Another week, another FAAB run, where half your league is asleep at the wheel, and the other half is lighting money on fire. The first few FAAB runs of the season tend to set the tone for everything that follows throughout the season, and you can already start to see how differently managers approach them. Some are aggressive to a fault, chasing whoever is hot at this moment in time. Others can be too passive, and it’s advantageous to know where you lie on the scale as well, so you can adjust accordingly. Neither extreme is ideal, so it’s good to be somewhere in the middle where you strike the right balance of aggression but also stay grounded in your principles.
What makes FAAB so interesting is that it’s not simply about evaluation. It’s just as much about decision-making under certainty, where you’re weighing skills, role security, and sustainability simultaneously while also trying to predict what other managers may do. Mastering such tension is the way to earn a sustainable edge, and getting the timing right while not overspending on valuable players is the real goal here.
If there were a clear-cut formula or equation to figure this out, that would be much easier, but it’s much more nuanced than that. My biggest concern for myself is often to bid enough where I’m not regretting not spending that extra money to secure a player while also being reasonable and not reckless. On the flip side, if you are indifferent towards a player, it’s wise to be aware of that and use it to your advantage.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help you decide who to target on the waiver wire, as well as how to prioritize who to add. The focus will mainly be on relevant players who are also widely available in all leagues, and will often include players I’ve spent my own FAAB dollars on. Every league is different, so players will not be given an exact 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 spend some FAAB dollars!
Investment Rating System
This week, there are seven teams with a seven-game schedule: the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, and San Diego Padres. The rest of the teams have a six-game week, and a few players with seven games this week are mentioned in the article.
SEVEN GAMES: CIN, COL, DET, KCR, MIA, MIN, SDP
Batters
Outfielders
Owen Caissie ($$$): Owen Caissie was once a hyped outfield prospect with real pedigree, yet he’s the one who mostly went unnoticed and forgotten in the preseason. That wasn’t necessarily fair, but there were so many exciting new prospects coming into the season that were debuting that Caissie kind of got lost in the shuffle. He is reminding us all why he was a coveted prospect that the Miami Marlins were willing to give up Edward Cabrera for. He has hit the ground running, with a 0.350 average and a passable 26% strikeout rate, and that also includes a walk-off home run. So far, he’s showing that the strikeout rate was overblown, and with his patient approach at the plate, it should improve with more experience for Caissie. He’s still widely available on some platforms, so be sure to add him if you need an outfielder.
Trent Grisham ($$): Grisham may not be the most exciting play, but he is definitely useful. He may not play against all lefties, so you’ll have to follow the matchups, but when he does play, he bats leadoff in front of Aaron Judge. It’s one of the better situations in baseball, and while he may not have 30 home runs again, he should still be productive with good counting stats. As long as he continues to produce as he has so far, his role should be safe as well.
Infielders
Isaac Paredes ($$$): It’s possible that the concerns over a lack of playing time were overblown for Paredes, as it was never something particularly concerning to me. The Houston Astros have found a way to get him into the lineup regularly so far, and I expect that to continue. Hopefully, that puts the narrative to rest, as Yordan Alvarez has already played the field multiple games in order to get Paredes’ bat in the lineup. He gets the very most out of his skillset and power by pulling the ball in the air, and while that may seem cheap, you have to respect him getting to his power as much as possible. While third base has actually felt deeper than advertised in draft season, Paredes is still a priority add whose likely to even gain eligibility at second base at some point.
Catchers/UT
Gabriel Moreno ($$$): If he can just stay healthy, Moreno still has good potential. He has good speed for a catcher, which should lead to more runs, and batting cleanup for the Arizona Diamondbacks behind their big three of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo is a nice place to be for RBI opportunities. He is most valuable in a points league with his good plate discipline, but could be useful everywhere if he hits for enough power. He often gets compared to Alejandro Kirk, except he’s much faster and will hit for more extra-base hits and score more runs. So Moreno is actually the better option for counting stats.
Liam Hicks ($$): It likely comes as a surprise to you that Liam Hicks is the hidden gem I’ve been excited to recommend all week. It’s truly a shock the way he’s come out of nowhere. Looking at his stats and plate discipline, it’s truly wild how unnoticed Hicks is. Even at a stacked position, what he’s doing is worth focusing on here. He already has three home runs just a week into the season, after only hitting six in 390 plate appearances last season. There has actually been a skill change to back that up as well. His bat speed is up three mph from where it was last year, so there may be more power potential. It’s an exciting development for a player to be doing this who walks nearly as much as he strikes out. The downside is platoon risk, and is the only reason I wouldn’t spend more than streamer money on him right now. He has seven games next week, but three will come against lefties. He typically sits against them, so keep an eye on his playing time.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Landon Roupp ($$$): Even though Roupp pitched a gem in his debut this season, roster rates would tell you nobody has noticed or cared much. That just means it gives us all an opportunity to still add him to our teams. There is reason to be optimistic that he can put the pieces together, and while the ERA has never been a problem for him, it’s usually been the WHIP. That often comes from a lack of command, and the hope is that the cutter he utilized more prominently can help with that. The curveball will always be the best pitch for Roupp, but it has such good break that he can struggle to control it. So if he could build around that pitch in order to use it as a putaway pitch, he has potential that other starting pitchers available on the waiver wire do not.
Justin Wrobleski ($$): The way the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to use Wrobleski is annoying, so this is more of a speculative play to see where it goes. There is no doubting the skill, and his ability to pound the strike zone is impressive. He’s in a great situation if he gets to start regularly, and even in a hybrid role, he could be very valuable in an RP slot in the right formats. He’s also someone to keep an eye on when some starting pitchers for the Dodgers inevitably spend time on the injured list. He doesn’t possess good extension, but he throws harder now with a wide arsenal and is intriguing for that reason.
Relief Pitchers
Lucas Erceg ($$$): It looks like Erceg will be getting saves for the Kansas City Royals going forward, and is in a good situation to succeed. The Royals should be a winning ball club, and Erceg has the stuff and velocity to succeed in this role. He’s been the closer in Kansas City before, so if you are in need of saves, he’s a great option.
Riley O’Brien ($$$): Looking like the primary closer for the St. Louis Cardinals, O’Brien has been successful so far, picking up a win and a save without allowing a run. I see him as the better pitcher here, but also expect him to get fewer save opportunities being on the Cardinals. If you are in need of saves and a stable closer, he’s a good bet to be exactly that.
