FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 16

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 15 Overview

Hitters

Junior Caminero continued his tear, smashing four dingers in Week 15. He has 10 over his last 10 games and ranks fourth in homers with 26 behind Kyle Schwarber (30), Yordan Alvarez (29), and Hunter Goodman (27). Alvarez and Tigers outfielder Riley Greene were the only other hitters with four homers last week. Dansby Swanson hit five. Jake McCarthy led all hitters in RBI (13). He is now 100% rostered in NFBC OCs. Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin led the week in stolen bases (six) and now has 20. Guardians rookie outfielder Kahlil Watson stole four bases. He has been batting fourth against righties and batted second against a lefty on Sunday. The Miami Marlins took advantage of their sweet schedule (4 at COL, 3 at ATH) and delivered, leading all teams in runs (59), homers (18) and runs batted in (58). They batted .335 as a team. Kyle Stowers, Otto Lopez, and Heriberto Hernández hit three homers apiece. Javier Sanoja led the squad with 8 RBI.

Starting Pitchers

It was a good week for two-start pitchers. Six of 30 earned victories in both starts — Nolan McLean (NYM), Braxton Ashcraft (PIT), Casey Mize (DET), Erick Fedde 페디 (CHW), and Marlins starters, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez. Pérez pitched seven perfect innings against the Athletics, getting pulled after 92 pitches. White Sox righty Sean Burke led all pitchers with 19 strikeouts, including 11 against the Guardians on Saturday. Burke’s previous career high was 10 (in 4.1 innings) against the Nationals in his final start of 2025. Rookie southpaw Gage Jump ran into the Regression Monster as he got certifiably crushed in both home starts against the Dodgers and Marlins, allowing 11 earned runs in 7.2 innings. Jump should be held in all formats 12-team and higher, though using him for a road start against the White Sox this week depends on one’s roster alternatives.

Relievers

Trevor Megill led the league in saves with three. Megill hasn’t allowed a run in his last 12 appearances, allowing just five hits with a 15:3 K:BB over that 12-inning span. With the Brewers and Cardinals playing eight games this week, it’s a good time to consider streaming relievers Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe. Chad Patrick and JoJo Romero are in consideration for deeper formats. We’re hoping for strong ratios and perhaps luck into a win or save, or two. After posting two saves in a strong week and looking like a potential closer candidate, A’s Mason Barnett has fallen off and can be dropped in all formats. He pitched in lower leverage situations last week and allowed six runs (four homers) in his last two appearances.

NFBC OC and Fantrax – Most Added in FAAB

Ian Seymour was acquired in all remaining OCs with an AWB of $33 after another dominant performance (6 IP – 3 H – 1 ER – 1 BB – 8 K) against the Royals. Seymour draws the Yankees and Mariners at home this week. Red Sox rookie southpaw’s roster rate is up to 97% after another strong start on Friday, against the Angels. Bennett threw 92 pitches in the outing, lasting 7.2 innings. He is rocking a solid WHIP (0.98) and a splendidly-low walk rate (4.5%) as he further solidifies his role in this rotation. Orioles starter Dean Kremer was added in 43% of OCs for a reasonable rate of $14. He has only made three starts this season, but his split-finger fastball has really stood out, holding opposing batters to a .074 SLG, along with a 48.3% strikeout rate with the pitch. All three are worthwhile adds in leagues where they are available. Seymour should be the priority.

Garrett Mitchell and David Hamilton were popular acquisition as the Brewers are set for eight games in Week 16, including five against the Cardinals. The matchups line up ideally for their left-handed hitters as all eight projected opposing starters are right-handed. Don’t expect either to play all eight games — perhaps six or seven. Mitchell has eight home runs in 280 plate appearances and is perhaps due for some, based on his strong underlying power metrics — 52% hard-hit, 16% barrel, and 93.3 mph average exit velocity, all of which are 94th or 95th percentile. His 77.2 mph bat speed ranks among the top three percent of qualified hitters. Though his 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed is elite (97th percentile), his decision-making hasn’t been. Mitchell has been caught stealing five times in 11 attempts. Hamilton isn’t listed above because of our $10 minimum threshold. His average winning bid was a very reasonable $7.40, which was nearly identical to the AWB of AVG-killer, Cedric Mullins.

Many anxiously await the return of two hitters drafted in the first 10 rounds of 12-team leagues this spring. Who knows what is in store for Luis Robert Jr., but it can’t be any worse than missing 2.5 months. Well, technically, missing the next 2.5 months would be just as bad. Nevertheless, $13 is a fair amount of investment for what should easily be fantasy profit if he can just stay in the lineup. Robert is 1-for-10 with two strikeouts in his first three rehab games at Triple-A Worcester and should be activated sometime later this week. Vinnie Pasquantino fractured the hamate bone in his right hand a little over three weeks ago. He will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday and won’t be activated until after the All-Star break. If all goes well, he will have returned on the shorter side of his 4-to-6-week timeline. There are dozens of solid corner infielders in 12-team leagues, so I understand the trepidation of fantasy managers who might have a tough time with start/sit decisions once Vinnie P is back. My prediction is he starts off slowly and gets back into his groove in early August. This will not be a lost season for him, though if it is, be rest assured that some people will blame the WBC.