Travis Hafner (DH, Indians) – 34% owned.  Prior to going on the DL (with everyone’s favorite injury, the strained oblique), Hafner was looking like the old Pronk – batting .345 with 17 runs, 5 homers and 23 RBI in just 116 at bats.  He came off the DL on Friday, and promptly doubled home a run to break the game open in the 8th inning.  He’ll see virtually every day action at DH (NOTE – that’s the ONLY place he’s eligible) and as long as he keeps hitting, is very worth owning.

Seth Smith (OF, Rockies) – 28%.  He does not play against left-handed pitchers (and it’s a good thing – he has hit .190 against them in his career), but he rakes against righties.  This year, he sports a .338 average and .980 OPS with 6 homers, 32 runs and 24 RBI against them.  If you can fill in the twice-weekly days off, Sethie is your guy.  And with overall stats like that, I would gladly take the leap.

Joe Nathan (RP, Twins) – 31%.  He’s rehabbing at AAA and close to returning, and everyone knows how great he’s been and how bad he was this year before the injury.  But Matt Capps hasn’t exactly been the picture of excellence – he’s blown 5 saves, sports an ERA over 4, and gets scored upon every few appearances, like clockwork.  I can’t imagine Gardy will keep Nathan in the setup role all season, so beat your leaguemates and pick up one of baseball’s best stoppers.

Javy Guerra (RP, Dodgers) – 3%.  Those of us who have watched Dodgers games with morbid fascination over the past month (and not to see if Frank McCourt will do something crazy mid-game) have seen Donnie Baseball sprinkle his save opportunities all over the place – first Broxton, then Padilla, then Guerrier, then Jansen, then Macdougal, then Guerra, then Hawksworth, and then yesterday, back to Guerra.  The problem, of course, is that between May 19 and June 19, the Dodgers generated exactly four save chances.  FOUR!  But, Guerra was warming for a save chance last Saturday before the Dodgers scored 4 in the top of the 9th to ruin the save chance, and then got the next chance yesterday against the Astros, and pitched a perfect ninth inning.  Yes, Hong-Chih Kuo was activated from the DL yesterday and Jonathan Broxton is about to begin a rehab assignment, but at this point, the job is Guerra’s.  All hail the mighty save!

Charlie Blackmon (OF, Rockies) – 18%.  Called up after Dexter Fowler got hurt, Blackmon has impressed the Rockies to the point where they announced Fowler will remain in the minors even after his rehab is complete.  The speedy outfielder has locked up a starting spot with an .800 OPS, .381 average, 5 steals, 6 runs and 6 RBI – with only 3 strikeouts – through his first 11 games.  Yes, his .410 BABIP screams regression, and it would be nice to see him walk more than once every two weeks, and 15 of his 16 hits have been singles, but you could do worse than a speedy slap hitter in Coors Field.

AL Only Special –(Tie) Josh Reddick/Tim Wakefield (OF/SP, Red Sox)– 0% and 3%, respectively.  With Carl Crawford and Clay Buchholz both going on the DL this weekend, it makes good sense to own their replacements.  Reddick, a solid but unspectacular outfielder who hit .385 over a few games earlier this season, started in left field on Sunday and figures to play there a good bit until Crawford comes back.  Meanwhile, Wakefield just keeps hanging on.  He was handed a rotation spot when Dice-K and Lackey went on the DL, then kept it over Alfredo Aceves after Lackey returned, and now slides to Buchholz’ spot as he rehabs his lower back.  The Bionic Man now has 4 wins, a 4.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP and a respectable 31 Ks in 63 innings.  Good enough for AL-only, especially on a team as good as the Sox.

NL Only Special – Josh Harrison (2B/3B, Pirates)– 0%.  Slim pickins here, but with Pedro Alvarez on the DL for the foreseeable future, Harrison seems to have the hold on the starting spot (Brandon Wood hasn’t done himself any favors with his empty .212 batting average).  Josh was a solid minor league hitter, and is hitting a respectable .286 with 4 runs, 5 RBI and a steal, with a .627 OPS that just has to improve.  Right?

P.S. Manny Ramirez is still owned in 5% of leagues.  Brandon Lyon faces season-ending bicep surgery and has been terrible, and is owned in 31%.  Ryan Franklin is still owned in 28% of leagues.  Javier Vazquez and his 6.85 ERA is owned in 24% of leagues.  And John Lackey and his 7.02 ERA and .5 K/9 is owned in 24% of leagues.  Really?  This is the best people can do???

And the weekly question – Submit a comment with some of  YOUR top pickups for this week, and why?

(June 16, 2011 – Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images North America)

Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire, Waiver Wire, 2011 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Advice, Fantasy Baseball Rankings, NL Only, AL Only, Jesse Mendelson