FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 15

Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I 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 14 Overview

Hitters

Junior Caminero is the hottest hitter on the planet! He smashed seven home runs in Week 14, which was the first time this season that someone hit more than five. Though his 15 RBI were tied for the week lead with Dansby Swanson, who drove in 11 of those runs in last Tuesday’s doubleheader with the Mets. Swanson is hitless (0-for-16) in his last four games. Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh continued terrorizing opposing pitchers, batting .414 (12-for-29) for the week. Marsh’s batting average is up to .321, the fifth-highest mark among qualified hitters. Nationals first baseman Luis García Jr. rarely starts against left-handed pitchers, but he’s on an absolute tear, crushing six dingers in six games last week. García is tied for 14th in ISO against RHPs (.270). Teammate James Wood has been on a skid, batting .135 (7-for-52) with no home runs and a 38.3% strikeout rate over the last two weeks. He had a similar yet prolonged slump last season, batting .223 with a .165 ISO and a 39% strikeout rate after the All-Star break. This time, there’s no Home Run Derby to blame. The extreme streaks aren’t surprising to us by now, and there’s nothing to be done other than to ride it out in our lineups and lavish in his high-end production when it returns.

Starting Pitchers

Week 14 was the low point for wins among two-start pitchers. Of the 31 starters (including those with openers), only Robbie Ray was able to secure wins in both of his starts. Ray hurled eight innings in each of his two home starts (ATH, ATL), with two runs allowed, but neither earned. That Tuesday start against the A’s was his first time reaching the seventh inning this season. In 2025, Ray reached the seventh in 22% (7-of-32) of his starts. In last week’s column, I predicted that shaky two-steppers Ryan Feltner and Anthony Kay would outperform Framber Valdez. It didn’t come to fruition, but it wasn’t that far off: Valdez (12 IP – 1 W – 10 K – 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), Kay (9.2 IP – 0 W – 10 K, 3.72, 1.34), Feltner (12 IP – 0 W – 2 K, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP). Feltner proved to be a solid deep-league, dart-throw streamer for ratios, though the punchouts were disappointing. Managers who took a shot on southpaw rookie Jake Bennett were kindly rewarded with two gems. Bennett earned a win, punched out 12 batters in 12.1 innings and helped both ERA (0.73) and WHIP (0.73). Bennett lines up for road starts against the Angels and White Sox before the All-Star break.

Relievers

Jhoan Duran and Jacob Latz were the only closers to earn three saves. Duran is tied for second overall in the category alongside Mason Miller and Bryan Baker with 21. Duran and Latz are the two most productive fantasy closers over the last 30 days. Over the period, no reliever has more saves (10) and both have ERAs of 1.50 and WHIPs of 0.85 or lower. Pirates closer Gregory Soto is at risk of being demoted as he’s been the worst closer in the Majors over the last 30 days with two blown saves, nine earned runs (10.12 ERA) allowed over 10 appearances. Converted reliever Carmen Mlodzinski has handled his new role well, throwing between two and three innings with no earned runs allowed over his last four appearances. He would likely be able to handle ninth-inning duties, but that isn’t in the cards since he’s been so effective as a versatile, multi-innings arm. Dennis Santana has been mediocre and is not a prototypical closer, so let’s see if Soto breaks down or bounces back this week as the Pirates hit the road for seven against the Phillies and Nationals.

NFBC OC and Fantrax – Most Added in FAAB

It’s not even the All-Star break and we’re already getting into the Dog Days of summer, as free agent budgets are dwindling. The only player with an average winning bid over $30 in OCs was Guardians rookie outfielder, Chase DeLauter, who was reinstated on Sunday after 11 missed games due to a rib injury. DeLauter was the designated hitter and batted third, going 2-for-5 with a run and 2 RBIs. He has carried over his impressive plate discipline from the minors, one of just 22 hitters in the majors with a BB/K of 0.75 or higher. Among rookies, only Kevin McGonigle’s (1.09) is better. Players of this ilk and skill set are typically more likely to help in the batting average category. DeLauter will continue to DH, at least until the All-Star break, to help prevent re-injury in the outfield. A way-too-early standard roto projection for 2027: 76 R, 23 HR, 85 RBI, 5 SB, .282 AVG.

I have a strong gut feeling about Kyle Teel for the second half of the season, as I expect him to produce among the top 12 of fantasy catchers. Teel was activated on Monday, serving as the cleanup hitter. White Sox manager Will Venable is wisely easing him into action as Teel started in just three of the next five games. He will eventually earn playing time against lefty starters, though it’s not something to count on in the short term. This week, Teel should start 5-of-7, against the righties. Cracking the top 12 in the second half of the season won’t be an easy task since the position is loaded at a historic level. I would have no issue with dropping 36-year-old Salvador Perez for Teel today.

Brandon Sproat and Ian Seymour were the two most added players in OC leagues on Sunday, with roster rates of 86% and 83%, respectively. All it really took for each of them to become highly coveted was one good start! Through the first three months of the season, Sproat was a disaster, encumbering the fifth-worst ERA (5.94) among starters with at least 60 innings pitched (through June 17). Last Tuesday, he razzle-dazzled with a gem in Great American (6 IP – 1 H – 0 ER – 0 BB – 10 K). Does that mean “he’s back”? Nobody knows, but many of us liked him enough this preseason to draft him. When we were setting bids on Sunday, Sproat was projected to line up for two starts in Week 15. Robert Gasser was inked in for Monday’s start and the Brewers are employing a six-man rotation for now, so Sproat will be limited to just the home start against those Reds again. Sproat is no sure thing to grace our starting rosters this week, so be sure to assess all options before locking him in. Unless he gets destroyed or hurt on Tuesday, we should be locking him in for Week 16 when he’ll line up for a road two-step of Cardinals and Pirates. Seymour is a studly southpaw second-rounder out of Virginia Tech (2020) who had a strong rookie season in 2025, posting a 3.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 15.5% K-BB% over 57 innings. He struggled as a reliever over the first two months of this season, and has been working up his pitch counts since joining the rotation earlier this month. It all came together nicely on Thursday against the Royals when Seymour threw 6.2 innings without a hit allowed, just one walk and seven punchouts. That start will likely go down as his best of the season, but he has a great chance to be fantasy-helpful in all formats over these final three months.

Let’s see what Owen Caissie can do this week in what might be the greatest week of matchups on paper this season as the Marlins play four games in Coors Field (Rockies) and Sutter Health Park (Athletics) in high (80s/90s) temperatures. One drawback is that Caissie only starts against RHPs and the Marlins are slated to face three LHPs. The better deal may end up being the $7 on average spent for Heriberto Hernández, who was added in 44% of leagues. Hernández was the Marlins’ leadoff man the last time they faced a LHP, and we should expect him in the lineup against three of the four RHPs. Caissie has more pop and power upside, but if I could only pick one to stream this week, it’s Hernández.

The addition of Nick Loftin in 14% of Fantrax leagues is a dubious one. Granted, he is the everyday third baseman for the Royals while Maikel Garcia is out, but the Royals are the only team with five games this week and Loftin is the quintessential Major League bench bat. Don’t expect much out of him this week.

Toronto Blue Jays new bench corner infielder Sean Keys was called up for a cup of coffee on Saturday. The lefty played first base and batted sixth while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. started at DH. Keys was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A earlier this month, hitting 21 home runs and slashing .284/.409/.619 in 286 plate appearances between the two levels. Keys could be optioned as early as this week since Lenyn Sosa is on a rehab assignment and may be activated soon.

The Cleveland Guardians welcomed their top backstop prospect Cooper Ingle ahead of their three-game weekend series against the Mariners. Ingle started each contest — at DH on Friday and Saturday, and in left field on Sunday. The rookie takes a seat with a lefty on the mound on Monday. With Chase DeLauter managing the DH spot for the next two weeks, Ingle will have to display his defensive chops in the outfield and prove he deserves to stay in the big leagues. He may have a bit of runway since Angel Martínez will remain sidelined for at least the next month.

Drop of the Week

Unfortunate news for this weekend’s biggest drop, Ben Brown, who was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his neck. Brown suffered a similar injury in June of 2024 and didn’t make another start until 2025. In an ideal scenario, Brown could return for the final month of the season. Brown was having a true breakout season, sporting a 3-1 record, 18.3% K-BB%, 1.70 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in his eight starts from May 8 on. The Cubs have been hit hard by SP injuries over the last few weeks, though Matt Boyd returned over the weekend and they traded for Mets lefty, David Peterson.

Week 15 Predictions

Esteury Ruiz and Jakob Marsee steal four bases each for the Marlins.

Athletics southpaw Jeffrey Springs allows three homers in the first two innings to the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Guardians southpaw Parker Messick becomes the third pitcher this season to earn AL Player of the Week honors as he dazzles in two home starts against the Rangers and White Sox. José Soriano earned it in Week 3 and Logan Gilbert did so last week.

The Los Angeles Angels score fewer runs than any team as they struggle against the Mariners (George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller) and the Red Sox (Jake Bennett, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez).