Big Kid Adds (Week 7)

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

Brett Baty (9): Baty heated up (1.263 OPS) in May, and it seems to have secured a spot at second or third base facing righties (career .674 OPS vs RHP, .459 OPS vs LHP). One issue is that the team continues to platoon him with 71 PA against righties and 6 PA against lefties

I can’t get too excited about a platoon bat with a career .627 OPS.

Tim Elko (9): The 26-year-old dominated AAA while batting .348/.431/.670 (.439 BABIP) with 10 HR. The first baseman had two major flaws that major league pitchers could exploit. First, he was striking out at a 29% clip. Additionally, he was hitting 48% of his batted balls on the ground. He’s pretty much a one-trick pony (power), and that profile can be seen in the majors with one of two hits in 14 PA being a home run.

Addison Barger (9): I liked Barger quite a bit when determining this weekend’s FAAB, but a zero-for-seven streak dropped his batting average from .241 to .213. While he has reworked his swing, he’s only batting .213/.273/.361 with 1 HR.

Also, Barger sat against four of the last five lefties. In 226 career PA against righties, he’s batting .212/.269/.376, and in 43 PA against lefties, it’s just .140/.178/.233.

Leody Taveras (8): I figured Taveras would end up in a platoon (career .672 OPS vs RHP, .614 vs LHP), but he got the start against the first lefty. The Mariners haven’t been able to pull the same Victor Robles change-of-scenery sorcery with Taveras. So far, he’s batting .167/.192/.208 with his new team. Volume play but nothing more.

Miguel Andujar (8): he started in nine straight games with seven coming at third base (nine total). On the season, he’s hitting .316/.344/.444 with 3 HR and 1 SB. Solid bench option, especially when he can cover two positions.

Hyeseong Kim 김혜성 (7): Kim was just promoted from AAA, where he hit .252/.328/.470 with 5 HR and 13 SB in 13 attempts. In 25 PA in the majors, he’s continued hitting (.360/.360/.480, 1 HR, 2 SB) while starting against righties. It’ll be interesting to see if he continues to start once Tommy Edman returns from the IL.

Yoán Moncada (7): Off the IL, playing (nine straight starts), and OK hitting (.226/.359/.453). In these deep leagues, that’s all a manager can ask for.

Evan Carter (6): The strikeouts are down (career 27% K%, 13% K% in 2025) for the 22-year-old. While he’s always shown power, 11 HR in 268 career PA, I’m surprised to see 7 SB over the same time frame. In just 31 PA, he seems to be trading away power (bat speed from 71.0 mph to 69.4 mph) for contact (78% Contact% to 83% Contact%). These trade-offs cancel each other and limit any overall improvement.

Tyrone Taylor (5): The light-hitting center fielder (.228/.279/.342, 1 HR, 4 SB) started in nine of the last 10 games.

Starters

Cade Horton (11): The 23-year-old was solid in AAA with a 1.24 ERA (3.16 xFIP), 0.86 WHIP (4.0 BB/9), and 10.2 K/9 and deserved all the waiver wire attention. His debut was a mixed bag with 5 K, 0 BB, and 3 ER in 4 IP. Normally, this line (2.72 xFIP), I’d be buying high, but his lack of pitches came back to bite him.

The righty threw his four-seamer (95 mph) and slider (19% SwStr%) a combined 93% of the time. Hitters caught onto him with a 2.60 FIP the first time through the order and a 6.60 FIP the second time. Horton might struggle similarly to Ben Brown since both rely on just two pitches.

Stephen Kolek (9): In two starts, Kolek’s been solid in a Framber Valdez sort of way. So far, Kolek has a 6.9 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 60% GB%. His 37% Ball% points to a 3.4 BB/9, so a little upward pressure with the walks.

He keeps hitters off guard with five pitches (36% to 10%). His sinker and four-seamer average 94 mph. One issue so far, none of his pitches has even an average swinging-strike rate with his best offering being his cutter (11% SwStr%, 10% usage).

Add now and monitor for continued results.

Landon Knack (8): So far this season, Knack is getting hit with the deadly combination of too many walks (3.9 BB/9) and home runs (1.5 HR/9), leading to a 5.89 ERA.

While his changeup is elite (22% SwStr%), none of his other pitches do anything. He throws his 94-mph four-seamer 47% of the time, and hitters have posted a .929 OPS against it. I don’t trust a changeup-only pitcher since they rarely work out.

Bryce Elder (5): Since his first three starts (7.20 ERA, 1.53 WHIP), Elder has a 3.10 ERA (3.54 xFIP), 7.1 K/9, and 1.25 WHIP. I went through his entire profile and found no changes. I’m valuing him as a 4.50 ERA talent going forward.

Kyle Harrison (5): I feel these Harrison stashes are a waste. In a 163 career IP, he has a 4.42 ERA (4.40 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 8.7 K/9, I don’t feel he has improved. His fastball velocity and strikeout are up in 4 IP (3 G), but this is expected with a move to the bullpen.

I don’t feel he’s worth rostering if he even makes the rotation.

Chris Paddack (5): A semi-acceptable streaming starter. Since his 2025 debut (9 ER in 3.1 IP), he has a 2.97 ERA (4.58 xFIP), 6.9 K/9, and 1.13 WHIP. No major changes. Streamer.

Jordan Hicks (5): He’s been unlucky with a .362 BABIP and 57% LOB% leading to a 6.55 ERA (3.67 xFIP). I guess that Hicks’s managers tired of his underperformance, dropped him, others spotted the low ERA estimators, and bought in. On Wednesday, the new Hicks managers were rewarded with 5 ER in just 2 IP.

His problem is that while his sinker has a 63% GB%, the defense behind has allowed a .368 BABIP on the pitch.

Relievers

Jordan Romano (8): Over his last six appearances, he has a 0.00 ERA (1.88 xFIP), 12.0 K/9, 0.50 WHIP, and 2 Saves. Romano may have regained the closer’s role

Jesus Tinoco (6): With the team’s last two Saves, Tinoco appears to be Miami’s closer. His results have disappointed this season with a 4.61 ERA (4.90 xFIP), 1.24 WHIP (4.0 BB/9), and 5.9 K/9.

One final point, every time I see Tinoco mentioned, all I can think of are the Hills of Tanchico.