There’s absolutely no reason to think the waiver wire is dead at this point of the season. It’s definitely not what it was earlier in the year, but there are definitely still some gems to be found. We’re here to help you find said gems and carry you to the promise land! Well not carry because you’ve done all the heavy lifting, but simply contribute to the cause!

10-Team Leagues

Danny Salazar, CLE SP (71% ownership), FAAB Bid - $24 – Getting a starting pitcher off of the waiver wire at this point in the season is rare. He’s pretty highly owned, but there are definitely a bunch of owners who gave up on him after he for one struggled, and then followed that up with an injury. That said if Salazar could revert back to the pitcher we saw from 2015-’16 as fantasy owners we’re in great shape. He’s seen his HR/9 spike from 1.0 to 1.8 this year, so keeping the ball in the yard should one of his top priorities. He still owns a 30.6-percent K-rate this year, which is an elite mark, so the swing and miss stuff is still very much there.

CC Sabathia, NYY SP (44% ownership), FAAB Bid - $18 – It goes without saying that Sabathia was at one time in his career one of the more dominating pitchers in the game. He’s no longer the flamethrower he once was, but boy can he pitch. Over his last nine starts, Sabathia has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of them and the one start he didn’t pitch well in probably was due to the fact he was injured as he was placed on the DL immediately following the game. His K/9 mark of 7.18 is by no means elite, but he’s inducing grounders at a 50-percent clip, so he’s leaving his mark elsewhere. Sabathia is a borderline SP2 for the ROS.

Tyler Clippard, CWS RP (21% ownership), FAAB Bid - $15 – Let’s preface this by saying he has been awful this year but with David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle out of the picture, the White Sox don’t have much of a choice. Clippard has 57 career saves and has even posted 32 in a single season, so experience is definitely playing a factor in the White Sox decision as to naming him closer. The thing that is definitely worrisome is the numbers he has posted since June 3rd. In 14.2 IP over that time, he’s allowed 17 ER and a slash of .290/.403/.678. He also hasn’t been able to show any form of control walking 11 over that same timeframe. He needs to show a little consistency before we can breathe easy once he’s picked up.

12-Team Leagues

Yoan Moncada, CWS 3B (61% ownership), FAAB Bid - $14 – In all non-dynasty, leagues he hasn’t already been stashed in, Moncada is an excellent pickup for the ROS. It’s tough to suggest him in leagues with less than 12 teams because of how stacked the third base position is, so we’ll keep him to 12-team formats. Moncada had his first big night in the Major’s on Friday as he drove in four runs. He’s torn up the Minor Leagues at every stop, showing power and speed that not many young players have, let alone players already in the midst of their primes.

Jordy Mercer, PIT SS (5% ownership), FAAB Bid - $5 – We’ve kind of glossed over Mercer all season long but the dude has put together an extremely solid campaign thus far. After belting a two-run bomb on Friday night, Mercer now has nine homeruns and 40 RBI on the year. His career marks in both of those categories are 12 and 56, so he’s definitely on pace to shatter both. Mercer isn’t flashy and he’s not going to leave the yard 20 times per year, but he’s a solid option in leagues with an MI spot.

Victor Martinez, DET 1B (29% ownership), FAAB Bid - $7 – Just when we thought 38-yeard old, 15-season veteran finally came down to earth, V-Mart starts raking post All-star break. Since coming back from the festivities, Martinez is slashing .367/.441/.600 with an OPS of 1.041. When we dive deeper into the numbers, Martinez has actually raked against right-handed pitching all season long. His batting averages against each handedness tell a different story (.308 vs. LHP, .252 vs. RHP) but things should begin balancing out for the remainder of the season. He’s posted an amazing hard contact rate versus RHP of 43.8-percent, so we should expect more of his batted balls to find much more green grass.

15-Team Leagues

Matt Garza, MIL SP (10% ownership), FAAB Bid - $6 – The 33-year old Garza has been really consistent for much of the season, but especially since the middle of June. Since 24th, a string of five starts, Garza’s posted a 2.63 ERA and has kept the hard contact to an absolute minimum at 27.8-percent. He doesn’t miss bats at all, as he has a 13.9-percent K-rate since that June 24 date, but he’s getting it done other ways. Garza is an extremely solid SP4/5 for the rest of the campaign.

Chad Kuhl, PIT SP (4% ownership), FAAB Bid - $5 – We’re going to get overly excited about Kuhl’s recent success, but have taken note. Over his last 21.2 IP, Kuhl’s allowed six earned runs while striking out 17. Walks continue to be a big problem as he’s walked three opponents in three straight outings. Kuhl has also done a much better job keeping the ball on the ground, inducing grounders at a 50-percent or more clip in six-of-eight starts. Kuhl still has to get better at retiring lefties as they’ve worn him out to a .381 wOBA on the year, but as we’ve mentioned previously, he’s improving.

Jabari Blash, SD OF (3% ownership), FAAB Bid - $4 – Our suggestion is your jump on this before it’s too late, because Blash has seemingly figured some things out in the minors. Since being recalled seven games ago, Blash has slashed .458/.517/.833 and has at least one hit in each game. He’s belted two homers as well which is another reason why he should be owner going forward. After Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, the third outfield spot is up for grabs and it seems to us that Blash is going to get every opportunity to win the job.

*ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo

** FAAB bids based on $100 budget