Action on Jackson

AL ONLY

Brandon McCarthy SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 3 percent)

McCarthy has been up-and-down since returning from a stress reaction in his shoulder, but the overall numbers are very impressive. He has a 3.77 ERA and 23/6 K/BB ratio over 31 innings, which isn't all that far off from what he was doing before he originally went on the disabled list in May. The 28-year-old right-hander tossed eight innings of one-run ball against the Rays on Tuesday in what was arguably his best start of the season. He should be owned in all AL-only formats and comes recommended Sunday against the Twins.

Alejandro De Aza OF, White Sox (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

The White Sox sent a message to the slumping Alex Rios on Wednesday, sending him to the bench and calling up De Aza to replace him in center field. De Aza has a measly .242 batting average and .623 OPS over 198 major league at-bats, but he got off on the right foot by slugging a two-run homer in his first-at bat. I'm don't expect this arrangement to last very long, but the 27-year-old has always shown a capacity to steal bases in the minor leagues. He is worth using in AL-only leagues as along as he continues to play regularly.

Jake McGee RP, Rays (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 7.5 percent)

McGee has been excellent since returning from the minors earlier this month, making six scoreless appearances while giving up two hits and posting a 6/2 K/BB ratio over four innings. The Rays are reportedly dangling Kyle Farnsworth in trade talks, so I'd stash the 24-year-old southpaw in case he gets a crack at he ninth-inning gig. By the way, don't pay too much attention to these ownership numbers. McGee was hyped as a sleeper during spring training, so I suspect he was left on the rosters of those who have ignored their fantasy team since the second week of the season. You know the type.

NL ONLY

Kyle Blanks OF, Padres (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

The Padres sent Anthony Rizzo back to the minors last week after he batted just .143 with 36 strikeouts over his first 96 at-bats, but the good news is that Blanks replaced him on the active roster. Blanks, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, was hitting .351/.421/.716 with 11 homers and 35 RBI over 152 plate appearances with Triple-A Tucson. The 24-year-old hasn't done much of anything so far, batting just .118 with nine strikeouts in 17 at-bats, but he's worth owning because of his power potential.

David Ross C, Braves (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

Losing Brian McCann to an oblique injury obviously hurts the Braves' lineup, but fortunately they have one of the better backup catchers in the league. Ross has experienced something of a renaissance late in his career, batting .287 with 13 homers and 65 RBI in 321 at-bats over the past three seasons. The 34-year-old backstop stepped in for McCann on Wednesday night and drove in only two runs of the game for the Braves, including the game-winner in the 10th inning. See, I do occasionally watch baseball games. Ross is a must pick-up in NL-only leagues and I could even see him getting some play in deeper mixed leagues.

Steve Lombardozzi 2B, Nationals (Yahoo: N/A, ESPN: N/A)

There are all sorts of trade rumors going on with the Nationals right now, whether we're talking about potential deals for Denard Span or B.J. Upton. One name we have heard mentioned in talks is shortstop Ian Desmond. If he is traded before the deadline, I believe we would see Danny Espinosa to move back to his natural position and Lombardozzi called up from the minors to play second base. Lombardozzi, 22, is batting .314/.367/.450 with seven homers, 40 RBI and 21 stolen bases between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse this season.
This is a complete speculative add, but it could pay off.

Collin Cowgill OF, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

The Diamondbacks promoted Cowgill from Triple-A Reno earlier this week after he was batting .354/.430/.554 with 13 homers, 70 RBI, 30 stolen bases and a .984 OPS over 456 plate appearances this season. Of course, Cowgill isn't the first player to put up monster numbers in the Pacific Coast League, so there is some room for skepticism, but he has shown solid patience and above-average speed during his ascent through the minor leagues. Those skills should be assets on the big league level right away. It's not clear how much he'll play over Gerardo Parra in left field, but he's a must pickup in NL-only formats.

Lucas Duda 1B/OF, Mets (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.4 percent)

It was only a matter of when. The Mets agreed to a deal on Wednesday that will send Carlos Beltran to the Giants for prospect right-hander Zack Wheeler. This move provides Duda with a clear path to playing time in right field. The 24-year-old is batting .276/.350/.455 with an .805 OPS over 140 plate appearances this season and looks to be breaking out of a prolonged power draught with two homers in his last five games. The Mets will likely give him a pretty long look with an eye toward 2012, so don't hesitate adding him where available.

Get ready, folks. The next 80 hours or so are going to be very, very interesting. We're rapidly approaching the MLB trade deadline and if the madness of Wednesday was any indication, we should see a flurry of activity between now and 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. Be sure to keep it locked to our player news page for all the latest wheelings and dealings.

I'll go over some of the early trade fallout below, but you won't find Yonder Alonso here since I already included him in my NL-only recommendations last week. Sometimes it pays to try to think ahead.

Let's move on to the good stuff.

MIXED LEAGUES

Edwin Jackson SP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 40 percent owned, ESPN: 18.9 percent)

What better place to start? The Cardinals may have sacrificed a major part of their future in trading Colby Rasmus to Toronto, but Jackson should benefit with the switch over to the National League and the opportunity to work with pitching guru Dave Duncan. While his 3.92 ERA and 97/39 K/BB ratio should already be palatable for many in mixed leagues, consider that the 27-year-old right-hander actually has a 3.13 ERA and 65/22 K/BB ratio since the start of May. Pick him up in hopes that his solid contract year continues.

Josh Reddick OF, Red Sox (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 38.1 percent)

Just in case it wasn't obvious already, it's about time to take Reddick seriously in mixed leagues. Many wondered what would happen to his playing time when Carl Crawford returned from his hamstring injury, but J.D. Drew's struggles and subsequent trip to the disabled list have effectively put those concerns in the rearview mirror. Barring a last-minute trade, anyway. I don't expect Reddick to maintain his current .358 batting average for the long haul, as his production has been buoyed by a rather unsustainable BABIP, but the 24-year-old makes for a solid buy in this juggernaut lineup.

Jeff Niemann SP, Rays (Yahoo: 17 percent owned, ESPN: 21.5 percent)

Niemann has really flipped the switch since returning from a lower back strain in June, posting a 2.23 ERA and 30/9 K/BB ratio over six starts. This includes allowing holding the Yankees and Cardinals to one run and striking out a career-high 10 over eight innings of shutout ball against the first-place Red Sox in the marathon Sunday night game on July 17. Niemann remains a durability risk in the long-term, but recommending him against the Mariners on Friday night is a relative no-brainer.

Jonathan Lucroy C, Brewers (Yahoo: 39 percent owned, ESPN: 45.4 percent)

Lucroy has predictably slowed down a bit from his BABIP-fueled hot start, but he remains a respectable option at a rather thin catcher position. The 25-year-old is batting .289 (11-for-38) since the All-Star break, though it's worth noting that all of his hits have been singles. Hey, I'm all about honesty here. Five of Lucroy's seven home runs came in the span of 17 games in May, so it would be unwise to expect much in the way of power, but if you're looking for an injury fill-in for Brian McCann, you could do much worse.

James McDonald SP, Pirates (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 4.1 percent)

Did you know that McDonald is 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings dating back to April 27? It's true. Even better, the 26-year-old right-hander has a 1.52 ERA and 32/10 K/BB ratio over his last five starts. Granted, McDonald has allowed far too many baserunners overall (1.54 WHIP, 4.28 BB/9) and hasn't completed seven innings in a start this season, but there's simply no reason why he should be available in so many leagues.

Chase Headley 3B, Padres (Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 49.2 percent)

Is Headley the most exciting fantasy option in the world? Of course not. But he has provided sneaky value at third base this season, despite slugging just three home runs in 333 at-bats. In addition to his .297 batting average and .384 on-base percentage, the 27-year-old is tied for third in the league with 27 doubles. This has led to a .789 OPS, which is better than other third sackers like Chipper Jones, Ty Wigginton, Placido Polanco, Danny Valencia and Alberto Callaspo, just to name a few. Assuming his recent calf issue is behind him, Headley is a good bet to sprinkle in a few more stolen bases the rest of the way. While I like him in deeper mixed leagues, he makes for a better target for those who have OBP and/or OPS as categories.

Erik Bedard SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 47.7 percent)

When Bedard went on the disabled list last month with a sprained left knee, the general consensus was that he would be back shortly after the All-Star break, allowing the Mariners plenty of time to showcase him to potential suitors. It hasn't worked out that way, as the oft-injured southpaw will finally rejoin the M's rotation Friday night against the Rays. Bedard will be on a limited pitch count in his return, but remember that he had a 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 85/26 K/BB over 15 starts prior to the injury. Hopefully there's still enough time for him to be rescued by a contender.

Jon Jay OF, Cardinals (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 12.4 percent)

We can safely call Jay one of the prominent "winners" in the Colby Rasmus deal, as he should see most of the playing time in center field moving forward. The 26-year-old is batting .311/.361/.439 with an .801 OPS this season and has hit safely in each of his last seven games. While Jay may not have the eventual upside of a player like Rasmus, he should do enough in the power and speed categories to warrant consideration in five-outfielder leagues.

Hideki Matsui UT, Athletics (Yahoo: 11 percent owned, ESPN: 16.4 percent)

I didn't think I would ever mention Matsui in another "Waiver Wired" again, but here we are. The 37-year-old is batting .444 (20-for-45) with three homers and 17 RBI in 11 games since the All-Star break. It's an incredible rate of production when you consider that he had six homers and 34 RBI over the first 76 games of the season.
It's unlikely he'll be able to duplicate his .309/.402/.554 batting line and .955 OPS from the second half last season, especially playing half of his games at O.co (seriously?) Coliseum, but plug him in your utility spot while he's hot.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in less than 10 percent of Y! and ESPN.com leagues)

Alex Cobb SP, Rays (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 6 percent)

The Rays were expected to send Cobb back to the minors when Wade Davis returned from the disabled list last week, but Joe Maddon elected to keep him around as part of a six-man rotation. The 23-year-old right-hander has impressed by posting a 2.57 ERA and 24/16 K/BB ratio over his first seven major league starts. While Cobb doesn't have overpowering stuff, he induces plenty of ground balls. And with a quality defense behind him, that is very good news for fantasy owners. Who knows how long the Rays will stick with this arrangement, but Cobb makes for a quality streaming option Saturday against the Mariners.

Jason Bourgeois OF, Astros (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 6.9 percent)

Say hello to the Astros' new No. 3 hitter. OK, not quite. Bourgeois only batted third Wednesday because Hunter Pence was out of the lineup. Still, the speedy outfielder should see more playing time moving forward. Astros manager Brad Mills said Monday that he will pick his spots for struggling rookie Brett Wallace, which means that we'll likely see more of Carlos Lee at first base and Bourgeois in left field. We all know what the 29-year-old is capable of doing when he gets the green light (17-for-22 in stolen base attempts this season), so hopefully he can stay healthy enough to take advantage of the opportunity. Keep an eye on him in deeper mixed formats.



AL ONLY

Brandon McCarthy SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 3 percent)

McCarthy has been up-and-down since returning from a stress reaction in his shoulder, but the overall numbers are very impressive. He has a 3.77 ERA and 23/6 K/BB ratio over 31 innings, which isn't all that far off from what he was doing before he originally went on the disabled list in May. The 28-year-old right-hander tossed eight innings of one-run ball against the Rays on Tuesday in what was arguably his best start of the season. He should be owned in all AL-only formats and comes recommended Sunday against the Twins.

Alejandro De Aza OF, White Sox (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

The White Sox sent a message to the slumping Alex Rios on Wednesday, sending him to the bench and calling up De Aza to replace him in center field. De Aza has a measly .242 batting average and .623 OPS over 198 major league at-bats, but he got off on the right foot by slugging a two-run homer in his first-at bat. I'm don't expect this arrangement to last very long, but the 27-year-old has always shown a capacity to steal bases in the minor leagues. He is worth using in AL-only leagues as along as he continues to play regularly.

Jake McGee RP, Rays (Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 7.5 percent)

McGee has been excellent since returning from the minors earlier this month, making six scoreless appearances while giving up two hits and posting a 6/2 K/BB ratio over four innings. The Rays are reportedly dangling Kyle Farnsworth in trade talks, so I'd stash the 24-year-old southpaw in case he gets a crack at he ninth-inning gig. By the way, don't pay too much attention to these ownership numbers. McGee was hyped as a sleeper during spring training, so I suspect he was left on the rosters of those who have ignored their fantasy team since the second week of the season. You know the type.

NL ONLY

Kyle Blanks OF, Padres (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

The Padres sent Anthony Rizzo back to the minors last week after he batted just .143 with 36 strikeouts over his first 96 at-bats, but the good news is that Blanks replaced him on the active roster. Blanks, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, was hitting .351/.421/.716 with 11 homers and 35 RBI over 152 plate appearances with Triple-A Tucson. The 24-year-old hasn't done much of anything so far, batting just .118 with nine strikeouts in 17 at-bats, but he's worth owning because of his power potential.

David Ross C, Braves (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

Losing Brian McCann to an oblique injury obviously hurts the Braves' lineup, but fortunately they have one of the better backup catchers in the league. Ross has experienced something of a renaissance late in his career, batting .287 with 13 homers and 65 RBI in 321 at-bats over the past three seasons. The 34-year-old backstop stepped in for McCann on Wednesday night and drove in only two runs of the game for the Braves, including the game-winner in the 10th inning. See, I do occasionally watch baseball games. Ross is a must pick-up in NL-only leagues and I could even see him getting some play in deeper mixed leagues.

Steve Lombardozzi 2B, Nationals (Yahoo: N/A, ESPN: N/A)

There are all sorts of trade rumors going on with the Nationals right now, whether we're talking about potential deals for Denard Span or B.J. Upton. One name we have heard mentioned in talks is shortstop Ian Desmond. If he is traded before the deadline, I believe we would see Danny Espinosa to move back to his natural position and Lombardozzi called up from the minors to play second base. Lombardozzi, 22, is batting .314/.367/.450 with seven homers, 40 RBI and 21 stolen bases between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse this season.
This is a complete speculative add, but it could pay off.

Collin Cowgill OF, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

The Diamondbacks promoted Cowgill from Triple-A Reno earlier this week after he was batting .354/.430/.554 with 13 homers, 70 RBI, 30 stolen bases and a .984 OPS over 456 plate appearances this season. Of course, Cowgill isn't the first player to put up monster numbers in the Pacific Coast League, so there is some room for skepticism, but he has shown solid patience and above-average speed during his ascent through the minor leagues. Those skills should be assets on the big league level right away. It's not clear how much he'll play over Gerardo Parra in left field, but he's a must pickup in NL-only formats.

Lucas Duda 1B/OF, Mets (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.4 percent)

It was only a matter of when. The Mets agreed to a deal on Wednesday that will send Carlos Beltran to the Giants for prospect right-hander Zack Wheeler. This move provides Duda with a clear path to playing time in right field. The 24-year-old is batting .276/.350/.455 with an .805 OPS over 140 plate appearances this season and looks to be breaking out of a prolonged power draught with two homers in his last five games. The Mets will likely give him a pretty long look with an eye toward 2012, so don't hesitate adding him where available.