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

Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees: Tanaka returned to action Tuesday after missing a little over a month with a hamstring strain, which just puts him on the edge of maybe having been cut loose in shallow formats. Last year's spike in his homer rate has gotten worse in 2018, so the 29-year-old's fantasy value still comes predominantly from his strikeouts and wins rather than his ratios, but Tanaka can still help solidify a staff even if he doesn't rate as an ace. Just don't overpay for his actual production based on his name recognition and those pinstripes. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: Owned

Trevor Cahill, Athletics: The 30-year-old didn't make it out of the fourth inning in his return from the DL on Thursday, but facing the Astros in Houston can have that effect on a pitcher. Cahill was locked in before suffering an Achilles injury in early June, posting a 2.25 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 41:9 K:BB through his first seven starts of the season, but last year's Jekyll and Hyde routine should serve as a warning to anyone who just expects him to pick right up where he left off. Still, the upside is clearly still there when he's healthy and everything is in sync, so Cahill's worth gambling on if you need rotation help. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Fernando Romero, Twins: The league seemed to be figuring Romero out when he was sent back to Triple-A in late June, but he's done nothing to suggest he belongs in the minors since that demotion, racking up a 1.50 ERA and 15:7 K:BB through three starts for Rochester. The 23-year-old will rejoin the Twins' rotation Sunday, and with Aaron Slegers battling shoulder inflammation, this may not be a spot start for Romero. Don't expect great numbers from him in the second half, but he could provide some useful numbers in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Martin Perez, Rangers: The Rangers need all the pitching help they can get, so Perez's sparkling return Saturday – one run in seven innings in Baltimore – is probably good enough to lock him into a rotation spot for the next two months. The left-hander still has thoroughly mediocre career numbers in the majors, though, and his 5.5 K/9 in over 700 innings tells you everything you need to know about his fantasy upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Burch Smith, Royals: The Rule 5 pick puts together a decent little run in relief in June, so the Royals figured they'd try him as a starter since they have basically nothing to lose and no better options. Smith didn't get out of the fourth inning in his first start, and how long his stint in the rotation lasts will depend more on the health of Ian Kennedy, Jakob Junis, etc. etc., than his own performance, but in theory there's a smidge of upside here, and at the very least it's nice to see a guy who missed two entire years of his career in 2015-16 due to Tommy John surgery finally get a moment in the sun. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Heath Fillmyer, Royals: I pride myself on having at least a vague knowledge of most everyone who winds up on a big-league roster, but I have to admit, Fillmyer completely stumped me. To the Google machine! He was the other guy who headed to Kansas City in the offseason Brandon Moss/Jesse Hahn deal, a converted infielder who was a fifth-round JuCo pick in 2014. He's your basic back-end rotation starter kit, working with a low-mid 90s fastball, solid curve and developing change with OK command and a repeatable delivery, but his minor-league numbers don't point to much upside. He looks to be the Royals' swing man right now, which should afford him more starting opportunities given all their rotation injuries, but in fantasy terms he's really only worth considering as a streaming option in particularly juicy matchups, should he happen to get any. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Deck McGuire, Angels: This may shock you, but the Angels just lost a starting pitcher to injury. What are the odds. Garrett Richards is headed for Tommy John surgery and could be out until 2020 (side note – the fact that the "rest and rehab" route didn't avoid surgery for Richards, only delayed it for a handful of months, is a really bad omen for Shohei Ohtani) and while the team could (should?) eventually figure out a better replacement, at least for Sunday it will be McGuire getting a spot start. Looking back at his minor-league track record, it's hard to believe he was ever considered any kind of prospect, and even as a streaming option he lacks appeal, but in deep AL-only leagues any guy with a shot at regular innings is at least worth a look. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Taylor Cole, Angels: The 28-year-old's first extended stretch in the majors has gone swimmingly so far, and Cole's got a 2.16 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 11:2 K:BBB through 8.1 innings and four appearances. He may not ever escape a long-relief role, but given the Angels' current issues keeping their rotation healthy, a long-relief role could lead to some surprising second-half value on a team trying to stay in the hunt for that second wild-card spot in the AL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cionel Perez, Astros: Nothing's changed since his last callup a couple of weeks ago. Perez has upside and could get traded into a more significant role on another team at the deadline, but in Housston he's nothing more than a dynasty-league stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Hansel Robles, Angels: The former Met has landed on his feet in Anaheim, posting a 2.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB in 11.1 innings since joining the Angels. Robles is in a middle-relief role right now, grabbing three holds in 12 appearances, but raise your hand if you think Blake Parker and Justin Anderson are completely secure and reliable in the ninth inning. Yeah, didn't think so. If you're scrounging for save lottery tickets in a deep league, Robles and his 95 mph heat could get a shot in the second half. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

A.J. Cole, Yankees: Very quietly, Cole seems to be turning his career around in a low-leverage, long-relief role for the Yankees. He hasn't allowed a run in his last four appearances covering 7.2 innings, posting a 12:0 K:BB over that stretch. The former Nat prospect never clicked as a starter, but if you're running with a cheap modern LIMA fantasy staff that relies on Chris Devenski types rather than mediocre starters, Cole could be the next guy to emerge as a relief stud. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Austin Wynns, Orioles: Chance Sisco got bumped down to the minors again, likely just to keep him active over the All-Star break, so Wynns is back in the majors for now, Hopefully your fantasy fortunes don't depend on the kaleidoscope of offensive futility that is the Baltimore catching situation. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Ji-Man Choi, Rays: With Brad Miller becoming a surprisingly useful contributor for the Brewers, the Rays decided to see if their end of that trade could do the same and called up Choi this week. A 2-for-4 Tampa debut Wednesday was encouraging, but even if the 27-year-old keeps hitting, it's hard to see him as anything more than a platoon option to fill in for C.J. Cron at DH against tough RHP. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jose Miguel Fernandez, Angels: With Albert Pujols on the shelf, Fernandez will get another shake in the majors. The 30-year-old has continues to rake for Triple-A Salt Lake, which is hard to fake, but he's not likely to make or break your squad. "It's a short life", said Drake, especially if you're just another Quad-A jake. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Sam Travis, Red Sox: Boston's acquisition of Steve Pearce just about said it all about Travis' chances of ever getting a real shot with the Red Sox, even in a platoon role off the bench. If you're looking for a keeper-league stash, look elsewhere. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Brock Holt, Red Sox: Rafael Devers is on the DL, forcing another shuffle of the Boston infield that will see Eduardo Nunez taking over at third base, leaving Holt handling most of the action at second base in the short term. The 30-year-old doesn't offer much more than a potentially useful batting average from a fantasy perspective, but regular playing time in the Red Sox offense has value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

David Fletcher, Angels: The rookie had fallen into the short side of a platoon at third base behind Luis Valbuena thanks to a .184/.200/.289 line in July, but with Pujols now out, Valbuena will shift to first base and leave the hot corner to Fletcher once again. His Triple-A numbers still hint at some upside, but he may not be quite ready yet to be a consistent big-league contributor. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tzu-Wei Lin, Red Sox: Lin returns to Boston to provide some infield depth off the bench while Devers is sidelined, since all the other infield depth guys are now in starting roles. Don't expect much playing time for the 24-year-old, or much production in the at-bats he does get. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Luis Valbuena, Angels: Every week, it seems like Valbuena is the last cut from this column. New avenues for playing time keep opening up for him, but then his lousy performance at the plate makes me wonder how much his value will actually improve with more plate appearances. He's now a fixture in the starting lineup with Pujols shelved, though, so if you can stomach a batting average that hovers around the Mendoza Line*, the veteran might swat some extra homers while he's getting an extended run. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

* - As a baseball slang purist, I insist the Mendoza Line should actually be .215, Mario Mendoza's career big-league batting average, not .200, a simple round number for simple minds that struggle with the complexities of life. Yes, I know it's a losing battle, but we all need our windmills to tilt at.

Shortstop

Adeiny Hechavarria, Rays: Tampa's gonna Tampa, so Willy Adames is back in the minors after 26 whole games in the bigs, and Hechavarria is back in the starting lineup. This could just be an excuse to showcase the veteran for a deadline deal, but with the Rays actually in the wild-card chase, Hechavarria's defense might also keep him at shortstop as long as they're in contention. His .636 career OPS isn't exactly inspiring, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: Barreto will spend another couple of days on the A's bench, then probably get sent back to Triple-A Nashville again after the All-Star break, presenting fantasy GMs with yet another opportunity to stash him. The A's don't seem to be going anywhere in the hunt for a wild-card spot, though, which makes it less likely Jed Lowrie or Marcus Semien get dealt at the deadline – and less chance of Barreto finally getting a real look. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ehire Adrianza, Twins: Adrianza is back off the DL, and back in a bench role with Jorge Polanco done with his suspension. Willians Astudillo's audition as a utility player also cut off some potential routes to playing time for Adrianza, although his career .667 OPS should be reason enough to restrict his at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Jorge Bonifacio, Royals: Bonifacio finally hit his first homer of 2018 on Saturday, but he'd been doing plenty of damage before that and now boasts a .306/.358/.510 slash line through 13 games. The Royals will give the 25-year-old all the action he can handle – I mean, who else is going to get those at-bats? Abraham Almonte? A bionic Willie Wilson? – and while his ultimate upside is still uncertain, at the very least Bonifacio should provide decent power numbers with consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Jabari Blash, Angels: The 29-year-old will get another stint on the Angels' bench, but with Kole Calhoun having turned things around, Blash's opportunity to claim a significant role seems a lot dimmer this time around. His power potential remains intriguing, but given his age, his upside isn't as impressive as it might seem at first glance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dwight Smith, Blue Jays: Teams churn their rosters a lot around the All-Star break, but in the long run the only real impact is that guys like Smith get a better per diem for a short spell. The 25-year-old does have a .948 OPS in limited big-league at-bats over the last couple of seasons, but his minor-league numbers don't hint at anything close to that kind of upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan LaMarre, White Sox: The Twins tried to slip LaMarre through waivers one too many times, and the White Sox happily scooped him up to join their merry band of fourth outfielders forced into starting roles. He has marginally less fantasy upside than, say, Adam Engel, and LaMarre will probably hit waivers again when Avisail Garcia has another brief spell of good health, but for now he;s in the majors and getting playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Paulo Orlando, Royals: This guy again. Orlando keeps yo-yoing between Kansas City and Triple-A Omaha, but when you need Rosell Herrera to go on paternity leave to get a callup, your future prospects for a steady job in the bigs are fading fast. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Francisco Mejia, Cleveland: Do NOT blow your budget on Mejia. Yes, he's still got a big-time reputation as a prospect and yes, he's been killing the ball at Triple-A, slashing .391/.421/.594 since June 1, but he still doesn't have a position. Cleveland doesn't trust him behind the plate and he hasn't adjusted to a corner outfield spot, so playing time could be hard to come by for the 22-year-old even if he doesn't get immediately shipped back to Columbus after the All-Star break when the team needs bullpen depth again. Mejia's potentially a good keeper or dynasty stash in those formats where he isn't already stashed, but you can't count on him for 2018 production unless Yonder Alonso or Edwin Encarnacion somehow get removed from the picture. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4