Expert FAAB Review: Week 18

Picture credit score: © Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports activities

Welcome again to the FAAB Assessment, the column that critiques the goings on in a number of analyst leagues within the hopes we will help you with your individual FAAB bidding course of and habits. This column will principally concentrate on The Nice Fantasy Baseball Invitational (TGFBI), a contest that incorporates 31 leagues of 15 groups every and crowns an general champion at season’s finish. We’ll have a look at the ten hottest FAAB buys in these leagues each week. We’ll additionally concentrate on some highlights in Tout Wars AL and LABR NL, two deep business leagues.

TGBFI and Tout Wars use a $1,000 FAAB funds, whereas LABR makes use of $100. Tout Wars additionally permits groups to put $0 bids. All three leagues run their FAAB weekly on Sundays.

TGFBI
Jonathan Hernandez $24 (Most Successful Bid: $91. Minimal Successful Bid: $4)
Hernandez was nabbed in 11 leagues final week; this week he was taken in one other 18. I wrote about him within the Week 17 evaluate, and he has solely pitched twice since then with one save to point out for it. Hernandez stays a high-quality alternative for saves hypothesis in deeper leagues; the issue is that the Rangers may not give him sufficient results in present sufficient alternatives of their remaining 54 contests.

Ian Kennedy $23 ($68, $2)
After an unpleasant blown save final Monday by Mark Melancon, it appeared the Diamondbacks have been lastly prepared to maneuver on, giving Kennedy two save alternatives final week that he transformed. However then Kennedy misplaced one within the ninth on Saturday and Melancon picked up the save yesterday. There are a number of outcomes at play in Arizona’s bullpen and there in all probability aren’t sufficient saves to go round to make both reliever price your whereas. Regardless of the awful ERA, Melancon has been the superior pitcher this season.

Rowan Wick $21 ($77, $3)
After the Cubs cleaned out their bullpen on the commerce deadline, it left Wick because the logical nearer candidate by default/means of elimination. His stat line is poor, though there may be some dangerous BABIP luck tied to that. Wick doesn’t have a save because the Cubs traded away nearly half their bullpen and is in the identical boat that Hernandez is besides it’s even much less sure Wick is the nearer the remainder of the best way.

Bubba Thompson $17 ($51, $2)
Oh, thank goodness, a hitter. If I needed to write about 10 relievers this week, I used to be going to begin screaming. Thompson is extremely quick, will steal bases, and will produce sufficient in any other case offensively to outlive within the majors and provides his fantasy managers 7-10 steals the remainder of the best way. He is also uncovered by large league pitchers throwing him nasty off-speed stuff and loads of choices outdoors the strike zone and discover himself out of the lineup briefly order.

Michael Massey $17 ($56, $2)
Massey has a golden alternative to play the second the remainder of the best way for the Royals due to the Whit Merrifield deal. The 24-year-old prospect was previous for his degree within the minors, however a few of this was attributable to nagging accidents the final couple of seasons holding him again. He grades out as beneath common on laborious hit knowledge however a mixture of a plenty of flyballs and a wise method to hitting imply Massey may nonetheless hit sufficient house runs to hold his weight. He’s seen by many as a second division common at finest. Be at liberty to fill in your individual Royals joke within the feedback part beneath.

Miguel Vargas $16 ($46, $2)
Vargas can hit, the query is whether or not he’ll get sufficient enjoying time to be viable in something however NL-only. The early returns say no, as Vargas has began twice at DH in 5 days for the Dodgers because the commerce deadline on August 2. He in all probability wants one other damage to stay, and it doesn’t assist his trigger that the Dodgers acquired Joey Gallo. There are too many hitters floating round in Los Angeles and never all of them are going to get to play.

Nick Gordon $14 ($31, $1)
Gordon seems to be like he’s lastly going to stay as a daily, or not less than as an excellent utility man who will get plenty of plate appearances everywhere in the diamond. Centerfield is the probably touchdown spot for Gordon, as Byron Buxton must DH and the first competitors in any other case is Mark Contreras and Gilberto Celestino. Gordon ought to be good for a seasonal tempo of double-digit house runs and steals with an excellent batting common. He additionally gives a great deal of place flexibility.

Lars Nootbar $13 ($27, $1)
The Harrison Bader commerce to the Yankees clears up a extra everlasting position for Nootbar within the Cardinals outfield. The issue is he has completed little with the chance and is likely to be a greater off in a powerful aspect platoon the place his batting common doesn’t plummet as a result of he’s caught dealing with lefties. Nootbar is sufficient as a fourth outfielder, nevertheless it appears like all his deep league buzz is as a result of he was nice that one-time in Triple-A in 2021 for all of 136 PA.

Elehuris Montero $12 ($43, $1)
The Rockies have lastly determined to do the best factor the place a prospect is worried and provides him an trustworthy likelihood to play. Montero is getting on a regular basis reps rotating between first, third and DH for Colorado. The issue is he has completed little along with his alternative, and whereas there isn’t a disgrace in having 50+ subpar plate appearances in your first go around the majors it does make it tough to justify holding a roster spot for Montero in your fantasy squad.

Oscar Gonzalez $12 ($23, $2)
Gonzalez is again for the Guardians after lacking time with an damage, and the group has cleaned home, transferring some older veterans like Franmil Reyes out so children like Gonzalez can get an trustworthy likelihood. The hit software has been spectacular, however Gonzalez’s stroll fee is low, and the facility hasn’t materialized. It’s OK for me to say “be affected person” when it’s not my fantasy group, so in the event you want the facility from Gonzalez now and this isn’t a keeper stash you possibly can all the time use him extra as a streamer when you search for one thing higher in your redraft league.

Tout Wars AL
Tyler Mahle $605 (Different Bids: $566, $351, $252, $236, $127, $4)
Eric Hosmer $566 ($220)
Jose Siri $555 ($46, $15, $3)
Bubba Thompson $102 ($79, $35, $29, $15, $2)
Harrison Bader $102
Manuel Margot $79
Michael Massey $60 ($9)
Jake Lamb $41
Cole Ragans $38
Matt Festa $21
Terrin Vavra $15 ($3)
Meibrys Viloria $7
Brock Burke $7
Jimmy Herget $5 ($3)
Trevor Stephan $5
Kevin Plawecki $1 ($0)
Phil Maton $1
Tyler Alexander $1
Curt Casali $0
Phil Gosselin $0

One programming notice: Tommy Pham was already on a group and ineligible for this week’s FAAB. The Tout mono leagues instituted a rule that allowed gamers who have been free brokers at draft time to remain in both mono league even when they switched leagues. Bizarre, I do know, however the lockout led to some bizarre stuff.

For those who have been fourth or fifth in FAAB coming into the commerce deadline the pickings weren’t nice. Mahle’s ceiling is excessive, however he has a 4.49 ERA and was damage for a spell earlier this yr. Sure, the ceiling is excessive, however this isn’t the automated ace some have been hoping would swap leagues on August 2. Hosmer had been a free agent disappointment for the Padres, and I don’t count on a change of surroundings to assist a lot, notably since his runs and RBI ought to drop in Boston. You may bid on gamers on the IL in Tout besides Bader obtained just one major bid.

It’s the minor strikes that deserve extra consideration and evaluation. Siri was shipped to the Rays and is their centerfielder in the interim. He has been horrible in 162 plate appearances this season. Massey is the large winner based mostly on one other participant (Whit Merrifield) getting shipped elsewhere. It might be overstating issues to say Massey tore via two ranges of the minors, however he was strong and may very well be a 20/10 hitter for the Royals with a strong batting common in 2023 and going ahead if every thing breaks proper.

LABR NL
Jean Segura $30 (Different Bids: $6, $5, $4, $1)
Jordan Montgomery $23 ($20, $11, $10, $10, $10, $9, $6, $5,$2, $2)
Jake Odorizzi $20 ($8, $8, $6, $6, $6, $4, $3, $2, $2, $1)
Noah Syndergaard $11 ($10, $10, $10, $4, $3, $2, $2)
Joey Gallo $8 ($3, $2, $1, $1)
Raisel Iglesias $8 ($3, $1, $1)
Elehuris Montero $5 ($2, $1)
Brandon Hughes $4
Charles Leblanc $3 ($1, $1)
Andre Pallante $3 ($1, $1)
Lars Nootbar $2 ($1, $1)
Brandon Marsh $2
Rowan Wick $2
Alex Vesia $1

The AL to NL crossover on the deadline was extra strong than anticipated however lacked a very large identify who headed over. Montgomery has been high-quality however isn’t the ace some have been hoping would get traded from the AL. Odorizzi and Syndergaard are succesful back-end starters – and in NL-only these are very invaluable – however neither will present a major enhance. The hitting expertise that arrived was even thinner. Gallo may bounce again, however he may additionally proceed to be a batting common albatross with not sufficient else to make him price utilizing. I used to be just a little stunned to get Marsh at $2 with no competing bids, however I can perceive why given his numbers in 2022.

You might be allowed to reclaim FAAB for gamers on the 60-day IL in LABR however can not bid on injured gamers, which is why Segura wasn’t accessible till this week. The $30 bid by Eric Karabell of ESPN was aggressive however given the shortage of foundational gamers traded to NL final Tuesday it is smart that Karabell put most of his eggs on this explicit basket.