Fantasy waiver wire: Matt Duffy makes delayed AL debut
The mad post-trade deadline rush is over, but there are still players on the fantasy waiver wire worth picking up. If you missed out on the big prizes last week, perhaps you have your pick of the litter this time around.
Suggested Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) bids are based on a season-long cap of $100. If your team has a specific positional need -- especially this week -- feel free to bid even higher.
DOUBLE CHECK: Last week's waiver wire suggestions
(Statistics through Thursday’s games except where noted.)
BEST BETS
3B Matt Duffy, Tampa Bay Rays
(AL: $40)
Duffy's been out since mid-June with an Achilles in jury, but came off the disabled list Friday to play his first game since being traded to the Rays from San Francisco. (He hit in the No. 2 spot in the order and went 1-for-4.) With third baseman Evan Longoria not going anywhere, Tampa Bay will give Duffy a look at shortstop. Although he hasn't come close to matching his 2015 numbers, he's going to play as much as his body can handle and he can definitely help fantasy owners in AL-only leagues.
NEW: OF Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
(AL: $35; Mixed: $20)
Out with the old and in with the new. The day after Alex Rodriguez received his official release, the Yankees called up a pair of prospects from the minors and both homered Saturday in their first major league at-bats. Judge has the higher upside of the two, and -- until the Yankees' trade deadline deals -- was formerly the club's No. 1 overall prospect. The 6-7, 255-pound slugger hit 19 home runs and slugged .489 in 93 games at Class AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Manager Joe Girardi says he'll be the everyday right fielder the rest of the season. After one game, all signs are positive.
RP Adam Ottavino, Colorado Rockies
(NL: $25; Mixed: $15)
Still sporting a 0.00 ERA after 13 innings following his return from Tommy John surgery, Ottavino has taken over as the Rockies closer with Carlos Estevez blowing consecutive save opportunities and sporting a 5.05 ERA. Ottavino's velocity hasn't returned to his pre-surgery levels, but he's still striking out more than a batter per inning.
SP Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
(NL: $20: Mixed: $10)
The Cardinals' No. 2 pitching prospect is scheduled to make his major league debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Throw in the rivalry and the playoff implications and it's about as difficult a matchup as a young pitcher can have. (Fortunately, the start won't count for fantasy owners who pick him up this weekend.) Then again, the 22-year-old Weaver has the talent to shine in spite of the long odds. At Class AA and AAA this season, he's posted a combined 7-3 record and 1.30 ERA, striking out 88 batters in 77 innings (10.0 K/9). He'll take Michael Wacha's place in the rotation for as long as Wacha is out.
OF Travis Jankowski, San Diego Padres
(Mixed: $10)
His availability may depend on the depth of your league, but despite ranking seventh in the majors with 25 stolen bases (in 30 attempts), Jankowski is surprisingly a free agent in over 75% of Yahoo leagues. If you need speed down the stretch, run don't walk to the waiver wire and pick him up.
REPLACEMENTS
RP Fernando Rodney, Miami Marlins
(Mixed: $15)
Rodney is back in the closer's role after A.J. Ramos' broken finger landed him on the DL. Although he hasn't been anywhere near as dominant in Miami as he was earlier in the season with San Diego, Rodney has veteran experience on his side.
RP Alex Reyes, St. Louis Cardinals
(NL: $15; Mixed: $8)
With his 100-mph fastball, Reyes has a higher ceiling than teammate Weaver. He just doesn't have the fantasy-friendly role right now. The Cards are using Reyes as a power arm in the bullpen and he's already turning heads. He threw a scoreless inning in his MLB debut on Tuesday -- and could even get a start or two before the end of the season.
NEW: OF Tyler Austin, New York Yankees
(AL: $12; Mixed: $6)
The other half of the Yankees' 1-2 promotional punch, Austin bounced back in a major way this season. A little less than year ago, he was designated for assignment but rejoined the Yankees after he cleared waivers. The Yanks are glad he did. The 24-year-old slashed .323/.415/.637 with 13 home runs in 234 plate appearances at Class AAA. He's been an outfielder for the majority of his minor league career, but this season has played mostly first base, where he started in his MLB debut on Saturday. Like Judge, he homered in his first major league at-bat. But unlike Judge, he doesn't have light-tower power.
OF Jake Marisnick, Houston Astros
(AL: $10; Mixed: $5)
It was a bit of a surprise when the Astros designated Carlos Gomez for assignment. Marisnick is the primary fantasy beneficiary of the extra playing time. (Although George Springer could move from right field to center in a pinch.) He's shown some flashes of excellence in the past, but never been consistent enough to be a fantasy starter. Hitting .219/.262/.328 with two homers in 183 at-bats, Marisnick's main value will be in his regular playing time and occasional stolen bases.
3B Casey McGehee, Detroit Tigers
(AL: $8; Mixed: $3)
The 33-year-old veteran gets another chance to play fairly regularly with Nick Castellanos going on the DL. He's toiled in the minors all season until being promoted this week -- and he'll be sharing playing time with Mike Aviles and Austin Romine. Don't expect another 2014-like rebound, but he could run into a few homers as part of a powerful Tigers lineup.
SPECULATIVE PICKUPS
OF A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks
A top-10 overall pick before breaking his elbow this spring, Pollock is probably stashed on the DL in most fantasy leagues. It's been a long recovery process, but he's playing in rehab games and could be back in the majors by the end of the month. Don't expect him to be the 20-homer/40-steal player he was in 2015, but he should be able to help out in all five fantasy categories for the final month of the regular season. Pick him up now if you can -- and avoid the rush when he's activated.