Ottoneu Hot Right Now: August 18, 2026

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

Eduardo Valencia — 44 current auctions — 20.6% roster%

Eduardo Valencia made his major league debut on July 9 and blasted a home run in his first major league at-bat. The presence of Dillon Dingler meant that the Tigers could afford to option him back to the minors after a few weeks, but he forced his way back on to the big league roster a little over a week later. In his return from the minors on July 28, he blasted a pair of home runs and recorded four hits. Between his two stints with Detroit, he’s put up an impressive .389/.411/.833 slash line (a 246 wRC+) with 6 home runs in 19 games.

A huge power breakout in the minor leagues last year sparked this quick rise from the long-time farm hand — he tripled his career total with 24 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. His swing is geared towards elevating the ball with power and he has a decent approach at the plate to access that power in game situations.

Dingler is the problem, however. Valencia has been used as a backup to Dingler and as a designated hitter sparingly. He’s not going to usurp the best catcher in baseball but he’s hitting well enough that the Tigers are going out of their way to get him more at-bats than your normal backup catcher. There’s also the .455 BABIP that’s bound to fall sooner rather than later, though his contact quality metrics all look fantastic after just 56 plate appearances. If you really need a second catcher on your fantasy roster, Valencia isn’t the worst option on the waiver wire (he might be the only option out there, too), but I wouldn’t pick him up expecting to get full-time at-bats from him.

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

Jacob Webb — 12.3 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 53.5% roster%

With Daniel Palencia still working his way back from his elbow injury, Jacob Webb has pitched his way into the ninth inning role for the Cubs. Over the last two weeks, he’s collected four saves in six appearances without giving up a run. In fact, he hasn’t allowed a run since June 20, a 22.2 inning scoreless streak. His 27.6% strikeout rate is easily the highest of his career and he’s maintained the walk rate improvements he made last year when he cut four points off that metric.

Palencia is close to returning to the big leagues; he’s five innings into a rehab assignment, though he’s looked pretty rusty over the past week. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago give him another week in the minors to get himself set for the stretch run. I’m not sure what Webb’s role will look like once Palencia is back in the fold, though he’s pitched well enough to continue receiving high-leverage opportunities.

Tyler Mahle — 7.0 FGPts/G (last 14 days) — 54.7% roster%

Since joining the Braves at the trade deadline, Tyler Mahle has made two fantastic starts, allowing a single run across 12 innings with 16 strikeouts. He’s bumped up the usage of his splitter in those two starts with his new organization. That could explain some of the additional swing and miss, though it’s also just as likely that he simply put together a strong two-start stretch in Atlanta. The sample size isn’t big enough to change your underlying evaluation of Mahle’s quality, though there are very few options for solid starters on the waiver wire right now. He’s worth a look if you’re desperate for innings.