Call your mom. Forget your FAAB bids for five minutes and call her. Tell her you love her. And tell her thank you. For a lot of us, Mom is the most supportive woman in our lives. Don’t take it for granted. And for all the Moms reading this column this week, Happy Mother’s Day. You all are amazing.
Where can you gain an edge this week? What players are getting a bump in playing time or usage and what guys have had their roles reduced or eliminated, whether by injury or otherwise? We’re looking to leverage that information to make educated decisions, both in FAAB and in setting our weekly lineups. Each of the last two weeks, guys like Jorge Polanco have been available on several waiver wires and if you read this column and acted according to the advice given, you’d have reaped the rewards of a player who has ascended in popularity and production, likely helping your team immensely in the process (especially if you jumped in early). Who are those guys this week? Well, hopefully there are a handful 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 this week as the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals each have a full week ahead. The Colorado Rockies are on the road all week while the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians each play a series in Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark.
SEVEN GAMES: ATL, HOU, TEX, WSH
Batters
Outfielders
Alex Verdugo ($$$$): Verdugo is officially an everyday outfielder and leadoff man for the Atlanta Braves. He isn’t any better of a hitter than he was last season, so the floor is still potentially low, but the ceiling is higher than it’s been since he was moved down the Yankees’ order last year. With Riley, Ozuna, and Olson batting immediately behind him, the runs ought to be there as long as he can maintain a respectable OBP. He’s a top-75 outfielder moving forward and should be rostered in all 15-team, five-outfielder leagues.
Alec Burleson ($$): Burleson has a track record of decent hitting, and has been good for the Cardinals in just over 100 plate appearances so far this season. With a slightly better zone contact rate but nearly half the home-run-per-fly-ball rate from a year ago (20.4%) , Burleson could be in for a power surge in the coming weeks. He hit 21 home runs last season and has just two in 35 games this year. If he can get back to putting the ball out of the stadium, he’ll be an outstanding buy-low candidate that could pay off in spades.
Eli White ($$): The other survivor of the Braves’ outfield purge, White earned a starting role over Kelenic and De La Cruz and has played every day of the past week in the corner outfield positions for Atlanta. White doesn’t particularly pop off the page as far as hitting metrics, but a full-time outfielder in an above-average outfield is good enough for most rosters. Until Acuna gets back, White will help with batting average and should contribute some counting stats as well. And once Ronald returns, you can dump him.
Zach Dezenzo ($): The Astros have slowly come to the realization that Jose Altuve is not a very good corner outfielder and worked to limit his time out there, playing him at DH or second base at four of the past seven games. Moving Altuve makes way for DeZenzo, who has been pretty good in the month of May, batting .333 with a home run and five RBI through five games. If he can solidify the Astros’ corner outfield role, he could be productive enough to contribute in some 12-team leagues. He’s a bat that I’m willing to take a chance on for a few weeks to see how playing time shakes out.
Angel Martínez ($): A speed and batting average helper in the outfield, Martínez is getting another chance to be an everyday player in the Cleveland lineup. Last year, he earned 35 hits in just over 150 at-bats. He’s nearly met that total already this season in just 83 at-bats. With one home run and three stolen bases in just 25 games so far, Martinez has a chance to maintain a .280 average or better with contributions in stolen bases and runs scored.
Infielders
Javier Báez ($$): Báez took full advantage of his little trip to Coors this past week, with two hits and five RBI in a pair of starts at the mile-high stadium. Playing center field (yes, center field) for the Tigers, Baez hasn’t changed anything from previous seasons – except he’s got a .385 BABIP (up from .220 last season). It’s the same El Mago, just with different results. Maybe he stays hot for another week or two. Just don’t hang on to him too long if you do pick him up.
Miguel Vargas ($$): So far this season, Vargas has shown an improvement from 2024 in nearly all facets, but it’s not enough to really boost fantasy teams. But maybe it will be if things keep getting better. Vargas has improved across the board in nearly every metric (except HR/FB), but will need to improve his hard contact if he wants to make an impact. Batting in the upper third of the White Sox lineup in front of Luis Robert Jr. and… well… Luis Robert Jr., Vargas could be an accumulator this year if he ups his OBP.
Gabriel Arias ($): The zone contact is low. Really low. Usually, 80% is just okay, but Arias is way down at 70%, meaning he misses three out of 10 pitches that he swings at in the zone. That’s the bad news. The good news is that when he does hit it, it’s finding its way for a base hit. His .354 BABIP is unsustainable, but as long as it does last, he’s a restorable asset at a shallow position.
Rowdy Tellez ($): With as many breakout bats at first base this season, fantasy managers shouldn’t need a boring, cheap bat at the position. But if you do, Tellez is that. With five home runs and 18 RBI in less than 100 plate appearances, Tellez is good enough to start in the MLB, but probably not on fantasy teams unless injury has plagued you. Worth a streaming flyer bid, but not much more than that.
Tim Elko ($): A speculative add, Elko was called up by the White Sox after beginning the minor league season batting .348 with 10 home runs in just over 30 games. His raw power definitely plays at the MLB level, but he’ll have to prove that he can make contact, especially with a strikeout rate near 30% across all minor league levels throughout his career. He might get an opportunity in Chicago, but it’s not clear if they’ll keep him in the bigs for long enough to matter.
Catchers/UT
Iván Herrera ($$$): The Cardinals’ incumbent starting catcher, at least with Contreras moving to first base full time, Herrera should be returning from injury soon and will be a helpful bat in fantasy lineups as soon as he does get back in action.
Francisco Alvarez ($$$): Alvarez is back at full strength and batted 7-for-14 over his last handful of games entering the weekend. He’s not 100% rostered in 15-team leagues, and he absolutely should be. Heck, he’s in the discussion for 12-team one-catcher leagues. The Mets’ lineup will continue to put up numbers, and Alvarez will be in the thick of it.
Freddy Fermin ($): Fermin is a deep-league option that isn’t being rostered as widely as he likely should. He’s the primary catcher in Kansas City, which feels weird to say with Salvador Perez still healthy. His bat isn’t great, but it’s in the lineup. In two-catcher, 15-team leagues, that’s really all you can ask for.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
AJ Smith-Shawver ($$$$): It might be time for the Braves to hand over the keys to Smith-Shawver and let him drive. The 22-year-old just dealt an eight-inning gem against the Reds earlier this week and has another chance to shine on Sunday against the Pirates.
Ben Casparius ($$$): He’s still not stretched out, or else he wouldn’t be available – and he may not be in your league. Rostered in most but not all 15-team leagues, Casparius is looking more and more like he could assume the storied 2018 Ryan Yarbrough role of long reliever on a really good baseball team. Oh, and he pitches well too. Good pitcher, great team, great situation. He will help your fantasy pitching squad.
Cade Horton ($$): One of the more hyped pitching prospects this season, though not as hot a name as Bubba Chandler, Horton will debut for the Cubs this weekend at some point (if he hasn’t already by the time this is published). Though he’s a hot name, it may be best to proceed with caution. Here’s what Nick had to say earlier this week:
Should you pick up Cade Horton?
Here are my thoughts from my free daily morning AMA stream on Playback pic.twitter.com/319pP7W7WM
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) May 9, 2025
Jake Irvin ($$): Aside from one rough outing against the Phillies, Irvin has been very good over the course of the past month. With three quality starts and a pair of wins, Irvin has posted numbers good enough to be considered restorable in nearly every 15-team league and most 12-team leagues as well. A 4.01 ERA and 1.13 WHIP have been bolstered in large part by a career-best .230 BABIP against, while stranding a career-high 79.4% of runners he allowed. There’s a lot here that seems unsustainable, but with two starts next week (@ATL and @BAL), he’s a great streaming add and could be more if he continues the hot streak.
Chad Patrick ($): Can I put a negative dollar sign? Patrick is smoke and mirrors incarnate. A 2.87 ERA in spite of a 1.28 WHIP? Get out of here, man. Patrick has managed only two quality starts this year, with his most recent being a PQS (6.2 IP, 3ER). Not only that, but he’s likely losing his rotation spot to returners Aaron Civale and Brandon Woodruff this week. Let your league mates take this one. Don’t fall for it!
Relief Pitchers
Shelby Miller ($$$): The Arizona Diamondbacks had two relievers get saves this week… but neither one was Miller. The veteran threw 26 pitches in the ninth inning on Tuesday to secure a four-run win over the Mets (while Kevin Ginkel faced the eighth) but was not used in the Diamondbacks’ Thursday save opportunity, where Ginkel threw the ninth against the Dodgers. Miller was the first to get a save chance after J-Mart went to the IL, and he’ll likely be the guy to roster until the Snakes’ closer returns.
Chris Martin ($$): The Rangers haven’t had a save opportunity since April 25, a streak of 14 consecutive games entering Saturday. When they get one, I expect the chance to go to Martin. Luke Jackson was the last the earn a save, but just about everybody in the back end of the Rangers’ pen has blown at least one save recently. Martin has been the most consistent and arguably best reliever for Texas this season despite four losses and no saves. I still believe he’s the arm to roster in that bullpen for saves.
Justin Sterner ($): Sterner has been a surprise revelation in the Athletics‘ bullpen this season, throwing 18.2 scoreless innings to open the year. Not only has he been spectacular for ratios, but he’s also registered nearly a 12.0 K/9 with 24 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched. Though he’s likely not passing Mason Miller for save chances any time soon, he’s worth a cheap add for those looking for a bullpen arm to help with ratios and strikeouts.
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