FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 25

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 24 Overview

Hitters

The St. Louis Cardinals scored the most runs last week (47) despite only playing six games. They produced nearly half their runs at Dodger Stadium (23) and the other 24 at Coors Field. Thomas Saggese was a prescient add for a few managers in deeper formats. He was a top-five offensive producer: 10-for-19 (.526), 9 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 2 SB.

Rafael Devers was the first hitter to smash six homers in a week since CJ Abrams in Week 18. Junior Caminero is the only player with more than six in a week, hitting seven in Week 14. Devers went 10-for-26 (.385) with eight runs and a league-best 13 runs batted in.

Jake McCarthy stole the most bases last week (four), now leading the Majors in swipes over the last 30 days with 11. The early-season free agent acquisition is having an excellent season. Here is his YTD 5×5 roto stat line: 71-15-71-29-.293.

Last weekend’s top FAAB target, Walker Jenkins, had an awful week. His only hit was his first career home run, last Monday. Tristan Peters and Connor Norby, the next two most-popular acquisitions in 15-team leagues, combined for just two RBIs last week.

Pitchers

Five of the 29 two-start pitchers (including bulk innings arms with an opener) earned two wins: Bryan Woo, Michael King, Taj Bradley, and two surprising names, Anthony Molina and Tyler Phillips. Molina pitched well in Atlanta last Monday and mowed down the Mets on Saturday. Between the two starts, he struck out 12 and walked just one. He lines up for a home start against the Padres this weekend.

Gavin Williams’ 24 strikeouts were the most in a Monday-Sunday two-start stretch this season. With just three weeks remaining in the season, he leads the Majors in strikeouts with 228, one more punch out than NL leader, Jacob Misiorowski.

Logan Webb and Kyle Harrison each gave up nine earned runs in one of their two starts last week. Harrison’s weekend start was slightly better, but still damaging (9 H, 4 ER, 4 BB in 3.2 IP). Brewers manager Pat Murphy mulled the idea of moving Harrison to the bullpen for now, but ultimately decided to give him another turn in the rotation. Harrison is slated to toe the rubber against the Reds for a home start this Saturday. Despite his recent struggles, Harrison still owns a respectable 3.66 ERA and an excellent 21.6% K-BB%, which ranks 14th among pitchers with at least 110 innings.

Week 25 Most Added Players: NFBC Main Event, NFBC OC, and Fantrax

Free agent bidding remained quite active this week, though we are officially in Dollar Days, as the majority of NFBC managers fighting for a top-three league finish are down to less than $20. Lazaro Montes and Leo Bernal were the prospect call-ups who are caught eye when MLB rosters expanded by two players each last Tuesday. Montes hit 38 HR with 98 RBI in 542 PA between Double-A and Triple-A, hit a home run in his first career game on Tuesday, and looked like the top target among hitters, until a hip injury on Friday released some of that helium. He pinch-hit a couple of times over the weekend, but between the injury and the Mariners facing 4-of-6 southpaws this week, our prioritization of Montes decreased and his average winning bid ended up at just $7. Meanwhile, Leo Bernal’s stock rose, as he started in all six games since Tuesday, going 8-for-24 (.333) with a homer, five runs, and six runs batted in. Expect Bernal to be the Cardinals primary backstop for the rest of the season.

Most of the top average winning bids were secured for 10 bucks or less, which is typical for this time of the season. Other popular hitter acquisitions in 15-team formats included Saggese, outfielders Jonah Cox and Victor Mesa Jr. and Red Sox catcher/designated hitter, Mickey Gasper. Gasper was originally optioned last Sunday, but was recalled last Monday, when Willson Contreras was placed on the injured list. Gasper has batted second in the Red Sox lineup every day since and hit three homers last week. Cox was the coveted “rabbit” of the group, for folks hoping to gain standings points in the stolen base category. Cox stole 34 bags in 55 minor-league games and was up to nine in his first 91 plate appearances with the Giants. Cox batted cleanup against a righty starter on Sunday and could be moving out of a short-side platoon role to earn everyday at-bats. Mesa Jr. was activated from the IL last weekend and collected seven hits and one swipe last week. He is an upside streamer for stolen bases, with the Rays facing five right-handed starters this week.

The most popular starting pitcher acquisitions of the week are old friends with whom some of us have had tumultuous relationships with. Bryce Miller had been struggling and was moved to the bullpen two weeks ago, but when Emerson Hancock hit the injured list, Miller was pulled back in. He faced 21 hitters in his start against the Red Sox last week, allowing just one run on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He will face the Rangers at home on Tuesday and likely the Athletics in Sacramento this weekend. A draft season bust in the top 120 ADP who was demoted earlier this summer, Dodgers righty Emmet Sheehan has since been righting his ship. He has been dominant since his demotion and was named PCL Pitcher of the Month for August. He is expected to work the bulk of innings on Monday and possibly this coming Sunday.

Nick Pivetta is set to be activated by the Padres after a five-month absence due to a right elbow flexor strain. Fantasy managers who stashed him or added him on Sunday earned a pleasant surprise to see him lined up to start on Monday instead of Friday, which sets him up for a solid two-start this week (vs. WAS, at SF) instead of just the SF start and having to pitch at Coors Field in Week 26. Instead, Pivetta would line up to face the Marlins at home next week.

Cal Quantrill continued to dazzle for the Rangers (7 IP – 2 H – 0 ER – 2 BB – 5 K vs. TB last week) and now rocks a 2.79 ERA and 1.07 WHIP for the season. He will remain in the rotation for the duration of the season. Nathan Eovaldi will pitch out of the bullpen when (if) he returns. Patrick Sandoval would have gone for less than his $6 AWB in OCs if folks noticed that his next start was bumped to Tuesday and that he no longer has a two-step in Week 24. It should work out though, as he will still face his former team (the Angels) this week and line up for two starts next week, at Texas, at Tampa Bay. White Sox starter Davis Martin was also bumped off a two-step late on Sunday. He will start this Wednesday (vs. PIT) and likely earn two starts (at CLE, vs. DET) next week.

Brett Bateman is my favorite hitter acquisition in 12-teamers this week. Bateman is batting .474 over a five-game hit streak, leads off for the Jays every day, and his squad will play a three-game series in Sacramento for the first part of the week.

There were many similar targets in Fantrax and NFBC leagues this week. Yohandry Morales’ playing time may not be consistent, but he could find a way for more work if he can produce. The 24-year-old is a former second-round draft pick with plus power, hitting 25 homers in 99 games in the minors before getting the call when rosters expanded. Hayden Wesneski is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA and 15 punchouts in 17 innings over his last three starts. He lines up for two tough road starts in Philly and Tampa.

Drop of the Week

A zebra cannot change its stripes, nor can Luis Robert Jr. avoid the injured list no matter what uniform he wears. He got my hopes up again as he donned that gorgeous Orioles uniform and had some clutch hits for them. Alas, that darned injury bug he’s so familiar with struck again, as a hamstring injury forced his placement back in his second home, the MLB injured list.