Ottoneu Hot Right Now: March 29, 2023

The 2023 version of Ottoneu Hot Right Now will include three different sections:

1. Current Auctions: A closer look at players being auctioned at a high rate.
2. Roster Adds: Analysis of players with high add% changes.
3. Hot Performers: Players with a high P/G or P/IP in recent weeks.

The FanGraphs 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

Graham Ashcraft – 39 current auctions
When a player makes a change in spring training and sees results, it’s something that fantasy managers should jump on. It was reported that a new grip on his slider has led to the pitch looking n-a-s-t-y, but I haven’t seen it and neither have major league hitters when the stats matter. Don’t interpret that as misbelief. This is the type of report we want to hear as fantasy managers looking for breakout candidates. Just don’t go crazy with all that extra cash you have laying around. All of his ERA projections are over 4.00, but he is only 25 years old and has the fastball (cutter) to really build something off of, especially if his slider has taken a big step forward.

Brice Turang – 26 current auctions
With the announcement that Turang has made the opening day roster in Milwaukee, there’s good reason to add the 23-year-old to Ottoneu rosters for the right price. He has played at every minor league level up until this point and could make an impact with his speed (SB projections between 10 and 17) in the big leagues. However, with a sub-.240 (in most cases) batting average projection, an OBP projection barely above .300, and a sub-.350 slugging projection, don’t expect him to be racking up Ottoneu points right away. This seems like a good stash for now but don’t let the news about his debut make you overpay.

Darick Hall – 25 current auctions
By most accounts, Hall should be the first basemen in Philadelphia this season after Rhys Hoskins went down with a knee injury that will likely have him out the entire season. Hall projects to bat fourth (Roster Resource) behind a really good top three for the Phillies and should have plenty of opportunities with runners on base. He’s only had 142 major league plate appearances, projects to walk not-so-often (ATC 7.0%), strike out often (ATC 27.8%), and hit only .231 (ATC). But nearly every projection system has him slugging over .400 with upwards of 23 home runs.

Blake Sabol – 25 current auctions
The appeal of both OF and C eligibility is pulling fantasy managers in. His projections seem very similar to Darick Hall’s (above) and if you are only rostering him to fill the catcher position every once in a while I would venture to guess there are better options out there. This is a big wait-and-see and while a lot of people may see that “OF/C” and think, “Dalton Varsho!”, there is nothing in the skills profile to intrigue just yet.

Scott McGough – 23 current auctions
A report came out today that McGough could be an option to close out games for the Diamondbacks. Head over to the Diamondback’s Roster Resource page and you’ll see that he is one of four relievers who could potentially close out games. Only time will tell. He’s no young-buck at 33 years old and has been a minor-league journeyman since 2011, besides the six games (6.2 IP) he appeared in for the Marlins in 2015. The BAT likes his strikeout potential with a 10.68 K/9 projection, but steamer only has him at 8.87.

Roster Adds

Quick note: The following players have been added at a high rate in the last 30 days mostly in drafts. These are players who were either cut in the off-season or not eligible for leagues last year and therefore have seen a big rise as drafts come to an end. In the coming weeks, the players listed in this section will mostly be pure roster adds that went undrafted. 

Masataka Yoshida, Add% Change (30 Days) – 96.5%
With the World Baseball Classic still fresh in our minds we can understand why Yoshida was drafted in most leagues. He tied for 15th in OPS with an absurd 1.258 in 22 at-bats. He led WBC hitters with 13 RBI and hit .409 with a .531 OBP. The WBC isn’t the major leagues and while Yoshida has certainly proven he can hit in various levels of play, he hasn’t yet played a game in the big leagues. Roster Resource pegs him batting fourth behind a very strong top three (Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers, Justin Turner) and in a good hitter’s park.

Kodai Senga, Add% Change (30 Days) – 96.5%
The unfortunate news of José Quintana’s injury gives Senga even more opportunity in the Mets rotation in 2023. Fantasy managers watching the incredible pitching the Japanese WBC team put on display in this year’s tournament were likely further intrigued by Senga. Though he didn’t participate in the classic, his spring showcase was impressive. Senga is the projected fourth starter (Roster Resource) for the Mets and will have a lot to prove as the season kicks off. As of now, he’s slated to start on Sunday, April 2nd against the Marlins.

Trevor Story, Add% Change (30 Days) – 94.9%
No, Ottoneu managers haven’t made too much out of a report of Story taking ground balls. He’s still not expected to return until July at the earliest. Instead, many are picking up Story after he was cut after the injury news and are building for the future. A proven veteran is never a bad player to add to your roster, just don’t expect him to make a big impact this season.

J.D. Martinez, Add% Change (30 Days) – 95.2%
It was reported that Martinez could potentially play in the field this season for the Dodgers and that can only be a good thing when it comes to accumulating more plate appearances. Right now, ATC projections expect 569 plate appearances and Roster Resource expects him to bat fifth. If that combination doesn’t scream, “Add now!” then just remember he will be playing for the Dodgers.

Walker Buehler, Add% Change (30 Days) – 93.6%

Some good news came at the beginning of the month:

#Dodgers Walker Buehler began his throwing program Wednesday. Played catch from 60 feet. Limited number of throws

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) March 2, 2023

This doesn’t really mean anything for this season. Buehler isn’t expected back until September if at all. Don’t hold onto Buehler all year expecting him to magically begin pitching. Do hold onto Buehler all year if his price is low and you can wait until next season to reap the rewards.

Hot Performers

Guess what? The season starts Thursday. Get excited to read about the players who are making headlines in this section in the coming weeks.