Big Kid Adds (Week 3)

While the NFBC Main Event garners most of the attention, there are a handful of leagues with even larger entry fees ($2.5K to $15K). They are named “High Stakes Leagues,” and there are eleven 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

Alex Call (11): Projections love Call since he’s playing every game, leading off, and has seven games at the Pirates and Rockies. So far this season, he’s hitting .367/.500/.500 with 0 HR and 1 SB.

Chase Meidroth (8): The on-base machine (.437 OBP in ’25) doesn’t have much power (50% GB% in the minors) or speed. One category contributor.

Matt Mervis (8): Mervis played enough games at first base to lose the DH-only designation. His 5 HR have been a pleasant surprise.

Amed Rosario (8): With Abrams on the IL for a week or two, DeJong moved to shortstop and Rosario is now the third baseman. Roasario has been solid in 30 PA with a .310 AVG, 1 HR, and 1 SB.

Thomas Saggese (7): With Winn on the IL, Saggese should see more time in the middle infield … maybe. It has been two games with Winn out. Saggese played shortstop in one game, and Donovan started in the other two (against a lefty and righty).

Zac Veen (6): The Rockies promoted the top prospect, but in a short sample, the 23-year-old struggles to make contact (35% K%). Pitchers feed him high fastballs (73% seen), and he can’t do anything with them.

He has a 33% SwStr% against four-seamers and 24% SwStr% against sinkers.

Jake Meyers (6): Meyers has eight straight starts in center field with a .250 AVG, 0 HR, and 5 SB. He seems to have traded off some power (.141 ISO to .050 ISO) for more contact (23% K% to 20% K%).

Edouard Julien (6): The Twins face five righties this week, so Julien will play some, especially with Miranda getting demoted. With only nine of his 46 PA against lefties, his strikeout rate is down to 26% (34% in ’24), raising his batting average from .199 AVG to .256 AVG.

Miguel Andujar (6): Andujar is not a difference maker, but in these deeper formats, he’s a fine injury sub since he’s playing (seven straight starts) and hitting fine (.286 AVG, 1 HR).

Starling Marte (5): I’m at a loss as to why Marte was being added. Maybe it was because Jose Siri went on the IL, and Marte would move to centerfield. Marte hasn’t played more than two games in centerfield since 2021, and Tyrone Taylor would get the extra playing time.

Additionally, Marte wasn’t hitting with a career-high 28% K% leading to career-low .192 AVG.

Starting Pitchers

Easton Lucas (11): When one start can go wrong and change an entire pitcher’s narrative. Before Monday’s start, Lucas had a 0.00 ERA, 9.6 K/9, and 0.68 WHIP. He left with a 4.70 ERA (4.18 xFIP), 8.2 K/9, and 1.11 WHIP. His 33% GB% caught up with him. He allowed 3 HR after not allowing one in his previous two starts.

These three starts show what can be expected from him. If the fly balls stay in the yard, the low BABIP (.189 BABIP) will continue and few runs will be scored. But if they start flying out (1.8 HR), the home runs along with the walks (4.1 BB/9) will cause issues.

Bench streamer.

Chase Dollander (10): If a team needs strikeouts and a kick in the groin to their ratios, Dollander is the answer. His fastball (10.5% SwStr%, 59 BotStf, 101 Stuff+) may be one of the best in the game, but its swing-and-miss is nothing compared to his cutter and change. Here are the comps on those two pitches.

Both pitches project for a swinging-strike rate at or over 14%

On the other hand, the comps don’t like his slow curve so far. Most of the time, slower curves (~20 mph difference from his fastball, under 80 mph) aren’t as effective as ones thrown harder (duh).

Even with the strikeout potential, it’s tough to get behind an arm who rarely gets a Win and will have to play half his games in Colorado. When a pitcher finally does, then I’ll buy in.

Quinn Priester (10): As I stated in this past week’s Waiver Wire report:

Quinn Priester: A 55% GB% and 7.0 K/9 talent comps to the 2024 versions of Logan Webb and Cristopher Sánchez.

The 55% GB% is a lock with it being his career value. The key for him is getting the 7.5 K/9 with 8.4 K/9 being the league average for starters.

I think he could if he focused more on his good pitches. The sinker is a worm killer (career 64% GB%). His slider and change grade out as average by STUPH grades. My comps have them as 3.00 ERA pitches or better.

A must-roster to see if he can get to the strikeouts.

J.T. Ginn (10): Ginn was going to get a ton of love after his Saturday start (5 IP, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB) with his fastball up 2 mph. Ginn has a similar groundball profile to Priester (50% GB% in MLB career, 55% in ’24 minors, 62% in ’23 minors). The difference with Ginn is that he misses bats.

In 39 IP last season, his slider posted a 17% SwStr%, and his changeup came in with a 19% SwStr%. The STUPH disagreed with the results, but he was an interesting arm coming into the season. I was a little disappointed when Joey Estes made the rotation (15.43 ERA in ’24, career 5.66 ERA) for some unknown reason and Ginn ended up in the minors.

Edward Cabrera (8): I won’t add Cabrera for the simple reason that he walks too many batters (career 5.1 BB/9, 1.34 WHIP). A 1.34 WHIP does as much damage to a fantasy team as a 4.57 ERA. Even with his fastball up ~1 mph, I don’t want near my roster.

David Festa (7): He got hit around last season (.319 BABIP, 1.3 HR), which pushed his 4.90 ERA above his ERA estimators (~3.60). Besides adding a sinker that he’s thrown around 5% of the time, he’s using the same arsenal at the same velocity. Projections put his talent around a 4.00 ERA. I might have him a bit better, but he’s still worth adding.

Jose Quintana (5): Since 2022 Quintana has been the same 91-mph pitcher. Here are his K%-BB% and ERA for each season.

Season: K%-BB%
2022: 13%: 2.93
2023: 11%, 3.57
2024: 10%, 3.75

Maybe he got a little worse, but there is no breakout coming. He’s a nice floor play who should put up a 4.00 ERA, 7.0 K/9, and 1.25 WHIP. If those stats play in a league, add him. If not, leave him be.

Andrew Abbott (5): I’m not sure what to expect from Abbott, especially with his average fastball velocity down 1.5 mph (92.9 mph to 91.4 mph). A .091 BABIP kept his ERA in check for his first start. The issue with Abbot is that he’s an extreme fly ball pitcher. His career 31% GB is the lowest of anyone over the past three seasons (min 250 IP). There is a reason he has a 1.5 HR/9, especially in his homer-happy home park.

I’d not recommend a home run prone starter who just lost 1.5 mph.

Tyler Anderson (5): Like with Starling Marte, I have no idea what’s with the Anderson adds. It must be the 1.80 ERA even though all his ERA estimators are around 5.00. He walks the farm with a 5.7 BB/9 (38% Ball%, equiv 3.9 BB/9).

They must be hoping the 35-year-old will add velocity to his 89-mph fastball.

Jake Irvin (5): The 28-year-old righty has a decent two-step this week at Pittsburgh and at Colorado. The problem is that Irvin has been getting lit up (5.63 ERA, 4.65 xFIP, 1.50 WHIP) with his fastball velocity down 1.3 mph. Over the last two seasons, he struggled with home runs (1.4 HR/9) and it’s up to 2.3 HR/9 with his velocity down.

To get by, he’s going curveball heavy (36% usage) because it’s the only pitch that misses bats (13% SwStr%).

Relief Pitchers

Abner Uribe (8): With Trevor Megill (knee) banged up, managers speculated on the righty Uribe. Uribe has been getting most of the Hold chances. Usage pointed to him being next in line.

Calvin Faucher (6): He got a Save on Saturday after Anthony Bender seemed to have the job. Faucher struggles with as many walks as strikeouts (4) and a deserving 6.75 ERA.

Jason Foley (5): With no one grabbing the major league closer’s role, managers speculate that Foley (0.00 ERA, 12.2 K/9, 0.15 WHIP in AAA) will get promoted.

Hunter Gaddis (5): With Emmanuel Clase’s ERA up at 7.71 with one blown Save, these managers expected the Guardians to overreact and have Gaddis close. I don’t buy it.