This has been a good week for those in the market for free agent hitters. An influx of young talent has provided a much-needed dose of excitement in an otherwise stale season for rookies and prospects in fantasy.

Andrew McCutchen and Gordon Beckham are the freshest faces to make their Major League debuts, joining Matt Wieters, Gerardo Parra, Chris Coghlan and Colby Rasmus, among others, in a select group of rookies worthy of fantasy consideration.

McCutchen graces our list below after getting off to a hot start as the new Pirates’ leadoff hitter. Colorado Rockies teammates Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes are swinging hot bats to gain serious consideration as additions to fantasy owners’ middle infields.

These are hitters available in a majority of mixed rotisserie leagues. We use ESPN.com as a baseline, only listing players available in at least 50 percent of standard leagues. Read more »

We’ve got a little bit of everything in this week’s free agents profiles, from catchers to middle infielders to corner infielders to outfielders. After all, few owners have the luxury of hitting the waiver wire simply looking for the best hitter available. Most of our needs are specific.

A couple of red-hot bats are available, specifically Orioles outfielder Luke Scott, who has six home runs in his last five games, and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who is hitting .396 over his last 15 games.

Cincinnati Reds utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. and Minnesota Twins outfielder Denard Span are more solid, long-term choices. Tampa Bay Rays infielder Willy Aybar is flying well below the radar, but demands a good, hard look in deeper mixed leagues. Read more »