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

Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox: I wrote up E-Rod last week and put a fairly aggressive bid on him, so I should really send him a gift basket or something for making me look like a genius with his dominant 12-K return from the DL on Saturday. His value gets dinged in leagues that use quality starts as a category, as he just isn't efficient enough to work six innings on a consistent basis, and of course his injury history is well known. When he's on the mound, though, Rodriguez's fantasy upside can't be ignored, especially with the Boston offense providing his run support. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Shohei Ohtani, Angels: The Angels are going to let Ohtani pitch again this year because reasons. If he gets 5-6 starts in September, he could absolutely be a difference-maker down the stretch in strikeouts and ratios – his 11.1 K/9 in his first nine MLB starts was no fluke. That upside alone makes him worth an aggressive bid in leagues where Pitcher Ohtani and Hitter Ohtani require separate roster spots and the former is available, but he could also not even make it through Sunday's start before his elbow flares up again and he has to go back to being only being Hitter Ohtani for the rest of the season. If you need high-risk, high-reward pitching reinforcements, he's your guy. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $19; 12-team AL: $39

Matt Shoemaker, Angels: Another Angel pitcher set to rejoin the rotation this month is Shoemaker, who could take the hill Monday for the first time since April. He's been battling a forearm strain ever since, but his velocity looked good in his one rehab start, but he threw only 59 pitches so don't expect a lot of length from him right away. He doesn't have ace-quality upside, but Shoemaker could supply useful innings in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Felix Pena, Angels: Even with all those arms coming back, Pena's pitched well enough to keep his spot in the Angels' rotation. Over his last six starts, the 28-year-old has a 3.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 32:11 K:BB in 36 innings – and zero wins to show for it. Ulp. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Sean Reid-Foley, Blue Jays: The Jays' top pitching prospect will rejoin the big club for the stretch run. SRF's first two major-league starts were disasters, and for that matter his last start at Triple-A Buffalo was pretty bad too, but Toronto's playing for the future and will let the 23-year-old sink or swim. His 10.4 K/9 this year at Buffalo highlights his potential, but he'll need to prove himself before he's worth adding in shallower formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Felix Hernandez, Mariners: The M's are clinging to life in the playoff race and pretty much need a miracle to catch the A's for the second wild card, forget about running down the Astros for the AL West crown. Enter King Felix? He's had a miserable campaign, but after briefly getting booted from the rotation he's actually looked a bit like his old self over his last three games, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 18.2 innings – including a season-high nine K's against the Padres on Tuesday. Sure, it was only the Padres, but it's still a slim sliver of hope Seattle fans can latch onto, and a flicker of life in his fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Daniel Norris, Tigers: Norris returned from the DL on Saturday and struck out seven over 4.1 innings before exiting with leg cramps, because of course he did. The oft-injured, ever-frustrating southpaw will flash his upside often enough to keep you hoping, but time is running out for the 25-year-old to put everything together. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Josh James, Astros: One of the year's top pop-up prospects, James fanned an amazing 171 batters in 113 innings between Double-A and Triple-A before striking out nine more in his big-league debut. Not bad for a 34th-round pick. The 25-year-old is a better keeper/dynasty stash than re-draft asset, as he may not make another start this season, but if Charlie Morton's shoulder needs more recovery time, or Houston decides to give their rotation extra rest later in the month once the team's got a playoff spot locked up, James could make another start or two, and in the meantime he could settle in nicely as one of the team's high-K relief arms. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

David Hess, Orioles: Hess is on a nice little run at the moment, reeling off three straight quality starts with a 1.42 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB in 19 innings. Two of those starts were against the Jays, though, a team basically in free fall, and the 25-year-old isn't exactly a high-upside prospect. Don't get too excited. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Josh Rogers, Orioles: Picked up from the Yankees in the Zach Britton deal, Rogers will only make one more start for Baltimore before he gets shut down for the year, so he's got limited fantasy appeal other than as a desperation streaming option Monday in Seattle. The left-hander doesn't have a tremendous fantasy ceiling, but he'll head into spring training next year with a strong shot at winning a rotation spot, so as a deep-league keeper stash there are worse uses of FAAB at this point in the season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

David Robertson / Dellin Betances, Yankees: Time to shift around those Yankee bullpen bids. Since Aroldis Chapman's last save Aug. 14, the save tally has been Robertson three, Betances two, Britton one, and the latter two also have blown saves on their ledgers during that time while Robertson does not. Ninth-inning duties will likely remain split depending on who's rested and how lefty-heavy the opposition lineup is, but it looks like Robertson is your best bet for saves for now. Chapman's return timetable also remains unclear, and with the Yankees essentially locked into the first wild-card spot, they may elect to just let their regular closer rest up for the playoffs even if he does get healthy before the end of the month. Robertson – 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Owned / Betances – 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Jace Fry, White Sox: With the White Sox's reliever diaspora officially completed for the year, Fry is the last man standing in the closer picture. The southpaw's on an impressive roll, too, grabbing three saves, three holds and a win over his last nine appearances without allowing a run and a stellar 15:1 K:BB in nine innings. It being the White Sox, that still might not be enough to earn him exclusive closing rights for the rest of the year, but at this point he should be rostered in every league given his performance and clear path to saves. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Ian Hamilton, White Sox: If anyone could challenge Fry for ninth-inning duties, it could be Hamilton. The 11th-round pick in 2016 has made a fairly quick ascent to the majors after moving to the bullpen, adding velocity to a fastball that can now touch the high 90s and sharpening his slider. His numbers in the upper minors this season were dominant (1.76 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 62:16 K:BB in 51 IP), and the 23-year-old could quickly work his way into a high-leverage role in September. If you're in the market for 2019 spec closer plays, Hamilton's the kind of young, scrappy and hungry arm who's worth a long look if he doesn't throw away his shot. (Sorry, I tried not to, I really did. It just tumbled out.) 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Connor Sadzeck, Rangers: Speaking of 11th-round picks with serious heat, Sadzeck took a little longer to reach the bigs than Hamilton, having been drafted in 2011, but he's arguably got even more upside as a reliever. The 26-year-old can touch triple digits with his fastball, which is even more terrifying when it's being delivered by a six-foot-seven human being who throws from a nearly sidearm angle. He only made the full-time conversion to the bullpen this year, and his numbers at Triple-A Round Rock weren't all that great (4.03 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 43:16 K:BB in 38 innings), but his ceiling as a late-inning power arm is massive. His path to saves isn't as clear with Jose Leclerc settling in as the Rangers' closer, though, reducing his appeal as a spec keeper saves play, but Sadzeck could still be worth stashing in deep formats where high-K relievers have value of their own. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jonathan Loaisiga, Yankees: The 23-year-old will work out of the bullpen this September, making him a possible keeper stash. While the talent is there, keep in mind Loaisiga has only thrown 73 innings so far this season and only 32 innings the previous two years combined, so even if he does wind up in the rotation mix in 2019, he's highly unlikely to give you a full workload. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Gary Sanchez, Yankees: Prior to his return Saturday, Sanchez had only played three games since late June, so it's just barely conceivable he was dropped in some shallow leagues with limited bench spots. If he was, there's really no reason not to blow whatever FAAB budget you have left on him and hope for the best, as a healthy Sanchez is almost certainly an upgrade on whoever you've got at catcher right now. 12-team Mixed: $99; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: Owned

Brian McCann, Astros: Remember when it looked like Max Stassi was just going to seize the starting catcher job for the Astros outright? Good times. Stassi's second-half slump has forced Houston to give Martin Maldonado regular playing time, so it's a pretty good bet McCann will see plenty of action too. At this stage of his career, the 34-year-old doesn't offer much fantasy upside, but he could chip in some homers down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Christian Vazquez, Red Sox: Down that he's healthy again, Vazquez's defense should push him ahead of Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart on the depth chart, but last year's .734 OPS is looking like an aberration compared to the .544 mark he's posted through 61 games in 2018. Still, semi-regular at-bats in the Boston offense have some value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jesus Sucre, Rays: With Michael Perez on the shelf, Sucre and his .560 career OPS will take over as the Rays' starting catcher. Huzzah? Sucre himself is battling a sore wrist, though, so don't expect him to start five games a week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Cameron Gallagher, Royals: Gallagher has some short-term value while Sal Perez nurses a thumb injury, and his Triple-A numbers suggest he's got a little more offensive potential than your typical scrubby backstop. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jose Briceno, Angels / David Freitas, Mariners / Chris Gimenez, Twins / Eric Haase, Cleveland / Adam Moore, Rays / Beau Taylor, Athletics / Meibrys Viloria, Royals: Speaking of scrubby backstops, here's all the guys promoted so far as part of September roster expansion to serve as third catchers for their clubs. If you really need to roster any of these guys, might as well go for Viloria, since he has the coolest name and is making the jump all the way from High-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Luke Voit, Yankees: Last week's No/No/$2 recommendation on Voit looks very silly at the moment, but it was based on the expectation that both he and Greg Bird would start regressing to their respective means. With only four weeks left in the season and the Yankees trying to sew up a playoff spot, though, they can't afford to wait for Bird and will ride the hot hand as long as necessary. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Jose Miguel Fernandez, Angels: Fernandez looks set to get a long look at first base this month with Albert Pujols out of action. The 30-year-old had a strong season for Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .333/.396/.535 with 17 homers in 91 games, and during his prime he was one of the top hitters in Cuba, so there is some sneaky upside here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Sam Travis, Red Sox: Even with Mitch Moreland perhaps not 100 percent. Travis will be only a bench bat down the stretch for Boston. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Tzu-Wei Lin, Red Sox / Tyler Wade, Yankees / Breyvic Valera, Orioles: More September bench options for their respective clubs. Nothing to see here, move along. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Josh Donaldson, Cleveland: The biggest wild card in the AL player pool, Donaldson last saw big-league pitching in late May and only recently played a couple of rehab games at High-A, but Cleveland activated him anyway. Could he hit some big homers over the final weeks and look every inch a former MVP? Absolutely. Could he not actually be healthy enough to contribute anything at all? Absolutely. Don't pay top dollar for the brand name here, but if you have a deep bench and daily roster moves, he could be worth adding. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Dawel Lugo, Tigers: With Jose Iglesias on the DL and Ronny Rodriguez needed at shortstop, Lugo could see a lot of playing time at second base for the Tigers in September. His .269/.283/.350 slash line for Triple-A Toledo this year isn't encouraging, but the 23-year-old did steal 12 bases in 123 games, so he might give you a small handful of SBs down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Ronny Rodriguez, Tigers: Speaking of Rodriguez, he's started five of the last six games and has a clear path to regular playing time while Iglesias is sidelined. He also has a .205/.243/.307 slash line through his first 42 games in the majors, but the 26-year-old has some upside, having posted a .338/.365/.558 line with nine homers and 10 steals in 63 games at Toledo this year. If you missed out on Niko Goodrum at the beginning of the season, why not pick up Niko 2.0 at the end of it? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: Barreto's situation doesn't change in September. He's good enough to deserve a shot at a starting gig, having crushed 18 homers in only 77 games for Triple-A Nashville this year, but he won't get it ahead of Marcus Semien or Jed Lowrie while the A's are fighting for a playoff spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Adeiny Hechavarria, Yankees: Now on his third team this year, Hechavarria could see some action at shortstop while Didi Gregorius is out, but once Didi returns the 29-year-old will be little more than a late-inning defensive replacement for the Yankees. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kris Negron, Mariners: He's got a little more appeal than some other September bench options since Jean Segura isn't 100 percent, but Negron's also a 32-year-old with a .635 OPS in 304 career big-league plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Andrew McCutchen, Yankees: The McCutchen deal might be more interesting for what it says about Aaron Judge's wrist rather than what the 2014 NL MVP will produce in pinstripes. Nonetheless, Cutch is a decent consolation prize for anyone still sitting on a pile of FAAB cash they couldn't spend at the end of July, having put together a .255/.357/.412 line with 15 homers and 13 steals in San Francisco. Yankee Stadium is a much better place to hit than AT&T Park, and the heat of a pennant race could light a spark under him down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $75

Ramon Laureano, Athletics: Even since Laureano made The Throw, something seems to have clicked for him. He's hitting .366/.471/.683 over his last 14 games with three homers and three steals, and he's been a big part of why the A's are still making the Astros nervous in the AL West. The 24-year-old will cool down eventually of course, but he's the unquestioned starter in center field for Oakland now and with regular playing time in his pocket, he's got the upside to make an impact down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Delino DeShields Jr., Rangers: DeShields has had a brutal year, but once his finger is 100 percent he's the only plausible center fielder on the Rangers' September roster (unless you count Carlos Tocci, and you really shouldn't). He might net you a handful of steals down the stretch, and in a tight category that handful could be the difference between a money finish and an offseason of regrets. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jake Cave, Twins: Cave's been showing some power lately, homering in three of his last five games, but his .244/.315/.512 line since the beginning of August wouldn't normally be worth a look in shallower formats. However, the news that Byron Buxtonwon't be coming up to the majors in September as the Twins play very obvious service-time games with the poor guy means that Cave is all but locked into a starting gig down the stretch, although he might sit against tough lefties. Regular at-bats plus a smidge of upside means that the 25-year-old could be worth a roster spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Hunter Dozier, Royals: The 27-year-old figures to get regular starts through September, bouncing between first and third base, and he's actually been worth the playing time recently, hitting safely in 10 of his last 11 games with a .317/.341/.634 slash line and three homers. He also has a 1:13 BB:K over that stretch, so the regression monster could eat him up any minute now. Ride his hot streak if you need to, especially if his position flex is useful, but have a backup plan ready. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Dustin Fowler, Athletics: Fowler destroyed Triple-A pitching this year, slashing .341/.364/.520 at Nashville in 55 games, but his big-league results have been less appealing. You can still see the upside, though, with six homers and six steals in 61 games for Oakland, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him go on a tear in September. The question is whether he'll get the chance. Ramon Laureano has settled in as the center fielder, and Matt Joyce is also back off the DL to compete for time in left. If Fowler heats up, a starting job is there for the taking, but until then he's just one of a number of options available to Bob Melvin. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Brian Goodwin, Royals: Goodwin returned to action Friday and then had a three-hit game Saturday, so if he has another good performance Sunday there could be a FAAB bidding war for his services. His upside is fairly modest, though, and the Royals have plenty of other outfielders they'll want to take a look at. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Matt Joyce, Athletics: Back in action for the first time since July 4, Joyce could have a hard time getting regular at-bats ahead of Fowler in left field, even before you consider platoon options like Mark Canha. He'll see some starts, but the 34-year-old is more likely to be the A's go-to bench bat down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Marisnick, Astros: The fourth outfielder came off the DL on Saturday to bolster the Astros' bench. With George Springer not 100 percent, Marisnick could see some starts in center field, but he'll still be competing with Tony Kemp for any open assignments Springer leaves available. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Robbie Grossman, Twins: Grossman still retains some value in OBP leagues, and as Cave's likely platoon partner he could pick up a start or two a week, but there's not much fantasy upside here otherwise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Joey Rickard, Orioles: Rickard's had his chances to win a starting role and flopped, so look for him to be the O's fourth outfielder and top pinch-running option down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Guillermo Heredia, Mariners: He'll give the M's a solid outfield glove off the bench, but Heredia's .636 OPS in over 800 career big-league plate appearances tells you all you need to know about his fantasy appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Johnny Field, Twins: Even among the No/No/$1 outfielders, he's pretty uninteresting. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1