NL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

We have two goals for this article: 

1. Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Estimate how much of your $100 starting free-agent budget you should bid on them.

Bids in general are best guesstimates. With so much uncertainty at least initially, those values may be even greater estimates than usual. The FAAB chart below lets users easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grid below allows readers to see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and what kind of bids they should command in a variety of formats. The grid, which is sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This is a reflection of a player's upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook, which are already factored into the recommended bid. Drake Baldwin would have been a borderline "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects that could thrive in an everyday role.

Starting Pitcher

Jared Jones, Pirates: Jones remains available in over half of Yahoo leagues and nearly 80 percent of ESPN leagues, probably because fantasy players aren't impressed by his 4.10 ERA. Jones struggled to a 6.23 ERA in his first four starts after returning from elbow surgery in late May and a 4.54 ERA over his next nine outings, so many players who picked him up initially likely threw him back into the pool. It's quite common for pitchers to need some time to get their groove back following a major surgery, however, and the pitcher Jones is today looks like a different guy than the pitcher he was two or three months ago. The righty owns a 2.03 ERA over his last five starts and has been even better over his last two, allowing zero runs on four hits while striking out 17 and walking three in 13 innings of work. He should be rostered in every league. 12-team Mixed: $10, 15-team Mixed: rostered; 12-team NL: rostered 

Emmet Sheehan, Dodgers: Sheehan has been disappointing this season with a 5.08 ERA in 21 starts, and he was even sent down a couple times in August. He was recalled for a start earlier this week and was excellent, allowing just one run on three hits in 5.2 innings against the Reds, striking out 10 batters while walking just one. He's scheduled to start again today against the Marlins, and if he remains in the rotation after that, he'll line up to make two more starts, both of which come against the Giants, who have one of the worst lineups in baseball. 12-team Mixed: $2, 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team NL: $9

Andrew Alvarez, Nationals: Alvarez is coming off a start Saturday against the Angels in which he struck out eight batters in seven shutout innings, giving up one hit and walking four. Those walks might be a bit of a concern, and he now owns an 11.0 percent walk rate on the year, but both his strikeouts and innings pitched were season highs. The lefty has been effective in a swingman role this season, with a 3.35 ERA in 23 appearances (15 starts), but he's only picked up two wins as he's frequently been pulled before completing five innings. If he's going to be treated like a true starter for the final couple weeks, he'll have a shot to double his win total in starts against the Cardinals and Tigers. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team NL: $7

Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks: Burnes threw three scoreless innings Tuesday against the Royals in his first big-league start in over 15 months, as his recovery from Tommy John surgery was delayed by a teres major strain. Ordinarily, a pitcher with his reputation returning from a long injury layoff would be a priority pickup, but Burnes has just two or three starts left in the regular season and still needs to build back up to a starter's workload. He'll probably work four innings in his next start and five in the start after that, and that could be it for him for the regular season. Also, the velocity on his entire repertoire was down at least a tick or two from its pre-injury levels. This is not peak Corbin Burnes we're dealing with, but he can still throw some productive innings over the last two weeks. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team NL: $7 

Quinn Mathews, Cardinals: Mathews has had mixed results through his first six big-league starts, posting a 4.11 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Those numbers are skewed by a start against the Phillies on August 22 in which he allowed seven runs on 10 hits; in his other five outings, he's averaged 1.4 runs on 4.4 hits. The 25-year-old lefty is a former top prospect who fell down prospect rankings after developing a significant walk problem in recent years, posting a 16.8 percent walk rate in the minors in 2025 and a 14.8 percent mark this year. He's cut that figure to a passable 10.2 percent in his limited big-league action, which is enough of an improvement to feel comfortable starting him in weeks like this upcoming one, where he'll have a pair of home starts against the Giants and Nationals. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team NL: $7

Jonah Tong, Mets: Tong entered the season with some promise but spent most of it in the minors, where he produced an unremarkable 4.54 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 23 starts. In 15 innings at the major-league level, he owns a similar 4.80 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He's in the Mets' rotation for the stretch run after cruising to a 2.00 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in his final seven Triple-A starts, however, and he's set for a pair of starts this week at pitcher-friendly Citi Field against the Orioles and Phillies. His previous start Monday against the Marlins saw him give up four runs in five innings, but his 7:1 K:BB was encouraging enough to take a chance on him this week. 12-team Mixed: $0, 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team NL: $4 

Cooper Hjerpe, Cardinals: Hjerpe might technically belong in the relief pitcher section, but he's someone to consider if you want wins and strikeouts, not saves, as he's currently being used in a piggyback role with Kyle Leahy. That role allowed him to pick up a win in his big-league debut last Sunday, as he pitched four perfect innings of relief at Coors Field, striking out six. His next outing Saturday was a disaster, as he allowed four runs in one inning of work against the White Sox, striking out three but walking four and hitting two more. Hjerpe combined elite strikeout stuff (35.1 percent strikeout rate) with awful control (18.4 percent walk rate) in 15 minor-league starts this season, making him a high-risk, high-reward option for the final two weeks. If he remains on schedule as Leahy's follower, he'll have a chance for a win next week against the Nationals and another chance for a win in Pittsburgh in the final week of the regular season. 12-team Mixed: no, 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team NL: $2  

Relief Pitcher

Mason Montgomery, Pirates: Montgomery remains available in the majority of leagues on platforms such as Yahoo and ESPN, but he's been so good over the past few months that I'd probably want him on my team in a two-person league where you can only roster one reliever. Since July 27, he's made 20 consecutive scoreless appearances, striking out 41.7 percent of batters faced while walking just 5.6 percent. The only qualified reliever with a better K-BB% over that stretch is Mason Miller, and the other Mason M is probably the only reliever I'd rather roster than Montgomery at this point. Notably, this recent hot streak came after Montgomery switched up his pitch mix, moving to his sinker as his primary fastball after using his four-seamer as his only fastball until late June. Montgomery's dominance has convinced the Pirates to scrap the closer committee they were using for much of the year and anoint him as a true closer. 12-team Mixed: $11, 15-team Mixed: rostered; 12-team NL: rostered 

Justin Martinez, Diamondbacks: Martinez threw an immaculate inning Friday against the Rangers, reminding us of just how dominant he was before undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. Unfortunately, that perfect frame came in the sixth inning, as the Diamondbacks haven't wanted to throw him back into the closer role so soon after his return. But could his dominant performance convince manager Torey Lovullo to throw Martinez back in the closer role? The Diamondbacks have used a committee approach since removing Paul Sewald from the job in late July, with four different relievers picking up saves. Brandyn Garcia (2.08 ERA) and Juan Morillo (2.31) have been particularly good, but Martinez's overpowering fastball (101.5 mph) makes him a great fit in the closer role. Add him now for his strikeout upside (11 in 7.2 innings this season) and hope that he sneaks in a save or two before the end of the year. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team NL: $5  

Catcher

Leo Bernal, Cardinals: Bernal was called up for his big-league debut at the start of September and has settled very quickly, grabbing a hit in nine of his first 10 games while slashing .325/.386/.525 with a pair of homers. That comes after he hit .278/.363/.468 with 16 homers and nine steals in 101 Triple-A contests. He was also caught stealing seven times and was unsuccessful in his lone big-league steal attempt thus far, so he might not get many green lights down the stretch, but he looks like he has more than enough in his bat to make him a viable second catcher in a two-catcher format. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team NL: $5  

First Base

Ty France, Padres: It's been a bounceback year for France, who's matched his career high with 20 homers in his age-31 season. He's also set career highs in barrel rate (9.6 percent) and hard-hit rate (48.5 percent). That added power has come with a tradeoff, as he's striking out more frequently, but he had something to give in that area, as his strikeout rate has jumped nearly five points from last season but still comes in slightly better than league average (21.5 percent). The Padres have a seven-game week next week, with four of those games at Coors Field, so France should have plenty of chances to set a new career high in home runs. 12-team Mixed: $2, 15-team Mixed: $6; 12-team NL: rostered 

Jared Young, Mets: The big-spending Mets could probably afford a better first baseman than Young, a 31-year-old who'd played a total of 45 major-league games prior to this season, but he certainly hasn't been the reason for the Mets' disappointing campaign. In 98 games, he's slashed .272/.333/.439, good for a 115 wRC+. Young's power isn't quite what you'd want from the position as he's hit a modest nine homers, yet he makes decent contact (18.8 percent strikeout rate) and hits the ball hard (46.4 percent hard-hit rate). He isn't starting against lefties at the moment, but with five righties on the schedule to face the Mets next week, he should play enough to be worth starting. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team NL: $5  

Second Base

Adael Amador, Rockies: Amador was recalled at the start of September and should have close to an everyday role down the stretch as the Rockies audition players for next season. The 23-year-old did very little with his limited big-league opportunities the previous two seasons, slashing .176/.242/.250 with one homer and two steals in 51 games, but things are going much better this time around. In 13 games, he's homered three times while hitting .333/.409/.615. A 27.3 percent hard-hit rate makes that power hard to trust, but his 15.6 percent strikeout rate should help him produce a good batting average. Coors Field, where the Rockies play 10 of their final 13 games, will help in that department as well. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team NL: $7  

Thomas Saggese, Cardinals: Saggese has started every game for the Cardinals since JJ Wetherholt (wrist) hit the injured list in late August, and he's hit well enough that he should remain in the lineup even with Wetherholt looking close to a return. In 11 games since entering the lineup, Saggese has hit .436/.478/.744 with three homers and a pair of steals. A .452 BABIP certainly hasn't hurt, but he's seeing the ball well, striking out just 15.2 percent over that stretch after striking out 28.8 percent of the time in 430 career plate appearances prior to this recent hot streak. He's been playing both middle infield spots recently but deserves to start over Nolan Gorman (.586 OPS) at third base once Wetherholt returns. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team NL: $6

Third Base

Javier Sanoja, Marlins: It's hard to move much in the batting average category at this point in the season, but Sanoja is the likeliest player to make a meaningful impact there who's still available in a large number of leagues. The 24-year-old is hitting .294/.333/.444 on the season, and his 7.9 percent strikeout rate trails only Luis Arraez among hitters who have come to the plate at least 100 times. Sanoja's bat-to-ball skills have been even better over his last 15 games, as he's struck out just 4.8 percent of the time while hitting .407. He's also added two homers and four steals over that stretch. Sanoja is eligible at four positions (2B/3B/SS/OF) in most leagues, so just about anybody who needs a boost in batting average should be able to fit him in. 12-team Mixed: $2, 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team NL: $8  

David Hamilton, Brewers: If you need a late speed boost, Hamilton is one of the best widely-available options. His sub-par bat — .244/.315/.338 (85 wRC+) with four homers) — and role as a large-side platoon player limit his overall appeal, but his speed isn't in any doubt. He's tied for 13th in the league with 27 steals despite coming to the plate just 356 times, and his 82 percent success rate and 95th percentile sprint speed mean he's not going to get the stop sign any time soon. With just one opposing lefty on the projected schedule for the Brewers next week, expect Hamilton to get plenty of at-bats and plenty of chances to run. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team NL: $7  

Kyle Karros, Rockies: Karros returned from a concussion Monday and resumed his role as the Rockies' primary third baseman. Karros' bat isn't particularly impressive, but it's passable, as his strikeout rate (20.8 percent), barrel rate (8.2 percent) and hard-hit rate (40.4 percent) are all slightly better than league average. With the Rockies set to play seven home games next week, that's enough reason to ride with Karros in your corner infield spot temporarily, as he's hit .282/.392/.436 at Coors Field this season. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team NL: $7

Shortstop

Christian Koss, Giants: Koss has a true everyday role for the Giants, starting 33 consecutive games at either shortstop or third base. He's far from exciting, but he's hit a competent .252/.304/.402 (98 wRC+) since becoming a regular, and a competent bat who plays every day has value in deep leagues, even in that everyday spot comes in the nine hole for one of the weakest lineups in the league who play in one of the league's most pitcher-friendly parks. Koss's four homers and two steals in 119 plate appearances since becoming a starter put him on pace for 20 homers and 10 steals per 600 plate appearances, so he should be able to chip in across all five standard categories. He's also been seeing the ball particularly well since the calendar flipped to September, striking out just three times in 10 games while hitting .344. 12-team Mixed: no, 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team NL: $4

Outfield

Josue De Paula, Dodgers: The Dodgers placed Shohei Ohtani on the injured list due to nagging biceps, knee and neck injuries Friday. In his place, they selected De Paula's contract straight from Double-A Tulsa. While there's no guarantee the 21-year-old hits the ground running and very little time remaining for him to get adjusted to the jump in competition, the upside for RotoWire's No. 4 prospect is very high. While his primary appeal is as a power hitter, De Paula provided all-around production in 124 games at the Double-A level, hitting .303 with 27 homers and 31 steals. He also recorded a walk rate (13.8 percent) that was nearly as high as his strikeout rate (14.8 percent). The left-handed hitting should start against every righty at a minimum until Ohtani returns, and potentially lefties as well, making him worth a big bid just in case everything clicks right away. 12-team Mixed: $5, 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team NL: $15   

Jonah Cox, Giants: Cox is clearly playing over his head at the moment, as there's no way he can sustain a .286 batting average while striking out 36.7 percent of the time. (His xBA sits at just .203.) The 25-year-old rookie was never a particularly highly-rated prospect and is unlikely to offer a ton at the plate going forward, though it's worth noting he only struck out 17.0 percent of the time in 55 minor-league games this season and has cut his strikeout rate to 22.9 percent over his last 12 major-league contests, so he probably won't whiff quite so often going forward. As long as he makes enough contact to remain in the lineup, he'll help fantasy teams out with his speed, as he already has 10 steals in just 109 plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team NL: $6 

Jake Mangum, Pirates: Mangum had been slipping into something less than a full-time role, but Esmerlyn Valdez's hamstring strain should open up everyday at-bats for Mangum down the stretch. Mangum won't help much in the power department, as he has just four home runs in 439 plate appearances and a 1.9 percent barrel rate, but he has good speed (23 steals). Combine that speed with good contact ability (19.1 percent strikeout rate) and a high groundball rate (56.7 percent) and he's a reliable source of a high batting average as well, as he's hit .284 this season after hitting .296 as a rookie last year. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team NL: $5  

Nathan Church, Cardinals: The Cardinals recalled Victor Scott II at the start of September, but Church has kept his everyday role in center field and has been locked in at the plate, striking out just 9.3 percent of the time this month while grabbing a hit in all 11 games. Church's overall production this season has been unimpressive (.251/.296/.371 with 10 homers and 10 steals in 129 games), but seeing him make this much contact is a very encouraging sign. Low strikeout rates were his calling card in the minors, as he posted marks of 12.6 percent, 11.6 percent, 11.1 percent and 9.6 percent across his four minor-league campaigns before whiffing far more often to start his big-league career. If his bat-to-ball skills have returned to their previous level, he could be in for a breakout of sorts in the final month of the season. 12-team Mixed: $1, 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team NL: $5