Big Kid Adds (9/14/22)

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even a larger entry fee ($2.5K to $15K). They get originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and this year there are nine of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers are going to try to gain any advantage. Most of the time, these managers will be a week or two ahead of everyone else on their adds. Here are the players and some information on the ones added in five or more of these leagues:

Davis Martin (7): The 25-year-old righty is an intriguing pitcher who might not draw too much attention with his 6.3 K/9 and ERA estimators in the mid-4.00’s.

The interest for him revolves around his start against Detroit and one of the game’s best sliders (24% SwStr%).

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Beisdes the slider, his 94-mph rising fastball is decent (6% SwStr%, 29% GB%). The problem, for now, is that his change (6% SwStr%) and curveball (5% SwStr%) have been garbage. He just needs to lean into his two main pitches and work on adding a league-average third offering during this offseason.

Tim Anderson (6): Anderson is expected to come off the IL (hand) later this week. In 351 PA this season, Anderson is hitting .301/.339/.395 with 6 HR and 13 SB.

Drey Jameson (6): More will be known on Jameson after he faces the Dodgers tonight, but he was decent in his major league debut. In seven innings, he didn’t allow any earned runs while striking out five Padres.

He came at hitters with a heavy fastball approach of both four-seamers (96-mph, 44% usage) and a sinker (83% GB%, 28% usage). Also he threw a slider (27% SwStr%) and change (0% SwStr%). Here are his pitch comps.

Four-seamer

Sinker

Slider

Change

The sinker is not great, but the four-seamer along with the two non-fastballs should give him a nice base going forward. The problem for this season is that he’s facing the Dodgers and then he might be out of the rotation. While not a 2022 option, he is definitely a 2023 draft-and-hold dart.

Edward Olivares (6): Olivares is back in the majors where he has hit .308/.364/.449 with 3 HR and 2 SB in 118 PA. He provides a balanced profile but playing time has always been an issue. In two games since being promoted, he has started both games against a righty and a lefty so there is hope.

Not much of a game changer but a decent late-season injury replacement.

Yonathan Daza (6): The Rockies have seven home games so Daza is in play (.325/.390/.411 at home this year).

Carlos Santana (6): Santana was likely added because he’s playing (eight straight starts) and the Mariners have seven games this week against the Royals and A’s.

Santana has not been on fire enough to warrant the add. Here are his monthly OPS values.

Month: OPS
Apr: .765
May: .762
Jun: .809
Jul: .828
Aug: .787
Sep: .789

That’s a range of .762 to .828… but of course, sometimes things just click and his 2-HR Monday immediately made it a viable pick for those who scooped him.

All told, he’s a streaming option depending on the league’s depth.

Zach McKinstry (5): McKinstry has always seemed like a quad-A player to me. He’s below average in every aspect of his game. The adds seemed to be based on a recent “hot” streak and decent playing time. Over the last two weeks, he’s hitting a respectable .257/.278/.571 with 2 HR. His full-season .651 OPS is not respectable.

As for playing time, he’s started in eight of the last 10 games with both times he’s sat, it was against a lefty. Being platooned makes sense. On the season, he has a .333 OPS against lefties and a .684 OPS against righties. The Cubs are scheduled to face six righties so he’s a reasonable fifth outfielder or bench bat for this week.

Alan Trejo (5): The rookie is getting a surprising run with the Rockies having started in 10 of the last 12 games. He’s been decent so far by hitting .269/.313/.436 with 3 HR in 83 PA. In AAA, he hit .296/.331/.551 with 16 HR and 2 SB in 293 PA.

One flaw to his profile is bad plate discipline. In AAA, he had a 3% BB% and 22% K%. In the majors so far it is 4% BB% and 25% K%. Pitchers can attack him in the zone since he has a 15% SwStr% against fastballs.

This will be the last week he is rosterable since the Rockies end the season on the road.

Aledmys Díaz (5): I don’t understand this add at all. At best, he’s playing half the time (started in three of the last six). He’s only hitting .257/.308/.438 with 12 HR and 1 SB in 286 PA. Those rates are reasonable if he’s playing every day, but not worth it for part-time at-bats.

Ignorable.

Domingo Acevedo (5): The 28-year-old righty has gotten the last two Save chances for the A’s. This season, he has ridden a .226 BABIP to a 0.99 WHIP and 3.45 ERA (3.97 xFIP).

With every closer in play, Acevedo is a must add.

There were fewer players added in five leagues compared to normal so here are some quick thoughts on the players added in four leagues.

Gavin Lux (4): While he’s hit fine (.796 OPS, 6 HR, 7 SB), he is still starting only half the time.

Dylan Moore (4): He just came off the IL and has made one start in center field. Has 16 SB on the season.

David Robertson (4): Possibly the Phillies closer.

Joey Wentz (4): One of my teams added Wentz. He has three reasonable starts coming up (at BAL, vs KC, vs MIN) while being decent as a starter (4.15 ERA, 3.79 xFIP, 7.8 K/9, 1.04 WHIP).