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.

We've incorporated 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. Rafael Devers 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Michael Kopech, White Sox: A rain delay fizzled out Kopech's big-league debut, but his 4:0 K:BB in two innings did nothing to dispel the tantalizing notion that his control clicked during a month-long tear through the International League, during which he posted a stunning 59:4 K:BB in his last 44 innings (and a 1.84 ERA and 0.98 WHIP to go along with it) before his promotion. If the 22-year-old has finally learned how to harness his elite arsenal, the sky is nearly the limit on his fantasy value in every category other than wins (he does still pitch for the White Sox, after all). If you need an impact arm to put you over the top for a title, or just to get into the money, Kopech represents your best chance to add one barring another last-minute Justin Verlander-type deal or something. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $65

Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox: The southpaw has been out since mid-July but is set to make one more rehab start Monday, putting him on track to rejoin the Boston rotation when rosters expand Sept. 1 and lining him up for a cushy road matchup against the White Sox. Rodriguez's fantasy output is pretty well established at this point – high K rate with only OK ratios – but he's more than capable of putting together an excellent month against watered-down September lineups, especially with the Red Sox offense at his back. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $19; 12-team AL: $39

Michael Fulmer, Tigers: The 25-year-old missed over a month with an oblique strain but looked good in his abbreviated return Friday, shutting down the White Sox for 4.2 innings. Fulmer doesn't have the strikeout rate of an ace, but when he's healthy and locked in he can churn out consistent starts and innings, and while his win potential isn't great pitching in Detroit, those innings will be valuable if he gets on a roll in September. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays: Sanchez's injury woes would make even Job swear off ever rostering him again, but the right-hander is back in the Jays rotation again after his latest two-month layoff. Assuming he can stay healthy (LOL), he should be able to pitch better than his current 4.95 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, and definitely better than his rough return Saturday, but keep in mind that much like Fulmer, even when he's been at his best he's never been a big strikeout guy. He's got mid-rotation upside, but every useful inning can be precious this time of the season. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Brad Keller, Royals: Keller continues to fly under the radar, which is what pitching for an also-ran Royals squad will get you. He's got a 3.07 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB through five starts and 29.1 innings in August, a big turnaround from his 5.46/1.61/15:14 performance through 28 innings in July. He didn't have much of a minor-league track record prior to selection in the Rule 5 draft, but the 23-year-old looks like he was a definite steal for Kansas City. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Sonny Gray, Yankees: Has Gray finally fixed whatever his issue was? He had a 2.89 ERA in his last 9.1 relief innings prior to Saturday's spot start, during which he dominated the O's for 6.1 scoreless frames. The sample size is of course small, and while manager Aaron Boone said he'll head back to the bullpen, it's not like Lance Lynn has a stranglehold on the fifth starter spot for the Yankees. If you need to gamble on a cheap arm who could make an impact in September, Gray's resume says he's your best option, even if his 2018 results have been downright ugly for the most part. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Framber Valdez, Astros: OK, sure, his name sounds like something made up on the spot for an updated version of Monty Python's Traffic Lights, but the southpaw posted huge strikeout numbers for Double-A Corpus Cristi this year (11.5 K/9 in 94 innings), and holding down a rotation spot for the Astros until Lance McCullers is back gives him some upside. McCullers still doesn't have a timetable for his return, so Valdez should make at least a couple more starts including Sunday's turn against the Angels. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Stephen Gonsalves, Twins: Full disclosure: I don't like Gonsalves as a prospect. He was able to make his relatively pedestrian arsenal work in the lower minors, but he simply doesn't have the command to have much success in the bigs against more disciplined hitters. The rough introduction he's had in his first two major-league starts did nothing to dispel that impression, either. If you think those minor-league K rates will translate, then by all means bid a little more, but I just don't see the southpaw turning into anything better than a swing man for Minnesota. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Thomas Pannone, Blue Jays: Picked up from Cleveland last year for Joe Smith, Pannone didn't do much this season for Triple-A Buffalo but has been surprisingly effective since a promotion to Toronto, including seven one-hit innings against Baltimore in his first big-league start. Shutting down the O's isn't all that impressive, but he gets to face them again Tuesday in a road start, so he suddenly has a bit of intrigue as a deep-league streaming option. The Jays are playing for 2019, so expect him to remain in the rotation through September, but the jury's still out on whether he can provide useful fantasy numbers given his lack of prospect pedigree or notable arsenal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Zach Britton / David Robertson / Dellin Betances / Tommy Kahnle, Yankees: Aroldis Chapman's knee issue could have him sidelined well into September and forces the Yankees to scramble for a ninth-inning alterna... oh, who am I kidding, they have like 18 ex-closers in setup roles, they'll be fine. Kahnle got the first post-Chapman save, but that was a product of circumstance, and it looks like Britton will get the first crack at handling the job. Robertson has been battling through some shoulder discomfort but pitched Friday, and he could also get a look if Aaron Boone elects to play matchups and needs a righty. Betances will probably stay in a setup role, but you never know. The Yankees tend to prefer set roles for their relievers, though, so if you're targeting one guy, make it Britton. Britton – 12-team Mixed: $6; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Owned / Robertson – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned / Betances – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned / Kahnle – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Taylor Rogers, Twins: While Trevor Hildenberger has seen most of the save chances for the Twins lately, Rogers has converted two opportunities as well and will likely remain in the mix when the opposition has some tough lefty hitters coming up in the ninth inning. If every save counts for you, he could be a savvy pickup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Catcher

Mitch Garver, Twins: Bobby Wilson's injury pushes Garver into a larger role behind the plate, with only unproven utility hitter Willians Astudillo backing him up. Garver hasn't been particularly effective at the plate lately, slashing .226/.263/.415 in August, but maybe the extra playing time will spark his bat. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Willians Astudillo, Twins: The 26-year-old is back in the majors with another chance to prove his all-contact approach can work at the highest level. Astudillo will be Minnesota's primary backup catcher while Wilson is sidelined, but the Twins view him as a utility player in the long run, and once they expand their bench in September don't be surprised if his workload picks up and he sees playing time elsewhere on the diamond. He could help you in batting average, but don't expect much else. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Carlos Perez, Rangers: Perez returns to Texas after posting a robust .316/.368/.494 line in 22 games for Triple-A Round Rock. He's got a .581 OPS in the majors though, so this move is primarily good news for anyone with shares in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who now gets freed up to fill a super-utility role rather than being needed as the backup catcher. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Tyler White, Astros: White has, at least temporarily, pushed Evan Gattis aside as the Astros' main DH, which is what happens when you slash .313/.362/.672 with five homers and 15 RBI through 18 games in August. He could head back to the bench if he cools off or Gattis (.163/.174/.419 on the month) heats up again, but with nobody really impressing at first base either, the door is wide open for White to establish himself as a lineup regular down the stretch if he keeps raking. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Ryan O'Hearn, Royals: O'Hearn has started seven straight games and appears to be hammering out a regular spot in the Royals' lineup, and I mean hammering – he's got five homers in his last 10 games with a scorching .364/.400/.909 slash line. That pace obviously isn't sustainable, especially for a guy who hit .232 in 100 games this year for Triple-A Omaha, but Kansas City has nothing to lose by installing him as the starting DH and occasional sub at first base to see whether he can earn a prominent place in the team's 2019 plans. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Luke Voit, Yankees: Called back up Tuesday when Didi Gregorius landed on the DL, Voit had a two-homer game against Baltimore this week, which is nice. With Greg Bird stuck in another slump like a hawk in a car grill, Voit could work his way into a larger role in the short term, but he's not a long-term solution for a club with World Series aspirations. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

David Fletcher, Angels: One of the references I use to compile the player list every week is Tout Wars. Imagine my shock when I noticed that Fletcher was sitting on the waiver wire in one of their 15-team mixed formats. Dude's only slashing .359/.375/.487 over his last 10 games and has a secure starting role in a decent lineup. C'mon now. Fletcher still hasn't flashed the power or speed he did at Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the year, but even if he's only hitting for a solid batting average he's got value as a middle-infield qualifier, and he did swipe 20 bases in 111 minor-league games in 2017. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Third Base

Matt Davidson, White Sox: Jose Abreu's injury clears up the White Sox's logjam of LF/1B/DH types nicely. Davidson's started eight of the last 10 games, slashing .303/.324/.515 with two homers, and while he probably won't keep up that batting average, he's more than capable of going on a homer binge in September with regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Shortstop

Jose Rondon, White Sox: Called back up Wednesday, Rondon has started a couple of games and already hit a homer, continuing the emergence of his power stroke – he's got four long balls in 24 games with Chicago this year, and 18 in 80 games for Triple-A Charlotte. He probably won't see much playing time up the middle behind Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, but Yolmer Sanchez's mediocre .694 OPS on the season could make third base an option if the White Sox want to see if Rondon can handle a starting assignment in September. There is some upside here if he gets a chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Austin Meadows, Rays: While I generally try not to play Nostradamus and predict who will be called up when, Meadows' current performance at Triple-A Durham makes him basically a lock to be with the Rays on Sept. 1. The former Pirate prospect has a .302/.351/.651 line with seven homers in 24 games since the Chris Archer trade, and with Mallex Smith sidelined and Carlos Gomez continuing to do very little, Meadows should move straight into the starting lineup the moment he's promoted. I've generally been the low man on Meadows when it comes to his eventual fantasy value, but even I have to acknowledge the upside here given his skill set and the opportunity available to him in Tampa. 12-team Mixed: $6; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $35

Melky Cabrera, Cleveland: Cleveland has more outfielders on the DL than in the starting lineup, which makes Cabrera's playing time pretty secure right now. He's making the most of this latest opportunity too, slashing .350/.381/.725 with four homers over his last 12 games. The 34-year-old has been streaky throughout his career, so while you know this latest explosion will eventually subside, it makes sense to ride it as long as it lasts if you need OF help. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Billy McKinney, Blue Jays: The Jays have decided to take a long look at their new outfield toy, even putting Curtis Granderson in mothballs to make room for him, and McKinney has rewarded them in spades, cranking three homers in the last four games. It's easy to forget that the 24-year-old was once a fairly highly regarded prospect with the Cubs, but injuries and trades – and, granted, some bad minor-league numbers – have dimmed his status significantly. He did slash .306/.336/.541 with 10 homers in 55 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year, though, and it's possible he's a late bloomer. He's a gamble, but with a likely starting spot through September, there's some upside here if he's finally ready to blossom. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Nicky Delmonico, White Sox: The 26-year-old's hot bat has pushed him into a nearly regular role even before Abreu went for surgery, although manager Rick Renteria still shelters him from tough LHP. Delmonico is now slashing .267/.333/.767 over his last eight games with four homers while showing improved plate discipline (3:7 BB:K) in that small sample, and with consistent at-bats ahead in September, he should be able to improve on his current .734 OPS down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Ben Gamel, Mariners: Called back up Monday, it looks like Gamel will essentially be on the strong side of a platoon with Cameron Maybin, with Mitch Haniger bouncing between center and right field as necessary. Gamel's held up his end of that arrangement so far, going 4-for-12 with a couple of walks and a couple of doubles, and he should have value down the stretch as a source of batting average and the occasional steal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Adam Engel, White Sox: Engel has taken full advantage of Leury Garcia's absence to lock down the starting center field gig, posting a .319/.333/.617 slash line over his last 13 games with three homers. He hasn't been as successful on the basepaths (1-or-3 in steal attempts over that stretch) as fantasy GMs would like, and if the team down decide to start Eloy Jimenez's service clock in September it would likely be at Engel's expense, but his current form and role does warrant a roster spot even in shallower formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Mikie Mahtook, Tigers: Nobody yo-yo's between worthless and wonderful quite like Mahtook. A fantasy zero most of the year, he's suddenly hit his first four homers of the season in his last nine games while seizing the starting spot in left field for the Tigers, although his .250 batting average over that stretch isn't great. Barring a Christin Stewart sighting, the 28-year-old won't have a lot of competition for the job, so it's entirely possible he has another strong finish to his campaign and teases everyone with the possibility that next year will be his breakout year. Don't get too invested in keeper leagues, but if you want to ride him while he's hot in re-draft formats he's worth rolling the dice on.12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jim Adduci, Tigers: Adduci has emerged as the Tigers' starting first baseman essentially by default, and he's responded with a .317/.349/.467 slash line in August. The 33-year-old doesn't offer much fantasy upside in the power or speed departments, but if you're just looking for at-bats and the bulk runs/RBI that might come with them, he should have some value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

John Andreoli, Orioles: Called up Monday, Andreoli has surprisingly started five straight games in left field, going 4-for-18 and stealing a base. The 28-year-old has shown speed in the minors – he swiped 43 bags in 2016 for Triple-A Iowa – but this would be his first real opportunity to show whether he's capable of being a useful major leaguer if the O's continue to plug him into the starting lineup. In all likelihood he'll flop, as his ceiling would seem to be fourth outfielder at best, but if you're desperate for speed he's worth a dart. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Robbie Grossman, Twins: Grossman's started four of seven games since coming off the DL last Sunday, going 4-for-13. He's nothing more than a bench bat, really, but on a roster than has Jake Cave and Tyler Austin penciled into starting spots, Grossman should continue to see semi-regular at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan LaMarre, White Sox: LaMarre was called back up Tuesday and has been filling a platoon role off the bench against LHP. Unless the White Sox schedule becomes loaded with southpaws, don't expect the 29-year-old to see a lot of action. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1