This is it – the final FAAB run of the 2025 fantasy baseball season. It’s a double-edged sword if you’re still here reading this. The good news is that you’re likely competing for a title in your league – or at least a share of the money (which is the reason we supposedly got into fantasy baseball in the first place, right?). The bad news is that you still have FAAB in the coffers and might have missed out on some of the more helpful pieces on the wire throughout the course of the season. Well, whatever is left in your little digital FAAB piggy bank, let’s put it to good use this week and bring home a championship!
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
All 30 teams are scheduled to play only six games this week. However, that may change if weather plays a role this weekend or early in the week. But it’s too difficult to predict postponements and cancellations with a week remaining in the season.
Batters
Outfielders
Brandon Marsh ($$): The entire Phillies lineup is producing recently, and with six games at home in the hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, Brandon Marsh seems like a solid option for power, RBI and runs scored in the final week of the season.
Max Kepler ($$): The entire Phillies lineup is producing recently, and with six games at home in the hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, Brandon Marsh Max Kepler seems like a solid option for power, RBI and runs scored in the final week of the season.
Heriberto Hernández ($): Hernandez has batted .255 with 13 runs and 9 RBI in the month of September, barreling the ball at a 15.4% clip over that span. He’s seeing it well, getting on base and can help with counting stats in a sneaky productive Marlins lineup that has gotten healthier over the past couple of weeks.
Austin Martin ($): Martin might be one of the only guys on the wire that could steal multiple bases this week. With three games against a Texas Rangers team that has struggled against the running game, Martin has the green light and could be off to the races. Three games in Philadelphia will make it tougher – Realmuto and Marchan have been excellent defensively – but he’s worth a shot for speed-needy rosters.
Infielders
Sal Stewart ($$$): Featured heavily in PitcherList content recently, including Ben Pernick’s most recent Buy and Sell piece, Stewart has ascended to every day corner infield duties in Cincinnati. He’s mashed four home runs in just under 50 plate appearances, and has managed to keep the strikeout rate relatively low for a slugger (22.9%). Available in 70% of 15-team leagues, Stewart and the Reds get three games at home and three more in Milwaukee – two hitter-friendly parks – to end the season.
Tristan Gray ($): With modest pop and a solid hit tool, Gray has emerged as the Rays’ everyday third baseman as long as Junior Caminero remains out with back tightness. With no real reason to rush Caminero back, the Rays may see what they have in Gray the final week of the season. The 10.4% barrel rate is enticing, but the 74.5% zone contact rate is a little intimidating.
Kody Clemens ($): The power has shone through with regular playing time, but at the expense of batting average. He’s a decent consolation prize if you don’t end up with Stewart.
Catchers/UT
Moisés Ballesteros ($$$): Ballesteros has become the Cubs’ full-time DH, and has batted .286 with a pair of home runs in less than 50 plate appearances. We’ve seen the bat play up, now it’s time to hit when it counts. For the volume he’ll get alone, he’s a must-add catcher for the final week of the year.
Patrick Bailey ($): Each of the last three seasons, it seems like Bailey has been disrespected with the amount of leagues he’s available in. All he does is play great defense behind the plate and hit for volume. It’s not special, not shiny, not cool – but it’s good enough for a 15-team, two-catcher league.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Trey Yesavage ($$$): Yesavage lines up to face the Rays in the final game of the season on Sunday afternoon. After a dazzling debut and another start against the Royals (just after this gets published), Yesavage has the opportunity to gallop into the sunset with an outstanding year-22 season, setting himself up nicely for 2026. With a gross splitter (11 whiffs), Yesavage has what it takes to pile up strikeouts and maybe even get a win.
Connelly Early ($$$): Speaking of piling up strikeouts, Early has 18 in his first 10.1 innings pitched. Granted all of those strikeouts came against the A’s, so maybe the Tigers – who Early is scheduled to face this coming weekend as the Red Sox set their playoff rotation – may prove to be a greater challenge. Or maybe he continues to miss bats at an absurd rate. With a deep arsenal and a knack for effective wildness, Early is a target for strikeouts and could manage a win as well.
Joey Cantillo ($$): Cantillo has allowed just four earned runs in his last 29.2 innings pitched entering the weekend. Here’s a guy that can help with ERA. Now, be wary because the WHIP might not be great (10 walks in that 29.2 IP span) but at this point of the season, it’s a risk worth taking.
Tyler Wells ($$): Wells will square off with the Rays in the middle of the week as the Orioles cap their final homestand of the season. With three-consecutive very good outings under his belt, Wells will look to continue the momentum that he has generated since returning from the IL. The command is outstanding and he’s generating whiffs with his fastball. It’s a solid profile to lean on in the final week of the year.
Relief Pitchers
Shawn Armstrong ($$$): The Rangers need every win they can get if they want to climb back into the wild card chase. Armstrong gives them the best chance to do that in close games. He’s converted four save opportunities in the month of September and appears unopposed for ninth-inning duties. If Texas can manage to squeak out a few more close wins, Armstrong may be one of the only (and best) available sources of saves on the wire.
Andrew Kittredge ($$): The Cubs have already locked up a playoff spot, so they may rest their top reliever before the postseason. But if they need a save opportunity converted, he’s been the guy recently.
Riley O’Brien ($$): The Cardinals have called on O’Brien to lock up the ninth inning in each of their last two save opportunities, using JoJo Romero in the eighth. Perhaps its a changing of the guard, perhaps just a matchup choice. Either way, he could be a sneaky option for saves in the final week as the Redbirds attempt to play spoilers.
Photo by Keith Gillett/Iconsportswire | Designed by Aaron Asbury (@aarongifs on Instagram)
