Alex Avila (C, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only Leagues, Mixed Leagues With Two Catcher Slots

ANALYSIS: Perhaps Alex Avila has been overlooked as a result of the strength of the team around him, but he has been a consistently solid contributor for the Tigers over the past five years. When healthy, he has good power for a catcher, having hit 19 homers in 464 at-bats in 2011. While he is just a career .259 hitter, he has a tendency to draw a ton of walks, so he gets on base a lot, and with the offense that surrounds him, he scores a lot a runs.

In 2014, Avila has crushed 10 long-balls in 307 at-bats while maintaining a .329 OBP. The 27-year-old currently owns a .283/.365/.384 triple slash line for the month of August, including six hits and four walks in his last 30 plate appearances. In reality, Avila should be owned in a lot more than 4% of Yahoo! Leagues. His power coupled with the lack of depth at the catcher position makes him a very intriguing fantasy option in AL-Only leagues and mixed leagues with two roster spots reserved for a catcher.