Ottoneu Hot Right Now: September 9, 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

Michael Arroyo — 47 current auctions — 59.3% roster%

With their playoff hopes dwindling near zero, the Mariners promoted Michael Arroyo to the big leagues on Sunday. Ranked sixth on their preseason prospect list and 78th overall, Arroyo has quickly moved through Double-A and Triple-A to reach the majors for a cup of coffee at the end of this season. Across those two minor league levels, he posted a .283/.359/.471 slash line (a 117 wRC+) with 18 home runs and 17 stolen bases. His skillset is well rounded with a solid approach at the plate, good contact skills, and surprising power for his frame.

I do wonder how much playing time he’ll get over these next few weeks. The Mariners already have Cole Young installed as their second baseman of the future, and even though the organization had Arroyo get some work in left field this year, Randy Arozarena has that position locked down for the big league club. If you’re looking for someone to help you win a championship in your fantasy league this year, Arroyo is probably not your guy. I’m not sure he’s a keeper at anything over $2 either. He’s buried on the Mariners’ depth chart and will probably start next year in the minors to continue developing.

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

Thomas Saggese — 12.0 FGPts/G (last 14 days) — 7.9% roster%

With Masyn Winn nursing a thumb fracture, Thomas Saggese took full advantage of his full-time role at shortstop for the Cardinals. Since being recalled from Triple-A on August 29, he’s collected 16 hits in 10 games with three home runs and two stolen bases. Winn was activated off the IL on Tuesday but Saggese simply shifted over to second base since JJ Wetherholt has also been sidelined with a wrist injury. Saggese’s bat has simply been too hot to keep out of the lineup.

So how sustainable is Saggese’s hot streak? Well he won’t continue to hit over .500, that’s for sure. As a prospect, he had the profile of a tweener who couldn’t hit well enough to carry himself at third but could play shortstop well enough to be viable. With Winn and Wetherholt the Cardinals’ double-play tandem of the future, Saggese could carve out a role as a super utility player if he continues to hit well. On that front, there are a few encouraging signs. His bat speed is up more than two miles per hour and his barrel rate has nearly doubled, up to 10.7%.

Ride Saggese’s hot streak while you can — Wynn is already back from his injury and Wetherholt should be activated within a week or so. There are enough questions about his role going forward that it’s probably not worth it to stash him as a keeper for next year, even with the improved batted ball peripherals.

Janson Junk — 6.3 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 24.7% roster%

Janson Junk is in the midst of a nice little run of starts since the end of July. His first start after the All-Star break was an ugly six-run disaster against the Astros, but since then he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any outing, covering eight starts and a relief appearance. Across his last 39 innings, he’s run a 2.08 ERA and a 3.09 FIP, though he’s been pretty reliant on contact management rather than racking up a bunch of strikeouts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is merely 2.6 during this stretch and he’s struck out just 14.6% of the batters he’s faced.

Miami’s schedule over the final two and a half weeks of the season is extremely tough; they face the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres, Cubs, and Braves to finish the season. Even in the midst of his hot streak, I’m not sure I’d trust Junk in any of those matchups.

Grant Holmes — 6.1 FGPts/IP (last 14 days) — 36.3% roster%

Since the beginning of August, five of Grant Holmes’s seven starts have been shutouts. He allowed six runs in a clunker on August 15 and three runs in a start against the Rockies on August 28, but those are the only runs he’s allowed during this stretch. Like Junk above, he’s been pretty lucky not to have allowed a bunch more runs; both his xERA and xFIP are over four and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is merely 1.9 during this stretch.

And also like Junk, the Braves schedule doesn’t do any favors for Holmes. He’s lined up to face the Phillies this weekend then Houston next week. A matchup against the Marlins during the final week of the season doesn’t look too bad, but hardly worth chasing after in the hopes that his lucky streak continues.