teased with some impressive strikeout stuff over the last couple of years, managing a 4.10 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 79:32 K:BB in 79 innings across 15 starts between DL stints, but the lefty will need to sharpen his control at some point if he's going to make the leap. He's got the upside and a James Paxton or Danny Duffy if it all comes together, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Josh Tomlin, Cleveland: Danny Salazar's return to action seems to have woken Tomlin up, and with his rotation spot hanging in the balance he's reeled off three straight wins (all quality starts), posting a 3.10 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB in 20.1 innings. As a result, the team is currently rolling with a six-man rotation while they wait for someone to flinch and make the decision for them. Then again, they're winning, so maybe they'll just stick with it and give Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco a bit of extra rest before the postseason. At any rate, Tomlin's current form makes him worth using again, so long as you're ready with an alternative should he revert to his ugly first-half form again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Relief Pitcher

Tony Barnette, Rangers: He was nothing special in the first half, but quietly Barnette has become the Rangers' answer to Chris Devenski, dialing up a 0.90 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 17:2 K:BB in 10 innings over five appearances in July. In deep AL-only formats it can sometimes be tough to find useful staff filler this late in the year, as all the breakout high-K relievers have already been scooped up, so if you've got holes to plug jumping on Barnette while he's hot can help stabilize your ratios without hurting you in strikeouts. Given the unsettled nature of the Texas closing situation too, there's always a chance his current form earns him some higher-leverage opportunities, too. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ryan Buchter, Royals: Picked up along with Cahill in the trade with the Padres, Buchter essentially gives the Royals what they'd been hoping to get from Matt Strahm this year, a lefty reliever who can deliver a strikeout in a crucial spot. He's more useful in holds leagues, but Buchter's ratios should give him a little value even in traditional 4x4 or 5x5. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brandon Maurer, Royals: Picked up along with Cahill in the trade with the Padres, San Diego's former closer will slot into a setup role in front of Kelvin Herrera. He was hardly a rock in the ninth inning this year, and there's no guarantee he'll be an upgrade on Joakim Soria in the eighth inning, but Maurer should still supply some holds and Ks in Kansas City. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Petricka, White Sox: Given the housecleaning the front office continues to do on their bullpen – Anthony Swarzak's tenure as closer lasted all of one save – the odds seem about 50/50 that Tyler Clippard will still be with the White Sox by Monday night, which would leave Petricka as arguably the next guy up as closer (until he gets moved in a post-July 31 waiver deal, of course). Back and elbow issues have limited him to 12.1 innings this year, but he has a 10.2 K/9 and the team really has no one else. If you need saves, he's worth a shot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Blake Treinen, Athletics: No one doubts that Treinen has the raw stuff to close, but he doesn't yet have the command to put his filthy power sinker in the right spots, which leaves him vulnerable to untimely hits and big innings. The Nats found that out, and now the A's are on the same journey with him, watching him serve up a game-tying homer in the ninth inning Thursday. If it suddenly clicks for him he could be the right-handed Zach Britton, but until it does Treinen's a ratio powder keg. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Ryan Lavarnway, Athletics: With Josh Phegley on the DL, Lavarnway will back up Bruce Maxwell for Oakland. The A's have a couple of shaky lefties on their schedule this week, which makes him a min-salary DFS option on those days, but otherwise he can probably be ignored unless you're desperate for catching help. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Lucas Duda, Rays: Big, slugging lugs are easy to like anyway, but Duda accelerated the fan-favorite timetable in his new digs by homering in his first two games with Tampa. The pending free agent should settle into the DH spot once Logan Morrison is healthy, giving the Rays some more thump as they try to stay in the AL East title hunt, and while over a full season he's a batting average risk, Duda's shown in the past he's capable of short stretches where he carries an offense. The one warning sign with his move south is how he'd tailored his swing for Citi Field – from 2014-16, his SLG was over 100 points higher at home than on the road, and a couple of homers into the Yankee Stadium short porch doesn't change that. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $11

Brett Nicholas, Rangers: Valuable more for his catcher eligibility than his bat, Nicholas rejoined the Rangers bench as insurance in case Robinson Chirinos' hand injury proved to be serious. It isn't, so don't expect Nicholas to see much action. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Rob Refsnyder, Blue Jays: Cast aside by the Yankees, the Jays will give Refsnyder another chance to prove he can contribute in the majors. His .241/.312/.332 career slash line in the bigs isn't promising, but he's only seen 260 plate appearances at the highest level and he's a .294/.374/.425 hitter over more than 1,200 Triple-A PAs. With Troy Tulowitzki out again and Devon Travis not close to returning, Toronto will be mixing and matching options in the middle infield, so if Refsnyder can get hot he could find himself seeing plenty of action at the keystone. There's still some upside here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler White, Astros: White took Colin Moran's roster spot after the latter fouled a ball off his face, going 3-for-10 (all singles) in three games since his recall. As he hits right-handed he can't really platoon with Yulieski Gurriel, but the Astros have enough versatility to get him into the lineup on a semi-regular basis as long as he's contributing. That versatility may also apply to him – while White has only seen action at first base so far, the Astros used him occasionally at second base and third base last year and he even saw time at shortstop in Triple-A. Marwin Gonzalez he isn't, but don't be surprised if he moves into a pure utility role at some point. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Alen Hanson, White Sox: With Avisail Garcia on the DL, right field has been manned by Hanson and Adam Engel recently, Hanson's been the more productive of the two, rapping out five hits in his last two games with a double and a steal. The former Pirates prospect is now slashing .284/.338/.418 since joining the White Sox, and if he can work his way into semi-regular playing time he could make a contribution in steals. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Matt Chapman, Athletics: It's been boom or bust for Chapman since the All-Star break. He's hitting just .235 (12-for-51) in 15 games with a 3:15 BB:K, but 10 of those 12 hits have gone for extra bases – six homers, a triple and three doubles. Those numbers are an improvement on the .132/.214/.184 line he carried into the break, and the 24-year-old should continue to see consistent playing time on a rebuilding A's squad. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Kaleb Cowart, Angels: Still only 25, Cowart was called up last week and is getting a look at second base, and he's gone 6-for-14 with two doubles since his recall. His minor-league profile has always suggested a player with a decent hit tool who can supply a little pop and steal the occasional base, and that combo would play a lot better at second than third base, but after previous flops in the bigs he's got some things to prove before anyone should get too excited. With only Cliff Pennington to compete for playing time at the keystone, though, Cowart will get plenty of chances this time around, something that wasn't the case in previous stints with the Angels. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Valbuena, Angels: Valbuena's found his power stroke since the break, going 8-for-30 with five homers in 10 games while hitting .267, a number that seems downright Carew-vian compared to his first half. Manager Mike Scioscia has drifted back towards a platoon at first base with C.J. Cron, but Valbuena will handle the bigger share of it and if he keeps popping balls over the fence, Cron could easily find himself back on the bench or in Salt Lake for the umpteenth time this year. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Shortstop

Darwin Barney, Blue Jays: Tulowitzki's ankle injury makes Barney and Goins, who had previously been splitting time at second base, the Jays new double-play combo. For his part, Barney has responded with four hits and two doubles in three games, but the lifetime .247/.296/.339 hitter doesn't so much have a ceiling as the underside of a coffee table, even in a full-time role. Still, he'll see some at-bats, and the Toronto offense is still capable of generating some runs even if it isn't the juggernaut it was a couple of years ago. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ryan Goins, Blue Jays: The slick-fielding defensive specialist will take over as the starting shortstop while Tulo is on the shelf, although he'd already been seeing plenty of playing time at second. Goins is hitting .222/.250/.333 since the break, right in line with his .220/.268/.325 career line, so, yeah. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Eduardo Nunez, Red Sox: The former Yankee, Twin and Giant endeared himself quickly to the Fenway faithful, hitting two homers Saturday night and going 5-for-9 in his first two games for the BoSox. When the trade was made, it was assumed Nunez would supplant young Rafael Devers at third base, but so far Devers has stuck around in the starting lineup while Nunez gets deployed as a super-utility player. The Sox have plenty of experience with players in that role – it's how Brock Holt got his start – so even if he doesn't have a regular starting spot, Nunez should get regular at-bats. He hasn't matched last year's counting stats thanks in part to injuries, but the 30-year-old has a career-high .783 OPS and could be poised for a big kick to the finish in his new uniform. Given the various names and destinations being bandied about in trade rumors, he could also end up being the biggest bat to head to the AL at this year's deadline, offering the potential for solid (if not elite) five-category production and middle infield eligibility. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $85

Outfield

Derek Fisher, Astros: Called back up when George Springer landed on the DL, Fisher has gone 4-for-14 with three RBI in four games, continuing his essentially season-long hot streak. He's unquestionably ready for a full-time role in the majors, but unless more injuries crop up the 23-year-old may not get that opportunity in Houston any time soon. If the front office decides to trade for someone like Sonny Gray, though, Fisher could be an impact bat over the final two months in another uniform. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $17

Ben Gamel, Mariners: Talk about recharging at the break. Gamel's come out flying since he got a few days off, putting together a 15-game hitting streak while slashing .313/.333/.484 with two homers, six RBI and 11 runs. Hitting near the top of the Mariners' order has allowed him to produce solid counting stats, and with Mitch Haniger back on the DL his starting spot is more than secure. If you need batting average and runs, Gamel makes for a strong addition. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Leury Garcia, White Sox: Garcia finally got sent out on a rehab assignment this week after taking his sweet time recovering from a finger injury. Before he got hurt, he'd settled in as the White Sox starting center fielder, hitting .298 with six homers and six steals in 56 games, and nobody who's filled the position since he went down has done anything to dissuade the team from re-installing him once he's healthy. The big question for Garcia over the final weeks of the season will be whether he was hitting over his head or not, as his minor-league numbers were a bit of a mixed bag. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Willy Garcia, White Sox: Willy tagged in for Avisail on the 25-man roster when the latter Garcia hit the DL but didn't take his spot in the starting lineup, instead taking a seat on the White Sox bench. That's been his role during all of his big-league stints this year, and while the 24-year-old has a bit of power, he doesn't offer much else from a fantasy perspective. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Terrance Gore, Royals: Gore was called up Friday to fill his usual role as pinch-running specialist off the Royals bench. His speed is unquestioned – he's 72-for-82 on stolen base attempts across the levels over the last two seasons – but he won't get enough opportunities in KC to make a fantasy impact unless the team suffers an injury epidemic in their outfield. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Austin Jackson, Cleveland: With Abraham Almonte sent down to make room for an extra bullpen arm, it's Jackson's turn to handle starting duties in right field until Lonnie Chisenhall returns from the DL. The veteran has certainly earned the extra playing time, going 8-for-16 in four games since his own return from a quad injury, but at this stage of his career his fantasy upside is pretty limited, even with steady at-bats in a potent offense like Cleveland's. He's just a short-term plug-in, but you could do worse. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Leonys Martin, Mariners: Martin makes his return to the majors after being exiled to Triple-A Tacoma for the last three months, where to his credit he put together a .312/.352/.506 line in 84 games with 11 homers and 24 steals. With Haniger on the DL there is playing time available for the 29-year-old, but Guillermo Heredia and Nelson Cruz (when he's not DHing) could factor into the right-field mix as well. A lot will depend on how Martin fares right away. If he keeps raking the way he did at Tacoma, or anything close to it, he'll get full-time at-bats and could take over in center field even after Haniger is back. If he looks like the same guy he was in April before his demotion, Martin will quickly find himself on the bench before getting cut loose again. He's a gamble, but his power-speed upside makes him worth rolling the dice. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9