After a one-week hiatus due to some family obligations — apologies, by the way — FAAB Insights is back for another week. And just in time for one of the most promising prospects of the year to make his debut and be up for bids on Sunday evening. Kansas City Royals infielder Jac Caglianone is up for grabs in what should be an electric bidding week. We’re likely to see 25-30% winning bids or maybe even significantly more on the highly-touted prospect with fantasy managers hoping to avoid a Cags-tastrophe.
Jac’s not the only player who can help fantasy rosters this week. There are plenty of opportunities for managers to scoop up helpful players for their squads, including some players who were written off a hair too early by the managers that drafted them. Be sure to keep an eye on the players that are dropped in each week’s FAAB run – they could pay dividends later in the year like some of the guys I’ll be recommending below.
As a reminder, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues in making the best choices regarding who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
Only four teams have a seven-game slate scheduled for next week as the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals will each trot out every day. The Colorado Rockies host the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series before traveling to Atlanta later in the week. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds and Athletics will travel all week, meaning that the hitter’s parks in Cincy and West Sacramento are both out of play this upcoming week.
SEVEN GAMES: CHC, MLW, PIT, STL
Batters
Outfielders
Mike Tauchman ($$$): The veteran journeyman has forced his way into fantasy relevance as a key piece of the White Sox offense this season. Since returning from injury, Tauchman has batted in the top third of the Chicago batting order, scoring 10 runs and driving in nine RBI in 13 games. There’s some pop in the bat, though he is more contact than power, certainly, and a little bit of speed as well. The White Sox offense isn’t great, but he ought to be rostered in deep leagues.
Jo Adell ($$): Every season, I recommend Adell. And then he immediately goes cold or gets demoted or gets hurt. He’s 10-for-35 over his last nine starts with three home runs and six RBI, so he’s running hot. But the markers are there for sustained improvement from seasons prior. Adell has dropped his strikeout rate to 24.3% and improved his zone-contact rate to a career-best 83.5%. The barrel rate is above average, and his xWOBA is nearly 60 points higher than his WOBA. I’m in on Adell continuing to improve this season, and maybe, just maybe, I can recommend him without cursing him to an injury or a demotion or a catastrophic collapse.
Angel Martínez ($$): Martinez has been batting in front of José Ramírez so far this season, and hitting directly in front of someone like that should make nearly any hitter better. Though he’s batting just .245, he’s added modest power and speed numbers and, by nature of batting in the top third of a competent lineup, has accumulated enough runs and RBI to justify being rostered in five-outfielder leagues.
Starling Marte ($): Marte seems to have settled into his lesser role with the Mets, filling in as the short side of a platoon in left field (or DH, depending on the day). His strikeout rate is down, the walk rate is up, and the zone contact rate is as good as it’s been in the past several years. Even in his age-36 season, Marte’s power-speed combination is still enough to pique my interest in a streaming capacity in deeper leagues. Until the Mets acquire another outfielder, Marte remains a consideration on a week-to-week basis.
Infielders
Jac Caglianone ($$$$): Likely the most exciting prospect to make it to the majors this season, or at least the most exciting bat (pending Bubba Chandler’s potential promotion), Caglianone arrived to make his debut on Monday but has gotten off to a relatively slow start. With just one hit in his first 12 at-bats, Caglianone should come around – and soon. For what it’s worth, he’s had no problem making hard contact through his first three games, he just hasn’t translated the contact into hits. It’ll come. And managers will have to pay handsomely this week to enjoy the rookie on their rosters.
Marcus Semien ($$$): Though it’s unlikely that he’s available, there’s a chance that Semien may have been dropped in your 12-team or maybe even your 15-team league. After an incredibly disappointing start to the season, Semien has batted 12-for-27 over the last two weeks with three home runs and two stolen bases. He’s been dropped to the bottom third of the Texas Rangers‘ lineup, but he still holds value at a shallow position. The bat is finally starting to show signs of life, and he’s certainly proved over the course of his career that he can contribute. He’s worth an add if he’s on the wire.
Daniel Schneemann ($$): A sneaky, versatile add in deeper leagues, Schneemann has 2B, SS, and OF eligibility in NFBC formats, chipping in with power and speed for fantasy managers who were on board early. Still available in more than 25% of 15-team leagues, Schneemann owns a respectable .254 batting average with seven home runs and four stolen bases. The power metrics aren’t great, but he has great plate discipline and doesn’t strike out often. As a left-handed bat in Cleveland, which became one of the best ballparks in baseball for left-handed power last season, he has the potential to reach 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases and seems to have the role to accumulate decent runs and RBI as well.
Josh Bell ($): A streaky power hitter, Bell has 11 hits, including three home runs, in his past eight games entering the weekend. When he’s hot, he’s useful. When he’s not, he’s an easy cut.
Catchers/UT
Kyle Teel ($$$$): The centerpiece of the deal that sent Garret Crochet to Boston, Teel was called up to the majors and made his MLB debut on Friday night. The White Sox optioned Korey Lee to Charlotte in a corresponding move, so their only catchers on the MLB roster are Teel and Edgar Quero. That shows that the White Sox are ready to commit to their young catchers and should indicate that Teel will get significant playing time moving forward. At what has been one of the most shallow positions in the game this season, Teel becomes a must-start in all two-catcher formats and a serious consideration for anyone who doesn’t have a top-five guy at the position in one-catcher leagues as well.
Victor Caratini ($$): One of the only left-handed (switch) bats in the entire Astros lineup, Caratini has gotten significant at-bats, far more than the average backup catcher. On sheer volume alone, he’s become relevant in two-catcher leagues, but a .271 batting average has been a nice boost as well. In deep league formats, Caratini should be considered as a claim to replace or stream your second catcher.
David Fry ($): Fry is back after a lengthy injury, but with the success of Kyle Manzardo and the presence of Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges, appears to be relegated to the short side of a platoon at DH for the Guardians. If he can get back to his All-Star caliber hitting from last season and break into more playing time, he could be a great speculative add for bold managers.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Mick Abel ($$$): I want Mick Abel to stick in the Phillies rotation so bad! Aaron Nola hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet, which means he should get at least one more turn in the rotation. Abel wasn’t as dominant as he was last time out in his debut, but he managed to navigate through 5.1 innings while allowing just one earned run on three hits against the Blue Jays. Assuming he stays on track, he’ll face the Cubs. A tall task, but one that I want to see him challenged with. His debut demonstrated the type of ceiling he could reach with tremendous room to grow. His control and command have been excellent, and the breaking pitches could get even better.
Sawyer Gipson-Long ($$$): If you’re already here and reading this, you don’t need me to remind you how much Nick LOVES SGL, calling him one of his favorite sleepers for this season earlier in the year. SGL opened the year with a little bit of a rough outing, but it was a Still ILL and can be written off as just kicking off the rust. With upcoming starts at Baltimore and against Cincinnati, there’s potential for Gipson-Long to get better. There were some really good things to take from this start, including a hellacious extension, but overall, fantasy managers should be hoping for better. We’re banking on it happening soon.
Ryan Yarbrough ($$): Put some respect on his name! Yarbrough dazzled in each of his last two starts, including a solid six innings against the formidable Los Angeles Dodgers lineup. Now with four consecutive solid starts, including three pitching victories, he’s a serious consideration in nearly every league format. With his next two starts coming against Boston, another against the Angels, and then facing Cincinnati, the schedule isn’t that intimidating. He’s a volume guy with a very good Yankees lineup backing him. Great for win potential. He’s also one of the only pitchers managers can find on the wire with at least 40.0 innings pitched and a sub-1.00 WHIP.
DL Hall ($$): Hall has pitched twice since returning from injury, maxing out at 48 pitches in a three-inning outing against Cincinnati. So far, the walks are a little high, which is always the concern for players returning from injury. But perhaps getting stretched out and throwing more innings will allow him to hone the control a little more. He’s a wait-and-see type of arm, but he’s one that I’m interested in stashing if I have the bench space.
Mike Burrows ($): Burrows was excellent against a very right-handed heavy Houston Astros lineup his last time out, throwing five shutout innings and earning the win. He gets Miami next on Monday, June 9, but then faces the Cubs at Wrigley next weekend. Man, this would have been way better if he got the Marlins on Tuesday and missed the Cubs over the weekend, but instead, fantasy managers are forced to decide if they want the start against the Marlins and then hope that Burrows doesn’t get shelled against the Cubs later in the week.
Relief Pitchers
Bryan Baker ($$): Out of practically nowhere, the Baltimore Orioles have escalated Baker up the bullpen ranks to a high-leverage role. Apparently, that includes taking over in the ninth inning of save situations when Félix Bautista is unavailable. Baker earned two saves in the first week of June, and there’s reason to believe that he may earn more opportunities. If the Orioles continue to play better and find themselves in more save situations, it’s unlikely that they’ll deploy Bautista on consecutive days, which means Baker will have increased opportunity. If the Orioles go back to being bad at baseball, they could ship out Bautista to a contender, opening the door for Baker to enter the closer role on a more full-time basis. He makes a great speculative add and should help with ratios even if he’s not getting saves.
Zach Agnos ($): It feels yucky, considering that Agnos is in the Colorado Rockies bullpen and also not generating strikeouts, like, at all. But he appears to be the closer of the week in Colorado. I guess if the Rockies ever win games, there’s a chance that they’re close games. And if that’s the case, it will be Agnos in the ninth. Roster at your own risk.
Jeremiah Estrada ($): The next man up for a solid San Diego Padres team, Estrada has earned a pair of saves on nights that closer Robert Suarez was unavailable. He’s on the wire in most leagues and should be considered for teams in need of ratio help. And who knows, maybe he gets some bonus saves as well.
Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire) | Designed by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
