NL 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 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 skills and role on an A-E scale. Cody Bellinger 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, check out last week's column or feel free to ask about the player in the comments.

STARTING PITCHER

Alex Reyes, Cardinals: Currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Reyes is set to make one more appearance in the minors before being activated. There are still some questions about his role once up, but it would seem the Cards have backtracked on the idea of putting Reyes in the bullpen given that he stretched out to 80 pitches in his May 14 outing and then up to 93 on Saturday night. If Reyes steps into the starting rotation for St. Louis, he would be a borderline top-40 option right out of the gate, with upside. He is one of the top pitching prospects in the game and has a ridiculous 31:6 K:BB in 16 minor-league innings so far this season. Just beware that the innings will be capped. 12-team mixed: $16; 15-team mixed: $31; 12-team NL-only: $49

Jack Flaherty, Cardinals: If Flaherty is still out there in your mixed league, now is your last chance to get him. He allowed one run over 5.2 innings against the Twins in his return to the major leagues Tuesday, striking out three while walking one. The breaking stuff generates a good number of swinging strikes and his sub-2.0 BB/9 rates in the high minors suggest his current 3.5 BB/9 mark will come down over a larger sample. There may be some role-stability questions later in the season once Carlos Martinez (lat) and Adam Wainwright (elbow) are back, but Flaherty has the skills to stick up for the long haul. 12-team mixed: $7; 15-team mixed: $14; 12-team NL-only: $24

Joe Musgrove, Pirates: Musgrove struggled in his rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings. It's possible that hiccup will lead the Pirates to keep him down for another turn, but the plan was for that to be his final rehab outing and there has been no indication yet that plans have changed due to Musgrove's struggles. If he does slot into the Pirates' rotation this week, Musgrove will draw the Cardinals at home -- a decent landing spot overall. The mechanical adjustments he made during a brief trip to the minors last year lend hope to the idea that Musgrove can maintain a rotation spot long term and provide solid value for fantasy owners. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $5; 12-team NL-only: $16

Freddy Peralta, Brewers: Peralta followed up his brilliant, 13-K performance on Mother's Day with a clunker against Minnesota, allowing four runs on three hits and six walks over four innings. His unique delivery and the extension he gets allow his fastball to play up, but he's been too reliant on the fastball, and we've now seen what happens when he can't command the pitch. Pitchers with this kind of strikeout upside don't pop up often, but it looks like Peralta will have to wait a while to make amends for Saturday's performance. Chase Anderson (illness) and Zach Davies (shoulder) are due back soon. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $4; 12-team NL-only: $14

Zach Eflin, Phillies: Eflin went 12 days between outings, as inclement weather pushed him back on a couple occasions. Saturday's performance was a bit of a letdown, as Eflin gave up a pair of earned runs on three hits and three walks over 4.2 innings against the Cardinals. He was good in his first two starts -- so good in fact that he warrants a second look even from those who were burned by his 6.16 ERA and 1.41 WHIP last year. The deeper dive reveals that it hasn't been all smoke and mirrors for Eflin, as he's throwing quite a bit harder, notching more first-pitch strikes and getting more swings and misses. It's still Zach Eflin, but a low-4.00s ERA from here is possible if everything breaks right. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $4; 12-team NL-only: $14

Luiz Gohara, Braves: Gohara threw 1.2 perfect innings in relief Friday, striking out one. He was informed after the game that he will make a start Wednesday against Philadelphia, his first of the season. It will probably be a one-off, as Gohara will head to Brazil afterward to spend some time with his mother, and the belief is that Mike Soroka (shoulder) will be ready to reclaim his starting spot by the time Gohara returns to the club. Even so, Gohara makes for an appealing pickup in a wide variety of leagues, as he has the swing-and-miss stuff to be worthwhile in a starting role. A permanent spot should clear up in short order. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $4; 12-team NL-only: $13

Junior Guerra, Brewers: This is a tough player to get a read on as his performance can fluctuate wildly from start to start. Sometimes he can't find the strike zone with his breaking stuff to save his life. He can look quite good when he is throwing strikes and getting hitters to chase, and so far this year, it's been more good than bad from the 33-year-old righty. He has a 3.08 ERA through seven starts, but his mark for the month of May is 6.19. Guerra is probably best utilized as a road streamer for the time being in mixed leagues; he has a decent 3.92 ERA at home right now (2.08 road ERA), but two of his three home starts so far have been against the Marlins and Reds (the Eugenio Suarez-less Reds, that is). 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $3; 12-team NL-only: $12

Ross Stripling, Dodgers: Stripling turned in a gem against Washington on Friday, allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine over six innings. At 28 years old, Stripling is by now well established as a swingman at the major-league level in an ideal situation, but the situation in Los Angeles is less than ideal right now, so Stripling will likely continue as the Dodgers' fifth starter for the time being. He's carried an improved strikeout rate with him from the bullpen through his first three starts of the year, but Stripling's chances to work through an order a third time will likely be limited. That (combined with the fact that the Dodgers just aren't very good) will likely mean limited chances at wins. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; 12-team NL-only: $10

Kolby Allard, Braves: The rotation picture in Atlanta is a bit crowded, and Allard doesn't really have the upside to warrant a stash in most standard mixed leagues, but we should see him this summer. He has a 1.71 ERA through seven starts for Triple-A Gwinnett so far this year. However, all the contact allowed (6.9 K/9 this year) could lead to some early bumps in the road against big-league hitters. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $10

Dennis Santana, Dodgers: Santana struck out 11 over six innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday -- his third double-digit-strikeout performance of the season. He now has a 2.22 ERA and 62:14 K:BB over 44.2 innings with the Dodgers' top affiliate this year, and with Rich Hill (blister) back on the shelf (this time for an extended period), it seems Santana could get a look soon. He's our 199th-ranked prospect for fantasy purposes. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $9

Shelby Miller, Diamondbacks: Stashing Miller will require some patience as he hasn't even begun an official rehab assignment yet, but there could be a decent payoff in deeper leagues. We're never going to see the 2013 version of Miller again, but we probably won't be getting the 2016 version either (6.15 ERA) assuming he does indeed get back to full health. With the humidor at Chase Field having an effect similar to what many were expecting, adding to the list of pitcher's parks in the division, Miller will be in a favorable situation. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $8

Jordan Lyles, Padres: Lyles captured headlines this week when he struck out 10 and took a perfect game into the eighth inning against Colorado. Yes, the same Jordan Lyles who had a 7.75 ERA last year and marks north of 5.00 in five of six seasons before that. His showing Tuesday probably says more about the Rockies' road woes than it does about Lyles, but to his credit, he is getting hitters to chase at the highest rate of his career (by a sizable margin). The changeup is a pitch he's been relying on more to quite a bit of success. That said, I'm still skeptical. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $7

Anthony DeSclafani, Reds: Making his first rehab start, DeSclafani struck out four over three perfect innings Monday for Double-A Pensacola. He then threw five more strong frames Saturday, allowing two runs while striking out eight. We haven't seen "Disco" at the major-league level since 2016, as he missed all of 2017 with an elbow injury before succumbing to an oblique injury in spring training. There shouldn't be any question about whether DeSclafani will start once he's activated, but the low K numbers and tough home park limit him to NL-only consideration for the time being. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; 12-team NL-only: $6

Elieser Hernandez, Marlins: After a pair of relief appearances, Hernandez was thrust into the starting rotation this week against the Dodgers. He held his own, allowing just one run over five innings but wasn't exactly dominant with just two strikeouts. He's posted double-digit K rates on the farm, but those were mostly at the lower levels. The 23-year-old right-hander is still raw -- too raw to warrant serious consideration in mixed leagues right now. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $2

John Gant, Cardinals: Called upon to start in place of Martinez, Gant was charged with five runs (three earned) on four hits -- including a homer -- and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Phillies on Saturday. The peripherals are OK this season, with Gant striking out a batter per inning and allowing just the one homer in 17.1 frames, but he's rarely going to work deep into games, and he will almost certainly be in the bullpen long term. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $1

RELIEF PITCHER

Seranthony Dominguez, PHI: The Phillies scrapped the starting experiment with Dominguez, and he rocketed to the majors. His stuff is entirely GIF-worthy, and while the naked eye can lie sometimes, Dominguez (so far) has the numbers to back it up. He's missing bats at a good clip, and opposing hitters are have done zero damage (literally -- zero hits) when they do manage to put bat to ball. Dominguez looks like an extremely valuable chip in long-term keeper leagues, and he's already found his way into mixed-league relevance just weeks after his big-league callup. He nailed down his first career save with two perfect frames against the Cardinals on Saturday and looks like a potential top-10 closer the rest of the way. 12-team mixed: $18; 15-team mixed: $33; 12-team NL-only: $51

Dan Winkler, Braves:Arodys Vizcaino still seems to have a hold of primary ninth-inning duties in Atlanta, but his grip on the role has loosened. Winkler has been brilliant so far this season, allowing just two earned runs while posting a 27:5 K:BB in 18.1 innings, and manager Brian Snitker said this week that he may use Winkler in some save situations moving forward. Winkler doesn't throw especially hard with the four-seamer, but he can mix in the cut fastball and slider effectively. He has a minuscule 11.8 percent hard-hit rate so far this season. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; 12-team NL-only: $13

Edubray Ramos, Phillies: The back-end situation in Philadelphia is one of several in flux in Major League Baseball. Manager Gabe Kapler frustrated owners of Hector Neris and Ramos alike earlier this week, using Ramos for two outs in the ninth before bringing in Neris for the final out with neither player getting a save. I'll take Dominguez, but Ramos already has a save and makes for a logical low-cost backup bid for those chasing saves. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $3; 12-team NL-only: $10

A.J. Minter, Braves: As James Anderson and I discussed on Saturday's Sirius XM show, this isn't the same Minter we saw last season. The 2.50 ERA looks good, but he's not missing bats at the same robust clip -- his K/9 is roughly half his mark from a season ago. Meanwhile, the walks are way, way up (from 1.2 BB/9 to 6.0 BB/9), as is his opponents' hard-hit rate (from 25 percent to 42 percent). His chase rate is down more than 10 percentage points, so the lefty now looks like the No. 3 option in this bullpen, and his status as the arm to own in dynasty leagues is looking questionable. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $7

Michael Lorenzen, Reds: Lorenzen now has a pair of rehab appearances under his belt with Double-A Pensacola and appears to be nearing a return to Cincinnati. The right-hander saw a big decline in results after the All-Star break last year, posting a 6.32 ERA after posting a 2.93 mark before the intermission, but his strikeout and walk rates hardly budged. Look for Lorenzen to slot into a prominent setup role soon after activation, and if Raisel Iglesias ends up being dealt before the deadline, Lorenzen will be an option to close for the Reds (along with David Hernandez). 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $3

CATCHER

Devin Mesoraco, Mets: Once an All-Star with the Reds, Mesoraco has been undone by his body. He's had surgery on both hips and his throwing shoulder, limiting him to a *total* of 120 games since the start of the 2015 season. Mesoraco has been swinging a hot bat since his arrival to New York and will get the larger share of the workload behind the plate for the time being, but he will presumably play second fiddle when Kevin Plawecki (hand) is activated, meaning there is a limited window for him to be useful in two-catcher mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; 12-team NL-only: $12

John Ryan Murphy, Diamondbacks:Alex Avila has been downright bad this season. Murphy, meanwhile, has gone 14-for-56 (.250 average) with four home runs in his limited action. The position is a wasteland, as we all know, and Murphy's surge at the plate has put him on the map in two-catcher mixed leagues. Hopefully manager Torey Lovullo will continue to ride the hot hand. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $3; 12-team NL-only: $10

Elias Diaz, Pirates: There has been some buzz in the fantasy community about Francisco Cervelli's hot start, while Diaz, Cervelli's backup, has slipped under the radar. Among players with at least 20 at-bats entering play Saturday, Diaz ranked 16th in xBA (.322) and 100th in xwOBA (.372). He won't have much utility in mixed leagues so long as Cervelli's healthy, but how long Cervelli remains upright is anyone's guess, considering his long history of injuries. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; 12-team NL-only: $6

Francisco Pena, Cardinals: The Cardinals lost Yadier Molina (groin) and Carson Kelly (hamstring) to the DL in the span of a week, opening the door for Pena to serve as the primary catcher for a stretch. Pena has been hanging around on the periphery of the big leagues for several seasons, posting middling numbers. He has a little bit of pop, but the rest of his offensive game is lacking, so he's merely an NL-only option even with steady playing time. Side note: There's no need to concern yourself with Pena's backup, Steve Baron. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $2

FIRST BASE

Ryan McMahon, Rockies: The Rockies' handling of McMahon earlier this season was incredibly frustrating for fantasy owners, and the team is doing the same thing with David Dahl right now. If you've been burned in either case, it's understandable to take a hard-pass stance on all Colorado youngsters, but McMahon has been playing some second base at Triple-A Albuquerque and could eventually replace DJ LeMahieu (thumb) at the keystone. This is still a higher-end prospect with batting-average upside and double-digit homer pop. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; 12-team NL-only: $11

Mark Reynolds, Nationals: Never discount the REVENGE GAME narrative. Reynolds, spurned by the Rockies in the offseason, homered twice against his old club in his Nationals debut last week. He hasn't done anything of note since, but he should at least start against all lefties until Ryan Zimmerman (back) returns from the DL. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $9

Ji-Man Choi, Brewers:Jesus Aguilar is the man at first base now with both Ryan Braun (back) and Eric Thames (thumb) on the DL, but Choi is up to provide a left-handed complement. Choi homered earlier this week in his first start of the season, giving him five between Triple-A Colorado Springs and the majors. The power comes with quite a bit of swing and miss, so don't bother in mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $3

SECOND BASE

Wilmer Difo, Nationals: He went a prolonged period without an extra-base hit earlier this season, but Difo has picked it up some in May and now looks locked in at second base after Howie Kendrick went down with an Achilles injury Saturday. Daniel Murphy began ramping things up a bit recently but still has not started a rehab assignment and is without any sort of timetable for a return. Difo was slotted into the two hole for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against a lefty. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; 12-team NL-only: $8

Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks: Marte isn't hitting or running at all, but second-base options are limited, even in 12-team mixed leagues. At least Marte has been playing regularly, although that may not be the case moving forward with Daniel Descalso bumped from third. If the Diamondbacks struggle offensively with A.J. Pollock (thumb) and Steven Souza (pectoral) out, they could ask Marte to run more. Nevertheless, picking Marte up requires a significant leap of faith. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $7

Daniel Castro, Rockies: As mentioned above, Ryan McMahon could get the call eventually, but right now, it's Castro seeing most of the work at second base in Colorado. There's little here to get excited about, but the playing time alone makes him worth considering in NL-only. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $3

Tyler Saladino, Brewers: The Brewers got Saladino for free from the White Sox, and so far, he's looking like this year's Eric Sogard. He already has a pair of homers in just 12 at-bats with Milwaukee -- two more than he had last year with the White Sox (253 at-bats). There is nowhere to go but down from here, but Saladino's positional eligibility -- he qualifies at second and third in most leagues -- gives him a sliver of appeal in NL-only. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $2

SHORTSTOP

Brandon Crawford, Giants: Talk about a turnaround. Crawford limped to a .189/.237/.300 line in March and April, but he's hit safely in all but two games so far in May, lifting his average to .302. The home park hurts him, but Crawford at least won't sink your batting average, and that makes him a capable fill-in for those still scrambling to replace Corey Seager (elbow). Crawford is widely available in NFBC Online Championship leagues with a current ownership rate of just 25 percent. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $10; 12-team NL-only: $24

Chris Owings, Diamondbacks: With Pollock and Souza out, Owings has a regular spot in the Diamondbacks' lineup. He's been cold for most of May, but Owings had two hits and two stolen bases Saturday. Assuming he gets the strikeout rate back closer to his career norm, Owings should hit .250 or so with a handful of homers and maybe 10 steals if you're lucky. The positional eligibility (SS, 2B, OF) is a strong selling point. 12-team mixed: $3; 15-team mixed: $8; 12-team NL-only: $21

Dansby Swanson, Braves: Swanson made his return from the disabled list Saturday, going 0-for-2 with a run and an RBI. He started the season off well, and the improvements can be traced back to the second half of last season. He was probably overrated as a prospect and may not move the needle in mixed leagues, but his outlook is quite a bit brighter now than it was this time last year. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $1; 12-team NL-only: $11

Amed Rosario, Mets: Rosario has been dropped en masse lately, and it can be argued that he's still extremely over-owned. Entering play Saturday, Rosario had just a 65 wRC+, ranking 151 out of 164 qualified hitters. He pounds the ball into the ground and has been inefficient on the basepaths, successfully converting just one of his four stolen-base attempts thus far. The name he had as a prospect is keeping him on too many rosters right now. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $7

Miguel Rojas, Marlins: Rojas has cooled of late, but he's still playing close to every day and the bat-to-ball skills give him a decent batting-average floor. Bonus for prospective deep-league owners: Rojas is 1B and CR eligible, having made 15 appearances at the position already this season. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $6

Yairo Munoz, Cardinals: With Paul DeJong landing on the DL with a broken hand, Munoz got the call from Triple-A Memphis. Munoz's numbers with Memphis are solid, if unspectacular. It was Jedd Gyorko who got the nod at short on both Friday and Saturday, suggesting manager Mike Matheny has little intention to give Munoz regular playing time. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $2

THIRD BASE

Austin Riley, Braves: Vlad Guerrero Jr. is the ultimate high-upside stash at third base, but Riley has appeal in a wide variety of leagues. He hasn't missed a beat with the jump to Triple-A Gwinnett, slashing .306/.352/.510 with three homers through 12 games (all three homers came in the same game). Meanwhile, Jose Bautista went 5-for-35 (.143 average) before being released Sunday. Johan Camargo and Ryan Flaherty will split time at the hot corner, but I fully expect Riley to have the starting job at third base for most of the second half. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $4; 12-team NL-only: $13

Daniel Descalso, Diamondbacks:Jake Lamb's return mercifully bumped Descalso out of the three hole for Arizona, but Descalso is still in the mix for playing time, now primarily at second base. He's been playing way over his head to this point -- his OPS is more than 150 points higher than anything he's posted in a full season -- but he's one the few Diamondbacks doing damage at home, so the team figures to ride him for a little while yet. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; 12-team NL-only: $10

OUTFIELD

Juan Soto, Nationals: In the biggest shocker of the baseball season so far, it was reported late Saturday that Soto will be called up to join the Nationals on Sunday, capping his unprecedented rise through the system. Soto was at Low-A to begin the year but has now made three jumps in level, with the Nats deciding to skip the Triple-A test entirely. It's hard to disagree with the logic as Soto's plate skills held steady against Double-A pitching (16.1 percent strikeout rate, 12.9 percent walk rate) and there is an immediate need in Washington with Kendrick landing on the DL. Playing-time concerns are minimal: Teams typically don't bring up prospects of Soto's ilk to ride the pine, so it seems likely that he will play close to every day. When a player like this gets called up, you pay up as he could be the difference maker in your league (see: Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner). 12-team mixed: 26; 15-team mixed: $55; 12-team NL-only: $81

Mac Williamson, Giants: A concussion cost Williamson the chance to continue his scorching start in the major leagues, but he's finally on the verge of a return and should slot into a regular role right away. He homered in his first rehab game with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday and followed that up with another big fly on Saturday, providing hope that he can pick up where he left off when he returns to San Francisco. The power upside is significant. 12-team mixed: $5; 15-team mixed: $10; 12-team NL-only: $21

Tyler O'Neill, Cardinals: A day after collecting his first big-league hit, O'Neill launched his first big-league homer in a loss to the Phillies. It looks like O'Neill may finally get an extended look at the big-league level, but he will need to play well to keep seeing starts long term. The power is immense, but it's a long swing and the holes in that swing will likely be exploited in time. Don't expect higher than a. 250 average in a best-case scenario. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $8; 12-team NL-only: $17

Franmil Reyes, Padres: A big boy with a ton of raw power, Reyes looks the part of an impact slugger. He hasn't gotten off to a roaring start in the big leagues, going 2-for-14 with six strikeouts, and if he doesn't pick it up, the Padres could easily justify sending Reyes down once Wil Myers (oblique) is healthy. He's still worth a speculative pickup in a lot of leagues, but don't go overboard. 12-team mixed: $3; 15-team mixed: $6; 12-team NL-only: $13

Travis Jankowski, Padres: A lot of attention has been paid to Reyes, but Jankowski is hitting extremely well right now and is 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts. He is appealing for his speed alone, and there is more to the package, although the long-term outlook for playing time is murky. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; 12-team NL-only: $12

Jesse Winker, Reds: Winker has been dropped in a lot of leagues, and for good reason. He's not hitting for any power whatsoever, and his average has sunk to .246 after a 1-for-7 showing in Saturday's doubleheader. If he's not going to hit more than 10 homers (and 10 is probably a stretch at this point), Winker is going to have to hit .290 or higher for the season to be worthwhile in standard mixed leagues. I'm skeptical he can do that in his first full season. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $4; 12-team NL-only: $11

Jarrod Dyson, Diamondbacks: Dyson's limitations are well established at this point. He doesn't hit for average or power, but he can run. It's up to you to decide if the stolen bases are worth the drag in the other four rotisserie categories. Points-leaguers can keep it moving. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; 12-team NL-only: $8

Harrison Bader, Cardinals: Bader isn't far off from O'Neill as a prospect, but the swing and miss makes him a batting-average risk, and the playing-time situation is uncertain. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; 12-team NL-only: $5