Big Kid Adds (Week 21)

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 four or more of these leagues.

Batters

Trevor Story (9): The only reason Story wasn’t rostered was that he wasn’t available if wasn’t drafted in the NFBC.

In my TGFBI league, I drafted Story with my last pick and dropped him. I worked out that I was able to pick him up on the cheap a month early. I’m not sure if I’d do it again, but it is a strategy for players who could miss a good chunk of the season.

Ramón Laureano (7): Cleveland started the recently-released Athletic for five straight games. While he was decent during the juiced ball era, his career has been on a slow decline with just a .632 OPS this season (.501 with Cleveland). While he has the potential to provide double-digit home runs and stolen bases, his 30% K% will keep his batting average down (.210 this season). Bench streaming option at best.

Jon Singleton (7): The 31-year-old will get a one-week audition with the major league club with José Abreu on the IL. It’s tough to know what to expect from him since it has been eight years between major league appearances.

Luken Baker (6): I missed the news that Baker was promoted for the third time this season. In AAA this season, I have Baker as the league’s best hitter (.334/.439/.720, 33 HR, 0 SB in 380 PA). The 26-year-old improved his plate discipline from 2022 in AAA by over doubling his walk rate (7% to 16%) and cutting his strikeouts (25% to 20%).

The reason Baker’s playing time has been limited is that he can’t play defense and is limited to just being the DH. Another other issue tempering his demand is that he hit only against lefties, even though this season he crushed both-handed pitchers (1.254 vs LHP, 1.124 vs RHP). Finally, major league pitchers are only throwing him fastballs 35% of the time and so far he has 11 K in 24 PA.

Kyle Isbel (5): Over the last few weeks, Isbel started about 80% of the time. He has struggled this season with a .651 OPS and therefore Royals are batting him ninth. I suspect this is just a speed-only play since he has 6 SB in 222 PA.

J.P. Martinez (5): If Martinez can get full-time at-bats (three straight starts) with Texas, he’s an interesting option in roto leagues. Steamer projects him to be around a ~.650 OPS hitter but his stolen bases could make him stand out.

The three names to focus on are Taylor Walls, Johan Rojas, and Willi Castro. At times, all three are fantasy viable but their playing time can dry up.

Nelson Velázquez (5): Another high upside play, this time with power, with playing time being the biggest limitation. In AAA, he hit 16 HR to go with 5 HR in the majors. He sells out for the power with a near 30% K%.

If he does get on base, he will steal some bases (9 SB in AAA) with average speed (55th percentile Sprint Speed).

Jordan Diaz (5): Diaz might not have as much power as Velazquez, but he puts the ball in play more as seen by his .256 AVG (21% K%). He displays some power with his 8 HR (in 182 PA), 77th percentile maxEV, and 81st percentile avgEV.

Diaz has solidified himself in the lineup with starts in 12 of the next 13 games. Additionally, he is qualified at second and third base. At least a bench bat in all formats.

Akil Baddoo (5): Started in eight of 10 games while leading off in five of them. The add feels like the Isbel one, a manager hoping for some speed from a regular. In over 900 career PA, Baddoo has been just worse than an average hitter (.689 OPS, 92 wRC+) so playing time comes and goes.

Starters

Emerson Hancock (9): Managers took a shot on him and everyone will find out more with his two starts (@KC, @HOU). Here is what I wrote on Sunday about him.

Since he skipped AAA, the normal pitch information is missing, so we don’t have much to go on. He does have one MLB start so here are his pitch comps. Short answer, good secondaries, garbage fastballs.

Sinker

Four-seamer

Slider/Cutter

Change

Matthew Liberatore (8): What a difference one “signature” game makes. No one cared about him in his previous start where he had more walks (2) than strikeouts (1). What seems to be important are his 8 IP with 0 R and 7 K.

For the start, he leaned away from his four-seamer (8% SwStr%) and threw a slightly different (more spin, less drop) changeup more often (19% usage). I can’t ignore 80 IP of a 5.83 ERA (5.22 xFIP), 1.61 WHIP, and 6.5 K/9 because of one signature start.

Note: I’ve heard about his signature start on two separate podcasts and that is why to buy in. I’ve added it it to my to-do list.

Alex Faedo (7): Faedo got some love because of his two-start week (@MIN, @CLE). So far this season, he has been streamable with a 5.80 ERA (4.43 xFIP), 1.07 WHIP, and 7.8 K/9. Generally, his arsenal has remained constant but he leaned into his slider (19% SwStr%, 46% usage) in his last start.

Javier Assad (5): Assad threw as a long reliever for most of the season never going over four innings. In his last game, he started and threw 7 IP allowing one run with just two strikeouts. On the season, he has been OK with a 3.12 ERA (4.69 xFIP), 1.27 WHIP, and 6.7 K/9. Looking over his pitches, not one grades out even average with his slider being the best one at a 12% SwStr%. Probably most managers didn’t care so much about his talent and hope to stream him against the Royals this week and the Tigers next week.

Carlos Carrasco (5): A two-start play with games at Pittsburgh (3 IP, 5 K, 2 ER) and St. Louis. He has been horrible (6.40 ERA, 4.98 xFIP, 1.62 WHIP, and 6.6 K/9) all season with no signs of improvement.

Cole Irvin (5): If Irvin remains in the six-man rotation, his next two starts are at Oakland and home against Colorado. His full-season results are fine with a 8.5 K/9, 4.92 ERA (4.61 xFIP), and 1.42 WHIP.

He took off a bit since July 26th when he leaned into his cutter (20% usage, 14% SwStr%) which has been his #1 swing-and-miss pitch. The comps on it place it more as a slider.

The pitch is a nice addition and gives him more swing-and-miss as seen by his 11.1 K/9 since he introduced it. Worth a shot this late into the season.

Relievers

None