Waiver Wired: Waiver Wired: Buying Byron

After a week away, I’m back to my regular Waiver Wired hosting duties. I was out in San Francisco last week for vacation and managed to squeeze in a Giants game and eat some garlic fries along the way. If you haven’t been to AT&T Park before, you should really go. It’s an amazing atmosphere. I’d like to thank Ryan Boyer for holding things down with this column last week. I’m happy to report that I’ll be here every Thursday for the remainder of the season. Let’s get this thing rolling.

Editor’s Note: Play one-day fantasy baseball for cash! FanDuel is hosting a $80,000 league for Thursday’s MLB games. It’s just $5 to join and first place wins $8,000. Starts tonight at 7:05pm ET. Enter now!

Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.

MIXED LEAGUES

Byron Buxton OF, Twins (Yahoo: 25 percent owned)

Aaron Hicks landed on the disabled list Thursday with a hamstring strain, which is a real bummer given the way he’s been playing lately. However, the injury opens the door for Buxton to return to the majors. The 22-year-old hit an even .400 (22-for-55) with three doubles, one triple, and one home run over 13 games with Triple-A Rochester, so he was deserving of another look even before the injury to Hicks. Buxton scuffled during his first stint in the majors prior to going down with a thumb sprain in late-June, but he oozes tools and could pile up some steals down the stretch at the very least.

Kevin Jepsen RP, Twins (Yahoo: 19 percent owned)

Twins closer Glen Perkins is having neck issues again and received an injection on Wednesday which will likely leave him sidelined for a few days. There’s no indication that a stint on the disabled list will be necessary, but Jepsen is in line to get some saves in his absence. Acquired from the Rays before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the 31-year-old owns a 2.74 ERA over 55 appearances this season, though his 40/24 K/BB ratio in 49 1/3 innings isn’t nearly as impressive. Still, he needs to be owned right now.

Raisel Iglesias SP, Reds (Yahoo: 13 percent owned)

Iglesias has been on a nice little roll since rejoining the Reds’ rotation in July, posting a 3.67 ERA and 39/9 K/BB ratio in 41 2/3 innings over seven starts. The 25-year-old blanked the Royals over seven innings on Tuesday and currently has a 12-inning scoreless streak going. His slider and changeup get plenty of whiffs and the peripherals are intriguing, so there’s reason to invest even if he’s in a tough home park. He gets the Diamondbacks at Great American Ballpark on Sunday.

John Axford RP, Rockies (Yahoo: 30 percent owned)

Axford lost his grip on the closer job after brutal stretch in late-July, but he’s getting another shot after Tommy Kahnle struggled to make the most of the opportunity. It’s not like Axford has been all that great since losing the job. The veteran right-hander has allowed five runs on 10 hits and four walks over his last 8 1/3 innings of work, but Walt Weiss apparently has the most confidence in him among the options at his disposal. It could be a bumpy ride, but saves can’t be left on the wire at this point of the season.  

Travis d’Arnaud C, Mets (Yahoo: 32 percent owned)

D’Arnaud has been a little quiet since returning from an elbow strain, hitting just .200 (10-for-50) over 14 games. However, it hasn’t been all bad, as he has mixed in two home runs, three doubles, eight walks, and eight runs scored. The 26-year-old had a huge second half last year and was off to a great start this season prior to fracturing his right pinkie finger in April, so there’s reason to believe he could deliver top-12 catcher value down the stretch. This is a good time to pick him up, as the Mets will play the Rockies in Coors Field this weekend.  

Lance McCullers SP, Astros (Yahoo: 26 percent owned)

McCullers was optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi earlier this month, but it was strictly about his workload. He actually hasn’t appeared in a game since, only throwing on the side in order to stay fresh. While there was some talk about keeping him in the minors until rosters expand in September, the 21-year-old is set to return for a start against the Dodgers this weekend. McCullers was blasted in his last start on August 3 and I wonder about the rust factor in his first start back, but he owns a 3.17 ERA and 78/28 K/BB ratio in 76 2/3 innings this season. It’s hard to pass on his ability. He should be picked up in leagues where he was dropped.

Francisco Lindor SS, Indians (Yahoo: 26 percent owned)

I was skeptical about Lindor being mixed league-worthy as a rookie, but he’s beginning to prove me wrong. On the strength of his recent surge at the plate, the 21-year-old is batting .290/.325/.397 with five home runs, 24 RBI, three stolen bases, and 25 runs scored over 56 games. With his contact rate and speed, it’s not unrealistic that he’ll continue to have a useful batting average. It’s also fair to expect him to be more active on the basepaths in time. Hitting No. 2 in the Indians’ lineup makes him interesting as a middle infielder option right now.  

Kevin Gausman SP/RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 15 percent owned)

Gausman has had some ups and downs since rejoining the Orioles’ rotation about a month ago, posting a 4.12 ERA across six starts. That he has allowed six home runs in just 39 1/3 innings during that time is a bit of a concern, but he has struck out 33 batters along the way while issuing only eight walks. This underscores the potential upside. Wei-Yin Chen is having a good year and Chris Tillman has been on a nice run since late June, but I still think Gausman is the most interesting starting pitcher on this staff in fantasy leagues. He’s at least worth using as a streaming option against the fading Twins this weekend.

Steven Matz SP, Mets (Yahoo: 42 percent owned)

Matz impressed on the mound and at the plate over his first two major league starts prior to going down with a partial tear of his left lat muscle in early July, but he’s getting closer to rejoining the Mets. The 24-year-old southpaw threw 23 pitches over one inning of work in his first minor league rehab appearance last Saturday and is scheduled to pitch again on Thursday. If all goes according to plan, Matz will return when rosters expand in September, likely as part of a six-man rotation. He’s a fine upside option if you have an open DL spot.

Editor’s Note: We’re in the homestretch of the MLB season. With months of stats built up, you might be looking at a player’s wOBA to predict his future performance. Before you make any decisions, check out this RotoGrinders article by Dave “CheeseIsGood” Potts, the 2014 FanDuel MLB Champion, for an in-depth look at “MLB DFS: wOBA Trouble.”

Shopping at the five-and-dime

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Travis Jankowski OF, Padres (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

This is the time of year where we stop looking at value in a vacuum and zero in on categories. With that in mind, Jankowski is someone you should get to know. Selected No. 44 overall in 2012, the 24-year-old has swiped 137 bases over 326 games in the minors. There’s no power to speak of, but he was a .293 hitter in the minors and has shown a penchant for making contact and getting on base. The Padres appear committed to giving him an opportunity after trading Will Venable to the Rangers this week, so keep him in mind if you need speed.

Greg Bird 1B, Yankees (Yahoo: 4 percent owned)

Mark who? Filling in at first base, Bird launched the first two home runs of his major league career — both of them two-run shots — on Wednesday against the Twins. Teixeira is currently sidelined with a deep bone bruise in his right shin, but the hope is that he’ll be able to avoid a stint on the disabled list. Keep Bird in mind if things change. Regarded as one of the Yankees’ top prospects, the 22-year-old batted .277 with 12 home runs and an .825 OPS over 83 games this season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With Yankee Stadium as the backdrop, his power potential is worth a shot in deeper formats.

Drew Pomeranz SP/RP, Athletics (Yahoo: 8 percent owned)

Do I have any idea who will get the next save for the Athletics? Not really. But the thing is, I’m not sure if Bob Melvin does either. After Pomeranz tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning Wednesday against the Dodgers for his second save of the season, Melvin was asked whether this means he’s the closer moving forward. His response? “He was today.” Nothing is for certain, but Edward Mujica has been awful, so the opportunity is there for the southpaw. Fernando Rodriguez (Yahoo: 1 percent owned) is another alternative here and don’t forget about Sean Doolittle (Yahoo: 35 percent owned), who is currently on a minor league rehab assignment.

Derek Dietrich 2B/3B/OF, Marlins (Yahoo: 2 percent owned)

Dietrich has quietly been very productive when in the Marlins’ lineup this season, batting .278/.382/.521 with eight home runs over 54 games. It might come as a surprise to learn that he now has 22 home runs over his first 160 games in the majors. The 26-year-old has been Miami’s primary left fielder since late July and has hit either third or fifth in each of his last eight starts. It will be interesting to see what happens when Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton are back in the lineup, but Dietrich’s pop and multi-position eligibility should have him on the radar in more leagues.

Gregor Blanco OF, Giants (Yahoo: 8 percent owned)

It feels like a lot of people haven’t noticed the excellent season Blanco is having. His .793 OPS is higher than the likes of Starling Marte, Justin Upton, Jason Heyward, and Jay Bruce, just to name a few prominent examples. With Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence both on the disabled list, his playing time should be safe for now. Blanco isn’t going to hit for much power, but he gets on base and can steal a few bags. He’s useful to have around.

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