Why do you come to this column? Easy. You're searching out recommendations on who to add and opinions to dissuade you from making a bad choice off the waiver wire. But, you're also looking to come across a name or two that isn't on radar of everyone else in your league. You hope to find a suggestion or nugget that is a couple of weeks ahead of the crowd.
Well, this week, have I got the guy for you!
He's a former first-round pick, who has clubbed 55 homers in just a hair over 180 games of minor league baseball. He got called up this week and was immediately granted a starting spot in the lineup and a clean-up spot in the batting order. He's a future star, I tell ya!
Oh, wait ... you mean that Kris Bryant was already taken in your league?!
Let's focus our efforts instead, on those who are available and on those who may or may not be worth your time. Obviously, the guy above ... he's worth your time.
(Note: To make the list, I'll apply a loose definition that says you have to likely be unowned in a vast majority of 12-team mixed leagues. At the end of each player note, I'll also provide a suggested bid for those that use FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) for their waiver process (based on a $100 budget). Understand that this is only a suggestion ... if you just lost you're a starting outfielder to injury and you have an immediate need or gaping hole in your lineup, you will find it necessary to bid more in order to get that week's top available outfielder.)
Hitters
Tim Beckham, 2B, Tampa Bay
With Bryant making his eagerly anticipated debut, it's only fair that we remind fantasy owners that not every top 10 draft selection is ticketed for greatness. Just take a look at Beckham. He was the number 1 overall pick in the 2008 amateur draft, but he's taken his time making it to Tampa. He's currently owning the 2B spot for the Rays and doing enough to warrant notice with a pair of homers, a steal, some RBIs and runs, plus, an average over .300. An ACL injury kept him in the bush leagues for last year, but he appears healthy and willing to run to begin this season. I truly doubt that his average stays above .250, but there is absolutely the chance at 10+ HRs with near or more than 15 steals. His position might be his top calling card ... there just aren't a lot of good fantasy middle infield options out there.
Suggested FAAB bid - $5
Jarrod Dyson, OF, Kansas City
Alex Rios has a broken hand and that gives the uber-athlete, Dyson, a chance to remind us how fast he is. He's managed to have three consecutive seasons with at least 30 SBs despite not reaching even 265 ABs in any of those campaigns! The power is non-existent and you may go 10-game stretches without a run driven in, but how many waiver options who can legitimately steal 10 bases in just the next month? And, let me note, Rios could possibly be sidelined beyond just four weeks. Dyson will split some chances with rookie, Paulo Orlando, but the platoon favors Dyson as he will face RHPs (who he owns a .267 career average against versus his .212 mark against LHPs). KC has chosen to bat him 9th in his first couple of starts this week, but that should not scuffle his opportunities to run when he's on-base.
Suggested FAAB bid - $6
Gerardo Parra, OF, Milwaukee
The injury to Rios has opened the gate for Dyson to play and Milwaukee has a similar void now that Carlos Gomez is on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. Parra is a more accomplished overall player than Dyson, but he does not possess the one standout fantasy attribute that will cause a rush to add him. In fact, he's a stud with the glove, but rather ordinary with the bat. Still, I think that Parra could provide a slight lift as a 5th fantasy outfielder for the next few weeks. He's no fool with the lumber (a 3-year OPS of .744 from '11-'13) and he's enjoyed his early Miller Park experience (hitting .297 there after last season's trade from Arizona). We don't have an exact read on the length of Gomez's DL stay, but the Brew Crew will play 17 (!) of their next 23 their hitters' haven of Miller Park. The other six games are in the bandboxes of Cincinnati and Chicago.
Suggested FAAB bid - $6
Yasmany Tomas, 3B/OF, Arizona
The other third base prospect called up this week. Tomas was a dud in the spring and didn't do much of anything during his one-week stint in the minors, either. Arizona felt the need for some offensive help and, hey, they invested $70-million in the Cuban over the winter, so ...
The D'Backs don't have a position for the guy (and, Tomas doesn't have a position that he's any good at) and that means he'll spend a load of his time as a pinch-hitter or a six-inning starting option (before a late-game defensive switch) against southpaws. That usually makes for 'fly-over country' on the waiver wire, but the youth, supposed talent, and fantasy positional flexibility should make you pay attention to Tomas. Plenty of owners dumped him once he was ticketed to the minors, but now that he's back, he needs to be picked-up and stashed. He could be a 2nd half asset.
Suggested FAAB bid (for those who can stash and wait) - $8
Pitchers
Rafael Betancourt, RP, Colorado
Assuming that Adam Ottavino is owned in your league (we've known for over a month that he was the 'next guy up' following the inevitable, Latroy Hawkins, collapse) or assuming you don't want to bust your budget by getting involved in a bidding frenzy for the new Rockie 9th-inning man ... think about 'the other guy.' Betancourt actually procured a save earlier in the week before manager Walt Weiss announced that Ottavino would be his man moving forward. But, who's to say there aren't more changes in store? Ottavino has been a monster out of the 'pen the last couple of seasons, but Betancourt is the guy who collected 31 saves while closing for the Rockies in 2012. Of course, he's been injured since then and he's now reached the ripe age of 40, but nearly every report on the hurler since March has raved about what he still seems to have on the hill. The early in-season results look great, too (5 innings, 6 strikeouts, 1 earned run, 1 hit). The bid is nothing. Give him a slot and see if something changes in the Mile High City.
Suggested FAAB bid - $1
Arquimedes Caminero, RP, Pittsburgh
Mid-week, there was concern in Steel City about the health of current closer, Mark Melancon. In a pair of outings since, he's alleviated some of that worry by taking care of business, but the radar gun is still showing some less-than-stellar readings. If the velocity continues to submerge and hits follow, there could be some sort of DL stint for Melancon. To most, that would mean that 8th inning specialist, Tony Watson, would just move his work space to an inning later. That's probably still the best bet, but there are at least a few whispers that favor Caminero for the job. He was with the Miami organization last season and flashed a fastball that could sniff triple-digits, leading to a ton of K's (79 in 63 AAA innings at New Orleans). He's seen a very limited amount of work to begin '15, but that work has shown him to be an arm worth watching. Again, the best bet is still Watson, but at the current bidding cost, Caminero, should not go unnoticed this weekend as an excellent stash option.
Suggested FAAB bid - $1
Danny Salazar, SP, Cleveland
As this writing goes to the presses (Do they still have those in our glorious, Internet Era??), Salazar is prepping for his first start of the season. He'll toe the rubber on Saturday against the Twins. News came Friday that Cleveland was not using the start as just a cameo. Instead, manager Terry Francona says that Santana is moving into the rotation and will be a regular part of the starting five. Let me say this once, but I'd like you to read it twice ... no matter what Salazar does on Saturday against Minnesota, my recommendation stays the same. In fact, I hope for your bidding sake, he posts a very ordinary effort of 5.1 innings, 5 hits, and, say, 4 earned runs. If something like that happens, you won't see near the bidding action that he deserves. We all remember the end of 2013 and the ugliness of his hyped 2014 devolving into mush, but the top thing to remember with Salazar is his arm. It's still big-time. He can be a strikeout-per-inning kind of guy who performs in dominant fashion from time-to-time. He'll also give up his share of long fly's and could be limited to many truncated appearances (even when pitching well) because of his usual high pitch counts. If you need SP help, Salazar is a very strong dart throw. Just hope for nothing special on Saturday!
Suggested FAAB bid - $9
Alfredo Simon, SP, Detroit
Simon surprised all of us, all season long, last year. At the age of 32, there was nothing positive to really say about the guy. Then, he rolled off a first half that took everyone by surprise, collecting a dozen wins before the All-Star break, while also sporting a sparkling 2.70 ERA. Then, the second half happened. Simon reverted to his career self and collapsed to just three 2nd-half victories with an ERA all the way up at 4.70. Now, after a switch to the Tigers, we're back again, wondering if his first two starts of the new year are a sign of another shockingly good run. I wouldn't count on it. Simon just doesn't have the stuff that leads to success. In fact, even with his two W's, he punched out a measly five hitters in over 13 innings! That should say 'avoid,' not 'embrace.' Ah, but here's the kicker ... we're on the edge of a two-start week for Simon as he's in line for home starts against New York and Cleveland. If you play the streaming game that sets him up as a mid-range selection. In other words, success with Simon this week is a 50/50 proposition. If you think pure quantity could lift you in your matchup this week, throw in a cheap bid for the week to come, with the understanding that Simon is likely headed back to your leagues' waiver wire in seven days.
Suggested FAAB bid (for the 2-start week) - $4
Carson Smith, RP, Seattle
Have you watched Fernando Rodney over the past half-decade?? It's a tight-rope wire act. Sure, he ends up getting the 'save,' but in all reality we're using a very loose definition of that word most of the time. Rodney is hitting some bumps again early this season. The M's have pledged allegiance, but if you've had any experience with this game, you know that means nil. Smith is the option that is most intriguing to me. He has a few 'eye-catchers', if you will ... he stands 6 foot, 6 inches; he throws a slider that has already retired both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on three strikes this season; he was strong at the end of last season (8.1 shutout innings); he's been strong to start this season (5 shutout innings with 7 K's); and, he profiles as a ground ball pitcher. Rodney will need a few more implosions to get yanked, but if/when it happens, my support would go behind Smith.
Suggested FAAB bid - $4
You can hear Kyle each weeknight on 'The SiriusXM Fantasy Drive' from 7-10 ET, Sirius 210, XM 87.
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