AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

This is our weekly look at American League free agents. We have two goals for this article:

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.

The grid below allows readers to see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and what kind of bids they should command in a variety of formats. The grid, which is sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook, which are already factored into the recommended bid. Nick Kurtz would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects that could thrive in an everyday role.

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 or on our Discord.

Starting Pitcher

Taj Bradley, Twins: The 25-year-old righty has been outstanding to begin the year, posting a 0.87 ERA and 12:4 K:BB in 10.1 innings over his first two starts. Bradley's averaged 97.3 mph with his four-seamer and his splitter has a massive 52.9 percent whiff rate, and while the sample is very small, that's two excellent building blocks for a breakout campaign. The former Ray gets a two-step this week, at home against the Tigers and on the road versus the Blue Jays, so this could be your last chance to scoop him up if he's still available. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Sean Burke, White Sox: Burke flew under the radar during draft season due to his lackluster 2025 numbers and the team he pitches for, but the 26-year-old right-hander has looked good so far with a 12:1 K:BB in 10 innings over two appearances, one start and one bulk relief assignment. Better control is key to any breakout potential he has – he has a 10.6 percent walk rate last year – and while he doesn't have an elite ceiling, his four-pitch mix could make him a solid mid-rotation option for a White Sox team that may be turning the corner on its rebuild. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Noah Cameron, Royals: After a quick look around at the bigger sites, Cameron appears to be on way too many waiver wires in shallower leagues. The 26-year-old southpaw was sharp to open the season, allowing one run with a 5:1 K:BB in five innings against the Twins, and he gets a two-step this week with a road start against the Guardians and a home tilt against the White Sox. The AL Central might be improving, but it's still the AL Central, and Cameron will get a lot of starts this season against division opponents whose offenses don't scare anyone. Also, he had a 2.99 ERA last year. C'mon now, folks, don't be spooked by his FIP. He's pretty good! 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Emerson Hancock, Mariners: I wasn't fully sold on Hancock last week, but after two impressive outings, the train is leaving the station if you want to get any shares. The 26-year-old right-hander has better shape and location on both his four-seamer and two-seamer so far this season, and the result has been a 0.71 ERA and 14:1 K:BB through 12.2 innings. There may not be a spot in the rotation for him in the long run if Bryce Miller gets healthy and regains his effectiveness, but he carries enough question marks right now that an investment in Hancock could end up being more than just a short-term patch for your fantasy staff. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Eric Lauer, Blue Jays: The Blue Jays arguably have an entire big-league rotation on the IL right now, and a pretty good one at that, if you toss Bowden Francis in there along with Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios and now Cody Ponce. The team is desperate enough for depth that they signed Patrick Corbin to a deal and are fast-tracking getting him stretched out in the minors. That gives Lauer a lot more job security than it seemed like he had last week, but he also earned some himself by fanning nine A's in 5.1 innings in his season debut. The southpaw could be very useful until the reinforcements start to arrive for the Jays late this month or in early May. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Casey Mize, Tigers: Another guy who should be on more rosters, Mize began his 2026 season with a nine-K quality start against the Diamondbacks. The right-hander showed incremental improvement last year, his second since his Tommy John surgery, and another step forward would make him more than just a streaming option in shallower formats. Mize also gets a promising two-start week, on the road against the Twins and back at home against the Marlins, so he could provide some immediate rewards. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Keider Montero, Tigers: Called up when Justin Verlander landed on the IL, Montero is expected to get the nod Sunday against the Cardinals, which is a pretty cushy way to make your season debut. The righty has flashed occasional upside, but a 4.57 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 7.1 K/9 for his MLB career aren't exactly enticing. If he looks good tonight, though, he could provide some useful innings in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Brayan Bello, Red Sox (vs. MIL, at STL)
Aaron Civale, Athletics (at NYY, at NYM)
Erick Fedde, White Sox (vs. BAL, at KC)
Cade Povich, Orioles (at CHW, vs. SF)
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays (vs. LAD, vs. MIN)
Shane Smith, White Sox (vs. BAL, at KC)

Relief Pitcher

Bryan Baker / Hunter Bigge / Kevin Kelly, Rays: There are three closer situations in the AL to begin the year that look less like committees and more like open auditions, and the Rays are surprisingly one of them thanks to Griffin Jax's awful start and injuries to Edwin Uceta and now Garrett Cleavinger. Jax hasn't officially been removed from ninth-inning duty, but a 22.50 ERA in his first four appearances with a 1:2 K:BB is hard to overlook. Of the three guys listed here, Kelly has the only save so far, but it was a one-out job and he got tagged for six runs (five earned) in his very next appearance. Baker looked good out of the gate but for some reason hasn't pitched yet in April, which is odd. Bigge has high-leverage stuff and just got called up when Cleavinger was placed on the IL, but he might need to pitch well enough to prevent the team from sending him right back to Triple-A once someone gets healthy. All three of these guys are just dart throws right now, but until the Tampa closer situation develops some clarity, it's a worthwhile bullpen to target if you need to luck into some cheap saves. Baker – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3 / Bigge – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Kelly – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Scott Barlow / Hogan Harris / Mark Leiter / Justin Sterner, Athletics: Blurry closer picture No. 2 belongs to the Sacramento Exiles (the Twins are the third, but not much changed for them this week). Manager Mark Kotsay is just throwing relievers at the wall in different situations to see who sticks, and so far, no one really has. Barlow has yet to actually be used in the ninth inning, but he did blow a 10th-inning save chance. Leiter converted his first save chance, but he worked the sixth and seventh in his other two appearances. Harris is barely staying in the mix, getting deployed anywhere from the fifth to the eighth so far despite going 4-for-4 in save chances late last year. Sterner worked the ninth in a tie game in his season debut and took the loss when he allowed a run, and he hasn't pitched any earlier than the seventh since. Experience says Barlow will eventually be the guy in the ninth, but none of them have truly reliable high-leverage stuff, and this could easily end up being one of those bullpens where no one reaches double-digit saves by the end of the year. Barlow – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Harris – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Leiter – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Sterner – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Lucas Erceg, Royals: Finally, a clear closer! With Carlos Estevez on the shelf, rather than simply sucking, Erceg has the ninth inning all to himself in Kansas City. The 30-year-old righty has yet to allow a run in three appearances while converting his first two save chances, and after years of being stuck with the Closer of the Future label, the time appears to be now for Erceg and his high-90s fastball. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $21; 12-team AL: $35

Bryan King, Astros: With Bryan Abreu failing to meet expectations so far as the fill-in closer for Josh Hader, the door could be opening for someone else to get a look in the ninth. King is a southpaw, but obviously Houston doesn't have an issue using left-handers in the closer role, and he converted his first save chance of the year after Abreu spit the bit March 29 against the Angels. Abreu hasn't lost the job yet – six of the seven outs he's recorded have come via strikeout, but he's also walked two batters and served up two homers, and his velocity has been down – but King seems poised as the next man up if he does. Even if he remains in a setup role, he's a useful guy to have around given his career 2.66 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Tyler Alexander, Rangers – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Nick Fortes, Rays: Fortes has swung a hot bat early, batting .348 (8-for-23) with two doubles, a homer and six RBI in seven games, and he's firmly seized the No. 1 catcher job for the Rays to break out of a potential timeshare with Hunter Feduccia. Fortes' career .631 OPS is a pretty good indicator that regression will come quickly, but the playing time alone will give him some extra value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Tyler Heineman, Blue Jays: With Alejandro Kirk landing on the IL with a broken thumb, Heineman could be the top backstop for Toronto over the next month or more. Brandon Valenzuela, who has yet to make his big-league debut, was called up and will share the load, but the guy who contributed during the team's run to the World Series last year is more likely to have that split tip his way. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Others:

Brandon Valenzuela, Blue Jays – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Others:

Tristan Gray, Twins – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Max Muncy, Athletics: Muncy's done some damage in the early going, batting .300 (9-for-30) with three doubles and two homers through eight games while locking down the starting job at the hot corner for the A's. His plate discipline issues remain, however – he's got a 1:12 BB:K, and the 23-year-old has a 31.9 percent strikeout rate in the majors for his brief career. Until he tightens that area of his game up, it's tough to predict a true breakout for him, or even continues fantasy utility. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ben Williamson, Rays: Williamson has emerged as the preferred option at second base for Tampa Bay, escpaing from a platoon with Richie Palacios to bat .286 (8-for-28) with a double, three RBI, six runs and a steal in eight games. Williamson's minor-league profile suggests a fairly empty batting average is about all you can hope for from the 25-year-old, but he did steal at least 15 bags each of the last two seasons and is 6-for-7 on attempts so far over 93 games in the majors. Gavin Lux is already on a rehab assignment though, and the Rays will need to decide what to do with Carson Williams once Taylor Walls is healthy, so Williamson's hold on the job at the keystone is tenuous at best. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Blaze Alexander, Orioles – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Colt Emerson, Mariners: The M's top prospect landed on the redraft radar when he signed an eight-year, $95 million extension Tuesday, a clear sign that a promotion was imminent. Since then though, Emerson's suffered a foot injury and J.P. Crawford has come off the IL, so the 20-year-old's MLB debut may be on hold for a week or two. Cole Young's also looking solid at second base, while the only thing that's slowed Brendan Donovan down has been a minor groin strain. Emerson's debut is coming; it's just a little tougher to predict exactly when it will happen that it seemed at the beginning of the week. On the bright side, that uncertainly might help keep his price tag down if you want to stash him now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

J.P. Crawford, Mariners: The 31-year-old returned to action this weekend for his season debut, and very nearly homered in his second game back were it not for Jo Adell being utterly ridiculous. Crawford suddenly has Emerson breathing down his neck, but his defensive reputation and on-base skills should keep him in the lineup. If anything, the Emerson extension might spur Crawford to a career-best year as he auditions for prospective new employers – he'll be a free agent next winter, and it's now very clear he won't be returning to Seattle. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Others:

Tanner Murray, White Sox – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Kyle Isbel, Royals: Just when absolutely everyone had given up on the idea of Isbel ever being anything more than a good-glove, no-bat center fielder, the 29-year-old comes flying out of the gates in 2026 by batting .478 (11-for-23) with a double, two homers and three steals in seven games. The batting average obviously isn't sustainable, but the power just might be. With the fences having been brought in at Kauffman Stadium, Isbel seems to have completely revamped his swing to try and take advantage. A player who had a sub-10 percent launch angle each of the last two years is suddenly posting a 22.4 percent mark, while his 91.5 mph AEV, 10.5 percent barrel rate and 31.6 percent flyball rate would all be career highs by a significant margin. Isbel's defense will keep him in the lineup, but if he's found a way to get back to the offensive form he flashed in the minors – he hit 15 homers with 21 stolen bases in 105 games for Triple-A Omaha in 2021 – then he suddenly becomes a very interesting fantasy asset. Even if the ceiling here is just an AL version of Brandon Marsh, that's still a player you want on your roster. If you can get him cheap before your leaguemates catch on, so much the better. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Joey Loperfido, Astros: Loperfido seems to be breaking away from the pack in the battle for playing time in the outfield for Houston. The 26-year-old is batting .364 (8-for-22), and while he's still looking for his first 2026 homer, he does have three doubles, three RBI, four runs and a steal in eight games. He's been used almost exclusively as a strong-side platoon option so far, which does limit his value in shallow formats, but the Astros don't exactly have a reliable right-handed bat to pair him with, so Loperfido's looks at same-side pitching could grow if he keeps producing in his current role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 

Others:

Tristan Peters, White Sox – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Designated Hitter

Andrew McCutchen, Rangers: With Job Pederson looking washed, McCutchen is beginning to push his way into more than just a short-side platoon role at DH for Texas. It helps that he's hitting, of course, and he's gone 6-for-16 (.375) to begin his Rangers tenure with two doubles, a homer and four RBI. McCutchen is inching closer to his 40th birthday (it's in October), but he showed the last couple years with the Pirates that he still has a little thump in his bat. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

George Valera, Guardians: Cleveland is still struggling to find a third outfielder they can count on alongside Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter, so the door is wide open for Valera to claim a starting job when he comes off the IL, which should happen any day now. The 25-year-old is a long way from his top prospect days, largely due to injuries, but he popped 17 homers in 90 games for Triple-A Columbus the last time he had a prolonged stretch of good health, and he's gone 4-for-13 on his rehab assignment at Columbus with a double, a homer and a 2:1 BB:K. It will take him a couple weeks to gain outfield eligibility once he's activated, however. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3