$1 Ottoneu Targets

One of the most common questions I get is, “Who are you targeting for $1 at the end of auctions?” I find this to be a particularly tough question to answer. The guys I am hoping to get for $1 I am often willing to pay more for. And guys I sometimes think should be more only go for $1. But five of my leagues have completed drafts this season, so now I have data on who is available for $1 and who I like.

Here are the five players I have picked up for $1 in more than one league: Brock Stewart, Elehuris Montero, Frankie Montas, Robby Snelling, and Zack Littell.

The fun thing is, these guys all represent different types of $1 player I am looking at.

Brock Stewart: The $1 Reliever – Anyone who is familiar with my work knows that I hate to overspend on relievers, so I am always looking for guys I can nab for a buck and get good numbers from. Stewart took a long path to Ottoneu relevance. He was an intriguing SP prospect back in the day, but never cut it in MLB, struggling badly with…well, with everything. Then he dealt with injuries that kept him out of MLB until the Twins took a shot on him 2022, helped him work his way back, and were handsomely rewarded for their efforts in 2023. He changed his mechanics and his repertoire, added almost 5 MPH to his fastball, and was everything we want in an. Ottoneu RP. Low HR/9, high K, low BB. He was over 8 P/IP despite just 8 holds and 1 save in 28 appearances.

So why is he $1? The injury risk isn’t gone – he was on the 60-day last summer for an elbow injury. And 27.2 innings, as great as they were, could easily be an aberration if the homer issues come back or the strikeouts slip. But he’s a great bet for $1.

Other $1 Relievers I have picked up: Dauri Moreta, Gregory Santos, Garrett Crochet, Luke Little, Tim Mayza, Woo Suk Go

Elehuris Montero: I Do One Thing and I Do It Well – Montero is something of a fun power prospect, but like many a power prospect before him, he can struggle to make contact. But a funny thing happens to Montero in his home park. Coors is a special place and when he is in that special place, Montero strikes out a lot less (28.4% vs. 44.%), walks more (6.8% vs. 2.8%), hits for a lot more power (21.2% HR/FB rate and .231 ISO vs. 12.1% and .131), and generally goes from well below replacement level (.226 wOBA) to a star (.379 wOBA). He’s got a short track record, and there are a lot of possible outcomes here, including a drop in home BABIP (.396) that craters his home value. But Coors does inflate BABIP and for $1, I am going to buy in on Montero being a player I can slot in any time the Rockies are home.

Other I Do One Thing and I Do It Well players I have picked up for $1: Elias Diaz (mash at home), Jonah Heim (mash lefties).

Frankie Montas: He Might Help – Not every pick-up has to be about big upside or future potential or even guaranteed immediate impact. Sometimes you get deep into the draft, look at your roster, realize you might need someone who can just help out at a given spot, and start looking for guys who fit the bill. Montas is that. I have been a Montas fan for a while, and it is certainly possible he recaptures past glories, but there is a lot to be concerned about. The new home park won’t do him any favors. He hasn’t been effective in a while. He is coming off a significant injury. But, he is also the Reds Opening Day starter and as long as he is in the rotation, hey, he might help! Sometimes I grab a player like this and realize by Opening Day that they won’t help. Maybe they are terrible in spring, maybe they don’t make the roster. They become easy cuts when that happens. Sometimes they show more than expected and become upside plays. But in the meantime, sometimes you just need a dude who can fill a spot and help out a bit.

Other He Might Help players I have picked up for $1: Justin Foscue, Chris Paddack, Tyler Wells, JP Sears.

Zack Littell: Upside Plays – This sometimes bleeds into the group above, but for me they are different categories. The Montas group is guys I pick up because I need help more or less right now and want a guy I can slot in if needed. Maybe only sparingly, maybe not at all if my roster stays healthy, but I want that option. This category I pick up because I believe the player has a chance to be an impact player. He avoids walks, which is a nice base to start from, and with a little help from the Rays, if he can find a way for just a few more strikeouts, he can be really good. Is that likely? Maybe not. But I am not counting on him to contribute immediately, so I am willing to wait and see if he can deliver.

Other Upside Plays I have picked up for $1: Logan Allen, Andy Pages.

Robby Snelling: Under-Respected Prospects – What makes these prospects under-respected? Honestly, nothing except that I was able to get them for $1. I am not a huge fan of paying exorbitant prices on prospects because they carry so much risk. It’s not that I never do it, but I would rather use a final roster spot or two on prospects everyone else passed on at a $1 price than pay $8 for the hot new thing. This isn’t to say I want a $1 Snelling over a $3 Jackson Jobe or something. I’ll be in on Jobe in upcoming auctions. But if he starts going to $7, $8, $9, I am going to back off and happily wait until the endgame to see who falls to me at a much lower price.

Other Under-Respected Prospects I have picked up for $1: AJ Smith-Shawver, Brady House, Hurston Waldrep, Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams, Will Warren, Spencer Jones.

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So those are my $1 pickups, but there have been a total of 210 players picked up for $1 across my five drafts. Those players have been picked up 313 times among them. The table below lists all of those players, sorted by how many times they were added for $1.