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

Andrew Albers, Mariners: A journeyman who's gotten just a handful of innings in the big leagues since his 10-start debut with the Twins back in 2013, Albers was pitching well enough at Triple-A in the Braves system for the desperate M's to give him a shot. The lefty gave Seattle five solid innings Tuesday, and with a two-start week coming up he'll probably be a popular streaming candidate. Don't expect him to be anything more than a short-term rental, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Joe Biagini, Blue Jays: Biagini is currently getting stretched out at Triple-A Buffalo, but could rejoin the Jays rotation this week. His last outing Thursday was impressive – four shutout innings with four Ks – and Wednesday in Tampa seems to be the target date for his return. It's still hard to say how much upside the 27-year-old righty actually has, but he could be a solid arm for the fantasy stretch run. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Carson Fulmer, White Sox: The White Sox will continue their youth movement by summoning both Fulmer and Lucas Giolito to join the rotation, although Fulmer's stay could be brief as he's only set to pitch in Monday's doubleheader at the moment. The 2015 first-round pick has dropped completely out of the team's top 20 fantasy prospect rankings, and while GM Rick Hahn's trade acumen has something to do with that, Fulmer's own command issues have also kneecapped his perceived potential. You never know when things might click for a pitcher, but the 23-year-old righty seems more like a lottery ticket than a building block right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dillon Gee, Twins: The veteran swingman will take one of the starts for the Twins in Monday's doubleheader, and Gee's pitched well enough since coming over to Minnesota (2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 12:2 K:BB in 12.2 innings) that he might stick in the rotation for another turn or two if he performs well. His big-league numbers over the past couple of seasons are pretty bleak, though, so don't get your hopes up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Lucas Giolito, White Sox: Giolito's first season in the White Sox organization hasn't been a rousing success, but he's turned things around to some extent recently, posting a 2.86 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in his last eight starts for Triple-A Charlotte. Those numbers hide some extreme volatility, though – in four of those starts he held the opposition scoreless, while he allowed at least three runs in each of the other four. Once considered a sure-fire ace, the right-hander's seen his velocity dip over the last couple of years but he still possesses an impressive curve and changeup if he ever learn to put it all together. He should get a regular turn for the White Sox the rest of the way beginning Tuesday, and anything from a no-hitter to not escaping the first inning is probably on the table as a plausible result for his 2017 debut. Gioltio's a fantasy gamble, but if you have little to lose in ERA and WHIP, he's a gamble that could pay off. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Andrew Heaney, Angels: Prior to taking the mound Friday, the lefty's last big-league start came the first week of April in 2016 when he gave up four runs but posted a 7:0 K:BB in six innings against the eventual World Series champ Cubs. Heaney's had been looking good in the final stages of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, racking up a 14:4 K:BB in 17 innings over three Triple-A appearances, but the O's greeted him rudely upon his return with five runs in five innings. Given the circumstances he's a better keeper stash than a re-draft pickup, but he could still provide some useful innings down the stretch in 2017.12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jake Junis, Royals: Junis is nominally the Royals' fifth starter, but he had his start skipped over the weekend and instead turned in a dud of a relief appearance, so the skepticism I expressed last week remains intact. Nonetheless, his last big-league start (one earned run and a 7:0 K:BB in eight innings against Seattle) was impressive and it's possible I may have been wrong about players on rare occasions. If he produces anything close to his Triple-A numbers, he'll be worth a spot on any fantasy staff. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Tim Melville, Twins: The former Red has put together a solid campaign for Triple-A Rochester this season and will make his Twins debut Monday in their doubleheader against the White Sox, although he'll likely head right back down after the twin bill. Melville's strikeout rate has jumped at Triple-A – his 8.7 K/9 would be his highest at any level since he was a teenager at Low-A in 2009 – but he'll need to prove he can replicate it in the majors before he should show up on most fantasy radars. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Chris Tillman, Orioles: Tillman's return to the rotation Sunday went about as well as you might have expected if you saw any of his starts earlier in the year, as he gave up four runs and walked six batters over 5.1 innings. The O's would love to get him straightened out, and as a result might leave him in the rotation for now, but there's no reason for him to be on anyone's fantasy roster at this point. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Dellin Betances, Yankees: With Aroldis Chapman temporarily (?) out of the closer role for the Yankees, Betances will be the next man up in the ninth inning, although David Robertson could get some looks as well. The 29-year-old has been his usual electric self, posting another 15.5 K/9 through 47 innings, and while he's probably not available in most leagues, shallow formats where only relievers who get saves get attention may have let him slip through the cracks. There's a real chance he sticks as closer for the rest of the year if Chapman can't right the ship, so bid big if saves are crucial for your playoff or title hopes. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: Owned

Aaron Bummer / Gregory Infante / Juan Minaya /Jake Petricka, White Sox: Well, somebody has to get saves for the White Sox, right? Minaya got the first one since the Tyler Clippard deal, but the plan seems to be to mix and match in the ninth inning and see what happens, which isn't what fantasy GMs want to hear. Bummer's the lefty in the mix and could get situational saves, for what it's worth, but until this situation gets a little less murky, don't throw around any big bids. Bummer – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2; Infante – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1; Minaya – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7; Petricka – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Clippard, Astros: With Ken Giles unavailable Saturday, Clippard stepped in and got the save for Houston, settling the issue of who the No. 2 man in their 'pen was. It might end up being his only save in an Astros uniform, but Giles isn't exactly a lockdown guy and does get used for longer outings on occasion (as he did Friday), so Clippard has a bit more saves upside than some other caddies. If he got dumped after the trade, he might be worth re-acquiring. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Trevor Hildenberger, Twins: While Matt Belisle seems to be the Twins' top option for saves right now, Hildenberger did get one last Sunday the night after Belisle had blown one, so the 26-year-old could still find himself in the mix in September. As a reminder, his fastball sits at about 89 mph, but the Twins haven't had a problem in the past going with unorthodox arsenals in their closers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Keynan Middleton, Angels: As if the ChiSox and Twins closing situations weren't confusing enough, the Angels have apparently decided that Cam Bedrosian is only sorta kinda their ninth-inning guy, and on days when Mike Scioscia wants to use him in the sixth or whenever, instead of giving the ball to their best reliever (Blake Parker) with the game on the line, they'll give it to Middleton instead. That worked out great for the team Friday (note: that was sarcasm), so who knows if the plan will change or not, but at least at the moment, the 23-year-old with the big fastball seems likely to get a few more chances down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Glen Perkins, Twins: Activated off the DL on Thursday, Perkins' return to action didn't go smoothly as he surrendered two runs while recording one out. The Twins haven't given any indication of how he'll be used once he's active, but before the shoulder woes that cost him close to two full seasons he did rack up 120 career saves, so if he can regain something close to his old form, the team may decide to slot him back into old role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

David Robertson, Yankees: Much like Clippard, Robertson got a surprise save last week after being apparently traded out of a closer role. Betances is already a great fallback option behind Chapman, though, so Robertson is stuck as the fallback to the fallback. His ratios and Ks still give him value if he got dropped following the trade to New York, but don't count on any more saves from him down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ryan Tepera, Blue Jays: With Roberto Osuna battling a bug, Tepera was named the Jays' interim closer over the weekend but didn't get a lead to protect before succumbing to the virus himself. Still, it's good to know who the team would turn to if Osuna's late July struggles resurface. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Mitch Garver, Twins: Garver's big season with Triple-A Rochester was rewarded with an early promotion to the majors ahead of Sept. 1. The 26-year-old has flashed some power in the minors in the past, but a .291/.387/.541 line is a big step forward for him offensively and gives him some dynasty league intrigue. While the team has talked about pulling a Schwarber and using him in left field in the bigs, Garver's improved his defense enough over the last couple of years to plausibly stick behind the plate in the long run. Jason Castro's signed through 2019, but Garver could quickly emerge as his platoon partner to close out this season and then start to muscle his way into a bigger role beginning next year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Miguel Montero, Blue Jays: Montero came off the DL and was installed as the Jays starting catcher Thursday, going 2-for-9 in his first few games back. That's actually an improvement for him given his initial work in Toronto, but Russell Martin could be back within about a week, so Montero's time in the spotlight could be brief. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Max Stassi, Astros: Recalled to back up Juan Centeno while both Brian McCann and Evan Gattis are on the shelf, Stassi was hitting .266 with 12 homers in 73 Triple-A games and then popped another one in his 2017 debut. Playing time could be scarce for him, though, with both veteran catchers due back towards the end of the week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Tyler Austin, Yankees: Called back up Thursday, Austin got the start in two of three games since then and homered Saturday. It's hard to say how much playing time he'll get going forward, though, as Greg Bird is finally getting healthy and Chase Headley hasn't been terrible at first base. Austin's chance to seize the full-time job probably disappeared when he got hurt back in June. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Greg Bird, Yankees: Bird hasn't been the word for New York for a long time now, but the 24-year-old finally seems to be 100 percent again and had strung together three straight multi-hit games at Triple-A heading into Sunday, including a two-homer game Friday. His 2015 power display seems like forever ago, but any left-handed hitter with his swing can post some big numbers thanks to Yankee Stadium's short porch. The biggest concern with Bird might be whether he can stay in one piece. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $19

Second Base

Phil Gosselin, Rangers: The well-traveled Gosselin is on his fourth big-league team in three seasons, but his stay in Texas could be brief and only last until the club needs his roster spot for someone more useful. He is a career .272 hitter in 500 at-bats, so Gosselin isn't your typical all-glove utility infielder, but he won't get enough playing time to supply much fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Nicky Delmonico, White Sox: I keep having to write Delmonico up because he keeps exceeding what I think is his plausible ceiling, which would be less frustrating if I had shares in him anywhere. He's now got five homers in 16 games since his promotion, and while he won't (?) keep up that pace, he's done enough to keep a regular spot in the rebuilding White Sox lineup even after Matt Davidson gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Ryan Flaherty, Orioles: The veteran utility infielder returned to action Thursday, but with Tim Beckham still on fire and J.J. Hardy also nearly ready to rejoin the roster, there's no obvious path to at-bats for Flaherty – not that his track record suggests he'd do much with whatever playing time he might get. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Willy Adames, Rays: Tampa's getting little production from their middle infield spots right now, which makes Adames' .939 OPS in August and spot on the 40-man roster very tempting for a team still in the AL wild-card hunt. The Rays tend to be very conservative when it comes to promoting their prospects – just as Brent Honeywell – but Adames is ready and could fill a big need for them. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Outfield

Byron Buxton, Twins: Remember last season, when Buxton put on a show in September and got everyone hot and bothered about a 2017 breakout? Well, the show started a bit earlier this time around. He's now got a .339/.385/.593 slash line in August with five homers and five steals in 18 games, and while his strikeouts could always make his batting average volatile, fantasy GMs would be very happy with that kind of power/speed production on a regular basis. He's still only 23, and while he feels like a bust given the modern hyper-focus on top prospects, he's still only about 800 PAs into his big-league career. There are enough examples of players busting out after early struggles to not give up on him quite yet. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Mitch Haniger, Mariners: Activated from the DL on Saturday, Haniger recorded two hits and a homer against the Rays – the first time since early July he's gone yard. His blistering April has been buried under his inability to stay healthy, but the 26-year-old still has time to revive talk of a true 2018 breakout with a big kick to the finish line. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

JaCoby Jones, Tigers: Called back up Friday, Jones had five steals in 18 games for Triple-A Toledo in August, but he still strikes out too much to consider him a reliable fantasy contributor in any category and his path to regular at-bats on the current Detroit roster is pretty sketchy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kevin Kiermaier, Rays: Kiermaier came off the DL on Friday and was installed as the Rays' leadoff hitter, giving him a bit of extra fantasy value. His overall profile remains the same, though, even if his lineup spot leads to a few extra runs – modest power, modest speed, modest batting average. That makes him a five-category contributor in deeper leagues, but little more than a bench option in shallow ones. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Taylor Motter, Mariners: Motter returns to the majors after crushing PCL pitching to the tune of a 1.067 OPS in 25 games, but his utility spot in Seattle won't afford him enough playing time to see if he can keep up that pace in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cesar Puello, Rays: Claimed on waivers from the Angels, Puello joins the Rays roster on a short-term basis until they need another starting pitcher. He has 13 homers and 18 steals in 87 Triple-A games this year, but he won't see enough at-bats to show whether that production can be repeated in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Anthony Santander, Orioles: The Rule 5 pick came off the DL on Wednesday to take Joey Rickard's spot on the Orioles' bench. Santander won't see much playing time until September, and maybe not even then, but he did flash some power at High-A last year if he does get a start or so a week in September so the organization can finally see what they have in him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1