Welcome back to another FAABulous Sunday! While on one hand it seems pretty grim when glancing at our waiver wires (especially for starting pitching), on the other there are some interesting players available considering we’ve already had 20 FAAB runs in most leagues. Let’s get to some names!
Catcher
Shea Langeliers (0% ME, 0% OC, 13% Yahoo) – The catching position has been better than many expected for those in single-catcher leagues, but it drops off drastically for those in two-catcher formats — especially 15-teamers. So, the addition of Langeliers to the player pool is welcome for those in need of an injury replacement or looking to upgrade that second catching slot. In the lineup for the fifth consecutive game on Sunday (2nd time at catcher, the other three at DH), he had an extra base hit in each of his first three MLB games after slashing .283/.366/.510 with 19 HR in 92 AAA games.
First Base
Yandy Díaz (98% ME, 49% OC, 27% Yahoo) – 3B – Yes, we’d all love for Díaz to hit less ground balls (51.4 GB%, 51.8 GB% in 2021) as hard as he hits the ball (18th in MLB with 34.5 HC%), but his .278 BA and pace for 60 RBI and 70 R is more valuable than what many 12-team and shallower leagues are giving him credit for. He has hit a homerun in four of the past five scoring periods with 19 RBI and 13 R over that span, and Tampa is set to face three left handed starters vs the Angels — he’s slashing .313/.400/.500 in 110 PA vs. lefties this season.
Second Base
Zach McKinstry (6% ME, 0% OC, 0% Yahoo) – 3B, OF – McKinstry was O-fer his first five games with the Cubs, but since has hit .267 playing primarily vs righthanded pitching. The value here is in the three stolen bases, all this week! This isn’t something we saw out of him with the Dodgers — even in the minors — so it may be a fluke, but if there’s a week to see if he’s going to continue to get the green light and take advantage, it’s an eight-game week like the Cubs have on tap.
Third Base
Brett Baty (0% ME, 0% OC, 41% Yahoo) – It’s only five games, but I already think the .176 BA so far may keep the price down a bit for Baty this evening. It’s only five games, but I do like his 31.6 HC% (50th in MLB) as he’s making adjustments after just six games at Triple-A. It’s only five games, so his 71.4 GB% will most definitely come down. He has had a GB% over 50% in the minors, but if he can continue to hit the ball hard with anywhere close to his 42.6 GB% in 394 Double-A plate appearances this season, good things will come.
Shortstop
CJ Abrams (96% ME, 48% OC, 14% Yahoo) – Yes, shortstop is deep, but there are so many rostered! Thirty shortstop-eligible players are 95% or higher rostered in 12-team NFBC Online Championships. Hopefully you aren’t in a position where you absolutely have to add one. If you are, while Abrams has had a rough go of it in his first 52 MLB games, he is getting everyday playing time with the Nationals and has a hit in four of his past five games — he’s actually hitting .266 since late June. Even in Washington’s depleted lineup, the counting stats should be coming.
Outfield
Manuel Margot (89% ME, 38% OC, 16% Yahoo) – Margot returned from the 60-day IL due to a knee injury and has slid right back into the top third of the Rays’ lineup in his first two games back. He hit .302 with 3 HR and 5 SB and was on pace for over 80 RBI through the first 50 games of the season. He’s one of the few Rays that will be in the lineup on a daily basis with seven games upcoming this week — four vs. the Angels and three vs. the Red Sox, so a nice chance to add to that SB total.
Lars Nootbaar (94% ME, 24% OC, 5% Yahoo) – In 95 PA since the break, Nootbar is slashing .296/.442/.507, has a 21.1 BB% and 14.7 K% (no, those are not reversed), and has scored 18 runs thanks to hitting leadoff or in the nine-hole in the potent Cardinals’ lineup. He is now the everyday right fielder, and the Cardinals have eight games scheduled this week.
Sam Haggerty (36% ME, 6% OC, 6% Yahoo) – Haggerty has 23 SB this season, eight of them in 52 MLB games, and has hit .317 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 11 R, and 4 SB in 70 PA since the break. This is his third consecutive week with at least 15 AB, and he has at least one stolen base in six of the past eight scoring periods. The Mariners face the Nationals and Guardians this week — both in the bottom eight in stolen bases allowed this season.
Pitcher
Dustin May (0% ME, 1% OC, 69% Yahoo) – From last week — “The only question I have is when he’ll be available for FAAB bids in NFBC leagues. It won’t be tonight, and depending on what the Dodgers do this week, he may not be next Sunday either. He’s still listed as the starter for Oklahoma City tonight. If he makes that start we won’t see him until the weekend, possibly Sunday which delays it another week. In non-NFBC formats he should be added immediately.” — May made his 2022 debut on Saturday making him available in NFBC formats this evening. He’ll be expensive, as in fantasy players emptying their FAAB accounts expensive, after his 5 IP with 0 ER, 1 H, 2BB, and 9 K performance. He’ll get the Marlins in Miami next time out, and my new only question is how much deeper into the game he may be allowed to go — probably not much, hoping for six innings.
David Peterson (81% ME, 30% OC, 26% Yahoo) – Every time Peterson appears to have lost his rotation spot the Mets have another injury. He wasn’t particularly sharp vs the Phillies on Saturday giving up 3 ER in 4.2 IP, but the strikeouts were there (up to 97 in 83.2 IP) and he gets the Rockies in New York this week.
Keep grinding, good luck tonight, and enjoy the games!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire