Big Kid Adds (Week 11)

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 were originally named “High Stakes Leagues” and there are ten of them. With so much money on the line, these fantasy managers 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 leagues.

Batters

Eloy Jiménez (8): He’s about to begin his rehab assignment and will be able to join the team in a couple of weeks. For teams needing hitting (and have an open DH spot), he’s a no-brainer.

Jack Suwinski (7): Suwinski returned from AAA and slid into a great spot with the Pirates facing five righties this week with two of those games in Colorado.

Spencer Horwitz (6): Based on his 2024 season, I had the 26-year-old ranked as the second base hitter (158 wRC+) in AAA behind James Wood. He could be an elite contributor in batting average and walks leading to an elite on-base rate. While on base all the time, he contributes some speed and power.

For a comparison, here are his Steamer600 comps.

Not a great list but most are rosterable list if playing every game. On that note Horwitz might only be on the strong side of a platoon (five games, five righty starters, five starts). Here is a quote from the team on how they plan on utilizing him.

Schneider said the tentative plan is for Horwitz to split time 60/40 between second base and first base, with some games as the DH here and there. The left-handed-hitting Horwitz had good numbers against lefties in the Minors this year, but he’ll get most of his starts against right-handers for now.

An interesting bat but don’t become attached if the playing time starts to erode.

Wilmer Flores (6): Flores starts against every lefty and some righties. This week, four lefties starters were on the schedule (three over the weekend) so his demand was up. On the season, Flores is hitting just .218/.289/.335 with 4 HR and 0 SB (.228 BABIP). Over his career, he has shown a split but it’s not an extreme one (e.g. 200 point difference). A .805 OPS versus lefties and .729 versus righties.

Possibly part of the reason behind the add is that there are no decent corner infield options and he was the best one available.

Taylor Walls (6): The speedster returned from the IL and in seven games, started in five of them. While he can steal bases (2 so far this year, 22 in 349 PA last year) and is a good defender, he’s not a good hitter (career .592 OPS, .638 OPS last season, .508 OPS this year).

While Walls was out, José Caballero filled in and has been league average (100 wRC+), hitting .250/.309/.368 with 4 HR and 22 SB. Since Walls returned, Caballero has also started in five games with two being at third base and one at second base.

I’m not sure how this situation will work out, but with Walls struggling, Caballero might retake the shortstop job.

Ezequiel Duran (6): Started in 12 of the last 13 games while playing all four infield spots. True utility man. The playing will likely take a hit once Seager rejoins the lineup. On the season, Duran is hitting .271/.312/.347 with 2 HR and 1 SB.

It looks like he’s trading power for contact. After hitting 14 HR last season, his home runs are down because his groundball rate jumped from 40% to 49%. Additionally, his HardHit% dropped from 44% to 38%. He has been able to drop his strikeout rate from 27% to 23%.

Fine injury replacement.

Hunter Renfroe (5): These adds backfired. Renfroe was getting added because of his great June (.389/.421/.833, 2 HR) while starting in five of eight games. To start the week, his big toe got hit and the team thought it was broken. It was not broke but he’s still on the IL.

He was hitting .200/.273/.365 on the season and should be heading back to the waiver wire for the latest flavor of the week.

Justyn-Henry Malloy (5): The third base prospect has started in eight of nine games with all but one game being at DH. In 30 PA, he’s batting .217/.367/.522 with 2 HR. While he’s walking (17% BB%), a third of all his plate appearances have ended in a strikeout. He’s not swinging-and-missing (13% SwStr%) but being too patient with a 31% CStr%. A correctable problem.

If he continues to get regular playing time, he should be rostered in deeper leagues.

Starters

Note: As soon as a pitcher shows any signs of being decent, these managers immediately roster them. It’s cut throat if/when anyone pops up.

Cade Povich (6): The 24-year-old’s two starts could not have been more different. In the first, he allowed 6 ER with 4 BB and 2 K in 5.1 IP. In the second one, it was no runs or walks over 6 IP with 6 K.

One difference between the starts was him throwing his fastball 4% points fewer times. All metrics (results, STUPH) grade the 92 mph fastball well below average. It doesn’t miss bats or create fieldable contact.

His four secondaries have between a 14% and a 20% SwStr%, so he should throw them more. He could use his cutter as his fastball.

Going forward, he needs to throw strikes (2nd game) and figure out how to not throw a bad fastball as often.

One issue with Povich is that the Orioles have Dean Kremer about to come off the IL thereby pushing Povich back to the minors.

Miles Mikolas (6): A reasonable stretch where he had a two-step this week (vs PIT, at CHC) and a start against the Giants next week.

While he’s been a little home run prone (1.4 HR/9, 4.33 FIP), all signs point to a pitcher to stream against weaker competition.

Tobias Myers (5): I’m having a tough time determining Myers’s talent and usage.

He throws five pitches between 40% and 7%. His 93-mph fastball generates a decent number of flyballs (29%) easy outs (.238) and home runs (1.8 HR/9). Only his change posts a league average 15% SwStr% and is the only pitch our STUPH metrics think is above-average.

Even without a respectable repitore, he been decent with a 3.76 ERA (4.18 xFIP, 4.17 SIERA) and 1.16 WHIP. My personal projections have his talent level over a 4.50 ERA.

With no pitchers to add, Myers is a decent add.