Waiver Wired: Nori Glory

If you are still alive this late in the season, you probably know what you are doing already, but below are a few players who are widely-available in most leagues as well as some possible streaming options for the weekend. I'll have some last-minute recommendations for you this time next week as well as our annual Waiver Wired awards. Good luck out there.

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

MIXED LEAGUES

Ken Giles RP, Phillies (Yahoo: 11 percent owned)

Jonathan Papelbon is currently serving a seven-game suspension for his lewd gesture/umpire confrontation on Sunday, so Giles needs to be picked up wherever he's available. The 23-year-old has been lights out in his first taste of the majors, putting up a 1.08 ERA and 60/10 K/BB ratio over 41 2/3 innings since his debut in June. With his mid-to-high 90s heater and power slider, he has future closer written all over him. There's big upside here for 2015 if the Phillies manage to dump Papelbon during the offseason.

Alejandro De Aza OF, Orioles (Yahoo: 31 percent owned)

De Aza has found new life since coming over to the Orioles, batting .327 (16-for-49) with seven extra-base hits (including two home runs), nine RBI, two stolen bases and seven runs scored over 12 games. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has batted him either second (10 times) or first (twice) in each of his starts, so he's in a favorable spot in a powerful lineup. We're talking about a .269 career hitter here, so De Aza is not nearly this good, but he's capable of helping in most categories the rest of the way.

Travis d'Arnaud C, Mets (Yahoo: 25 percent owned)

We've talked about d'Arnaud's impressive turnaround before, but he's really been among the best at the catcher position for a while now. The 25-year-old backstop is batting .273/.323/.475 with seven home runs and 22 RBI dating back to the All-Star break. Among catchers, he ranks fifth (tied) in home runs during that time, 11th (tied) in RBI, and sixth in OPS. With Miguel Montero, Salvador Perez, and Yadier Molina struggling this month, d'Arnaud deserves to be owned in more leagues, especially now that he's hitting in the middle of the Mets' order. If he can maintain the pop he's shown since coming back from the minors, he has a real shot at being a top-10 fantasy catcher next year.

Nori Aoki OF, Royals (Yahoo: 35 percent owned)

You can't get much hotter than Aoki right now. The veteran outfielder just set a club record for a three-game series by collecting 11 hits in 15 at-bats against the White Sox. This includes three hits off Chicago's ace left-hander Chris Sale on Wednesday night. The recent hot streak has boosted his average from .265 to .281 on the year. While Aoki only has one home run and 38 RBI over 122 games this season, he has helped fantasy owners by collecting 16 stolen bases and 60 runs scored out of the leadoff spot. It's time to pick him up again in most leagues.

David Freese 3B, Angels (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)

Freese is heating up just in time for another postseason run. The 31-year-old is batting .353 (11-for-51) with three home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBI through 15 games this month and currently owns an eight-game hitting streak. While Freese got off to a very slow start in an Angels' uniform, he's actually hitting .289 with seven home runs and a .781 OPS dating back to mid-June. Sure, he's best utilized against left-handed pitchers, but he's worth a look if you need some late corner infielder help in deeper formats.

Chris Young OF, Yankees (Yahoo: 17 percent owned)

I mentioned Young on the AL-only side last week, but he finds himself on the mixed league radar thanks to his early success with the Yankees. After batting just .205 with a .629 OPS in 88 games with the Mets, the 31-year-old is hitting .324 (11-for-34) with three home runs and five doubles over his first 12 games in pinstripes. He has cooled down a bit over the past few days, but we have seen his power/speed combo prove useful in mixed leagues before. The Yankees will face two left-handers in their next four games, with Mark Buehrle on Friday and Wei-Yin Chen tentatively scheduled for Monday, so keep Young in mind in daily formats.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Wilmer Flores 2B/3B/SS, Mets (Yahoo: 6 percent owned)

Flores put up some impressive numbers in the minors, but it has yet to translate against major league pitching. Until right now, that is. The 23-year-old has finally shown some pop in recent days by going 9-for-15 (.600) with three home runs and two doubles over his last five games. This includes a two-homer, six-RBI explosion on Tuesday night against the Marlins. He would have had another extra-base hit Wednesday night if not for a fantastic catch by center fielder Marcell Ozuna. The Mets will still likely need to go outside the organization to find their next shortstop, but Flores should continue to get regular at-bats over the final 10 days of the season and his multi-position eligibility is handy at this time of the year.

Jordan Schafer OF, Twins (Yahoo: 8 percent owned)

I mentioned Schafer in Waiver Wired a little over a month ago and he's proven to be a useful pickup in most leagues, batting .298/.365/.386 with seven extra-base hits (including one home run), 12 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 17 runs scored over 37 games with the Twins. According to Yahoo, he has been the 23rd most valuable fantasy outfielder over the past month. Crazy, I know. Can Schafer keep his strikeouts down and maintain his current level of production? I have no idea and I'm not sure I care. He should be owned for his speed. Everything else is just a bonus.

Jared Burton RP, Twins (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

Glen Perkins has really struggled of late and is slated to undergo an MRI on Thursday for a complete exam of his throwing arm, including his triceps, elbow, and forearm, so it sounds his season is over at the very least. With a 4.55 ERA and 43/24 K/BB ratio over 61 1/3 innings, Burton hasn't been all that impressive this season, but he's the most likely option for save chances over the final week and a half. Michael Tonkin and Lester Oliveros are some other names to keep an eye on if you are really desperate. I'm honestly not expecting much here, but saves are saves and all of these pitchers are out there in most leagues. Keep in mind if you have the roster flexibility and a need.

Suitable streamers:

Yusmeiro Petit RP/SP, Giants (Yahoo: 29 percent owned)

Save for a start in Coors Field, Petit has pitched well since replacing Tim Lincecum in the Giants' rotation, posting a 3.81 ERA over four starts to go along with a brilliant 31/1 K/BB ratio in 26 innings. Yes, he has issued just one walk, so he has duplicated the excellent control he showed out of the bullpen. The 29-year-old isn't a hard-thrower, averaging just around 89 mph on his fastball, but his curveball is nasty and gets plenty of whiffs. He'll make his final two starts of the season against the light-hitting Padres -- including this weekend in San Diego and next week at home -- so he should be owned even in shallow leagues.

Hector Santiago RP/SP, Angels (Yahoo: 17 percent owned)

Santiago allowed three runs on five hits and five walks over just two-plus innings Sunday against the Astros, but I'm willing to roll the dice again this Friday for a home start against the light-hitting Rangers. Sure, the 26-year-old southpaw is inconsistent and he hasn't gone seven innings in an outing since way back on April 14, but he still has a 3.80 ERA in 22 starts this year and the Angels' offense is the best in the majors. I like his chances of getting a win in this one.

Taijuan Walker SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 16 percent owned)

With Roenis Elias likely done for the season due to an elbow injury, Walker will take his place in the rotation and start Friday night against the Astros in Houston. The 22-year-old right-hander has been limited to just four starts in the majors this season due to a shoulder issue and has only thrown 3 1/3 innings since his last start on September 1, so perhaps there will be some rust, but the upside is obvious and the matchup is too tasty to pass up. Pick him up.

Kevin Gausman SP, Orioles (Yahoo: 14 percent owned)

After throwing seven scoreless innings in the first game of a doubleheader against the Yankees last Friday, Gausman will go on extra rest this Friday night against the Red Sox in Baltimore. The 23-year-old right-hander owns a 3.57 ERA through 18 starts this season and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine out of his last 10 outings. While the strikeouts weren't there early on, he has fanned 32 batters in 30 1/3 innings over his last five starts. I'm rolling with him as a streamer and have big hopes for him going into 2015.

Drew Hutchison SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 20 percent owned)

Hutchison just got knocked around for six runs against the Orioles on Monday, but that's not going to stop me from going to the well again this Sunday against the Yankees. Looking deeper at Monday's outing, most of the damage came on a three-run homer from Steve Pearce and a solo blast from Jimmy Paredes. He still struck out a career-high 11 batters on the night and has 170 strikeouts over 175 2/3 innings on the year. I'll take my chances against a depleted lineup, especially with Masahiro Tanaka no sure thing to be sharp in his return from the disabled list.

AL ONLY

Christian Walker 1B, Orioles (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Assuming guys like Rusney Castillo and Nick Franklin are already gone in your league, here's another call-up from this week to consider. Walker, who doubled in his major league debut Wednesday night against the Blue Jays, batted .288 with 26 home runs and an .846 OPS in 139 games this season between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles have already wrapped up the American League East, so he could get a few starts over the next week and a half with some regulars getting a breather.

Alex Colome SP, Rays (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

Colome was very impressive in a spot start Monday against the Yankees, scattering six hits with one walk over 6 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four batters. Once considered a top prospect with the Rays, the 25-year-old right-hander posted a 3.77 ERA and 73/30 K/BB ratio in 86 innings over 15 starts this season in Triple-A. Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a slider/cutter, he still has some long-term upside, whether as a starter or out of the bullpen. Of course, for fantasy purposes, I'm hoping he gets another start before the end of the year.

NL ONLY

Kirk Nieuwenhuis OF, Mets (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Juan Lagares is currently sidelined with a sprained right elbow and might end up missing the remainder of the season at this point, so Nieuwenhuis is a worthwhile pickup. The 27-year-old owns a .237/.313/.384 batting line and a 31-percent strikeout rate in the majors, but he offers some pop, speed, and patience. He'll go into next spring out of options, so the Mets will likely want to give him as many looks as possible over the next week and a half.

Andrew Chafin SP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Chafin fired five scoreless innings against the Indians in his major league debut back in August and he returned Wednesday to hold the Giants to two runs over six innings of work. It wasn't all good, as the 24-year-old southpaw walked four batters and threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 out of the 23 batters he faced. Control is the major thing he needs to improve, but his slider is a legitimate weapon and he could compete for a rotation spot next spring. He's a decent play for a start against the Twins next week.