(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
Desmond Jennings, OF, Tampa Bay
The former-"Next Big Thing" in Tampa had been out of action since the end of April, but returned in mid-season form on Friday night. Batting from the six-spot in the order, he raked three singles and added an RBI against Texas. He's only on this list because there's a good chance that the owner who drafted him originally, just got tired of waiting and waiting and waiting for him to return. If his knee is truly healed (and, heck, it's gotta be after nearly four months, right?!), then Jennings can provide a decent boost to a fantasy offense down the stretch. If you're eyeing a .250-ish batting average with a handful of steals, RBIs, and runs - plus, the all-important, every day start - Jennings is your guy.
Suggested FAAB bid - $5
Jerry Sands, OF, Cleveland
The Indians are once again in refresh mode, which is quite different from rebuild mode. In rebuild mode, a guy like Sands wouldn't even be part of the discussion. After all, Sands was a guy for rebuild mode about a half-decade ago. Now, he's just a career bust that is hanging on hoping for the right coach or right situation to give him one last chance to reclaim his faded glory. He'll get plenty of opportunities in the Tribe's new-look outfield which sports Abraham Almonte in center a good deal and even Lonnie Chisenhall manning the right-field corner. Sands has struggled to make contact since getting his latest chance (14 whiffs in his past 30 at-bats) and that continues a life-long trend. He can pound in the high minors, but has never translated it to the big leagues. If you see a couple of back-to-back, relevant box score efforts, you might take a one-week shot, but Sands profiles as a guy who might struggle to even hit .200 at this point.
Suggested FAAB bid - $1
Jonathan Schoop, 2B, Baltimore
Schoop had some love from the fantasy community coming into the year, but most of that dissipated (just like Jennings, above) as his mid-April DL stint stretched deep into the summer. His return in early-July didn't provide much life and he mostly just settled his way through four weeks of action. August, though, has seen a nice push with hits in 10 of 12 contests. Believe it or not, he could still come within a sniffers' distance of last year's 16 bombs. He already has eight and Camden Yards will only play bigger as the weather continues to heat up. Middle infield is always a need in fantasy leagues and Schoop gives you top 15 2B upside the rest of the way.
Suggested FAAB bid - $3
Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia (for now)
Speaking of top 15 2B upside the rest of the way ... Utley is posting a truly ugly season (.208/.276/.313), yet is still earning a ton of attention this week. His name is the reason that teams like the Giants, the Bears, and the Angels, are all trying to pull off a post-deadline move. Timing also helps. Utley banged out another four hits on Friday night and has been a true force, much closer to his historical form, than earlier in the year. His latest outing gives him a hit in each of his six games since coming back, plus he's also showing some pop with four doubles scattered among his 11 hits. He definitely needs to get out of the Philly situation and that should happen in the next week. Once it does, he'll be given a shot of adrenaline from a pennant race and, as we have seen over the years that often lifts the spirits and the numbers of a supposedly washed up vet.
Suggested FAAB bid - $4
Danny Valencia, 1B/3B/OF, Oakland
As the trading deadline came and went, few noticed the A's addition of Valencia. And, why would they? It wasn't even as part of a trade. Instead, Valencia was placed on waivers by Toronto and the white-flagged Athletics had little to lose by adding the multi-positional diamond toy. Valencia has flipped the script since donning his new uniform. He's continued to show some lift with his lumber, popping three balls over the wall (he had seven shots with Toronto) in his first 34 at-bats with Oakland. He's become an everyday, number-four hitter, too, which makes him a very rare add at this point in the season. Quantity and chances are key at this point in the season and Valencia has it. Sure, the A's aren't a scary offensive team, but it doesn't matter who you play for ... if you're batting in the clean-up spot for a major league team, you belong on a fantasy roster.
Suggested FAAB bid - $6
Pitchers
John Lamb, SP, Cincinnati
Lamb used to have the 'prospect' tag lassoed to his name, but Tommy John surgery a few years back has erased that title. Instead, Lamb is trying to come up and become a future mid-rotation fixture for some team. He was involved in the Johnny Cueto deal between Cincinnati and Kansas City and the Reds have granted him a six-week test run to see if he needs to be a part of their rebuilding plan starting in 2016. His first go-around was a tough spot at Dodger Stadium and was OK. Outside of serving up a three-run shot to Adrian Gonzalez, Lamb had some things working with seven punch-outs in six innings. Still, the overall marks (eight hits, a pair of walks) were less-than-good. Moving forward, you have to understand that Lamb is still just 25 as he comes to Cincy and that he's started to show some of his old form down on the farm this year (10 wins with over a K-per-frame ratio). If you pick the correct starts, you could receive a slight payoff.
Suggested FAAB bid - $3
Jean Machi, RP, Boston
Boston is on the lookout for a lot of things ... a decent starting pitcher, vets who live up to their contract, another season from the un-aging, David Ortiz, and, now, a closer. Koji Uehara is out for the season after taking a comebacker off his wrist and suffering a fracture. Boston has failed to confirm who is the guy moving forward, and quite simply, there might not be just one guy. Machi is an early candidate, but before any of us get too carried-away, understand that he was DFA'd by San Francisco just a month ago. He's never profiled as a closer (high ERA, few Ks, way too many walks), but when a team is going bad, they start to turn to mediocre guys like Machi. My fear is that even if he's the first man up for Boston, you're not going to get anything noteworthy. In other words, the few saves that he does manage will be bookended by blown chances, a relatively high number of earned runs, and few strikeouts.
Suggested FAAB bid - $1
Colin Rea, SP, San Diego
Rea has emerged as perhaps the best starting pitching prospect for the San Diego organization. He plowed through Double-A this season and got a few chances at Triple-A before the Padres decided to see what they would have entering 2016. His first start led to a victory, but his line was just average with five innings, three earned runs, and four K's. That means that few are looking his way as we go into this weekend's waiver period. And, that's good news because Rea is due a pair of starts, both at home. And, that's mostly why he's on this list ... he's a Padres starter with two home starts in a single week! Long-term, Rea may actually be a piece of fantasy puzzles, but for the time-being take a shot on him for the two calls against Atlanta and St. Louis. He can hit the mid-90s with his fastball and he has kept the horsehide in the yard this year (three HRs in over 100 innings). That sets up as certainly worthy of random, 'let's see' add.
Suggested FAAB bid - $2
Drew Smyly, SP, Tampa Bay
Smyly has seemingly been down and out all season. He's been battling a shoulder problem since Spring Training and what was originally diagnosed as tendnitis in his shoulder, eventually turned into a partially torn labrum in the shoulder. To his credit, he's going to try and pitch through things before admitting defeat. His first start is set for Sunday, but it's at Texas and, thus, you should lower all expectations. Although he pitched fairly well before returning to the DL in May, Smyly certainly had his issues in his rehab over the past few weeks. He made a total of four stats, allowing 13 runs in 10 innings, but also whiffing a dozen. He has loads of talent. That's enough to make a bid for on a spot starter for your stretch run ... even if he gets hammered in his return versus the Rangers.
Suggested FAAB bid - $3
Junichi Tazawa, RP, Boston
Tazawa is the other - and, seemingly, better - 9th inning option that Boston can turn to over the final run of the schedule. But, there's a problem. He's been so strong handling duties in the 7th and 8th innings that Boston is hesitant to jumble things up. The reasoning - Why take a shot on possible solution if it's going to create a new problem that has already been solved? On top of that, he was granted a save opportunity earlier in the week and promptly blew it. He still has the best strikeout arm that the BoSox can turn to (which is usually the sign of who gets the ball for the final three outs), but that means little here. It's a total wild card as to who might get the gig (and, again, I think it might be a group of Red Sox hurlers), so understand your bid may be a total waste 10 days from now.
Suggested FAAB bid - $2
You can hear Kyle each weeknight on 'The SiriusXM Fantasy Drive' from 7-10 ET, Sirius 210, XM 87.
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