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.

We've incorporated 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. Rafael Devers 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Drew Pomeranz, Red Sox: The southpaw is set to return from the DL on Tuesday against the Manny Machado-less Orioles, which is a pretty plum assignment. Pomeranz looked good in his final rehab start, allowing only a solo homer over six innings for Triple-A Pawtucket, but home runs have been his nemesis this season – prior to getting shut down with biceps tendinitis at the end of May, he'd served up seven in only 37 innings. If Pomeranz can find his form from 2016-17 again he could be extremely valuable down the stretch, but there's still some risk here. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $17; 12-team AL: $35

Ervin Santana, Twins: Santana is poised to make his 2018 debut this week after tossing six strong innings for Triple-A Rochester in his last rehab start. His velocity has apparently been down, though, and given how long it's taken him to recover from a seemingly minor procedure performed on his finger back in February, the odds of the 35-year-old just immediately regaining his prior form seem low. The Twins need him to be the Santana of 2016-17 if they have any hope of climbing into the wild-card race, but that could be asking too much of him. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $29

Jakob Junis, Royals: Junis returned from a back issue Saturday and turned in a strong, if short, performance against the Twins, fanning six and allowing one run in four innings. The right-hander was awful before the All-Star break and likely got cut loose in a lot of leagues, but if a sore back was the culprit, he might be able to regain his early-season form. The junkballer doesn't have an extremely high ceiling, but he's already shown he can be useful in deeper leagues, and it could be worth giving him another chance, and any AL Central starter has some streaming appeal. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Nick Tropeano, Angels: Out since mid-June, Tropeano returned from a shoulder injury Saturday and got steamrolled by Justin Verlander, although Trop didn't actually pitch too badly other than some control hiccups. The right-hander has some upside but has never been able to stay healthy long enough to put it all together, and that's a long shot to change over the final months of 2018. Still, he's capable of closing out the year with two good months, which means he's worth a look if you need pitching help. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Frankie Montas, Athletics: Montas is set to rejoin the A's on Tuesday after being demoted before the break to keep him on turn. He's been inconsistent in the majors, and his lack of strikeouts does limit his fantasy appeal, but the 25-year-old could still provide some solid innings from the back of Oakland's rotation, and even if the team adds another arm at the trade deadline, it'll be Edwin Jackson or Brett Anderson who get bumped. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

James Shields, White Sox: The veteran has found some strikeouts again, posting four quality starts in his last five outings with a 3.27 ERA and 29:11 K:BB over 33 innings during that stretch. Of course, the fifth start was a clunker against the Astros (eight earned runs in 5.2 innings), and his track record will understandably make most fantasy GMs wary about picking him up. He's pitching pretty well right now, though, and regular starts against the Royals and Tigers gives him streaming value even if he turns back into a bum. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Brian Johnson, Red Sox: Even with Pomeranz about to return, Johnson seems set to remain in the Boston rotation for a few weeks with Eduardo Rodriguez injured again. Johnson has shown in the past he can be effective as a starter when given a shot, and once he's fully stretched out the southpaw will have as good a chance of getting some wins as anyone with the Red Sox offense at his back. Of course, there's always the possibility he gets bumped back to the bullpen after a deadline acquisition. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Luis Cessa, Yankees: Cessa will replace Domingo German as the Yankees' fifth starter, at least until the front office has a better idea. He's a perfectly cromulent swing man, and pitching for the Yanks gives him plenty of win potential, but there's not a lot of upside here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Adalberto Mejia, Twins: The 25-year-old will get the start for Minnesota on Tuesday, but it could be a one-and-done for Mejia with Santana set to return later in the week. He's put together a strong campaign at Triple-A Rochester, but the lefty hasn't yet proven his arsenal can be effective in the majors, and a road start against the Jays makes him a fairly risky streaming option – Toronto's only 18th in wOBA against LHP (.306) but when they make contact the ball goes a long way, as they're sixth in ISO (.175) and tied for fourth in homers (36) in that split. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Blaine Hardy, Tigers: Hardy rejoins the Tigers rotation with Michael Fulmer sidelined, a role he had some success in earlier this year, posting a 3.31 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over a six-start stretch in May and June. He's the very picture of a soft-tossing lefty, though, with little upside in strikeouts and a thin margin for error, and including Sunday's outing his first two assignments will be at home against Boston and Cleveland, so he could be in for a rough ride. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Ryan Tepera, Blue Jays: Tepera got the save Saturday, which means he could have the edge on saves in Toronto for the next couple of weeks until Roberto Osuna is eligible to return. If you pin his two blown saves on the elbow issue that landed him on the DL immediately afterwards, he's converted seven straight chances when healthy, and his ratios and K rate are solid if not elite. If every save matters for you, Tepera's worth targeting. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Brad Hand, Cleveland: The AL has started pilfering the NL of all its second-division closers, which frankly is more exciting for fantasy GMs in NL-only leagues when it comes to juicy new FAAB targets. Hand figures to settle in as a key setup man for Cody Allen, although Allen's elevated walk and homer rates could eventually cause him to lose his grip on the ninth-inning role. Of course, if Andrew Miller is back by then, Hand still might not get a chance to close for his new squad. Don't bid on him expecting meaningful saves, but the lefty should supply plenty of holds with strong ratios and K's. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $5

Jeurys Familia, Athletics: Like Hand, Familia goes from mixed-league asset to AL-only staff filler as Blake Treinen's new setup guy. The former Met wasn't pitching as well as the former Padre and Treinen's numbers have been much better than Allen's, so barring an injury it doesn't seem like Famailia has any kind of real path to saves in Oakland. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $3

Yusmeiro Petit, Athletics: Petit's been transitioned into an Astros-esque long relief role in July and flourished, vulturing three wins in eight appearances with a 2.45 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB in 14.2 innings. Familia's addition likely won't affect his usage, and with the A's gearing up to fight the Mariners for the second wild-card spot in the AL, there could be more come-from-behind wins added to Petit's ledger down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Adam Cimber, Cleveland: Cimber was having a solid season for San Diego before getting shipped east, but in Cleveland he'll likely be a middle-relief guy rather than a consistent setup man, which means he may not even be a great source of holds. Consider him purely staff filler until he shows otherwise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brandon Maurer, Royals: Maurer got a save Friday, but Wily Peralta got one Saturday, and Peralta isn't the guy with a 12.00 ERA this year. Stay away unless you are really, really desperate for saves. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Adam Moore, Rays: Moore will back up Jesus Sucre while Wilson Ramos is out of action. He's 34 and has a career .540 OPS in the majors, only seeing more than 24 plate appearances in a season once (and that back in 2010), so, yeah. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Daniel Vogelbach, Mariners: Guess who's bach, bach again. Vogelbach could see extra playing time at first base due to Ryon Healy's current slump, but the M's intend to give Robinson Cano lots of action at the cold corner once his suspension ends, so Vogelbach's window to establish himself as a reliable big-league hitter is once again a small one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Joey Wendle, Rays: Wendle's finally found his power stroke, launching three homers in his last nine games while racking up a .382/.447/.824 slash line. He's bounced between second base and left field during that time, and the additional position flex should keep him in the starting lineup on a regular basis despite the Rays' infield logjam. There's no telling how long he'll stay hot, but he's worth a roster spot in all formats while he is. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Brandon Drury, Yankees: Drury got called back up Friday, but even with Gleyber Torres out, he's still unlikely to see a lot of playing time as Neil Walker is the Yankees' preferred replacement at the keystone. Drury's been as good at Triple-A this year as he's been bad in the majors, so there's no guarantee he'll be productive with whatever at-bats he does receive. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ramon Torres, Royals: The 25-year-old is up for a few days to provide infield depth with Adalberto Mondesi is dealing with a family matter. Torres has a whopping .619 OPS this year at Triple-A, so, yeah. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Yandy Diaz, Cleveland: Diaz got called up to fill a utility role this weekend and promptly banged out four hits Friday, but playing time is still likely to be hard to come by for the 26-year-old unless someone like Jason Kipnis gets hurt, which has been known to happen from time to time. Diaz doesn't offer any power or speed, though, so if he does work his way into a bigger role, his fantasy value will still be limited. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

J.D. Davis, Astros: It's Davis' turn to fill the "Triple-A slugger looking for a shot" spot on the Astros' bench. That shot isn't going to come in Houston, but if he's part of a deadline deal it could come elsewhere. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Willy Adames, Rays: Adames' was surprisingly demoted back to Triple-A right before the All-Star break, but with Adeiny Hechavarria now battling an oblique issue, the rookie gets another crack at the bigs. Due to the timing of the moves it's impossible to tell whether Adames' initial demotion was just so he could continue to get regular playing time over the break or whether he was deemed not ready for prime time, as his .216/.263/.341 slash line with Tampa would suggest. The team has little to lose by letting him work out of kinks in the majors rather than yo-yoing him back and forth, but the Rays' front office has always marched to the beat of its own drum, so who knows how long this latest stint on the 25-man roster will last. The upside is there if Adames gets regular ABs and starts doing something with them, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Ronny Rodriguez, Tigers: Niko Goodrum remains in a super-utility role for the Tigers, opening up more playing time at second base for Rodriguez. He hasn't been producing yet in the majors – he's still looking for his first big-league extra-base hit – but his glittering numbers this year at Triple-A Toledo still offer promise, and Detroit isn't exactly worried about their place in the 2018 standings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Taylor Motter, Twins: Motter will again temporarily fill a spot on the Twins' bench until they have other roster needs, or decide it's time to give Miguel Sano another chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Stephen Piscotty, Athletics: Piscotty's been on a tear lately, hitting .319 with five homers and 10 RBI over the course of an 11-game hitting streak. He's actually been hitting .304 since the beginning of June, but the power surge is a new wrinkle, and he might finally be ready to cash in on the promise he showed with the Cardinals in 2015-16. If he's still available in shallower mixed formats, don't wait any longer to scoop him up. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Owned

Willie Calhoun, Rangers: Nomar Mazara's thumb injury finally gives Calhoun his first opportunity in Texas after an impressive run at Triple-A that's seen him slash .351/.410/.509 since the beginning of June. The 23-year-old still doesn't have a lot of loft to his swing – he hit 15 doubles but only four homers in 41 games during his Triple-A rampage – but plenty of prospects have seen that change once they get big-league instruction, and Calhoun's talent as a hitter has never been in question. His defensive liabilities could cost him a start here and there, but the Rangers have nothing to lose by letting him sink or swim, and a Shin-Soo Choo deal would install Calhoun as the nearly full-time DH. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $29

Nicky Delmonico, White Sox: Out since mid-May with a hand injury, Delmonico returned to the lineup Friday and should be a regular starter in a corner outfield spot for the White Sox for the rest of the year. His power upside remains questionable – he hit 21 homers between Triple-A and the majors last season, but has only one in 49 games across all levels in 2018 – and he's not a threat to help any fantasy rosters in batting average, but the 26-year-old could still help deeper rosters simply due to getting regular playing time. In the long run, he's probably the AL equivalent of Miami's Derek Dietrich, but Delmonico might yet prove he has a higher ceiling than that. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Renato Nunez, Orioles: If there was a winner on the Baltimore roster following the Machado deal, it was Nunez, who will get a chance to prove himself in a timeshare at third base with Danny Valencia, who's been stuck in a slump since mid-June. The 24-year-old is on his third organization this season, but he's posted some big power numbers at Triple-A for the A's in the past, and if he finally adjusts to big-league pitching he'll fit right in on an O's roster than already features Mark Trumbo and what's left of Chris Davis. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Melky Cabrera, Cleveland: Cabrera returned to the Cleveland roster and of course had a big game Saturday, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, but at best he'll be on the short side of a platoon in a corner outfield spot even if he sticks around this time. The days of the 33-year-old posting an .800 OPS in the majors are probably gone, so don't bid too much expecting another 2016 out of him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2