Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In the article, I cover the players using CBS’s and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now, while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. I start players being added at CBS who started the week on less than 40% of rosters.

The players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference, grouped by hitters, starters, and relievers.

Batters: I don’t see any difference makers coming. I’m sure there will be, but it seems like a season where the last two to three spots need to be streamed.

Ildemaro Vargas: Well, the hitting streak (24 games) finally came to an end for this season’s breakout/miracle (6 HR, .404 AVG). The key behind his breakout is lifting the ball a little more, going from a 58% GB% to 43% GB%.

Brooks Lee: Improvements across the board (more Contact%, lifting the ball more) have him with 5 HR, 2 SB, and .252 AVG

Nathan Church: While he’s struggling to hit for average (.236 AVG), he has 5 HR and 3 SB. He’s improved his Contact% and maxEV this season. Possible breakthrough.

Cole Young: A steady contributor (.276 AVG, 3 HR, 2 SB) who has started every game this season.

Nathaniel Lowe: Starting at DH every game with Eugenio Suárez on the IL. Lowe is hitting a .273 AVG with 5 HR. He’s been able to cut his strikeout rate from 26% to 16%.

Brayan Rocchio: Hitting a solid yet boring .279/.353/.404 with 3 HR and 2 SB.

Jung Hoo Lee 이정후: I was a little surprised to see Lee under the 40% roster threshold, but barely hitting home runs (2) with no stolen bases. His .298 AVG is a nice bonus.

Brandon Marsh: He started seeing time against left-handed pitching, but then got banged up. He’s been solid with a .304 AVG, 4 HR, and 3 SB. I’m a little worried the platoon will return.

Casey Schmitt: Starting while providing some batting average (.302 AVG) and power (4 HR).

Nasim Nuñez: If you need steals (14 SB), add Nunez. If you don’t need steals, ignore him (.525 OPS).

Travis Bazzana: In 13 PA so far, he hasn’t gotten a hit but has walked four times. I could see 15 to 20 home run and stolen base upside, but a major drain on a team’s batting average.

Jose Fernandez: He continues to hit (.322 AVG) and has 3 HR. He doesn’t have a set position to play, so he bounces around the field, thereby limiting his playing time.

Troy Johnston: While he could hit .300 since he plays half his games in Denver, he doesn’t hit for enough power. Over the last three seasons, he has not hit a ball over 108 mph, a bare minimum to show any home run power.

Carlos Cortes: Strong-side platoon bat has 4 HR and a .386 AVG (.390 BABIP).

Daniel Schneemann: A .429 BABIP and 64% Contact% are battling it to see who influences his .313 AVG the most. In addition to the batting average, he is hitting for some power (4 HR) and running (2 SB). And finally, he starts most of the time with eight starts in the last 10 games.

Hyeseong Kim 김혜성: Strong-side platoon bat who has stolen some bases (5 SB) with a .304 AVG.

Nick Gonzales: Volume play with a .333 AVG but 0 HR. He doesn’t lift the ball enough to hit many home runs.

Masyn Winn: While he’s only hit 1 HR, his profile has remained the same, 10 HR/10 SB and a .250 AVG. Maybe the stolen bases will tick up since he’s already stolen four.

Ronny Mauricio: He’s struggling with his plate discipline (35% K%, 0% BB%) in 29 PA. Had a .638 SLG in AAA but it’s down to .310 in the majors. I don’t know how to value him. Update: Headed to the IL, drop.

Jasson Domínguez: While he tore up AAA (.326/.415/.478, 3 HR, 8 SB), the production has not yet translated to the majors this season (.311 OPS). Could be a solid source of steals.

Edouard Julien: Strong-side platoon bat who is hitting a solid .289 with 2 HR and 2 SB.

Matt Shaw: Only five starts in the last 10 games. No matter his production (.289 AVG, 3 HR, 2 SB), he doesn’t have enough playing time to be fantasy-relevant.

Vaughn Grissom: Even though he’s cut this strikeout rate from 21% to 8%, he started only about half the time. Fantasy irrelevant.

Catchers

Luis Campusano: A .400 BABIP will make any hitter look great (.326 AVG, 3 HR). It’s only taken him five seasons to live up to the hype.

Pedro Pagés: Started in six of the last 10 games while hitting a respectable .261/.307/.435 with 3 HR and 2 SB on the season.

Hitting Prospects

Ryan Waldschmidt: In AAA, the 23-year-old outfielder is batting .293/.396/.491 with 3 HR and 5 SB in 140 PA.

George Lombard Jr.: Across two minor league levels (AA and AAA), the 20-year-old third baseman is batting .310/.402/.540 with 4 HR and 4 SB.

A.J. Ewing: Across two minor league levels (AA and AAA), the 21-year-old outfielder is batting .395/.515/.618 with 2 HR and 15 SB in 97 PA.

Franklin Arias: In AA, the 20-year-old shortstop is batting .375/.432/.764 with 8 HR and 2 SB in 81 PA.

Injured Hitters

Anthony Volpe: Hit .278/.325/.361 so far over his rehab assignment. He could be promoted any day.

Ha-Seong Kim 김하성: Currently on a rehab assignment in AA with just 5 PA so far. Could be a decent source of steals if he can secure full-time at-bats once promoted.

Starting Pitchers

Chase Dollander: Among the pitchers with at least 30 IP, his 23.1% K%-BB% ranks 11th in the league. I can understand fantasy managers don’t believe in a Colorado pitcher, but his results have been outstanding. As I write this, he has not thrown at home against the Braves. The expectation is that he’ll struggle, but if he holds his own, this will be the last chance to roster him. [Update: he struggled with 3 K, 3 BB, 6 ER in 5 IP. I still see him as the top add.]

Cade Cavalli: After struggling with walks over his first four starts (6.9 BB/9), he’s only walked two batters over the next three (1.2 BB/9). In those three starts (NYM, ATL, SFG), he has a 3.00 ERA (1.84 xFIP), 1.60 WHIP (.419 BABIP), and 15.0 K/9. I’d gamble on the last three games being real and prioritize him where available.

Sean Burke: While he has had his ups (8 K, 0 ER on Saturday) and downs (four-game stretch with 4.77 xFIP), he seems to have broken the 4.00 ERA talent barrier for many guys on the waiver wire and is a solid target.

Peter Lambert: While I’d like to see a lower walk rate (4.1 K/9), everything else looks good with a 3.52 ERA (3.54 xFIP), 1.24 WHIP, and 11.2 K/9. While I don’t 100% believe in him, he can’t be ignored.

Connor Prielipp: The strikeouts are there for him to be a solid pitcher, but a 29% GB (1.3 HR/9) and 3.2 BB/9 are preventing him from being elite. A 4.00 ERA talent … for now.

Chris Paddack: Everything he’s throwing is getting crushed (.337 BABIP, 1.6 HR/9, 6.11 ERA) while his ERA estimators (3.93 xFIP, 3.88 SIERA) and STUPH models (3.49 botERA, 103 Pitching+) point to an above-average pitcher. Gamble on upside here.

Kumar Rocker: There are no signs of breakout … just a fine pitcher. He’s upped his groundball rate to 56% and seems a solid 4.00 ERA talent right now.

Janson Junk: By limiting hard contact (0.6 HR/9, .248 BABIP), he’s getting by with a 5.7 K/9. Our STUPH models love him with a 3.26 botERA (14th best value among qualified pitchers) and a 110 Pitching+. With so many blah talents in this range, I moved Junk to the front of the pack based on those STUPH grades.

Foster Griffin: He’s not 2.67 ERA good (.233 BABIP, 90% LOB%), but he should be at least a waiver wire streamer. His projections and ERA estimators point to a 4.00 ERA pitcher.

Dustin May: His demand is from a two-start week. In his first start, he went 6 IP with 2 K, 2 BB, and 2 BB against the Pirates. I hoped for a step forward with his fastball velocity up 2 mph from last season, but his strikeout rate is down from 8.4 K/9 to 6.5 K/9. A .385 BABIP is inflating his 5.28 ERA (4.16 xFIP) and 1.53 WHIP (2.1 BB/9), so he seems to be a low-4.00 ERA pitcher.

Luis Severino: After a great start against Kansas City (7 IP, 8 K, 2 BB, 1 ER), he has two starts next week against Philadelphia and Baltimore. His early-season struggles stemmed from a 7.3 BB/9 over his first five starts. Over the last two, he has a 2.0 BB/9. I want to see how he does in the two-step before buying in.

Jake Irvin: He’s been a rollercoaster with his walks being the issue.

1, 2, 5, 3, 0, 0, 4

Overall, he’s struggled (4.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) but his ERA Estimators are closer to 4.00 (4.27 xFIP, 3.91 SIERA). Overall, he could be fine, but enjoy the ride.

Jake Bennett: In his MLB debut, the 25-year-old lasted 5 IP, allowing 1 ER, 3 K, and 2 BB. His changeup had a 23% SwStr% in the start. At this point, I can’t find a way to hate or like him, so he gets stuck in the middle.

JR Ritchie: His 2.92 ERA (.226 BABIP, 93% LOB%) is the only positive sign over this first two starts. He continues to struggle to find the plate (4.4 BB/9 in the majors, 4.3 BB/9 in AAA), and the low BABIP is the only thing keeping his WHIP in check. At best, I see a 4.50 ERA talent, but he could perform even worse.

Elmer Rodríguez: He struggled in his debut with more walks (4) than strikeouts (3). Since he didn’t immediately get demoted, it seems like he’ll get another start. Maybe bet on the upside but monitor with him on the bench.

Aaron Civale: A little bit of luck (82% LOB%, 0.9 HR/9, a career 1.3 HR/9) has him off to a nice start (3.23 ERA). I believe in his projections and ERA estimators that point to a 4.50 ERA arm.

Patrick Corbin: I don’t want Corbin to be a thing, but here we are. The projections hate him, but he’s pitching cromulently (3.65 ERA 4.24 xFIP, 1.26 WHIP, 7.3 K/9).

Jack Kochanowicz: A .233 BABIP is the only thing keeping him from being one of the league’s worst starters. Of the 98 starters with 30 IP, his 4.1 K%-BB% is the second worst (Simeon Woods Richardson at a 1.9% K%-BB%). The only item he can build off is a 61% GB%.

Kyle Leahy: I wondered why a solid 4.50 to 5.00 ERA talent was being added and I guessed right … a two start week (vs MIL, at SD). There is nothing to grasp onto with every trait getting worse (e.g., strikeouts, walks, velocity) as he tries to transition from relieving to starting.

Tomoyuki Sugano: Don’t buy the 2.84 ERA (90% LOB%, .240 BABIP). I know Dollander seems to be breaking the Rockies’ curse, but he’s doing it with good underlying numbers. Sugano is doing it with help from Jobu and an Ouija board.

Martín Pérez: He’s fine in a 4.25 ERA to 4.50 ERA kind of way. The biggest question mark surrounding him will be his role with Spencer Strider returning from the IL.

Brandon Young: He doesn’t miss enough bats (5.5 K/9) and walks way too many guys (3.1 BB/9) to be useful at this point (6.14 ERA, 5.28 xFIP, 1.64 WHIP).

Pitching Prospects

Logan Henderson: In AAA, the 24-year-old righty has a 1.02 ERA (3.55 xFIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9 in 17 IP.

Thomas White: In AAA, the 21-year-old lefty has a 2.41 ERA (3.14 xFIP), 1.07 WHIP, and 13.5 K/9 in 12 IP.

Kade Anderson: In AA, the 21-year-old lefty has a 0.48 ERA (2.07 xFIP), 0.70 WHIP, and 14.5 K/9 in 18 IP.

Robby Snelling: In AAA, the 22-year-old lefty has a 2.25 ERA (2.94 xFIP), 1.04 WHP, and 13.1 K/9 in 24 IP.

Anthony Eyanson: In High-A, the 21-year-old righty has a 0.54 ERA (0.93 xFIP), 0.36 WHIP, and 14.6 K/9 in 16 IP.

Injured Pitchers

Griffin Canning: Struggling with command (7.2 BB/9) in 15 IP at AAA.

Jared Jones: All I know right now is from this tweet:

Jared Jones is pitching for Low-A Bradenton tonight in his first rehab appearance. He just threw a 1-2-3 first inning. His final pitch of the frame was clocked at 101.1 mph.

— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) April 29, 2026

Lucas Giolito: Returning soon, and I have little to no expectation he’ll provide more fantasy value than three-quarters of the above ranking.

José Berríos: In his AAA rehab starts, his fastball velocity is down 1 mph, and he has as many walks as strikeouts (2).

Relief Pitchers: Saves-based ranks

Gus Varland: Good reliever who is the closer.

Jacob Latz: Below-average reliever who is the closer.

Jack Perkins: Great reliever who just might be the closer.

Gregory Soto: Great reliever who seems to be sharing the closer’s role.

Bryan King: Average reliever who is the closer for a few more weeks until Josh Hader comes off the IL.

Tyler Phillips: Good reliever who is now the closer with Pete Fairbanks on the IL.

Rico Garcia: Good reliever who could temporarily be the closer.

Andrew Kittredge: Good reliever who could temporarily be the closer.

Kyle Finnegan: Stepping in as the closer while Kenley Jansen deals with an injury.

Antonio Senzatela: Below-average reliever who is the backup closer, maybe even the closer. It’s the Rockies, does it really matter?

Ben Brown: Average reliever who could be the closer for a day or two until Daniel Palencia comes off the IL.

Sam Bachman: Average reliever who could be the closer.

Kody Funderburk: Average reliever who could be the closer.

Ryan Zeferjahn: Average reliever who could be the closer.

Justin Topa: Below-average reliever who could be the closer.

Calvin Faucher: Average reliever who is now the backup closer.

Erik Miller: Good reliever who could be the backup closer.

Keaton Winn: Good reliever who could be the backup closer.

Erik Sabrowski: Great reliever who is the backup closer.

Grant Taylor: Good reliever who is the backup closer.

Juan Morillo: Good reliever who is the backup closer.

Phil Maton: Good reliever who is a step or two away from closing.

Jason Adam: Good reliever who could be the backup closer.

Adrian Morejon: Good reliever who could be the backup closer.

Dylan Lee: Great reliever who is a step or two away from closing.

Tyler Rogers: Below-average reliever who might be the backup closer.

Ben Joyce: On the IL, but should return to a high-leverage role.

Tyler Kinley: Average reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

Aaron Ashby: Great reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

Anthony Nunez: Average reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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 Elite leagues (previously called High Stakes Leagues), and there are nine 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. Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Right Now (HRN) is a weekly Ottoneu feature focused on popular players currently being auctioned or players who you should think about auctioning in your Ottoneu leagues. Even if you don’t play Ottoneu, we’ll be highlighting players you should be looking at in deeper and keeper formats. In this feature, we will break down players into two sections:

1. Current Auctions: A closer look at players being auctioned at a high rate.
2. Hot Performers: Players with a high P/G or P/IP over the last 14 days who are also rostered in 80% of leagues or less.

The RotoGraphs Ottoneu team plans to run this feature weekly, updating fantasy managers on the biggest movers in Ottoneu leagues with an analysis of how these players could or could not help your roster.

Current Auctions

Carlos Cortes — 86 current auctions — 37.9% roster%

When Brent Rooker hit the IL with an oblique strain on April 9, Carlos Cortes was given the opportunity to get full-time at-bats as designated hitter and in the outfield corners. He ran with it, posting a .373/.407/.706 slash line (a 202 wRC+) in 15 games with four home runs. A longtime farm hand in the Mets organization, he really broke out after joining the Athletics last year; he posted a 138 wRC+ in Triple-A, his highest mark at any minor league level, and made his big league debut in late July and posted a 132 wRC+ in limited action down the stretch.

The most encouraging development this year has been a strikeout rate that’s fallen all the way to 6.0%. He’s running the highest contact rate of his professional career and lowered his chase rate by more than six points. And as you might suspect from his slash line, all that extra contact hasn’t been empty. His contact quality has been fantastic thus far, with a 52.6% hard hit rate and a 15.8% barrel rate. With a strong minor league track record behind him, the rest-of-season projections see him as a slightly above average hitter right now, but he’s already proven that the adjustments he’s made to his plate approach have increased his ceiling a fair bit higher than that.

Here’s the very best fact about Cortes: he’s a switch-thrower! He throws with his left hand when playing in the outfield and with his right if he’s playing in the infield. That fact has very little fantasy implications, but it’s incredible nonetheless. Based on this hot streak, Cortes should be given an opportunity to hold a full-time role even with Rooker activated off the IL. Lawrence Butler has shifted over to center field to accommodate Cortes in an outfield corner and I’m sure Rooker will see some time on the grass as well. It’s well worth adding Cortes to your Ottoneu team while he’s hot — I’ll admit, I started two of those current auctions in two of my leagues — and hopefully the changes to his plate approach stick through the rest of the season.

Jack Perkins — 49 current auctions — 24.2% roster%

The second Athletic to show up on this list, Jack Perkins is carving out an interesting role in the A’s bullpen this year. The high leverage pecking order for the Athletics was a bit of a mystery entering the season, and it still seems like it’s a bit of a committee approach for manager Mark Kotsay. Four different pitchers have earned a save — Joel Kuhnel leads the way with four — and seven different pitchers have a gmLI of 1.40 or higher. Of all those options, Perkins might have the best underlying skills; his strikeout-to-walk ratio has gone from 2.06 to 5.00 this year. Both of his saves have been multi-inning affairs as well. If I were picking a pitcher from this bullpen to add to my fantasy team, Perkins is the guy I’d want to target.

Antonio Senzatela — 48 current auctions — 31.5% roster%

I wrote about Senzatela in last week’s HRN. A week later, his roster% has doubled and he’s being auctioned in nearly 50 other leagues. Here’s a bit of what I wrote:

“It’s surprising, to say the least, to see that he’s struck out 32.7% of the batters he’s faced this year. Granted, he’s pitching out of the bullpen full-time now and throwing his fastball 2.5 mph harder as a result. He’s also added a hard cutter to his pitch mix and ditched his old slider. It’s also worth noting that all six of his outings have been multi-inning appearances — he’s using the stamina he had built up as a starter to thrive in a fireman-type role.”

He converted his second save of the season on Friday, though he failed to strike out multiple batters for the first time this year in both his outings last week. That dropped his strikeout rate to a mere 28.1%. He’s currently showing off the best skills of any pitcher in the Rockies bullpen, and the team is playing a lot more competitive games this year, giving him more high leverage opportunities than last year’s 119-loss squad.

Jacob Latz — 47 current auctions — 27.1% roster%

I wrote about Jakob Junis in this column a few weeks ago, but the Rangers closer role is still as much a committee as ever. The latest reliever to earn a save was Jacob Latz. On Saturday, Jakob with a ‘k’ pitched in the eighth inning while Jacob with a ‘c’ converted the save in the ninth. To his credit, Latz has been a solid arm in the Rangers ‘pen this year; he’s allowed just two runs so far while improving his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 2.05 to 4.33 this year. With the ninth inning role still a little murky in Texas, Latz has emerged as the guy with the best peripheral stats so far. That’s not to say that he’ll wind up as the closer moving forward, but he’ll definitely continue to see high leverage opportunities.

If I had to rank the three relievers above, I’d go with the order they appear in the article: Perkins, Senzatela, and then Latz. Perkins and Senzatela are neck and neck, though I think the A’s are a better ballclub which means the high leverage opportunities might come more often for Perkins.

Hot Performers
Players with a high P/G or P/IP over the last 14 days rostered in 80% of leagues or less.

Ildemaro Vargas — 9.5 FGPts/G (last 14 days) — 44.3% roster%

I almost wrote up Ildemaro Vargas in last week’s HRN, but I thought to myself, “surely his batting line will come crashing down any day now.” Instead, he crushed four home runs last week en route to winning NL Player of the Week honors. Vargas has now collected a hit in all 20 games he’s played this year and his .367/.383/.722 slash line (a 203 wRC+) is by far the best he’s ever produced.

Looking at his underlying batted ball metrics, there’s some cause for concern, though Vargas has made some adjustments in a few key areas. His expected wOBA is currently 85 points below his actual wOBA and he’s outperforming his expected slugging by 186 points. He’s improved his barrel rate by more than three points leading to a 31.6% HR/FB rate. The power production on contact doesn’t seem all that sustainable, but the adjustments he’s made to the attack angle of his swing have really propped up his batting average. Nearly 60% of his swings have come in the 5-20 degree ideal attack angle leading to a 29.9% line drive rate. It’ll be really hard to sustain a line drive rate that high for an entire season, so I suspect some regression is coming there too, but it’s clear he’s made an adjustment to try and elevate his batted balls to the pull side a lot more often. That’s a recipe for success for any light-hitting batter, and should improve Vargas’s floor, even if his ceiling might come crashing down any day now.

Davis Martin — 6.6 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 21.9% roster%

Davis Martin has quietly led the White Sox rotation with a 2.01 ERA in five starts this year. His latest gem was a 6.1 inning outing against the Diamondbacks where he allowed just a single run on six hits and a walk while striking out seven. He’s improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 2.17 to 3.71 this year, adding nearly five points to his strikeout rate while simultaneously cutting his walk rate to 5.9%.

Looking under the hood, there are a few things to note. He’s throwing in the zone more often than ever and the seventh highest rate of any qualified pitcher in baseball. That explains how he’s been able to drop his walk rate by more than two points. The strikeout rate improvement is a little harder to parse. The Stuff models are definitely not impressed with his arsenal, though I do think he benefits from having a deep six-pitch repertoire that he mixes well. His slider has a little more depth to it this year, too; an additional two inches of drop and three inches of horizontal movement. That breaking ball has returned a 57.1% whiff rate so far, a vast improvement over its previous norms.

While I don’t think he’ll maintain an ERA close to two for the rest of the season — his ERA estimators are in the high-three to mid-four range — I do think he’s made enough adjustments to have taken a small step forward from what he was during his first three seasons in the big leagues.

Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend.

Fantasy baseball managers know that our game is the ultimate test of grit, grind, tenacity, and patience. Unlike fantasy football, where league titles can be won with minimal in-season activity, fantasy baseball leagues require incessant attention and activity. Particularly when it comes to free agent adds and drops. Real-life baseball managers are constantly adjusting batting orders, players are frequently optioned to and promoted from the Minor Leagues, and injuries occur almost daily. There’s no resting on our laurels. We must always stay vigilant with league news and notes and remain active on the waiver wire if we want to win our leagues.

Every week, I’ll dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.

Week 5 Overview

Ildemaro Vargas continues to tear it up, out of nowhere. He lead all hitters with 12 RBI last week with his team only playing five games, albeit two of them in Mexico City. More on him later. Nolan Arenado had an incredible week as well, going 11-18 with a homer and seven runs scored. That two-game Mexico City series did not disappoint as the Diamondbacks and Padres combined to score 29 runs.

Since returning from Paternity Leave, Michael Harris II is slashing .429/.468/.786 with 4 HR and 13 RBI in 13 games. Talk about #DadPower.

A few notable hitters who hit the skids in Week 5: Willy Adames (1-22), Dillon Dingler (1-21), Luis Robert Jr. (1-15), Austin Riley (2-26), CJ Abrams (2-22) and Kyle Schwarber (3-27). Oneil Cruz only managed three hits (3-23), but two were home runs. Over the last two weeks, Ezequiel Tovar is 5-43 (.116) with no RBI. Already one of the biggest chasers of bad pitches and arguably the worst plate discipline among MLB regulars, Tovar’s YTD walk rate (2.7%) and strikeout rate (30%) are worse than ever before. There will be better days ahead, but managers in 12- and 10-team leagues should continue finding alternatives for their rosters.

Nasim Nuñez was the only player with five stolen bases last week, and is the current Major League leader (13). Right behind him are José Ramírez, José Caballero (11) and Oneil Cruz and Jakob Marsee (10). Nuñez has the lowest ISO (.012) among 180 qualified hitters.

It was another week where two-start pitchers’ wins hovered around weekly expectations. Among 30 starting pitchers with two starts last week (let’s include Sean Burke and Chase Dollander, who entered their second appearances early in the games), only three earned wins in both — Justin Wrobleski, Landen Roupp, and Spencer Arrighetti — a rate of 9.6%. Nolan McLean led all pitchers in strikeouts (17 in 11.2 IP), Dollander was second (16 in 13) and Kyle Harrison was third. Harrison only pitched three innings on Tuesday (3 Ks) before punching out 12 Pirates in six innings on Saturday.

Louis Varland was the only reliever with three saves in Week 5. Rockies Victor Vodnik got rocked for five runs on Thursday, and secured a clean save in one of the doubleheader contests against the Mets on Sunday.

Let’s dive into the top trending acquisitions for Fantrax (waivers) and the NFBC 12-team OC (blind bid FAAB):

 Roster % is the current percentage of leagues rostering the player

+/-  is the percentage of leagues the player was added in the previous week

Ildemaro Vargas was the top addition on Fantrax. He’s been the Diamondbacks top producer, leading them in HR (six), RBI (20) and in wRC+ (203), wOBA (.473), and ISO (.354). His power metrics are all below average — 87.6 mph EV, 37% hard-hit, 7.1% barrel. That barrel rate is nearly three times his career rate, as is his seven degree launch angle. He recently earned first base eligibility, as he’s made himself comfortable there in the absence of Carlos Santana. With Geraldo Perdomo out of Sunday’s lineup, Vargas had the opportunity to lead off for the first time this season and delivered in grand style — 3-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Vargas won’t finish the season as a top-three hitter in this offense, but could maintain an everyday (or almost everyday) role in this shallow lineup and deliver his best season. Though that shouldn’t be difficult considering he has never earned more than 303 plate appearances in a season.

The recent waiver pickup timing of Carlos Cortes is symbolic of the essence of fantasy baseball chaos. Cortes was a somewhat popular add before Week 4. The Athletics had seven home games, Brent Rooker was on the IL, and Cortes’ playing time was increasing, so the opportunity for production was ripe. Cortes went 3-16 with one run and one run batted in that week. Most managers dropped him before his epic Week 5 run of .542 (13-24), 4 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI. Now he’s popular again, but Rooker is back and Cortes will likely only make two starts, since the A’s are expected to face four lefty starters and Cortes doesn’t typically start against them. If you picked him up in weekly leagues, make sure you bench him for the week.

Nathan Church has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals. The left-handed-hitting 25-year-old rookie was an 11th-round draft pick in 2022 and produced between Double-A and Triple-A last season: .329/.386/.524, 13 HR, 16 SB in 385 PA (86 games). Church has been a mainstay against right-handed starters,, and has covered all three outfield positions, though he mainly plays left field. He stepped into the fantasy scene last week, going 8-19 with 4 HR, 7 RBI and a stolen base in six games, as the Cardinals faced all righties. He sports an 11.5% barrel rate, though his average exit velocity (86.6 mph) and hard-hit rate (38.5%) remain subpar. The Cardinals play seven this week and five of those matchups are against RHPs, though Church will be tested going up against the likes of Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, and Emmet Sheehan. His power/speed combo is intriguing for deeper leagues and he should not yet be on the radar for 12-teamers or shallower formats. Though, if matchups line up as they currently project, Church and the Cardinals should face seven RHPs the following week (Week 7, May 4 – May 10), though more tough tests are to come against studly Brewers and Padres arms.

% Lgs Added is the percentage of leagues that added the player (240 total leagues)

AWB stands for Average Winning Bid

This was a huge weekend for spending in NFBC managers, on par with last weekend when Noah Schultz and Spencer Arrighetti both earned triple-digit AWBs. The big ticket was Red Sox southpaw Payton Tolle, who dazzled in his 2026 debut, punching out 11 hitters in six innings from the Yankees on Thursday. The hulking (6’5”, 250) and famously mustachioed 23-year-old rocks a killer 97-mph four-seam fastball, and mixes in a cutter, curve and sinker, with an occasional changeup. He is locked in to face the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday, and has a good opportunity to remain with the big-league club even when Sonny Gray is activated. To keep Brayan Bello (9.00 ERA, 2.27 WHIP, 13% K, 11.3% BB in 22 IP) over Tolle in the rotation would be a travesty, but could be par for the course for a front office that just fired manager Alex Cora and is feeling the heat from their fanbase.

JR Ritchie had a strong career debut last Thursday. The Braves top pitching prospect boasting a 0.99 ERA over five Triple-A starts fired seven innings against the Nationals. Ritchie struck out seven, and gave up two walks and two runs on five hits (two home runs). The next day, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss confirmed that Ritchie would remain in the majors for now. His next start is confirmed for Wednesday, at home against the Tigers. The timing of Ritchie’s promotion and impressive debut was perfect. It was one of several factors that drove his fantasy free agent market price up over the weekend. Didier Fuentes struggled in his start the day before (and was subsequently optioned to Triple-A). Reynaldo López got shelled last Monday (4 ER in 1 IP), and on Sunday, it was announced that he would move to the bullpen to work on his mechanics. So, even with Spencer Strider’s upcoming activation off the IL, there is still an open rotation spot and clear opportunity for Ritchie to gain some momentum and lock himself into the rotation. I did not acquire Ritchie in any leagues this weekend, but would call myself a founding member of his fan club. I drafted him in my first 50-round NFBC Draft Champions back in November. I also drafted him in my live Main Event in Las Vegas and stashed him on my bench for the last 5.5 weeks. Who wants to pay retail anyway?

Jack Perkins is emerging as the Athletics most reliable bullpen option. After earning a save earlier in the week, Perkins impressed on Sunday by locking down a two-inning save. Middling veteran righty Joel Kuhnel ran into some trouble in two early-week appearances (6 H, 2 ER in 1.2 IP). In Sunday’s tilt against the Rangers, Kuhnel appeared in the fourth inning for banged-up starter J.T. Ginn. RosterResource currently displays Perkins, Kuhnel and lefty Hogan Harris as a committee. Though, Perkins is best suited to handle ninth inning duties, he’s an effective multi-inning arm who manager Mark Kotsay could easily deploy in various relief scenarios, including early innings. Perkins was my most-added RP, so I am ready to be hurt again. But I will not overreact to his usage this week and intent to stand firm with Perkins on my roster. Well, barring an 8-ER implosion or IL stint, of course.

Drop of the Week

This week, it’s a four-way tie between “closers” Edwin Díaz (LAD), Jordan Romano (LAA), Clayton Beeter (WSN), and Caleb Thielbar (CHC). Each stung in its own way — Díaz due to expectations and high-draft capital and Romano because of the ratio damage. Don’t be surprised to see more carnage next weekend in what is the craziest season for closers and saves in recent memory.

7:31	Jeff Zimmerman:

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Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In the article, I cover the players using CBS’s and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now, while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. I start players being added at CBS who started the week on less than 40% of rosters.

The players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference, grouped by hitters, starters, and relievers. Read the rest of this entry »

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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 Elite leagues (previously called High Stakes Leagues), and there are seven 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. Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Right Now (HRN) is a weekly Ottoneu feature focused on popular players currently being auctioned or players who you should think about auctioning in your Ottoneu leagues. Even if you don’t play Ottoneu, we’ll be highlighting players you should be looking at in deeper and keeper formats. In this feature, we will break down players into two sections:

1. Current Auctions: A closer look at players being auctioned at a high rate.
2. Hot Performers: Players with a high P/G or P/IP over the last 14 days who are also rostered in 80% of leagues or less.

The RotoGraphs Ottoneu team plans to run this feature weekly, updating fantasy managers on the biggest movers in Ottoneu leagues with an analysis of how these players could or could not help your roster.

Current Auctions

Caleb Thielbar — 50 current auctions — 19.2% roster%

The Cubs entire pitching staff has been decimated by injuries this year, and the bullpen has been hit particularly hard. Closer Daniel Palencia was placed on the IL last week with a strained oblique, joining fellow high leverage relievers Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey. That has opened up an opportunity for Caleb Thielbar to start earning some work in the ninth inning. He converted his first save of the season on Saturday and worked the top of the tenth inning on Sunday. From a skills perspective, Thielbar is striking batters out at close to a career high rate right now; his K% is up to 32.4% from 25.5% last year. His walk rate is also up pretty significantly because he’s throwing in the strike zone at a career-low rate. With so many other relievers on the shelf, Thielbar is essentially the last remaining high-leverage reliever in Chicago’s bullpen, so he’ll continue to get opportunities. I don’t love his peripherals right now and wouldn’t be surprised to see some hiccups before Palencia returns.

Josh Jung — 43 current auctions — 57.7% roster%

The injury bug has derailed any progress Josh Jung hoped to make after his breakout season in 2023. In 2024, it was a wrist fracture, and in ‘25, it was a minor neck injury, though it certainly seemed like the wrist was still an issue last year. He seems to be healthy to start this season and he’s suddenly producing at the plate again. Over his last 10 games, he’s collected 14 hits including two home runs and seven doubles. His underlying stats back it up too; his hard hit rate is at a career high, though oddly, he’s only barreled up one batted ball despite all those extra-base hits.

The most important development has been his career-high contact rate thus far. He’s always run a high strikeout rate but managed to offset all those swings and misses by pounding the ball back in 2023. Well, he’s cut his swinging strike rate by more than three points and increased his in-zone contact rate by nearly six points. He’s still chasing at a pretty high rate but when pitchers challenge him in the zone, he’s punishing the ball. That’s led to a much-improved walk-to-strikeout ratio and a lot more balls in play.

Jeremiah Jackson — 41 current auctions — 74.1% roster%

Over his last 10 games, Jeremiah Jackson has collected 14 hits including five home runs. An unheralded utility infielder, he made his debut last year and impressed in 48 games, posting a 117 wRC+ while playing solid defense at three positions. With Jackson Holliday sidelined by hamate surgery to start the year, Jackson has been filling in at second base full time and has run with the opportunity.

There are a couple of yellow flags for me right now. He only took his first walk of the season last Sunday and strikes out at a decently high rate. With all those batted balls in play, you might expect his BABIP to be high, but it’s currently .327, well within the realm of normal. Still, the hyper aggressive approach could lead to cold streaks when the balls aren’t falling in for hits. His batted ball quality is a bit of a mixed bag; his hard hit rate is 14 points lower than it was last year but he’s added nearly five points to his barrel rate. He’s pulling the ball more than half the time which is how he’s managed to maximize his contact despite hitting with less authority.

And then there’s the question of his playing time. Holliday is nearing a return from his injury — I’d guess within the next week or two — which means Jackson will probably be bumped from his everyday role into a utility role like he played last year. Jackson has played well enough, and there are enough holes in the Orioles lineup, that it’s certainly possible he’ll be an everyday player by bouncing from position to position each day. It’s something to monitor as Holliday gets closer to being activated off the IL.

Hot Performers
Players with a high P/G or P/IP over the last 14 days rostered in 80% of leagues or less.

Everson Pereira— 10.9 FGPts/G (last 14 days) — 5.3% roster%

Not so long ago, Everson Pereira was a well regarded prospect in the Yankees organization, though he did have significant concerns about his hit tool that prevented him ranking high on the team’s prospect list. He debuted in 2023, moved to the Rays in the Jose Caballero trade, and struck out way too much to have much of an impact in the big leagues. He latched on with the White Sox this offseason and has looked much more polished in limited playing time. He played in five games to start the season before spraining his ankle. He was activated off the IL last week and collected seven hits, two home runs, and three doubles in his first five games back in the big leagues. It’s only 10 games, but his strikeout rate is below 30% and his contact quality looks solid. It’s too early to make a determination about whether or not his hit tool has taken a step forward this year, but he’ll get a long look to prove he can stick in the majors with Chicago.

Antonio Senzatela — 8.3 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 15.5% roster%

I never expected to be writing about Antonio Senzatela in this column, but here we are. He’s been a long time member of the Rockies starting rotation, though his career ERA is over five and his career strikeout rate is just 14.7%. It’s surprising, to say the least, to see that he’s struck out 32.7% of the batters he’s faced this year. Granted, he’s pitching out of the bullpen full-time now and throwing his fastball 2.5 mph harder as a result. He’s also added a hard cutter to his pitch mix and ditched his old slider. He allowed his first run of the season on Sunday and is seeing high-ish leverage opportunities at the back of the Rockies bullpen. It’s also worth noting that all six of his outings have been multi-inning appearances — he’s using the stamina he had built up as a starter to thrive in a fireman-type role.

Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend.

Fantasy baseball managers know that our game is the ultimate test of grit, grind, tenacity, and patience. Unlike fantasy football, where league titles can be won with minimal in-season activity, fantasy baseball leagues require incessant attention and activity. Particularly when it comes to free agent adds and drops. Real-life baseball managers are constantly adjusting batting orders, players are frequently optioned to and promoted from the Minor Leagues, and injuries occur almost daily. There’s no resting on our laurels. We must always stay vigilant with league news and notes and remain active on the waiver wire if we want to win our leagues.

Every week, I’ll dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.

Week 4 Overview

There’s a new no. 1 hitter in 5×5 roto and it’s Yankees’ Ben Rice! Rice slashed .300/.423/.900 in 25 plate appearances last week, with 7 R, 4 HR, and 6 RBI.

Here are the top-ranked year-to-date hitters and pitchers in 12-team roto through four weeks:

José Ramírez had a massive week against the Cardinals and Orioles. He scored nine runs, hit four home runs and lead the Majors with five stolen bases.

Mike Trout and Aaron Judge led the week in power, with five dingers apiece. Hitters with four: Ramírez, Rice, Yordan Alvarez, Munetaka Murakami and Jeremiah Jackson. Murekami has gone deep in three straight games.

James Wood (hitter no. 8) batted .185 with a week-high 14 strikeouts in 27 at-bats, but hit two bombs and swiped two bags. Wood leads all hitters in strikeouts (35 in 22 games), but is only 14th in strikeout rate (32.4%) among qualified hitters. Matt Wallner (42%) and Hunter Goodman (39.8%) are the league leaders. Athletics’ Nick Kurtz was the only guy with double-digit walks last week (10). Kurtz has the highest walk rate (25.3%) among qualified hitters.

A surprising fact: Nico Hoerner is tied for the league lead in runs batted in (21) along with Yordan Alvarez and Andy Pages.

Among 35 starting pitchers who threw two starts, only three (8.5%) earned two wins: George Kirby, Gavin Williams and Michael King. Garrett Crochet allowed 15 earned runs in his two starts. Others who got crushed: Mike Burrows, Javier Assad (10 ER), Trevor Rogers, Ryne Nelson, Luis Severino (9), and Jeffrey Springs and Zack Littell (8). Jesús Luzardo and  Tyler Mahle allowed eight runs each, but in just one start each.

Mason Miller continues to dominate. He led the week with four saves (four appearances) with four strikeouts and just one hit and one walk allowed.

Let’s dive into the top trending acquisitions for Fantrax (waivers) and the NFBC 12-team OC (blind bid FAAB):

Roster % is the current percentage of leagues rostering the player; +/-  is the percentage of leagues the player was added in the previous week

Jeremiah Jackson was the most popular hitter addition in Fantrax following his breakout week: 27 PA – .346/.370/.846 – 4 R, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB. Jackson has earned 10 straight starts, taking advantage of playing time opportunities on an offense riddled with injuries (Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Tyler O’Neill, Adley Rutschman). A right-handed hitter, Jackson usually bats eighth or ninth against RHPs and fifth or sixth against LHPs. Jackson, who turned 26 on Opening Day, was a second-round draft pick of the Angels in 2018. The Angels traded him to the Mets for Dominic Leone at the 2023 trade deadline. Jackson signed with the Orioles as a free agent in 2025 and made his major league debut on August 1. Jackson stuck with the Orioles for the rest of the season, batting .273 with 5 HR and 21 RBI in 183 PA (48 games). He has carried over his success into his first full season. Though Jackson deserves full-time at-bats, he is likely to fall into a short-side platoon with Jackson Holliday at second base. Jackson (Jeremiah, not Holliday) can also play in the outfield, where he can step in for Colton Cowser against southpaws, to keep his bat in the lineup.

Spencer Arrighetti, Keider Montero and Justin Wrobleski were the top additions among starting pitchers. All three are slated to earn two starts in Week 5. Arrighetti had a sparkling 2026 debut (6 IP – 1 H – 1 ER – 10 K), though it was against the Rockies, at home. Wrobleski tossed eight scoreless innings with just two hits allowed against the Mets last Monday. He locks into a two-start week within this six-man rotation because the Dodgers play seven games. Montero will receive an extended opportunity in the Tigers rotation since 43-year-old Justin Verlander’s recovery is “going a little slower” than he or the Tigers anticipated (but we anticipated it, didn’t we?).

Daniel Schneemann is the quintessential example of Fool’s Gold — a below-average hitter who had a great week and is more likely to cool off and be dropped soon. Schneemann started 5-of-6 last week at second, third and shortstop, including one start against a lefty. The Guardians are slated to face six RHPs this week. That bodes well for his playing time, though he’ll face Arrighetti on Tuesday and tough Blue Jays arms (Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease) on the weekend.

% Lgs Added is the percentage of leagues that added the player (240 total leagues); AWB stands for Average Winning Bid

The tallest player in the Majors has arrived! All hail, 6’10” Noah Schultz! The heralded southpaw pitching prospect ran into trouble in his debut on Tuesday (3 H, 3 ER, 4 BB in 4.1 IP) against the Rays on Tuesday. He followed that up with a dominant start against the Athletics in Sacramento on Sunday (5 IP – 1 H – 1 ER – 1 BB – 6 K), the lone damage on a Darell Hernaiz home run. Schultz rocks a five-pitch mix (four-seamer, sinker, sweeper, cutter, changeup). His primary fastball averages 96.4 mph. He threw it at a 31.7% rate, mostly against right-handed batters. Schultz utilized his sinker and sweeper more for the lefties. He should remain on fantasy rosters of all formats as long as he stays healthy, though more rough starts are to be expected. His schedule lines up favorably the next few weeks: home against the Nationals, at Padres, at Angels, home against the Royals.

Fellow White Sox rookie Sam Antonacci was also promoted to the big club last week. His slow start may have slightly kept his AWB below $50 — he went 2-20 with two walks, two hit by pitches, one run and one stolen base. It would likely take more than just one more week of an ice-cold bat for him to be demoted, though it’s likely that he hits the bench against left-handed starters. Antonacci stole 48 bases on 58 attempts  in the minors last season. He did not make his Triple-A debut until 2026. He should be helpful in stolen bases and batting average once he gets acclimated. He should eventually earn the leadoff gig against RHPs.

Bryce Elder carries his 0.77 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through four starts into a two-start week against the Nationals (away) and Phillies (home). Elder doesn’t have a good fantasy reputation. The proverbial other shoe could drop in any start, but things look good under the hood. His .271 BABIP nor 2.74 FIP portend great luck, his hard-hit rate is way down (from 44.5% the last two seasons to 31.7% this season) and he’s only allowed one total barrel on 91 batters faced. Another positive is his control — Elder has maintained a sub-8% walk rate since 2024, which is 42 starts. There certainly are no guarantees that he sticks with the rotation all season, especially with Spencer Strider and eventually Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie joining, but he deserves to remain in it for now. It’s fair to have concerns about him in the back of our heads, though we probably have bigger things to worry about if we have Cole Ragans and Trevor Rogers on our squads.

Saves have been a huge point of frustration in roto leagues as bullpens have been ravaged. It’s not just the typical chaos among the lower-tier guys, it’s most of the studs except Mason Miller.

The RP2 during draft season, Edwin Díaz, elicited concerns after a rough inning on April 10 against the Rangers (four hits, one walk, three earned runs), had eight days off then got cooked by the Rockies on Sunday — a walk, three hits and three runs allowed without an out. It’s interesting that Alex Vesia procured a higher AWB in NFBC OCs than Tanner Scott ($28 to $23). It feels like fantasy managers there are box score watching, making assumptions for the immediate future because Vesia earned the two most recent saves. Vesia pitched the last two days and will likely be unavailable on Monday in Coors. Whether or not Díaz goes on the IL, even if it’s just a phantom stint, expect Scott to earn the bulk of the opportunities. He’s been terrific and has significant closer experience. I’m predicting a three-save week.

The other notable relievers acquired this week were Brad Keller (PHI), Joel Kuhnel (ATH), Caleb Thielbar (CHC), Enyel De Los Santos (HOU) and Louis Varland (TOR). Phillies manager Rob Thomson wants Keller to handle the bulk of save opportunities while Jhoan Duran (oblique strain) remains on the IL. A converted reliever, Keller enjoyed his official breakout year last season (2.07 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 27.2% K, 8% BB). He has nine punchouts, three walks and four earned runs allowed in nine appearances (8.2 innings). Fireballer lefty José Alvarado may earn opportunities as well, but Keller is the primary guy. Duran will likely need more than the minimum 15 days.

Thielbar is a 39-year-old veteran lefty with five career saves since 2013 until he stepped in to close out Saturday’s contest. Thielbar followed that up with a win as the pitcher of record in the 10th inning as the Cubs swept the Mets, handing them their 11th straight loss. The Cubs will be without closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) for a few weeks, who joins fellow relievers Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton on the IL, leaving the Cubs’ bullpen thin. Righty Ben Brown is their best reliever. He has mostly managed a multi-innings bridge role, though it wouldn’t be shocking to see him earn a save chance or two this week.

De Los Santos has stepped up as the Astros’ top righty in the bullpen with Bryan Abreu struggling badly. De Los Santos could a worthwhile interim closer as the team awaits Josh Hader’s return in three-to-four weeks.

Varland was mostly acquired as Jeff Hoffman insurance and as a common sense speculation pick with how badly Hoffman has been struggling. Varland has a 16:3 K:BB in 11 innings without allowing a run. Hoffman has 20 punchouts in 9.1 innings, but has already racked up three blown saves and eight runs allowed(six in his last two appearances). Blue Jays’ John Schneider doesn’t appear to be as worried as we are. I believe Schneider will give Hoffman the next save opportunity, but if he blows it, Varland would step in.

Drop of the Week

It may not feel great to click, but it makes sense for every fantasy manager without an available IL slot to drop Nick Pivetta. Pivetta was diagnosed with a right flexor strain earlier this week and Padres manager says that his rehab and rest time would be “weeks, maybe months”. There is reason to soak up a valuable bench spot on a pitcher who may or may not return before the All-Star break.

7:32	Jeff Zimmerman:

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