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

Brett Anderson, Blue Jays: The much-traveled, and rarely healthy, left-hander surfaced in Toronto and came within an out of a quality start in his Jays debut. Anderson figures to take a regular turn through September if his arm can hold up, and while he may not be a great source of wins or Ks due to his inability to last deep into games or handle a high pitch count, he probably won't hurt your ratios if you're trying to patch together a staff. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Chad Bell, Tigers: The Tigers rotation suddenly has a lot of vacancies, giving the team plenty of chances to audition guys who normally they wouldn't give a second glance at. Bell, a 28-year-old left-hander, didn't make his big-league debut until May and will make his first start in the majors Sunday. Considering he made his Triple-A debut back in 2012, you have to admire his perseverance, but from a fantasy perspective there's really not much to get excited about here. Bell has a 3.84 ERA and 7.5 K/9 in 213.1 career innings at Triple-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Doug Fister, Red Sox: I feel really weird saying this, but Fister might be the highest priority add in the entire American League right now. It's not just that he's pitching well, although he is pitching very well – 3.05 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 35:11 K:BB over his last six starts (41.1 innings). It's that he's pitching really well for the AL East-leading Red Sox, which gives him a great shot at a win every time out (he's won four of those last six starts), and Eduardo Rodriguez's current struggles mean Fister probably keeps his rotation spot even if David Price makes it back before the regular season ends. If you need rotation help – and who doesn't need rotation help in September? – he may just be worth blowing out your remaining FAAB budget to get. I mean, it's not like anyone else is going to be entering the player pool who might move the needle the way he could. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $29

Onelki Garcia, Royals: Kansas City gave Garcia a shot at starting Saturday, figuring he couldn't be any worse than Eric Skoglund has been. Whoops. The 28-year-old lefty recorded only one out and got charged with four runs, setting the tone for an eventual 17-0 rout at the hands of the Twins. He's still tentatively penciled in for another start Thursday, at home against, gulp, Minnesota again. Hey, things really can't get any worse than they did this weekend. Can they? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kyle Gibson, Twins: The surging Twins seem determined to be this season's surprise playoff team, and Gibson has been doing his part to get them there, reeling off three straight quality starts with a 1.37 ERA and 20:2 K:BB in 19.2 innings. Now, he hasn't exactly faced the stiffest competition in those three games, but those numbers are still worth paying attention to. He's still a big risk in shallower formats, but if he's available in AL-only and deep mixed formats, it's the time of the year when catching lightning in a bottle is sometimes your own viable option for making a move in pitching categories. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mike Leake, Mariners: Heading into the All-Star break, Leake had a 3.12 ERA and seemed to have turned his career around after a rough 2016. When the Cards flipped him to the Mariners, he had a 6.90 ERA in nine second-half starts. Eep. The veteran righty's first start with Seattle on Friday looked a lot more like his first-half efforts, though, and the M's certainly need all the help in their rotation they can get, so he'll head to the mound every fifth game for the rest of September to do what he can. Don't expect miracles, but he'll probably settle somewhere between those ERA extremes. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Artie Lewicki, Tigers: His name sounds like the nebbishy accountant who lives next door from a mid-80s sitcom, but he's actually a fairly interesting prospect. The 25-year-old righty will make his big-league debut Monday after being an eighth-round pick in 2014, but given his stuff he should have gone at least a few rounds higher, as his draft stock was hurt by Tommy John surgery and a final year at Virginia spent in the bullpen while he built up his arm strength again. Lewicki sits comfortably in the low 90s with his fastball but can pop 96 mph on occasion, combines it with three decent off-speed pitches, and has good command and control. The whole package suggests he could be a solid innings-eater at the back of the rotation, but his results over the last few weeks since his promotion to Triple-A (2.03 ERA, 33:7 K:BB in 31 innings) hint at even a little more upside than that. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Lance McCullers, Astros: Out since the end of July, McCullers will rejoin the Astros rotation Wednesday, slotting in behind Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. The 23-year-old wasn't having the breakout campaign everyone expected in 2017, but his 3.1 BB/9 has been a big improvement on last year's 5.0 mark and his 10.1 K/9 isn't too shabby either. If he got cut loose due to his difficulty staying healthy, he's worth snapping up given the potential for a big finish to the season. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Wade Miley, Orioles: Another veteran hurler who's teasing a strong kick to the finish line, Miley seemed in danger of losing his spot in the O's rotation not too long ago, but a 2.79 ERA and 8.6 K/9 over his last seven starts (38.2 innings) has saved it. The lefty is still walking too many guys to be particularly reliable (4.4 BB/9 over that stretch), but he can give you innings and might not hurt your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Garrett Richards, Angels: Richards has missed nearly the entire season with biceps trouble, after missing nearly all of 2016 with elbow trouble that he elected not to undergo Tommy John surgery to correct, so to say he's a wild card in September is a drastic understatement. Still, he's flashed fantasy ace upside when he's been healthy in the past, and he could give the Angels some quality innings down the stretch if his arm doesn't give out again. Richards is a better keeper stash than short-term option, but he could still be useful in the short term if his arm is 100 percent. That's a big if, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Josh Tomlin, Cleveland: Tomlin looked like he was turning things around in July, firing three straight quality starts and then dealing four no-hit innings July 30 before his hamstring tightened up. He's probably Cleveland's sixth starter when everyone is healthy, but Danny Salazar isn't there yet and the team has an eight-game lead in the AL Central, so their sixth starter should get a reasonable amount of work in September as they prepare for the postseason. If the right-hander returns to his July form beginning with his outing Sunday in Detroit, he'll have value even in shallower formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Relief Pitcher

Scott Alexander / Brandon Maurer / Mike Minor, Royals: Kelvin Herrera's forearm is bothering him again, which is bad timing for a Royals team trying to stay relevant in the AL wild-card chase. If he's forced to miss any time, the closing gig would be wide open. Alexander has gotten the last two non-Herrera saves, but they were both one-out situational jobs against left-handed hitters, and he likely only got called upon in that role because Minor had already pitched earlier in the game. Maurer also has closing experience from his stint in San Diego, but frankly, he wasn't very good at it, blowing 10 saves in 43 chances over the last two years. At this point, Herrera's arm troubles don't seem too serious, so don't go crazy bidding on any of these three, but if you're counting on Herrera down the stretch you may want to handcuff him now, just in case. Alexander – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Maurer – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Minor – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Carson Fulmer, White Sox: There were obviously a ton of relief pitchers brought up or activated from the DL as part of September roster expansion, but few of them are worth noting for fantasy purposes. Fulmer is one of the rare exceptions. A first-round pick in 2015, he's had serious control issues so far in his professional career which will likely doom him to bullpen work in the long run. On a rebuilding team that's traded away every relief arm that another organization showed even the vaguest interest in, though, 23-year-olds with a big arm and a draft pedigree have a remarkably clear path to a key role if they show any kind of progress in finding the plate on a regular basis. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Daniel Norris, Tigers: The Tigers have decided to put the lefty in the bullpen for the rest of the season before shifting him back to the rotation next spring, putting a major dent in his potential fantasy value, but given the pitchers replacing him at the moment there's no guarantee that plan will stick. Norris remains a frustrating enigma who can't find the plate often enough to capitalize on his plus stuff, but maybe relief work will be just what he needs to unlock his talent. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Blake Parker, Angels: At least for the moment, the Angels seem to have settled on a closer, and of course it's the guy people have been saying since May should have been the guy all along. Parker's converted four straight save chances and hasn't been scored upon in 11 straight appearances, posting a 13:2 K:BB in 11 innings over that stretch. His numbers have been great all year, and there's no reason to think he'll spit the bit now that he's working the ninth inning instead of the eighth. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $19; 12-team AL: Owned

Carlos Ramirez, Blue Jays: If you're looking for a high-K relief arm to buttress your fantasy staff for the final weeks, Ramirez could well be your guy. A converted position player, the 26-year-old righty has been a revelation on the mound the last couple of years, posting a 2.20 ERA and 41:21 K:BB in 41 innings at High-A in 2016 and then exploding in 2017, firing up a 0.00 ERA and 29:7 K:BB in 23 Double-A innings before reeling off 14 scoreless innings over seven appearances at Triple-A with a 16:3 K:BB. He didn't miss a beat in his big-league debut Friday, striking out two in two perfect innings against the Orioles. Yes, that's correct – he has yet to allow a run at any level all season. His fastball sits around 95 mph and can flash higher, and while his slider remains a work in progress, it's filthy when he's got it in sync. That's a closer profile, but with Roberto Osuna seemingly set in that role, Ramirez may "only" be used as a multi-inning shutdown guy for now, a la Chris Devenski. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Catcher

Juan Centeno, Astros: With Evan Gattis sidelined again, Centeno will back up Brian McCann for now. That gives him a smidge more value than the phalanx of third and fourth catchers called up Friday, but only a smidge. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Francisco Mejia, Cleveland: The top catching prospect in baseball, Mejia will get his feet wet in the majors after showing his developing power stroke at Double-A, slugging 14 homers in 92 games. His hit tool remains his best asset, but he likely won't see too much playing time this September, making him a priority stash in keeper and dynasty leagues that don't roster minor leaguers but otherwise more of a footnote for fantasy purposes – at least in 2017. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Carlos Perez, Angels: Perez continues to post huge numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .352/.423/.502 in 68 games this year, but the Angels don't seem inclined to give him another shot in the majors after he managed only a .226/.267/.329 line in 178 big-league games since 2015. His "true" talent level likely lies somewhere between those two extremes, but he might need to head to another organization in the offseason to get a chance to prove it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Josh Phegley, Athletics: Phegley moves back into the short side of a platoon with Bruce Maxwell now that he's recovered from an oblique strain, but his career .717 OPS against LHP isn't exactly scintillating. Still, in that role he can pop the occasional homer without hurting your batting average too much, which is viable production for a second catcher in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Chance Sisco, Orioles: Sisco's had a bit of a hard time adjusting to Triple-A, hitting just .267 this year in 97 games, but that didn't stop the Orioles from bringing him up the majors in September, the 22-year-old may never develop a big power stroke, but his hit tool should allow him to be a solid offensive asset behind the plate once he matures. He doesn't have Mejia's upside, but it still worth stashing in dynasty formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

September call-ups who probably won't see enough playing time to be remotely useful even in the deepest of leagues and are otherwise uninteresting: Cameron Gallagher, Royals; Bryan Holaday, Tigers; A.J. Jimenez, Rangers; Eric Kratz, Yankees; Luke Maile, Blue Jays; Mike Marjama, Mariners: 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $0

First Base

Efren Navarro, Tigers: The 31-year-old former Angel gets another shot at the majors after slashing .276/.370/.395 for Triple-A Toledo this year. Miguel Cabrera's suspension and back issues could open up some playing time at first base for Navarro, but don't expect much more than a decent batting average from him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Sam Travis, Red Sox: Travis is back in the majors, but the 24-year-old has yet to show much power in the minors and will mostly be a pinch hitter for the BoSox in September. There's some possibility of dynasty value here, but given Boston's resources he'll need to show a lot more with the bat to profile as their first baseman of the future. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler White, Astros: White makes his return to Houston after putting together a tremendous .300/.371/.528 line in 111 games at Triple-A with 25 homers. The 26-year-old will find playing time hard to come by in September, even with Yulieski Gurriel nursing a sore knee, but he'll be an interesting bargain DFS option should be get an occasional start. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Gordon Beckham, Mariners: Yes, it's that Gordon Beckham. The 30-year-old somehow got a promotion in September rather than getting DFA'ed off the 40-man roster to make room for somebody useful despite a .706 OPS in 83 games this year for Triple-A Tacoma. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brandon Phillips, Angels: Phillips may be 36 years old, but he hasn't been playing like it this year, slashing .291/.329/.423 in Atlanta with 11 homers and 10 steals before getting dealt just under the wire to the Angels to fill their gaping hole at second base. His fantasy ceiling gets a nudge up hitting leadoff in front of Mike Trout, but for the most part he is who he is. He hasn't played in the AL since his big-league debut with Cleveland in 2005, but don't expect him to have adjustment issues. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $39

Yolmer Sanchez, White Sox: I profiled Sanchez last week, but his continued hot streak and secure spot in the starting lineup while Yoan Moncada is sidelined has pushed him into mixed league consideration. The 25-year-old has a .343/.387/.537 slash line with four homers and 14 RBI in his last 18 games, and middle infield being as thin as it is, those are numbers that warrant a roster spot in all but the shallowest of formats. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Third Base

Jeimer Candelario, Tigers: With Detroit now in full rebuilding mode, Candelario will take over as their starting third baseman for the final month of the season, with Nick Castellanos moving to DH or possibly right field if he feels comfortable enough defensively to handle it. The 23-year-old switch hitter was the big prize in the Justin Wilson deal, hitting 15 homers in 110 games at Triple-A this season. His batting eye makes him a better asset in OBP leagues, but if Candelario's power stroke continues to develop he'll have plenty of value in standard formats as well, even if he struggles to make consistent contact in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Will Middlebrooks, Rangers: Once a top prospect with the Red Sox, Middlebrooks is now a 28-year-old who's flopped in multiple organizations due to his contact woes. He did hit 23 homers in 78 games for Triple-A Round Rock this year but hit .258 and struck out 88 times while doing it, and the Rangers already have a much better version of that guy in Joey Gallo. Even with Adrian Beltre done for the year, Middlebrooks should mostly come off the bench over the final weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: Barreto's first big-league audition was a dud, but to his credit he shook it off and slashed .349/.393/.550 in August for Triple-A Nashville before coming back up. With Marcus Semien healthy and Jed Lowrie inexplicably not traded, the 21-year-old doesn't have a clear path to regular at-bats, but Oakland has little to lose by finding ways to sneak him into the lineup as often as they can in September. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Nolan Fontana, Angels: I'm pretty sure I worked in an Anchorman/Brian Fantana joke the last time Nolan got called up, so I won't subject you to another one. The 26-year-old put up some intriguing numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake this year, but the Phillips deal locks him out of any shot at even a platoon role in September unless he kills a guy with a trident. Wait, sorry, that was Brick. Fontana will come off the bench an wait for a shot at a bigger role next spring. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Niko Goodrum, Twins: The 25-year-old has flashed plenty of speed in the minors and added a little power to the mix at Triple-A Rochester this year, but with the Twins in the thick of the playoff hunt and Jorge Polanco going nuts at the plate, there's no opportunity for Goodrum to get much of an audition in his first taste of the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tzu-Wei Lin, Red Sox: Last time Lin was up in the majors, he got a surprising amount of playing time due to a rash of injuries and bad performances for the Red Sox on the left side of their infield. Now, he's stuck behind Xander Bogaerts, Eduardo Nunez, Rafael Devers and Brock Holt. Life comes at you fast. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Raul Mondesi, Royals: Mondesi did everything he could at Triple-A Omaha to erase the memory of his brutal start to the season in the big leagues, but it may not have been enough. Even with the Royals fading in the wild-card race, they seem content to leave Alcides Escobar at shortstop even as they slide Cheslor Cuthbert in at third base in a preview of their 2018 infield, should Mike Moustakas not re-sign. Mondesi could well be their best option in the short term at short, but try telling that to Ned Yost. Still, the 22-year-old's upside makes him worth considering in deeper formats, just in case he finds his way into a starting spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Richard Urena, Blue Jays: Urena's prospect status took a hit this season as he continues to stagnate at the plate, and his impressive half-season at High-A last year is beginning to look like a fluke, but he's still too young to write off entirely. The Jays may end up giving him some playing time down the stretch as they begin to look to the future, but don't expect the 21-year-old to do much with it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Greg Allen, Cleveland: Touted in many circles as a preseason sleeper, Allen instead spent the season putting up mediocre numbers for Double-A Akron, but he still gets to make his big-league debut in September. He did steal 21 bases in 23 attempts this year, but an occasional SB as a pinch runner is probably the most you can hope for in terms of fantasy value out of the 24-year-old in a crowded Cleveland outfield. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland: Chisenhall finally came off the DL when roster expanded and picked up right where he left off when he got hurt, going 2-for-8 with a double and three runs scored in his first three games back. Jay Bruce seems entrenched in right field, but Chisenhall can still get plenty of action in left field with Michael Brantley still out. The 26-year-old had a .954 OPS when he strained his calf in early July, so don't dismiss his ability to make a fantasy impact down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers: Apparently, Choo took offense last week when I suggested he might lose playing time to Delino DeShields over the final month. The veteran now has a .343/.380/.582 slash line over his last 16 games with four homers, 12 RBI and 16 runs, with three of those home runs coming in the last six games. Beltre's injury makes anything DeShields does a moot point as he'll be doing it in left field, so Choo should continue seeing regular starts at DH and could be a big source of runs down the stretch from the leadoff spot. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Terrance Gore, Royals: Gore is back to do his usual "steal bases in September" thing. He's purely a one-category asset, but if you're in a league where stolen bases are tightly bunched and can afford to get no production in any other category from his roster spot, Gore could well make a difference. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays: Much like Domingo Santana a few years ago, Hernandez was caught in an outfield logjam in Houston and had to escape to another team to have a real shot at playing time. Also like Santana, he's shown both power and speed in the minors, although he lacks the Brewer's upside in the former category, but his strikeout issues make him a batting average risk. The Jays have little reason to keep trotting Jose Bautista's mummified corpse out to right field every day in September, and left field has been an issue for them pretty much all year, so there should be plenty of playing time opportunities for the 24-year-old down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Matt Holliday, Yankees: The veteran returned to action Saturday and swatted a homer, so it seems like he's finally 100 percent again. The Yankees have plenty of OF/1B/DH options on the roster, but Holliday appears to be their first choice at DH, which means he could have a very productive finish to the campaign if he hits more like his old self and not the broken-down guy he looked like coming out of the All-Star break. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

JaCoby Jones, Tigers: The 25-year-old struggled this season at both Triple-A and in the majors, and Mikie Mahtook may well have already established himself as the Tigers' Opening Day center fielder next year, but Jones will get one more chance to change that narrative. A .510 OPS in 113 major-league plate appearances so far doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tony Kemp, Astros: Kemp had a great year for Triple-A Fresno in 2017, hitting .329 with 10 homers and 24 steals in 118 games, but the 25-year-old was long ago typecast as a utility player in the majors, and the Astros' stacked roster won't give him any opportunities to prove otherwise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Rymer Liriano, White Sox: After missing all of 2016 after being hit by a pitch in the face in spring training, Liriano returned this season and hit a career-high 17 homers for Triple-A Charlotte, albeit with his usual contact and batting average issues. He's now 26 years old, and time's running out for him to prove he can make it in the majors, so don't be surprised if the White Sox give him a long look in September. An 0-for-3 showing with two Ks on Saturday isn't a great start, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Paulo Orlando, Royals: Orlando finally got healthy and hit a solid .293/.357/.431 in 30 games for Triple-A Omaha this year, but unlike the situation back in April, there's no clear path to playing time for him in a crowded Royals outfield. The 31-year-old will have to bide his time on the bench and hope for an injury or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Saunders, Blue Jays: His 2016 revival seems like it happened ages ago, but Saunders now returns to Toronto after flopping as a free agent in Philly. The 30-year-old likely won't be anything more than a bench bat in his second stint with the Jays, though, as the club has younger options in the outfield to take a look at. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Smolinski, Athletics: Smolinski missed basically the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March, and his lackluster numbers in a rehab stint before his promotion don't offer much hope that he'll be able to contribute offensively over the final weeks. He does have 16 homers in 603 career plate appearances in the majors, but they come with a .242/.307/.378 slash line. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Blake Swihart, Red Sox: He has some lingering keeper value if he still qualifies at catcher in your league, but otherwise Swihart hasn't hit well enough in the minors to be worth a roster spot in any format. He's basically the longest of long shots at this point to ever turn into a useful fantasy asset. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Eric Young Jr., Angels: Young returned to the Angels roster and promptly stole a base in Friday's game, which might end up being about the extent of his fantasy contribution in September with Justin Upton taking over in left field. Unfortunately for Young, the club already has a player with his basic skill set in Ben Revere, so even as a pinch hitter and pinch runner his opportunities could be very limited. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Pedro Alvarez, Orioles: Alvarez stuck it out in Triple-A Norfolk all year and did about his usual, hitting .239 with 26 homers, and he was finally rewarded with a September promotion. Barring a rash of injuries to the Baltimore roster, though, he'll be limited to pinch hitting, giving the Two True Outcomes All-Star few opportunities to either go yard or strike out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1