Big Kid Adds (Week 6)

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

Alex Call (8): I’m guessing most of Call’s demand came from a single line on Razzball ($$):

With a low roster rate, Call was easily the highest ranked player who was widely available because of his upcoming seven game week. I would have never noticed the seven game week was against relatively weak starters without the help of weekly starter projections from Rotowire ($$).

While I might seem like I’m trying to sell the two paid services, the pair are the two services I’d pay for during the season. They are simply worth the money.

Eddie Rosario (7): In the eight games Atlanta has this week, they were scheduled to face seven righties. Historically, Rosario (career .788 OPS vs RHP, .704 OPS vs LHP) has been better against righties. I backed away a bit because I didn’t know for sure how the playing time was going to workout with Harris coming off the IL and Hilliard and Pillar now sharing playing time with Rosario. The player taking he biggest hit so far is Ozuna who has not started at DH since Harris’s return.

Henry Ramos라모스 (7): The 31-year-old journeymen has been a pleasant surprise by hitting .346/.433/.423 while playing everyday (seven straight starts). Right now he seems to just be a three category guy (AVG, Runs, RBI) since he has little power (50% GB%, .077 ISO, and 33rd percentile MaxEV) and an average runner (55th percentile Sprint Speed, no SB attempts). Upside on Benintendi.

Robbie Grossman (5): While I’ve had Grossman as a conditional bid, I wasn’t prioritizing him. The reason for managers targeting him was the three weekend games (just two total games in the week’s first half) when the team faces all lefties (career .787 OPS vs LHP, .700 OPS vs RHP). With most of my teams, I just didn’t have the roster space to make such move but all the power to those who did.

Ezequiel Duran (5): He’s started in eight of the last 10 games while playing all over (has 3B eligibility, 8 at SS, 7 at OF, 3 at 2B). Additionally, he’s been hitting (.302/.333/.444, 2 HR, 2 SB) fueled by a .395 BABIP (.258 xAVG). The 24-year-old set a new maxEV at 113 mph but it’s not all roses with him.

A 54% GB% will limit his power upside. Additionally, he has no plate discipline with a 27 K% and just 2% BB%. A fine bench bat in deeper formats, especially once he starts getting the additional position flexibility.

Orlando Arcia (5): Arcia plans on coming off the IL this weekend. Before going on the IL (wrist) he was hitting .333/.400/.511 fueled by a .394 BABIP. Depending on the teams, he’s likely a middle infield option or bench bat.

LaMonte Wade Jr. (5): Wade hits leadoff against righties and starts against a few lefties. While he might not be startable in the first half of the week (3 games, 1 vs LHP), the Giants are then scheduled to face nine righties in the next 10 days. On the season, Wade has hit .260/.443/.575 with six home runs. To top it off, he’s qualified at first and outfield.

Jesús Aguilar (5): Three home runs in the past week is driving his demand. While he has 5 HR and a .270 AVG on the season, he starts mainly against lefties. And how many lefties are the A’s supposed to face over the next two weeks? Of the 13 projected starters, just three are lefties and they aren’t grouped together.

Paul DeJong (5): Since being recalled from the the minors where he was hitting .353/.450/.618 with 2 HR, he has started in six of eight games. In the majors, he’s continued to hit (.348/.375/.696, 2HR) because of a .400 BABIP (career .278 BABIP). The 29-year-old’s contact rate is up about 4% points from last season helping with the bounce back.

Matt Vierling (5): With Kerry Carpenter on the IL, the 26-year-old Vierling will get a full run in the outfield. Vierling has been fine this season (1 HR, 3 SB, .284 AVG) as an accumulator whenever he is a regular starter.

Christian Arroyo (5): I have no idea how a half-time bat (four starts in the last ten games) had any demand. Hernandez was hurt over the weekend so Arroyo had to fill in at shortstop. It wasn’t a permanent move. Additionally, Arroyo has been struggling at the plate hitting .246/.290/.308 with 0 HR and 1 SB. I don’t follow.

Starters

Logan Allen (9): Tanner Bibee (8): Everyone else beat these two callups to death. I’ll ignore.

Louie Varland (9): With Mahle heading to the IL for a while, managers picked Varland up with the hope he’d take the rotation spot. In Varland’s first appearance, he left a good impression going six innings against the Yankees striking out eight batters but did allow three solo home runs.

The main reason behind the demand is a 116 Stuff+ with his fastball having a 122 Stuff+. The 96-mph fastball has a 7.5% SwStr% in AAA and here are its comps:

Not a bad list when deGrom, Ohtani, and Wheeler are on it.

In AAA, his change, cutter, and slider each had a swinging strike rate over 16% with his slider at 24%. His slider had a 109 Stuff+ and here are its comps.

There is Strider right at the top. The chance for a deGrom fastball and Strider slider should put Varland on everyone’s target list.

Yonny Chirinos (8): A straight streaming options against the Yankees (Brito) this week and Baltimore (Kremer) next week. Since he doesn’t strike anyone out (5.1 K/9), he need to continue not walking anyone either (1.3 BB/9). He’ll jump on and off rosters depending on his role and schedule.

Dane Dunning (7): Dunning will fill in for deGrom while he is on the IL (elbow). I’m just not sure Dunning is any good and who he’ll face. Dunning throws a 90-mph sinker that doesn’t miss bats but has a 50% GB%. As for missing bats, none of his other three pitches have a swinging-strike rate over 10% this year. In previous seasons, his slider and change were closer to a 15% Swstr%. The comps on the two pitches point to better results.

When Dunning had similar swing-and-miss numbers in previous season, his strikeout rate was around a 8 K/9 to 9 K/9. One key going forward is if his 2.2 BB/9 can stick or will he revert back to his career 3.4 BB/9.

Bryan Hoeing (5): He’s scheduled to face the Cubs this week. He’s been a two-pitch guy going with a sinker and slider. He’s never got any swing-and-miss (career 5.1 K/%, 6.5% SwStr%) and his career 3.4 BB/9 (3.1 this year) is two points to high for the low strikeout rate. I don’t understand the add.

Relievers

Yennier Cano (7): Cano has been perfect (no hits or walks allowed, one hit-by-pitch) with a 9.8 K/9 and 70% GB%. Walks have always hampered him in the past but he’s obviously got those under control. While he’s not the closer just yet, he’s snuck in two Saves.