MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

Today marks what I believe to be the most entertaining day on the MLB regular-season calendar: the trade deadline. It's the last chance for contending teams to acquire major talent from outside their organization and put themselves in the best position possible for a World Series push. Meanwhile, the teams going through a rebuild are putting their scouting departments to work and looking for prospects that might be able to help them in the future. With dozens of players switching teams within the span of just a few days, there's also bound to be a lot of change happening on the fantasy side of things. With that in mind, I've listed multiple players below who I think stand to benefit from deals that have already been made, and some others who could be on the move themselves within the next several hours. 

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Chris Paddack, Detroit Tigers (20%)

The 29-year-old righty was involved in a rare intra-division trade Monday that saw him move from Minnesota to Detroit, where he will take the place of Reese Olson (shoulder) in the Tigers' rotation for the rest of the season. Paddack looked good in his first start with his new team, pitching six innings of one-run ball while striking out five batters and coming away with his first win since June 19. Coming off back-to-back quality starts, he's now lined up to face the Twins during his next start, which could increase his immediate fantasy appeal if you're a believer in revenge-game surges. FAAB: $2

 Will Warren, New York Yankees (41%)

Save for a five-run shelling against Atlanta, Warren has been fairly effective on the mound over the past few weeks. Four of the 26-year-old's last five starts have seen him pitch into the sixth inning while giving up two runs or less, but some unfortunate luck has caused him to come away with only one win in that span. His 10.4 K/9 for the year makes him a safe bet to rack up a healthy amount of strikeouts during any given start, and an upcoming matchup against the Rangers, who rank 26th in MLB with a .680 OPS, gives Warren viability as a streamer. FAAB: $1

 Mike Burrows, Pittsburgh Pirates (7%)

Burrows has been dominant on the mound since coming back from the All-Star break, surrendering just three runs in 17 frames and logging quality starts in each of his last two outings. His ERA has dropped from 4.83 to 3.88 thanks to his recent stretch, but he remains in search of his first win since June 4 — a problem that Paul Skenes shareholders are all too familiar with. Perhaps his fortunes will change during his next start against the Giants, whom Burrows just limited to one run in six innings Wednesday. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

 Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins (26%)

With Jhoan Duran now set to begin closing games for the Phillies, Jax — the Twins' leader in holds — would figure to be next in line to take over as the club's new closer. Admittedly, the 30-year-old's 4.50 ERA doesn't help his case for taking over as Minnesota's ninth-inning arm, especially when compared to Louis Varland's 2.02 ERA or Danny Coulombe's 1.16. However, Jax's 2.00 FIP paints a much more accurate picture of how effective he's been this year. Throw in his absurd 14.1 K/9, and he's my pick to start closing games for the Twins. FAAB: $2

 Phil Maton, St. Louis Cardinals (13%)

The Cardinals also shipped their main closer to another team ahead of the trade deadline, sending Ryan Helsley to the Mets on Wednesday, leaving Maton as the likely successor to ninth-inning duties in St. Louis. Despite his fastball that cruises right around 90 mph, it seems Maton has what it takes to be an effective closer after posting a 2.35 ERA and striking out 48 batters in only 38.1 innings. FAAB: $2

Catcher

Kyle Higashioka, Texas Rangers (1%)

Higashioka missed five straight games while recovering from a hamstring strain, but he made up for lost time by tallying five hits in his first two games back, throwing in two home runs for good measure. The veteran backstop has now logged a hit in six of his seven games since the All-Star break and is slashing .400/.404/.745 over 57 plate appearances since the start of July. Not bad for someone who's available in 99 percent of leagues. FAAB: $1

First Baseman

Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers (24%)

With his six-RBI performance Tuesday that included a grand slam, Vaughn joined the great Barry Bonds as the only two players to bat at least .475 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and record 15 or more RBI within their first 10 home games with a team. Is that an extremely cherry-picked stat? Yes, but whenever a player starts drawing comparisons to the sport's all-time HR leader, you can't help but think there might be something here. It also helps Vaughn's case that Rhys Hoskins (thumb) isn't due back from the IL until late August, so the former isn't at risk of losing playing time anytime soon. FAAB: $4

 Warming Bernabel, Colorado Rockies (4%)

Bernabel arrived in the majors immediately after the Rockies sent Ryan McMahon to the Bronx last weekend. It's safe to say the 23-year-old has made a good first impression in Colorado after starting his MLB career with a five-game hitting streak, going 7-for-18 with a pair of homers, three RBI and three runs scored. Between his white-hot start and the extreme lack of depth on the Rockies' roster, Bernabel should have no problem starting every day at either first or third base. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Ronny Mauricio, New York Mets (7%)

The Mets have seemingly moved toward using Mark Vientos as their designated hitter, which has opened up an opportunity for Mauricio to pick up regular starts at the hot corner in Queens. He's certainly made the most of his playing time lately, going 8-for-20 with two homers, three RBI, three runs scored and a steal over his last six games. The switch-hitting 24-year-old also boasts a .273 batting average and an .842 OPS through 60 plate appearances since the beginning of July, which will make it hard for the Mets to take the bat out of his hand after Jesse Winker (back) returns from the injured list to reclaim DH reps from Vientos. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Ryan McMahon, New York Yankees (46%)

I said last week that McMahon's recent hot streak could yield better fantasy results if the Rockies traded him to a team like the Yankees. Well, he's a Yankee now and has gone 6-for-17 with three walks, four RBI and a run scored since putting on the pinstripes. The amount of talent in New York's lineup leaves McMahon stuck batting in the bottom third of the order, though he's still in a much better spot to start producing RBI and runs after leaving a Rockies offense that has been inefficient, to say the least. You might not even have to worry about the lefty slugger experiencing a dip in home runs after leaving Coors Field, thanks to Yankee Stadium's infamous short porch in right field. FAAB: $4

 Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox (21%)

Montgomery continued his recent power surge by sending a ball over the fence during Wednesday's win over Philadelphia, giving him five homers in his last eight games. The 23-year-old is now slashing .257/.313/.514 with 18 RBI and nine runs scored through his first 22 games as a big-leaguer and isn't facing any competition from Josh Rojas for playing time at the hot corner. FAAB: $2

Shortstop

 Josh Smith, Texas Rangers (35%)

Smith has gone 9-for-31 (.290) with a homer, four RBI and eight runs scored over the Rangers' last nine games, giving him a .262 batting average and a .777 OPS for the month of July. Most of his fantasy value stems from the fact that he sports a .352 OBP while batting leadoff for the Rangers against righties, which leads to him coming across the plate quite often for someone on one of the least efficient offenses in baseball. FAAB: $1

Outfielder

 Ramon Laureano, Baltimore Orioles (33%)

We might just have to reserve a spot for Laureano on this list every week at his point. He's gone 10-for-26 (.385) with two homers, five RBI and eight runs scored over the past week, continuing an impressive stretch that's seen him post a .989 OPS in 125 plate appearances since June 23. The O's will likely try to see what kind of offers they can get for the 31-year-old before the trade deadline, though Laureano has already done more than enough to prove that his fantasy value isn't dependent on a change in scenery for the final two months of the season. FAAB: $5

 Isaac Collins, Milwaukee Brewers (6%)

Collins probably isn't one of the first names that come to mind when you think about the top hitters on the top teams in baseball, but he surprisingly ranks second on the Brewers with a .776 OPS among players with at least 250 plate appearances (Jackson Chourio, .785). Collins' recent body of work has been even more impressive, as he's slashed .341/.431/.455 with a homer, seven RBI and six runs scored while swiping two bags and tallying a hit in all but two games since the All-Star break. He's played his way into an everyday role in Milwaukee's outfield, and now he's beginning to display value as a well-rounded fantasy asset, especially in OBP formats. FAAB: $2

 Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays (8%)

Varsho is expected to be activated from the injured list sometime this weekend after spending close to two months on the shelf with a hamstring injury. The 29-year-old was batting just .207 through 92 at-bats before going down, but sending eight balls over the fence in 24 games is nothing to scoff at. If you're sore for a power bat and can stomach rostering an injured player for a few days, consider adding Varsho while he's still available in over 90 percent of leagues. FAAB: $1