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Fantasy baseball often boils down to which MLB players receive the appropriate opportunity to succeed. A talented player is useless without playing time or the right role, and favorable circumstances can elevate a middling contributor.

Week 11’s waiver-wire recommendations have always had the skills, but most only recently received the proper role. This includes two relievers instantly made relevant by save potential and a pair of first basemen who slugged their way into relevance.

Three prospects have also arrived in the majors—two for the second time this year. With their respected clubs expressing a commitment to making this stint last, they’re worth a look in all mixed leagues.

Then there are a couple of starting pitchers who have cemented their previously unstable rotation spots with a streak of strong outings. All of these players remain available in over half of Yahoo Sports leagues, but their ownership rates should skyrocket over the next few days.

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Two days into the 2016 MLB draft, a handful of franchises must hope fortune will favor the bold.

In a class lacking can’t-miss phenoms, teams searching for difference-makers were forced to roll the dice and accept a substantial amount of risk. Health hurdles, off-field issues and signing concerns caused top talents to plummet down the board until daring organizations swung for the fences.

A fair professor would wait until 2020 or later to grade all 30 teams. Looking back at 2013’s draft, everyone still gets an incomplete beside the Chicago Cubs, who earn an A-plus for snagging Kris Bryant with the No. 2 overall selection.

The internet, however, is not a fair place, so let’s jump the gun and assemble immediate assessments for each franchise. Full information is available on MLB.com.

Boldest Picks

San Diego Padres: SP Cal Quantrill (Pick No. 8)

Pitchers get hurt far too often for anyone’s liking. This could cause cautious teams to avoid spending precious draft capital on hurlers, but it could also add incentive to stockpile as many promising arms as possible.

Realizing nobody can avoid the inevitable, the San Diego Padres used their first pick on a pitcher who has already undergone Tommy John surgery.

Stanford’s Cal Quantrill sat out an entire season after undergoing the procedure to repair his pitching elbow on March 20, 2015. According to ESPN’s Keith Law, the righty could have gone far higher if not for that major setback:

He submitted a 2.57 ERA in 129.1 innings at Stanford, compiling 118 strikeouts to 42 walks. Per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, the Padres won’t have to wait around for his debut.

The Canadian prospect wisely didn’t risk returning and re-aggravating his throwing elbow before the draft. Yet it took guts for the Padres to spend a top-10 pick on someone who hasn’t pitched in nearly 15 months. Considering it also held the No. 24 and 25 picks, they must have felt someone else would have gladly taken the plunge instead.

Tommy John surgery is commonplace, and it has saved several careers, with pitchers returning without missing a beat. It’s also far from a perfect cure. For every Jose Fernandez and Stephen Strasburg there’s a Josh Johnson and Kerry Wood who never came back the same.

San Diego took the ultimate risk-reward gambit on a potential ace. Like many of the team’s past moves, it could pay major dividends or blow up in its face.

Boston Red Sox: SP Jason Groome (Pick No. 12)

Like Quantrill, Jason Groome was also once considered a legitimate candidate for the No. 1 pick. The Boston Red Sox landed the player with the highest ceiling when the high-school southpaw fell into their laps at No. 12.

It’s either the steal of the draft or a wasted selection.

Before the draft, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis reported the New Jersey native changed his college commitment from Vanderbilt to Chipola College, a junior college in Florida. By going to the two-year school, he can declare for the draft after his freshman or sophomore year. At a four-year university, he’d need to wait three years.

This maneuvering gives him signing leverage, as the 17-year-old can try again next year if Boston doesn’t meet his demands. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, he still wants to be paid like a top pick despite sliding outside the top 10:

MLB.com rated him as the class’ top prospect. Already a menacing presence on the mound, he wields a mid-90s heater and deadly curve that Law described as the best he has seen since Washington Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito.

Mitigating some risk, the Red Sox would receive a compensatory pick at the end of next year’s opening round if Groome doesn’t sign. It’s a chance worth taking for a potential star.

St. Louis Cardinals: SS Delvin Perez (Pick No. 23)

Delvin Perez is a top-tier talent once considered a probable top-five selection. After Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported he failed a drug test, he tumbled all the way to No. 23.

Some will call the St. Louis Cardinals shrewd for snagging the 17-year-old shortstop far below his original market value. Others, however, will raise an ethical red flag in protest of the Red Birds’ choice.

As seen in the video above, Harold Reynolds lambasted the Cardinals for the selection during MLB Network’s broadcast, calling it “a bad message for baseball.”

Per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak explained his organization’s thought process. 

“Our takeaway on this is that we understand he made a mistake,” Mozeliak said. “We understand that he realizes that this cost him a lot. But he also realizes that at 17, his future is still ahead of him. What we tried to decide basically is, ‘Are we willing to forgive?'”

St. Louis’ starting shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs three years ago, shortly before signing with the Cardinals. Nelson Cruz has become one of baseball’s best sluggers since his 50-game ban. Those veterans were given a second chance, so why blacklist a teenager?

Few critics will dislike this pick for reasons outside of his PED use. The Puerto Rican prospect brandishes an elite glove and quick bat that are advanced for his age. Let’s slow down with the Carlos Correa comparisons, but his talent proved enough that St. Louis was willing to handle the resulting backlash.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With unpredictability comes great opportunity for franchises to find hidden gems late in the 2016 MLB draft.

Some of the 77 players selected on Thursday night won’t stick in the majors. Others will never make it. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Matt Harvey and Chris Sale make 2010’s opening round one of the most star-studded classes in recent memory, but that group also includes Barrett Loux, Karsten Whitson and Michael Choice.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets found Jacob deGrom hiding in the ninth round. The following year, the Boston Red Sox stole Mookie Betts in the fifth. Plenty of talent remains available after the first day of drafting, which covered two of 40 total rounds.

Of course, identifying those undervalued players proves far tougher without the benefit of hindsight. Thirty teams employing bright and devoted baseball minds won’t all repeatedly pass on a prospect without good reason. Yet with so much volatility in MLB’s first-year selection process, a handful of undervalued studs will produce far beyond their draft slot’s typical expectations.

Still available heading into Friday, these players have the potential to make fools out of the league. 

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In an era of instant gratification, the MLB amateur draft takes a hit.

Few, if any, top prospects selected Thursday night will ascend to the majors over the next year. The top high school standouts—some of whom will forgo signing for college—will take years of seasoning before realizing their big league aspirations.

As a result, the MLB draft doesn’t receive the frenzied following of the NFL and NBA drafts. With team needs mattering far less and signability issues swaying decisions, mock drafts rise in difficulty.

Making matters tougher, this year’s class contains no surefire top pick for the Philadelphia Phillies to snag. Let’s take a look at how the opening round will unfold before highlighting some of this year’s top prospects.

A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida

If the Phillies reach for the highest ceiling, they’ll take A.J. Puk to open the draft. Despite the left-handed pitcher’s inconsistencies with the Florida Gators, he has the makings of a potential ace.

The 6’7″, 230-pound junior has registered 95 strikeouts over 70 innings this season, limiting opponents to a .195 batting average. But he has struggled with his command, issuing 31 walks and hitting eight batters. In his latest NCAA tournament start, he relinquished five runs in 4.1 frames.

A towering lefty with a heater in the high 90s, he’s a scout’s dream on the mound. Of course, measurables and stuff don’t always equal production.

If he never matures into a dependable starter, he could transform into a lethal weapon out of the bullpen. That’s not, however, what the Phillies should expect out of their No. 1 selection.

Andrew Miller, another 6’7″ lefty and highly touted prospect, found a second life as a reliever. This happened for his third team six years after he was selected No. 7 by the Detroit Tigers and flipped to the Miami Marlins for Miguel Cabrera. 

Craig Kimbrel, who was always viewed as a reliever, went in the third round. Philadelphia should only take the plunge on Puk if it’s confident of his starting potential. In a draft without any mouth-watering future superstars, his upside as a perennial 200-strikeout workhorse upstages the control concerns.

Nick Senzel, 3B, Tennessee

Investing premium picks on polished position players has worked well in recent years. Both Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto were drafted early in 2014 as college juniors, and they made their mark the following season. Among last year’s headliners, Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman and Andrew Benintendi have flashed star upside in the minors.

One of this year’s top college hitters, Nick Senzel could be the first 2016 draft pick to reach the big leagues. The third baseman has raked during his junior season in Tennessee, batting .352/.456/.595 with more doubles (25) than strikeouts (21).

One of the draft’s safest picks should secure a top-10 selection, but there’s little consensus on where he’ll fall. MLB.com’s Jim Callis has the Cincinnati Reds grabbing him with pick No. 2. Baseball America‘s John Manuel projects him falling to the Oakland Athletics four spots later.

Although the same was said of Swanson, last year’s No. 1 selection, Senzel lacks the lofty ceiling of such an early choice. He gradually displayed more power with the Volunteers, but he still finished with 13 homers over three years.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Gelb, Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano believes his player has the tools to provide more than gap power.

“Nick, right now, is more concerned with being a good hitter,” Serrano said. “He drives the ball to right center well. He’s got power to all fields. The power is there.”

Puk fell to Cincinnati in Manuel’s mock, but this simulation has Philadelphia taking the southpaw first. That prompts the Reds to take Senzel, who is a sensible replacement for the recently traded Todd Frazier at the hot corner.

Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer

Kyle Lewis murdered baseballs all year for Mercer, batting an incredible .395/.535/.731 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 61 games. Those video game numbers (assuming an expert is playing on rookie) earned him Baseball America’s 2016 College Player of the Year award.

The outfielder blended contact and power at elite levels while walking in 21.9 percent of his plate appearances. As he told Baseball America’s Jim Shonerd, he’s not operating like many burgeoning MLB stars: 

I’m not trying to go up there and just slug home runs and swing for the fences. I’m trying to put hard line drives in play consistently. I think that if you try to hit low line drives consistently that you’ll get the elevation and you’ll get some balls out of the park, and I’ve been able to do that. But I think that as an overall hitter, I try to just be a hitter for average.

If the Reds and Phillies pass, Lewis could become the latest Georgian native to stay home. According to FanRag Sports’ Tommy Stokke, the Atlanta Braves are in play to make a hometown selection once again:

The Braves haven’t picked a position player in the first round since 2010, so high school southpaw Jason Groome is also in play. Yet no organization is 100 percent attached to a particular approach, so look for Atlanta to expedite its rebuild by choosing Lewis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Never permanently discard an MLB player who doesn’t immediately offer fantasy baseball production.

One way or another, most waiver-wire recommendations are getting a second chance to meet previously higher expectations. This includes a player almost ditched before playing an official game.

Some former contributors on this list never met their potential, but they’re currently reaching new heights. It may feel like they have been around forever, but none of these forgotten players has celebrated his 30th birthday yet.

Three players headlining the list formerly generated electric buzz as top-ranked prospects. Even though nobody from the trio has turned 24, they somehow became old news before recent resurgences. Yes, this 25-year-old writer is willing to give another shot to professional baseball players in their early 20s who didn’t immediately mature into All-Stars.

The following players, all available in over 50 percent of Yahoo Sports leagues, can give fantasy gamers an extra jolt entering the second week of June. 

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By now, most fantasy baseball players hate their teams.

There’s a commonly cited notion of MLB clubs using Memorial Day as a reflection point. Two bad weeks isn’t enough to panic, but two months represents a more significant sample size. Fantasy managers often think the same way, ditching the “it’s still early” line when the calendar turns to June.

While gamers—especially those in rotisserie leagues—should have a grasp of their team’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s often still too early to write the book on individual players.

Last year, David Ortiz exited May hitting .224 with six home runs. Instead of everyone begging him to keep playing, critics were calling him washed up. From June 1 onward, he batted .296 with 31 homers.

Unable to harness psychic powers, fantasy players instead fixate on the current stats and assume nothing will change. It will. Slumping stars will figure it out, and unexpected phenoms will turn back into pumpkins. Not always, but the law of averages flaunts a strong track record.

Early June is a popular time for fantasy trading. Rather than falling for the flavor of the month, sell those whose value has peaked and target credible contributors at discount prices.

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Nearly one-third into the 2016 MLB season, fantasy baseball players have received plenty of reminders of the game’s cruelty.

Far too often, players take extreme detours without rhyme or reason. Remember when Gio Gonzalez allowed four earned runs over his first five starts? He has coughed up 19 in his last five outings. Anyone who picked up Mat Latos on April 25, when he boasted a 0.74 ERA, has watched his ERA balloon to 4.06.

The Ringer founder Bill Simmons uncovered the truth to fantasy sports when he tweeted that they “only exist to make us feel bad about ourselves.” He’s right. Take it from someone who expected big things from Michael Pineda.

Most of the following highlighted players are riding high, and some of those successes will inevitably prove all smoke and mirrors. Some may stick, and there’s hopefully a middle ground where these hot hands normalize into serviceable fantasy options.

All available in more than half of Yahoo Sports leagues, adding these players could make fantasy gamers feel smart for a change.

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We’re nearly two months into the 2016 MLB season, and several under-the-radar offseason moves have paid huge dividends beyond reasonable expectations.

With the way clubs spend for top talent, a star free agent will virtually never become a bargain. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija are pitching like aces after shaky 2015 seasons, but the San Francisco Giants paid them accordingly.

Yet a surprising amount of one-year deals are proving tremendously successful for both parties. After teams responded to their availability with crickets, these players have repaired their value with sizzling starts. Now, they’re poised to attract more suitors this winter.

Some trades have shown to be lopsided, especially two involving breakout young pitchers who are under team control for years. Those kinds of players aren’t typically cheap or easy to find.

Most of what have turned out to be the biggest offseason maneuvers drew little fanfare at the time. But they’re causing front offices to take a victory lap.

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When working the fantasy baseball waiver wire, it’s better to strike a week early than wait too long.

Injured players and prospects often get highlighted around these parts before MLB clubs activate them. By then, it’s usually too late, especially for a weekly column where all players must remain available in over half of Yahoo Sports leagues. 

While the aggressiveness has paid off for anybody who stashed Kevin Gausman, it proved premature for Anthony DeSclafani and Eduardo Rodriguez, who have yet to return from the disabled list. 

This week, a trio of middle infielders warrant consideration under this category. They probably won’t provide any return until June, but they won’t sit on the waiver wire for long.

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High expectations lead to grand disappointments. For an alarmingly high number of MLB stars slumping in 2016, small sample sizes also don’t help.

Any baseball player who sticks around long enough will endure a rough patch during his career. Most of these guys, however, are paid exorbitant salaries to avoid those ebbs and flows. It’s one thing when the No. 7 hitter or back-end starter labors, but the award-winning star and nine-figure investment are supposed to rise above human fallibility.

Even studs can conceal a tumultuous July, but a poor start sticks out like an original summer blockbuster not about superheroes. Look back to this list in October, and it shouldn’t be all gloom for these slumping stars.

Yet the disappointing players highlighted carry legitimate flaws that can’t be discredited as flukes. David Price could have frequented the list, as he opened his megadeal with the Boston Red Sox by posting a 6.00 ERA. He has struck out 65 batters over 48 innings while sporting a 2.55 fielding independent pitching (FIP), though, so he gets a pass since his struggles look reversible. 

Unfortunately for the following players, advanced stats can’t cover their blemishes. Approaching the one-quarter mark of 2016, they have yet to turn the corner on discouraging starts.

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