FAABwire Week Nine

Welcome to FAABwire week nine. This article will cover the top pickups of the week and how much FAAB (Free agent acquisition budget) you should spend. The FAABwire series is mostly catered to twelve and fifteen team mixed league formats. Each week I will mostly focus on players that are owned in under thirty-four percent of CBS leagues. FAAB bids are of course very specific to individual leagues, so I will give you ballpark bids of what it should take to acquire each player based on a one thousand dollar budget. Throughout the week, feel free to tweet players at me that I can discuss is the column. @MarkusPotter

This week as I had previous commitments, so the amazing Michael Pichan of The Fantasy Nomad Show and RotoInfo.com pinch hit for me and provided the content for this weeks FAABwire. A big thank you to @FantasyNomad

Michael Saunders, OF, Mariners (Owned: 33%) (FAAB: $50)

Michael Saunders has turned it on of late as he has been a top five ranked Fantasy Player for the last seven days and top 35 for in the last fourteen days. Saunders is an ideal add if you are looking for a short-term source of power (six home runs on the season) and speed (nine stolen bases on the season), while you wait for one of your players to return from the disabled list.

Daniel Nava, OF, Red Sox (26% owned) (FAAB: $50)

Statistically Nava is worth an add as he is hitting .311 with 19 runs scored and 19 RBI and two home runs and two stolen bases, combine that with and an outstanding 19 walks to only 20 strike outs and Nava should be able to help your team in two primary, and often neglected categories, of batting average and runs scored.

Ben Revere, OF, Twins (Owned: 15%) (FAAB: $65)

Do you feel the need for speed, you better act fast before Revere flies off the waiver wire. The rabbit has shown an improved ability to get on base (.361 OBP 2012 compared to .310 in 2011 and .233 in 2010), his solid base stealing skills (eight steals and only caught once so far this season and 34 steals in 2011). His placement in the two hole of the Twins lineup, right ahead of Mauer and Willingham, put him in solid position to rack up the runs scored.

Trevor Plouffe, SS/2B/3B, Twins (Owned: 13%) (FAAB: $55)

Need some power? Need some positional flexibility? Then Trevor Plouffe is your guy. Plouffe is eligible at both middle infield positions in most leagues. In addition to the positional flexibility Plouffe brings to your team, he also has some pop in his bat highlighted by his hitting four home runs in his last ten games to bring his season total of home runs to eight and he owns a 17.8% HR/FB rate, which is second only to Derek Jeter amongst shortstops. Do not let Plouffe's .198 BA totally scare you off as he is actually hitting over .340 in the last seven days and his season BABIP is at .184, a number that should improve now that his playing time is becoming more consistent.

Stephen Pryor, RP, Mariners (Owned: 12%) (FAAB: $10)

Are you caught up in the closer carousel? If so, and you are desperately looking for the next potential closer to be, in a league where the majority of set up man are already rostered, then Stephen Pryor maybe worth a stash. Obviously, there is no guarantee that the young 22-year-old Pryor gets thrusted into the closer roll, but in the meantime he can help add to your strike out totals, as he should average over 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

Garrett Richards, SP, Angels (Owned: 23%) (FAAB: $35)

Richards' stay in the big leagues may be short lived, while the Angels wait for Jered Weaver to return to the rotation (albeit Weaver does not seem close to returning as he has yet to throw off a mound). So, in the meantime Richards makes for a good play, especially this week as he will make two starts in pitcher friendly Dodger Stadium on Monday then at home on Saturday versus Arizona. Do not expect eight strikeouts again, but he should get you a few K's and has a good chance to pick up two W's on the week.

Wil Meyers, OF, Royals (Owned: 24%) (FAAB: $1)

"The early bird gets the worm," pick up of the week is Royals right handed hitting outfielder, and uber-prospect, Wil Meyers. There are a couple things working in Myers favor that may get him a call up sooner then later, and that is Lorenzo Cain had another set back in his attempt to recover from a torn left hip flexor injury that has kept him out of the line up most of the season and, in addition, Myers continues to mash in the minors. Myers is hitting .337 with 48 RBI and 20 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season, and with his continued success at Triple-A now may be the time to stash Myers before it's too late.

Other players to consider:

Jason Bay, Salvador Perez, Bobby Abreu, Brian Roberts, Alex Presley, Ryan Theriot, Cody Ross, Gaby Sanchez, Chris Ianetta, Steve Cischek, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Ryan Cook, Clayton Richard