FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 24

Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions from 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 23 Overview

Hitters

The Reds-Cubs series was an absolute banger. The two teams exploded for a combined 52 runs and 20 home runs over the three-game set. Rookie Sal Stewart hit homers in three straight and four of his last five. He leads the Majors in runs batted in (105) and caught a break in the NL Rookie of the Year race as JJ Wetherholt will be slowed by an IL stint. Pete Crow-Armstrong continued to pull away from the field and in the NL MVP race, tying Cal Raleigh for the most home runs (five) in Week 23. Crow-Armstrong’s gap over No. 2 Yordan Alvarez on the 12-team Fantasy Player Rater is massive ($44.9 to $36.8), though Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski is currently second overall at $43. Rafael Devers (12 hits) and Daylen Lile (11) had excellent weeks. Lile also led all hitters with 10 RBIs. The Baltimore Orioles won 5 of 6 games and enjoyed their visits to St. Louis (28 runs) and Sacramento (17 runs). They tied the New York Yankees for the most runs (43), though the Yankees played a seventh game. Jazz Chisholm Jr. exploded for six swipes. Chisholm and Chandler Simpson are the only players with at least 10 stolen bases over the last 30 days.

Pitchers

Four of the 29 two-start pitchers (13.7%) secured two wins: Parker Messick, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman, and Zebby Matthews. Matthews was particularly masterful, allowing just two runs, posting a 12:1 K:BB, and pitching deep into both contests (7 IP at ATH, 8.1 IP vs. CHW). Matthews has registered a win in each of his five starts in August. Bassitt ran into trouble in his start at Sutter Health Park on Sunday (5.2 IP – 5 ER – 3 BB) but was able to lock in the victories and help the handful of 15-team managers who acquired and started him. St. Louis Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore had the most strikeouts last week (16), but his deal with the ratio devil remained intact. He allowed a league-worst 11 earned runs (tied with A’s Jeffrey Springs) and his 5.41 ERA ranks dead-last among the 65 starting pitchers who have thrown at least 130 innings this season. A shoutout to my colleague Joe Orrico, who has been steadfast on Cade Cavalli’s breakout since the preseason. Cavalli has been the most valuable pitcher in 5×5 roto over the last month — 36 IP – 4 W – 47 K – 1.75 ERA – 0.89 WHIP – $32.6. Another shoutout to all the managers who took a shot at a little old reliever named Bryan Baker in early-season FAAB. Baker has been lights-out all season (1.47 ERA, 0.85 WHIP) and leads the Majors in saves with 39. Hopefully, he doesn’t follow the trend of the last four relievers to record 40 saves — Carlos Estévez and Robert Suarez in 2025 and Emmanuel Clase and Ryan Helsley in 2024.

Most Added Players: NFBC Main Event, NFBC OC, and Fantrax

After back-to-back bonanza FAAB weekends featuring Joshua Báez and Kade Anderson, we assumed that the Week 24 vibe would be much calmer. Twins rookie outfielder Walker Jenkins was the Belle of the Roto Ball. Jenkins was a coveted prospect with speed and pop, with average prices of $40 (Main Events) and $33 (12tm OC). Walker will have plenty of run over the next few weeks in the absence of fellow outfielder Byron Buxton, who is on the 10-day IL with a right hip impingement. There’s a high likelihood that Buxton will be shut down for the balance of the season. Jenkins earned the promotion based on a strong partial season in the minors (mostly at Triple-A), where he slashed .323/.417/.559 with 56 runs, 14 homers, and 17 swipes in 324 plate appearances (73 games). Jenkins started in all three contests since getting the call on Friday, covering center field and batting ninth.

Connor Norby was the third most expensive acquisition in Main Events. He has found some offensive inspiration as a member of the Rockies, slashing .298/.394/.491 with a 134 wRC+, two homers, two steals, nine runs, and 10 runs batted in, in 66 plate appearances. Norby has started eight straight games, mostly in the middle of the lineup, though got to hit out of the two-hole on Sunday, since Cole Carrigg was benched for his inappropriate gesture towards Braves fans on Saturday. The Rockies will play 16 of their final 25 games at home. Norby is a fine streamer this week, but managers should be cautious ahead of Week 25 when the Rockies hit the road to face tough arms from the Yankees and Tigers. Norby is a very streaky hitter with big holes in his swing. He’s been striking out in over 30 percent of his at-bats, including his time with the Rockies.

Blaze Alexander went for four fewer dollars than Norby ($14 to $10) despite the three-game set at Coors Field. The Orioles are slated to face three right-handed starters, and fantasy managers are unsure how much Alexander will play. Since being activated on Friday, he led off against both opposing lefty starters, but hit the bench against the righty starter on Saturday. He is a tough start for this Coors series without knowing how much he’ll play. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Coby Mayo have been red hot at the corners over the last couple of weeks, Pete Alonso has been locked in at DH, Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop and Jackson Holliday leads off when a RHP is on the mound. It’s a good problem for manager Craig Albernaz to have, but it doesn’t help those of us trying to decide whether to start Blaze or not. Monday’s lineup card will steer us in the right direction.

There were some viable catcher targets this weekend with Will Smith, Kyle Teel and Sean Murphy. Smith was scooped up in all remaining leagues. His minor-league rehab assignment has been going well and he will be activated on Tuesday, when the Dodgers resume action, at home against the Cardinals. Teel is on the verge of activation as well. He has been on a rehab stint since August 25, knocking three base hits in Sunday’s contest at Triple-A. Expect him to be activated when MLB rosters expand on Tuesday. Murphy was activated on August 5 after missing nearly three months with a finger injury. He started five of the last seven at catcher and has two homers in his last three games. The oft-injured 31-year-old has been in the league since 2019 and has only earned more than 450 PAs in a season once, in 2022.

We finally had an opportunity to help ourselves in the saves category. History has taught us that these late-season options are more likely to trap and disappoint us, rather than help. Our first stop is Sacramento for the league’s most brutal bullpen, a league-worst 5.57 ERA, and literally employing a reliever named “Blewett”. Hogan Harris leads them in saves (13), but he’s a lefty with a 13.9% walk rate and a damaging 1.53 WHIP. Fireballer righty Elvis Alvarado had a chance to take the job this summer, but he struggled, and it doesn’t help that the A’s don’t present many save opportunities as is. Nevertheless, Alvarado has been pitching well lately, allowing runs in just two of his last 20 appearances since the All-Star break. He earned both save chances last week and has some upside for a couple more in a seven-game road week. Bryan Hudson earned saves in back-to-back appearances this week for the White Sox. He will continue to earn more ninth-inning shots going forward when the situation dictates it. Hudson is the primary lefty in their bullpen, sharing closing duties with their best reliever, Grant Taylor. Hudson has seven saves and three blown saves; Taylor has eight of the former and six of the latter. Calvin Faucher likely leads the Marlins’ committee in the absence of Pete Fairbanks. Faucher has the most experience among a trio that includes Michael Petersen and Tyler Zuber. Zuber’s 4.9% walk rate is worth noting, though he’s only pitched 29.1 innings and his previous career rate was closer to 12%, albeit a small sample of 65 innings since 2020. Petersen is only one of the three with a swinging-strike rate over 11% (12.4%), but he has only been allowed one save opportunity this season. The Faucher Ride may be a volatile one, but he’s the reliever in this bullpen who is most likely to earn the most chances.

Walker Jenkins was the clear priority for fantasy managers in 12-team OCs, as his average winning bid was three times greater than anyone added in at least 20% of leagues. Christian Encarnacion-Strand entered the bidding period with a mere 35% roster rate, despite earning consistent playing time the week before. He has an excellent setup over the next 10 days, with three games at Coors Field and five southpaws coming up. CES has a .386 ISO and a 200 wRC+ against lefties this season. Teammate Coby Mayo is in a similar position as a lefty-crusher, though his splits are even more pronounced — a .442 ISO and 218 wRC+ against lefties, .109 and 38 against righties. Mayo has been earning consistent playing time as well, though don’t be surprised if he hits the bench for one of these three contests against RHPs in Denver.

Tristan Peters was also highly coveted after hitting dingers in five straight games from Saturday, August 22 through Wednesday, August 26. Peters is the first former Savannah Bananas player (2021) to make it to The Show and become an All-Star. He’s in a good position to rack up at-bats as the White Sox are expected to face seven right-handed starters. Cincinnati Reds rookie outfielder Héctor Rodríguez has been gaining confidence on the big stage, slashing .370/.452/.852 with four homers over his last seven contests. He earned leadoff duties against righty starters this week and will face three more in the first half of the week — Padres pitchers Michael King, Randy Vásquez, and Casey Mize. Power-deficient squads should start him for the period then perhaps sit him for the weekend series against the Brewers where the Reds are likely to face two-of-three lefties.

Eric Lauer is a streaming option for fantasy folks chasing wins, as long as he makes that second start this weekend. With Shohei Ohtani not quite ready to return to the rotation, Lauer has a good shot at earning two home starts, against the Cardinals and the Nationals. The Nationals and Cardinals rank 11th and 12th in ISO, respectively, against southpaws like Lauer — .161 and .156. Speaking of southpaws, A’s rookie Gage Jump will have two road starts against the Rangers and Mariners, but they won’t be easy. The Rangers’ active roster is tied for second in wRC+ (115) against lefties and Jacob deGrom is toeing the rubber for them on Monday. The Mariners are an above-average offense against lefties as well (102) and will likely throw Bryan Woo in his cushy confines. Jump has a 3.49 ERA (3.58 xFIP) on the road, and a 5.62 ERA (4.30 xFIP) at home.

Tristan Peters more than doubled his roster rate in Fantrax leagues, ahead of a nice set of RH matchups this week. Somehow, Heriberto Hernández was only added in five percent of leagues despite breaking out in front of our eyes. Over the last three weeks, Hernández has 6 HR, 14 RBI, and a 15.5% walk rate, leading off against lefties and batting second and third against righties. Mason Montgomery earned two saves this week as he continues to pull away in this unofficial closer competition with Gregory Soto and recent veteran additions, Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval, all of whom have more closer experience. Montgomery rocks a 39.2% strikeout rate, second in the Majors behind Mason Miller’s 47.5%. He should be scooped up now in any league where he is still available and saves are needed. Mickey Gasper’s hefty percentage of additions likely happened over the weekend before he and Anthony Seigler were optioned, as Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returned. Though, Willson Contreras was placed on the injured list on Monday, so Gasper was recalled. He will bat second between Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela.

Thank You for your Service

Twenty-four percent of NFBC OC teams (55 total) bid adieu to Cardinals breakout pitcher, Kyle Leahy, as his workload is being scaled back due to a big workload increase this season. Leahy has thrown 129.1 innings this season, up from 88 last season, his most since 144.2 in the minor leagues in 2022. Leahy boasts ridiculous stats since the All-Star break (43:5 K:BB, 1.80 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and should be a popular target in 2027 fantasy drafts, possibly in the 150-200 ADP range. Leahy threw 63 pitches (four innings) on August 23 and 51 pitches (three innings) on Saturday. His next start is at Coors Field and knowing that he won’t throw enough innings to be eligible for a win, it made sense to cut him. Thanks, Kyle, see you next year!