Dan Hamilton-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 »

David Frerker-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

Nick Yorke — 76 current auctions — 11.1% roster%

A former top prospect, Nick Yorke has gotten off to a hot start this season after two failed cups of coffee in the big leagues the last two years. His carrying tool as a prospect was his bat. He’s got a discerning eye at the plate, great bat-to-ball skills, and above average raw power. He’s also got one of the weirdest batted ball distributions; his extreme inside-out style of hitting means he’s often peppering the opposite field with line drives and he struggles to get to his power in game situations. It also means he runs a pretty dramatic reverse split.

His hot start to the season looks pretty mixed under the hood. He’s been extremely patient, cutting his swing rate to just 42.3% while improving his in-zone contact rate to 97.8%. That’s a big reason why both his strikeout and walk rates have improved significantly. His hard hit rate is sitting right at 50%, but because of his swing, he’s pounding the ball into the ground and has collected just three extra-base hits. He’s getting regular time at third base in the middle of the Pirates lineup, so the opportunity is there, but I’m just not sure how high his ceiling is.

Sam Antonacci — 73 current auctions — 42.6% roster%

Sam Antonacci found the spotlight during Italy’s Cinderella run to the semifinals of the WBC this March. He blasted a home run off Nolan McLean in the upset victory over Team USA and played fantastic defense at short. He’s gotten off to a strong start in his first taste of Triple-A, slashing .289/.484/.444 through 13 games. With the trade of Lenyn Sosa on Monday, the White Sox have cleared some space on their big league roster, though Antonacci’s promotion hasn’t been officially announced. If he does make his debut, it’ll probably be as a utility player who will probably get pushed to the outfield because Chicago’s infield is pretty crowded at the moment.

Antonacci was ranked 11th on the White Sox top prospect list with a 40+ FV grade. He’s a speed and contact merchant without much game power — WBC homer notwithstanding. If he does end up getting called up — and if it doesn’t happen on Tuesday, it shouldn’t be long before he breaks into the big leagues — his utility for fantasy baseball might be a little limited. He’ll steal some bags which will help in 5×5 leagues, and his high on-base rate gives him a solid floor in points leagues, but he doesn’t have the high power ceiling like some of the other top prospects around baseball.

Angel Martínez — 66 current auctions — 21.3% roster%

Angel Martínez has struggled to establish himself in the big leagues thanks to a pretty dramatic platoon split, even as a switch hitter. He’s historically crushed left-handed pitching but struggled against right-handers. It’s significant, then, that his hot start this season has come primarily against right-handed pitching. He’s improved his contact rate to 88.3%, he’s lifting the ball to the pull side more often than ever, and he’s already set a new career high max exit velocity.

If Martínez has truly turned a corner against right-handed pitching, it would elevate him from simply a platoon outfielder to a bonafide everyday player. And with his improved contact rate and emphasis on getting to his pull-side power, we could be seeing the first inklings of a breakout season. The one thing I want to pump the breaks on is his contact quality. Right now, his hard hit rate is just 32.4%, which is a career high, but still well below league average. Yes, he’s putting the ball in play more often, and he’s pulling it in the air when he does, but there still isn’t much authority behind that contact.

Jakob Junis — 55 current auctions — 50.7% roster%

The Rangers bullpen was a bit of a mystery heading into the season. Robert Garcia had finished 2025 as the nominal closer but his skillset wasn’t really suited to the ninth inning. There were a bunch of new relievers in the fold this spring plus holdovers like Garcia, Chris Martin, and Cole Winn. After a few weeks of play, Jakob Junis has emerged as one of the most trusted relievers for Texas. He hasn’t allowed a run across eight innings and seven appearances, and he’s converted a save in his last three straight outings. His strikeout rate isn’t much to write home about, but he’s actually been a pretty solid reliever over the last couple of seasons. If you’re looking for a high-leverage reliever, Junis is a pretty good bet to hold onto that role in Texas as long as he continues to be effective.

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

Casey Schmitt — 10.5 FGPts/G (last 14 days) — 1.8% roster%

Casey Schmitt has been on a pretty insane heater over the last few weeks; he’s collected hits in seven of his last eight games, multiple hits in four of those games, and had a particularly great series in Baltimore last weekend where he picked up seven hits, a home run, and three doubles. As you’d expect for someone on such a hot streak, his BABIP is clearly unsustainable at .520. He has improved his contact quality significantly this season which is something to monitor. He’s getting regular playing time as the Giants’ designated hitter, and I’d expect that to continue until his bat cools off.

Jeffrey Springs — 8.1 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 47.2% roster%

Jeffrey Springs shocked everyone by holding the Yankees scoreless across seven innings in his last start last Thursday. He’s only allowed three runs total across his three starts this year, though his strikeout-to-walk ratio looks pretty normal for him. Most of his peripherals point to some looming regression — his SIERA is 3.97 and his xFIP is 3.91 — though his xERA is a tidy 2.19.

If you’re looking for a significant change to latch onto, you might consider his new arm angle. He’s raised his arm slot pretty significantly this year, and when combined with the extra half tick of velocity on his fastball, that means his heater is generating an extra 2.5 inches of IVB. All of his pitches are benefitting from some extra carry, leading to a ton of weak contact. His changeup has always been a fantastic swing-and-miss offering, but now he might have added contact management to his bag of tricks. It bears monitoring. I would be a little weary simply because his home ballpark is absolutely horrendous for pitchers, but he’s showing some early signs of improvement under the hood.

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 3 Overview

Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker smashed five dingers last week and now leads the Majors in home runs (seven).

Oneil Cruz and Jakob Marsee each stole three bases in Week 3 games. Cruz swiped six total bags last week and enters Week 4 tied with Drake Baldwin atop the FanGraphs 12-team Player Rater ($41.7).

James Wood earned 12 hits and walked six times (only 4 Ks) in 28 plate appearances. He slashed .545/.655/1.091 last week. The Nationals are scheduled to play seven games in each of the next two weeks.

A few hitters with rough weeks: Mark Vientos (0-17), Michael Busch (1-20), Munetaka Murakami (1-20, 9 Ks), Adolis García (1-20, 8 Ks), and Josh Naylor (1-19), whose batting average is down to .102 and has no extra-base hits.

Last week’s saves leaders (three apiece) were Lucas Erceg and popular waiver add, Jakob Junis. Last week’s popular add, Bryan Baker, earned two saves but served up three earned runs in three innings.

Starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Ryan Feltner gave up the most earned runs (10 each), though Scherzer pitched 4.1 innings and Feltner 9.1. Sandy Alcantara was roughed up by the Tigers (10 H, 7 ER in 6 IP) after three consecutive gems.

Of the 31 pitchers who drew two starts last week, five earned wins in both of their starts: Joe Ryan, Germán Márquez, Taj Bradley, Michael Wacha and José Soriano.

As we did last week, let’s review the top trending acquisitions for Fantrax (waivers) and the NFBC 12-team OC (blind bid FAAB), but let’s add in Yahoo’s top adds as well. Soriano is the early fantasy MVP and the top overall player on the Player Rater ($51.5).

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

Jorge Soler was added in 25% of Fantrax leagues. His roster percentage is only up to 68%, which seems low. A healthy Soler is a great source of power, though he’ll certainly do his part to drain our batting averages.

% Added is the percentage of leagues that added the player; AWB stands for average winning bid

Braves pitcher Didier Fuentes was awesome in spring training (13 IP, 1 ER, 18:1 K:BB) and has 15 strikeouts with five walks and one run allowed in two Triple-A starts. He drew the highest average winning bid among SPs in NFBC OCs ($52) though is still available in 3% of leagues. With Reynaldo Lopez’s suspension shortened and him slated to start on Tuesday, the Braves won’t need another starter until the following week. Those who acquired Fuentes hope that he joins the rotation then.

Relievers

Jakob Junis was the top target among relievers this weekend. He popped onto our radars on Monday when he earned a save. He did it again on Tuesday and once more Sunday, just a few hours ahead of Sunday evening’s FAAB deadline. Robert Garcia and Chris Martin were supposed to be the ninth-inning co-committee, but they played themselves out of future opportunities, at least for now. Righty Cole Winn and lefty Jacob Latz (converted reliever) have moved up in the hierarchy as late-inning setup men. Winn locked down his first career save on Wednesday and a hold on Sunday. Winn hasn’t allowed a run in eight appearances and sports a 14.8% swinging-strike rate. He has better stuff than Junis, but Junis has superb control (6% career walk rate) and is a dependable veteran who appears to be extending job security in this new role. He spent the bulk of his career as a starter. Over the last two seasons, as a reliever with the Giants and Guardians, Junis owns a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 20.1% K and 4.9% BB.

Riley O’Brien (added in 17% of Fantrax leagues) has been stellar this season — 4 SV, 1 W, 1.41 ERA (2.05 xFIP), 8 K with no walks or earned runs allowed in eight appearances.

Joel Kuhnel is a new face in the fantasy sphere and is potentially in the mix for save chances with the Athletics. He closed out Sunday’s contest (1-0 over the Mets), his second save of the season. Mark Leiter Jr. (Tuesday, March 31) and Hogan Harris (Thursday, April 9) are the only other relievers to earn saves for the A’s so far. Kuhnel is 31 years old and a big guy (6’5”, 290) who has one full season in the Majors (6.36 ERA in 58 IP with the Reds in 2022), but has otherwise toiled in the Minors for different organizations. Kuhnel and Harris (the bullpen’s only lefty) will likely share save opps in the short term. Justin Sterner is their most consistent reliever since 2025 (his rookie season) and could get into the mix of save chances soon. Kuhnel has more fantasy value in 15-team leagues and can be ignored in 10/12-teamers for now, especially with the A’s playing at home all week.

Starting Pitchers

Jeffrey Springs is almost three years removed from his Tommy John surgery. A converted starter, Springs had a dominant 2022 season (2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 26%K, 5.6% BB in 135.1 IP) before his 2023 season ended abruptly. He joined the A’s in 2025 and managed a 4.11 ERA (4.60 SIERA) in 171 innings, though his strikeout rate dipped under 20% for the first time. His arsenal isn’t overpowering, but his changeup is top-notch and he has always exhibited above-average control. Springs has pitched well through three starts (1.47, 0.76) though it won’t be all sunshine and rainbows this season. Springs has been lucky (.170 BABIP, 3.91 xFIP, 3.97 SIERA) and negative regression will undoubtedly rear its ugly head — specifically, in the 100+ degree Sacramento weather this summer. Springs hasn’t allowed a home run yet this season (1.47 HR/9 last season). He is slated to make his second and third home starts of the season this week, against the Rangers and White Sox. Springs could be a mainstay on 12-team rosters and maintain a sub-4.00 ERA for the season.

Joey Cantillo’s breakout doesn’t seem to be appreciated by the Yahoo community (only 38% rostered). The crafty lefty with the occasional case of the location yips has 20 strikeouts and seven walks through his first three starts (14.2 IP). His cutter and changeup are plus offerings. I don’t foresee Cantillo having issues maintaining his rotation spot with the Guardians, but I can’t say the same about a sub-10% walk rate.

Giants starter Landen Roupp is off to a nice start, and perhaps even a bit unlucky (.304 BABIP, 3.24 ERA vs. 2.67 xFIP, 2.95 SIERA). It’s unlikely that Roupp will end the season with an ERA better than 3.50, but it’s certainly possible. Roupp often issued too many free passes in his starts last season, so it’s nice to see his walk rate down (from 9.5% to 7.2%), albeit just three starts. He will likely have his hands full in the next two weeks. He is expected to face the Reds in Great American Ball Park on Wednesday and is lined up in the following week to face the Dodgers, at home.

Javier Assad may be one-and-done after this start in Philadelphia if Matthew Boyd remains on track to return this weekend.

Hitters

Nasim Nuñez is all speed and nothing else. Make sure you only add him on squads where you don’t already have Chandler Simpson or José Caballero.

Angel Martínez had an incredible week — 13-42, 7 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 SB, .310/.383/.452. He mostly starts and bats first or second against left-handed pitchers, but earned a start against a righty on Friday. Not sure we can call him an everyday player yet, so let’s see if he earns some starts against righties this week. When we added Martínez over the weekend, the Guardians were slated to face up 4 LHPs. That has since changed with the Orioles optioning lefty starter Cade Povich in favor of ol’ gascan righty, Dean Kremer. The Guardians may only square off against two lefty starters now.

Diamondbacks rookie Jose Fernandez has started six straight games, at first base, third base, and designated hitter. He has earned playing time with somewhat steady production and because of injuries to Pavin Smith and Carlos Santana. By the way, Fernandez was seven years old when Santana made him Major League debut.

Drop of the Week

It may be time to move on from Astros interim closer Bryan Abreu. Abreu did not allow a run in his appearance on Sunday, the first time in seven tries. His velocity drop is worrisome, lefty Bryan King has been exceptional, and Josh Hader may be back before the end of the month.

7:31	Jeff Zimmerman:

Read the rest of this entry »

Kyle Ross-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

Jordan Walker: Remains a must roster in all formats with the improved Contact% (66% to 70%) and fewer groundballs (48% to 36%).

Cole Young: Playing every game while hitting .265/.333/.469 with 2 HR.

Troy Johnston: Solid bat (.310/.356/.524, 2 HR) who is about to be first base qualified.

TJ Rumfield: The .371 BABIP won’t last, but he’s showing some solid production (.319/.377/.511, 2 HR).

Josh Bell: A solid contributor this season, hitting .289/.400/.578 with 3 HR.

Angel Martínez: Starting regularly while posting a .333 AVG (.385 BABIP), 1 HR, and 3 SB.

Brady House: Solid production (.277/.346/.468, 2 HR), and besides a .367 BABIP, nothing in his profile has changed from last year.

Mauricio Dubón: Added 1 mph to his bat speed and has as many Barrels (4) this season as last season.

Nick Gonzales: A .273 AVG with 1 SB and almost no power (.068 ISO).

Brandon Marsh: Solid start to the season (2 HR, 1 SB, .273 AVG), but on the strong side of an outfield platoon.

Jorge Soler (suspension coming, fighting): Normal high power (4 HR), low batting average (.240 AVG, 37% K%) self.

Max Muncy (ATH): Leaning on a .452 BABIP to keep up his stats while struggling to make contact (66% K%, 35% K%).

Mark Vientos: While he showed early signs of improvement, his Contact% is down from last year (70% to 67%).

Garrett Mitchell: Healthy, for now, and starting against righties. His .533 BABIP is masking a 39% K% (62% Contact%).

Kyle Isbel: Hitting an amazing .353/.405/.559 (.417 BABIP) with 2 HR and 4 SB. Continues to sit against lefties.

Nasim Nuñez: Stolen bases (7 SB) and nothing else (.184 AVG, .000 ISO).

Miguel Andujar: Part-time bat who has a solid .727 OPS on the season.

Javier Sanoja: Part-time everything who is taking advantage of a .433 BABIP (.371/.389/.457)

Juan Brito: Starting, but no steals or home runs in AAA or the majors.

Jonathan India: Two Barrels, two home runs. That’s it for positives. His power metrics (-3.5 mph avgEV, -6% HardHit%) and contact skills (-5.5% Contact%, +6.3% K%) are declining.

Amed Rosario: Short side platoon bat who is hitting for home runs (2 HR), but his underlying power metrics are on the decline.

Joey Loperfido: Strong-side platoon bat posting a .718 OPS with 1 SB (1 CS).

Luisangel Acuña: While stealing bases (4 SB), he’s struggling otherwise (.214/.244/.214).

Hyeseong Kim 김혜성: Part-time shortstop who should provide some steals (combined 27 SB last year).

Dominic Smith: The 31-year-old has a couple of early home runs, but I don’t believe he’s breaking out.

Catchers

Dillon Dingler: Solid option (.270/.386/.459) with 2 HR so far.

Liam Hicks: Worked on pulling flyballs and has 3 HR so far. Only starting against righties.

Gary Sánchez: Getting some starts at first base and DH helps with the volume. He’s hit 3 HR so far.

Nick Fortes: He’s not embarrassing himself by hitting .324/.359/.486 with 1 HR.

Danny Jansen: Strikeouts are up (32% K%), but still productive (.659 OPS)

Dalton Rushing: The 2.367 OPS (3 HR) is impressive, but he’s only had 10 PA so far.

Tyler Heineman: Playing a bit more with Kirk on the IL. I wonder if his demand is from his .353 AVG (.429 BABIP).

Hitting Prospects

Max Clark: In AAA, the 21-year-old outfielder is batting .413/.491/.630 with 0 HR and 6 SB in 57 PA.

Sam Antonacci: In AAA, the 23-year-old outfielder is batting .317/.491/.488 with 2 HR and 4 SB in 56 PA.

James Tibbs III: In AAA, the 23-year-old outfielder is batting .377/.450/.887 with 7 HR and 0 SB in 60 PA.

Charlie Condon: In AAA, the 22-year-old first baseman is batting .286/.405/.571 with 3 HR and 1 SB in 42 PA.

Starting Pitchers: For many of these arms, their talent is from the 3.75 to 4.50 ERA talent range. The key is to try to get the arms on the top end.

Landen Roupp: A pitcher with a 9.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 54% GB% is basically Logan Webb or Framber Valdez. Add Roupp in all leagues.

Sean Burke: He’s been elite in three starts so far (9.0 K/9, 1.07 WHIP, 3.60 ERA, 3.21 xFIP).

Lance McCullers Jr.: His results so far (2.57 xFIP) are a ways away from his STUPH models (4.70 botERA). The middle ground of a 3.60 ERA would be solid. Start him while he’s still healthy.

Bryce Elder: Small improvements across the board (strikeouts up, walks down, fastball usage down) have him as at least a bench streamer, and possibly someone who doesn’t leave the rotation.

Adrian Houser: The STUPH models love him (2.40 botERA, 114 Pitching+) and the results have been solid (3.61 xFIP, 56% GB% 2.4 BB/9). The strikeouts could be better (5.6 K/9), but a solid arm.

Eduardo Rodriguez: While he’s not missing any bats (5.5 K/9), he’s been able to generate weak contact (.222 BABIP, 0.5 HR/9) while keeping the ball on the ground (51% GB%).

Carmen Mlodzinski: The walks (3.8 BB/9) and WHIP (1.60 WHIP) are an issue, but otherwise, he looks like a solid breakout.

Janson Junk: Don’t let Junk’s Saturday start (4 ER in 5 IP) deter a person away from rostering him. During the start, he lowered his xFIP from 4.04 to 3.88. Buy the dip.

Steven Matz: His strikeouts jumped by not throwing his fastball as much (59% to 45%) while leaning into his changeup (16% SwStr%) and slider (17% SwStr%).

Keider Montero: He’s been solid so far with an 8.7 K/9, 1.74 ERA (3.52 xFIP), and 0.68 WHIP. A 3.50 ERA talent if he can keep the results up.

Jeffrey Springs: A 0.0 HR/9 and .170 BABIP will lead to great results (1.47 ERA, 0.76 WHIP). I’d value him as a high-3.00 ERA talent. Solid, not great.

Michael McGreevy: He’s been able to generate weak contact (.204 BABIP, 0.5 HR/9) with a fastball that’s lost over 2 mph. I don’t buy a breakout, but he’s still useful. A 4.00 ERA talent.

Colin Rea: Increased his groundball rate from 40% GB% to 53% GB% to push him near a 4.00 ERA talent. Streamer with little upside.

Foster Griffin: His results have been solid (2.70 ERA, 3.17 xFIP, 9.0 K/9, 1.30 WHIP) in 10 IP. He’s throwing seven pitches with the results >>>> than the STUPH models. I’ll value him around a 4.00 ERA talent, but I’m ready to move him up or down based on his next start.

Davis Martin: His strikeouts are up (6.6 K/9 to 7.5 K/9), and his walks are down (3.0 BB/9 to 2.0 BB/9), bringing his ERA estimators in the high 3.00’s. His slider has taken a step forward with a 21% SwStr%. I’m not confident the improvements will stick.

Rhett Lowder: His 3.31 ERA is his only positive trait. All his underlying metrics point to a 4.50 ERA arm. Gamble elsewhere.

Slade Cecconi: Home runs (1.7 HR/9) inflated his 5.74 ERA. Other metrics point to a low-to-mid-4.00 ERA talent.

Jack Kochanowicz: He’s generating groundballs (55% GB%) and walks (5.9 BB/9). With no home runs allowed and a .204 BABIP, his 3.24 ERA and 1.26 WHIP are respectable. One of the toughest guys to rank.

Zack Littell: A 3.60 ERA is covering up some horrible results, including a 1.50 WHIP, which does as much ratio damage as a 5.52 ERA. He’s going to need to start throwing strikes (4.5 BB/9), or he’s unrosterable.

Kyle Freeland: I don’t trust Rockies starters, but Freeland might be streamable on the road. He’s only throwing his fastball 26% of the time and leaning into a knuckle curve (16% SwStr%).

Reid Detmers: Walks remain an issue (3.5 BB/9, 1.28 WHIP) with his velocity down 2 mph. Career 4.89 ERA as a starter and a 4.60 ERA this year. I’m not falling for the trap.

Aaron Civale: A .154 BABIP is the only thing keeping him in the rotation, especially with little control (4.5 BB/9) and a slower fastball (92.2 mph to 91.2 mph).

Luis Gil: He struggled in his debut with more walks than strikeouts while allowing 3 ER over 4 IP. I’ll need to see more before buying in.

Andre Pallante: He has more walks (7) than strikeouts (5), but a 1.80 ERA (0.0 HR) has him on the up. Ignore and roster a talented arm.

Simeon Woods Richardson: There is nothing here to get excited about with his velocity and strikeouts down.

Tomoyuki Sugano: Another Rockies starter who had a 4.64 ERA (4.70 xFIP) last season for the Nationals. I’m not buying in yet.

Cade Povich: More walks than strikeouts in this season’s debut for a career 5.15 ERA pitcher. Pass.

Javier Assad: In over 300 career innings, Assad has an ERA a point or more lower than his ERA estimators (4.44 FIP, 4.56 xFIP).

Patrick Corbin: Over the last seven seasons (> 900 IP), Corbin has a 5.43 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. There is no reason to roster him.

Patrick Corbin will give you 150 IP each season if you like it or not

— Nate (@jetzzfan.bsky.social) April 10, 2026 at 6:31 PM

Eric Lauer 라우어: Over his last two starts, he has 8 BB in 7 IP. He looks lost and can’t be rostered at this point.

Justin Wrobleski: In over 9 IP, he has more walks (5) than strikeouts (4). I’d buy in, but his playing time is inconsistent, so I’ll observe from afar.

Brandon Williamson: I can’t consider rostering a starting pitcher who walked six batters over 4 IP. A 5.50 ERA talent.

Injured Starters

Joe Boyle [On the IL, will rerank when healthy]: A 39% LOB% puts him with a 5.17 ERA while all other metrics point to high-3.00 ERA talent since he’s dropped his walk rate from 4.9 BB/9 to 3.5 BB/9.

Pitching Prospects

Noah Schultz: In AAA, the 22-year-old lefty has a 1.29 ERA (2.25 xFIP), 0.43 WHIP, and 12.2 K/9 in 14 IP.

Didier Fuentes: In AAA, the 20-year-old righty has a 2.25 ERA (3.49 xFIP), 0.75 WHIP, and 9.0 K/9 in 9 IP.

Spencer Arrighetti: In AAA, the 26-year-old righty has a 1.26 ERA (3.49 xFIP), 0.77 WHIP, and 12.6 K/9 in 14 IP.

Payton Tolle: In AAA, the 23-year-old lefty has a 4.50 ERA (4.45 xFIP), 1.20 WHIP, and 11.7 K/9 in 10 IP.

Closers: Saves-based Ranks

Bryan Baker: Great reliever who is the closer.

Jakob Junis: Below-average reliever who is the closer.

Gregory Soto: Good reliever who is sharing the closing duties.

Bryan King: Good reliever who may be the closer.

Erik Sabrowski: Great reliever who is the backup closer.

Rico Garcia: Average reliever who is next in line for Saves.

Chase Silseth: Good reliever who might be next in line for Saves.

Tony Santillan: Good reliever who is next in line for Saves.

Aaron Ashby: Good reliever who is a couple of steps away from closing.

Graham Ashcraft: Good reliever who is a couple of steps away from closing.

Cole Winn: Average reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

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

Tim Hill: Below-average reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

Brock Burke: Good reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

AJ Blubaugh: Below-average reliever who is a few steps away from closing.

John E. Sokolowski-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. (I won’t include this section until we’re a few weeks into the regular season.)

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

Garrett Mitchell — 81 current auctions — 35.2% roster%

Garrett Mitchell has had a terrible time staying on the field, which in turn has affected his ability to progress in his development. He’s missed more than 400 games over the last three years thanks to a shoulder injury in 2023, a fractured finger in ‘24, and an oblique strain in ‘25. He’s healthy now, and currently raking for the Brewers to start the season. He’s collected multiple hits in three games already and has four extra-base hits in eight games (seven starts). Many of his underlying peripherals look promising too; his hard hit and barrel rates are well above his career norms and his walk rate is up nearly six points.

I’d caution you to pump the brakes a bit. Mitchell has always struggled with contact issues — his career strikeout rate is 34% — and it doesn’t seem like he’s solved that problem despite the improvement in contact quality. So far this year, he’s chasing more than ever, swinging less frequently, and making contact at just a 63.3% rate. Sure, the contact that he has made has been loud, but his plate approach just isn’t sustainable at this rate.

It’s all super small samples right now, and it’s very possible Mitchell will be able to figure out his contact rate issues. With the improvement in contact quality he’s shown, that would probably lead to a pretty significant breakout. I don’t think he’s there yet, and you might be stuck with paying for a hot start to the season without the foundation to back up the results.

Liam Hicks — 62 current auctions — 32.9% roster%

Unlike Mitchell, Liam Hicks already had a solid plate approach established but simply lacked the ability to make authoritative contact. Last year, Hicks ranked in the 91st percentile in whiff rate and the 98th percentile in chase rate, leading to a solid 14.4% strikeout rate and a 11.0% walk rate. Unfortunately, his hard hit rate was 16th worst in baseball and his EV90 was just a hair better at 17th worst.

This year, he’s reworked his swing to add a big leg kick and the results have been dramatically different. His swing speed is up two miles per hour, his hard hit and barrel rates are significantly improved, and his approach looks just as solid as it did last year — he hasn’t whiffed a single time in eight games! The results speak for themselves; he’s blasted three home runs already and is currently sporting a 214 wRC+ with just a .238 BABIP and a .495 expected wOBA. It really seems like the changes he made to his swing have unlocked a new ceiling for him.

What makes Hicks even more exciting from a fantasy standpoint is that he’s eligible at catcher and he’s picking up playing time at first base when he’s not behind the plate. The one thing to monitor is his platoon usage; he’s sat against four of the five left-handed starters the Marlins have faced so far.

James Tibbs III — 57 current auctions — 14.5% roster%

James Tibbs III is getting some attention because he blasted seven home runs in his first nine games at Triple-A this year. He bounced through three organizations last year — he was included in the Rafael Devers trade in June and then in the Dustin May trade in July — and finally landed with the Dodgers to close out the year. As the results indicate, Tibbs has monstrous power from the left side and a pretty good plate approach to support the raw power. His issue as a prospect — and the reason why he was flipped twice in the span of two months — is that he doesn’t really have a defensive home. He’s been used in right field and at first base after joining Los Angeles’s farm system, and it’s likely he’ll make his way to the majors as a bat-first, platoon outfielder. Unfortunately, the Dodgers have a pretty crowded big league roster, particularly at the positions best suited for a player like Tibbs. Yes, he’s currently raking in the minors, but the path to a major league debut is pretty murky right now.

Bryce Elder — 56 current auctions — 7.6% roster%

It’s hard to notice beneath his ugly season stat line, but Bryce Elder actually finished 2025 on a hot streak. Over his final seven outings last year, he ran a 2.82 ERA and a 3.30 FIP, backed by a fantastic 18.6% K-BB%. The key to his success in those final outings down the stretch was a fastball that had a little extra oomph behind it and a slider that had a few extra inches of sink to it.

Fast forward to this year and he’s continued his run of success with two excellent starts. His fastball velocity has fallen back towards his career norms, but his approach and pitch mix look a little different. Adding a cutter to his pitch mix was actually Greg Maddux’s idea — maybe Elder’s improvement this year can be traced back to his conversations with the Hall of Famer back in 2024 — and he’s used the new pitch to attack left-handed batters. That’s allowed him to cut back on the usage of his sinker, and he’s now throwing his slider as his primary pitch. That breaking ball still features the additional vertical movement he added late last year and the pitch has limited batters to a .116 expected wOBA so far. Elder still has excellent command of his repertoire, though Stuff+ isn’t necessarily enamoured with his arsenal despite the tweaks. He isn’t a guy who is going to overpower batters with raw stuff anyway, and he was an All-Star back in 2023, so there’s at least some history of success with his approach.

With starting pitching always difficult to find, I’m interested in seeing if Elder has actually taken a significant step forward with all these changes to his mix and pitch characteristics. He’ll get plenty of runway to prove himself with all the injuries in Atlanta’s starting rotation.

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 2 Overview

The hottest hitters of the week were Andy Pages (.583 – 2 HR – 7 RBI), Yordan Alvarez (.471-3-8), Oneil Cruz (.360-4-10), Ben Rice (.421-3-9), CJ Abrams (.333-3-10) and Drake Baldwin (.310-2-10). Luisangel Acuña was the only player with four stolen bases. Four consensus first round hitters have yet to hit a home run (Bobby Witt Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Fernando Tatis Jr.). Second-rounders Cal Raleigh and Nick Kurtz have yet to homer as well. It’s a long season, they will be alright. Of the 30 starting pitchers who made two starts in Week 2, 10% (three) earned two wins – Clay Holmes, Michael Soroka and Davis Martin. I’ve tracked two-start pitcher data the last few seasons, and that 10% rate is on par with average week over the last three seasons, usually hovering between 6% and 18% most weeks. Be wary about chasing wins with below-average starting pitchers this early in the season. As the data shows, locking in two wins without crushing the ratios is hard enough for above-average starters. Be particularly careful with mediocre or below-average 2x SPs whose first start is on a Tuesday. Sometimes weather will push their start back until the following week. Occasionally, those pitchers are pulled out of the rotation or demoted if they had a rough first start. Oftentimes, that is for the better to avoid further fantasy ERA/WHIP damage.

As we did last week, let’s review 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

% Added is the percentage of leagues that added the player; AWB stands for average winning bid

Jordan Walker has been a disappointment since his rookie season. Despite positive offseason reports about adjustments made at Driveline, Walker struggled in spring training, and was mostly overlooked by NFBC 12-team drafters. I won’t take a victory lap after 10 days, but I would like to mention that Walker is one of my highest rostered hitters this season. Walker was the only player with a triple-digit AWB. Relievers Riley O’Brien and Gregory Soto, and Seattle’s SP5 Emerson Hancock came close. Hancock is now rostered in each of the 240 OCs. O’Brien and Soto are still available in two percent of leagues.

Relievers

It’s the second week in a row where we’re discussing the Cardinals bullpen. Hopefully, it will be the last time. Riley O’Brien had the highest ADP this winter and spring among Cardinals relievers, though a calf injury kept from joining South Korea for the WBC and his ADP began to drop while the ADPs of JoJo Romero and Matt Svanson rose. Veteran Ryne Stanek snagged the first opportunity and closed the game out, though he walked three batters. He then stumbled in his second chance two days later, and O’Brien saved the day. Last week, O’Brien further distanced himself from the pack with three clean innings in three appearances, with two saves. Meanwhile, Matt Svanson has struggled mightily in middle relief. JoJo Romero would like step up for the occasional save opportunity when a southpaw is needed.

Gregory Soto is well known for throwing heat. He saved 30 games for the Tigers in 2022 and has spent the last few seasons as a lefty setup man who walks opposing batters at an above-average clip (over 10%). Last Tuesday, assumed Pirates closer Dennis Santana pitched the eighth inning and Soto handled the ninth, though the Pirates scored two runs in the top of the ninth, so it wasn’t a save opportunity. The Pirates beat the Reds 8-3 again on Wednesday. Santana didn’t make an appearance, but Soto did so again in the ninth; again it wasn’t a save opportunity since the Pirates scored four in the ninth. A similar setup occurred on Friday as Santana pitched a clean eighth and Soto came in to close out the Orioles in the ninth, though he gave up a solo shot to Gunnar Henderson. The Pirates continued their late-game heroics on Saturday. With the game tied 3-3 going into the ninth, Santana stepped in to pitch a clean ninth, then Nick Yorke walked it off with a double to give Santana the win. Soto is the more dynamic of the two, but is less stable because of history with free passes. It’s possible Soto earns more opportunities going forward, though it will likely remain a committee for now. The only thing that can hold Soto running away with the gig is Soto himself.

Paul Sewald was picked up in 21% of Fantrax leagues. Oddly, the Diamondbacks clear-as-day closer is only rostered in 61% of leagues, likely because of the inclusion of 10-teamers, points leagues, and roto leagues where holds are used in addition to saves. Tyler Alexander was scooped up in many leagues, though he is more of a spec-add. He has earned the Rangers only two saves, but is not the clear ninth-inning man. This was originally expected to be a two-man committee with lefty Robert Garcia and righty Chris Martin. Garcia hasn’t been great and Martin has been awful. Martin may move into a setup role, though the Rangers do still need a righty to step up. Perhaps that will be fireballer Cole Winn, who I picked up for $5 in a 15-team league on Sunday. Mark Leiter Jr. might be the first guy dropped from NFBC leagues next week if his struggles continue. He blew the save on Saturday and isn’t even locked into the A’s job. Bryan Baker hasn’t earned a save for the Rays yet, but has been pitching in the highest-leverage spots with Garrett Cleavinger on IL and Griffin Jax struggling.

Starting Pitchers

Hancock, Randy Vásquez and Lance McCullers Jr. were three of the most popular SP acquisitions of the weekend. Hancock followed up his masterful Opening Weekend performance (nine punchouts in six hitless innings) with a solid outing (6.2 IP – 6 H – 1 ER – 0 BB – 5 K) on Saturday, though the Mariners were robbed of three home runs by Angels Jo Adell and lost 1-0. Hancock lines up for a home start (Astros) this week, then a road start against the Padres. He should be quickly snagged in any leagues where he is available, 10-teamers included.

Randy Vásquez had some offseason buzz in deeper formats despite a ridiculously low 15% career walk rate. Folks paying attention may have noticed a slight velocity bump from Vásquez this spring, which he parlayed into two six-inning gems — an 11:4 K:BB with just eight hits and one earned run allowed against the Tigers at home and the Red Sox in Fenway. He has been throwing his four-seam fastball, sinker and slider 1-2 mph faster than last season and boasts an impressive 15.5% swinging-strike rate, albeit in a two-start sample. He now gets the pleasure of facing the Rockies at home, who will be heading over to San Diego from the high elevation of Denver.

The Bryce Elder Experience returns for another tour, likely to yet again tease us before destroying our ratios. Elder had a few good starts last season, but the overall body of work was horrific. His 5.30 ERA ranked sixth-worst among starting pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched. Could this turn into his breakout tour? His pitch mix and velocity remains the same and there’s nothing in his profile that portends massive improvement. He threw six scoreless against the A’s in his first start and seven scoreless with eight punchouts in Arizona on Saturday. It’s enough to lure us into starting him at home against the Guardians this week. Color me dubious, nevertheless.

Hitters

Among the top hitter adds on Fantrax, Mauricio Dubón, Joey Wiemer and Kyle Isbel feel like the ones most likely to find their way back to the free agent pool next week. Dubón has some appeal in deeper formats since he’s on a great offense and offers several positions of eligibility (on Fantrax he’s 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF). Wiemer had a hot start but he’s a short-side platoon bat and is a massive batting average drag. Isbel and his bottom-of-the-order crew have been producing the bulk of the runs over the last week, but it’s only a matter of days before the production shifts to the top and the middle of the Royals lineup.

Rookie infielder Jose Fernandez has cooled off since his 2-HR Major League debut last week, though with Carlos Santana banged up, Fernandez should earn more playing time going forward. In his first four career starts, he has already played first base, third base and DH. Fernandez is shortstop eligible in NFBC and would need to play 10 games at first or third to earn that eligibility. The Diamondbacks have some tough matchups this week facing the Mets and the Phillies.

Mark Vientos and TJ Rumfield are the two most intriguing and potentially valuable hitter acquisitions of the week. Vientos is off to a hot start, hitting .476 in 23 plate appearances. He is playing every day since Jorge Polanco is playing through an Achilles issue and is not ready to play the field yet. The Mets will have to get creative when Polanco can play first base again, but Polanco never had before this season and we don’t know if they’ll revert to their preseason plan. Rumfield isn’t hitting the ball hard (84.3 EV, 32% HH), but he is slashing .345/.406/.586 with two dingers and has the hold on the strong-side platoon at first base. He is a stronger stream option with the Rockies expected to face seven righties this week.

Drop of the Week

It’s hard to imagine Roki Sasaki sticking in the Dodgers rotation much longer after his shaky outing against the lowly Nationals on Sunday (6 ER, 3 BB in 5 IP). Sasaki’s four-seam fastball has averaged 97 mph, but it’s generated a 20% whiff rate and a measly 5.6% strikeout rate. Between his quotes and body language, it is clear that he lacks confidence on the mound. Manager Dave Roberts has been extremely patient throughout Sasaki’s rough spring, but a little reset in the minors or a trip to the minors may be in the cards. There are too many terrific alternatives available in 12-team leagues to continue to ride the Sasaki train, at least for now.

7:31	Jeff Zimmerman:

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