MLB FAAB Factor: 'Tis the Season

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

Aside from the Super Bowl, MLB Opening Day might be the closest thing American sports has to a national holiday. After all, it marks the official start to "America's Pastime," and plenty of people across the nation are probably planning on being "sick" today so they can properly enjoy watching their favorite team without any interruptions. There's also something about the pageantry surrounding each team's opener that creates an atmosphere in the stadium that isn't quite replicated until the postseason – you can tell that these games are special even if their outcomes mean very little in the standings. So here's to the beginning of another great season and all the ups and downs that may come over the course of 162 games.

Alright, enough being romantic about baseball. Let's get into what you're all here for.

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 AJ Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves (19%)

Smith-Shawver's inclusion on Atlanta's Opening Day roster may only be because of Spencer Strider's injured elbow, but he is included nonetheless. Set to pitch in his third MLB season at just 22 years old, Smith-Shawver showed signs of improvement during spring training with a 20:5 K:BB in 16 innings, though he also struggled to limit traffic on the basepaths. Whether the young righty is able to stick around in Atlanta past Strider's return – likely around mid-April – will likely depend on how he performs compared to Grant Holmes, but for now, Smith-Shawver's strikeout stuff and potential for wins with Atlanta's offense behind him is enough to warrant fantasy attention. FAAB: $5

 Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers (43%)

Rocker's stats from the Cactus League weren't pretty: 9.00 ERA and 2.08 WHIP in 13 innings across five appearances. However, immediately after learning he had made the Rangers' Opening Day rotation, the 25-year-old tossed four shutout frames and struck out eight batters in his final tune-up game of the spring. His reputation as a strikeout pitcher with a nasty curveball gives him immediate fantasy potential, but if he can't find a way to prevent runners from reaching base, his days in Texas may be numbered with Patrick Corbin aiming to pitch in the big leagues by mid-April. FAAB: $4

 Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates (38%)

Keller's regular-season stats from last season aren't going to blow anybody away, but his 2.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in the Grapefruit League may be an early indication of a breakout season from the 28-year-old righty. If nothing else, the fact that his first start is scheduled to come Friday against a pedestrian Marlins lineup gives him viability as an immediate streaming option. FAAB: $3

 Landen Roupp, San Francisco Giants (7%)

If you make enough predictions, you're bound to be wrong eventually. The Giants reminded me of that this past week by naming Roupp their fifth starter over Hayden Birdsong, who will start the season in the bullpen. While Roupp may have had the less-impressive spring between the two, he still deserves fantasy consideration after striking out 14 batters and walking only one through 12 frames in the Cactus League. FAAB: $2

Relief Pitcher

 Luke Jackson, Texas Rangers (27%)

Jackson was given the ninth inning in the Rangers' exhibition game Monday against the Royals after Robert Garcia and Chris Martin handled the seventh and eighth frames, respectively. Manager Bruce Bochy said after the game that the order in which he sent out his high-leverage arms closely resembled his plans for the regular season, which seems to indicate Jackson is the early-season favorite for saves. However, it's worth noting the 33-year-old ended 2024 with a 5.09 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 53 innings, so he may be quickly pulled from high-leverage duty if things begin to go south. FAAB: $8

Catcher

 Connor Wong, Boston Red Sox (32%)

Wong enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, finishing the year with a .280/.333/.425 batting line while setting career highs with 13 home runs and 52 RBI. His .620 OPS during spring training could signal a coming reality check, but I'm going to remain cautiously optimistic due to his Grapefruit League sample size being significantly limited by a shoulder injury and an illness. The 28-year-old backstop also has significantly greater job security entering 2025 after Kyle Teel was traded to the White Sox this winter as part of the package for Garrett Crochet. FAAB: $1

First Baseman

 Ben Rice, New York Yankees (9%)

I'm going to do my best throughout the season not to recommend players in consecutive weeks, but Rice easily still has the best situation among all first basemen relative to how widely available he is. Since I last pointed him out, he has officially been named to the Yankees' Opening Day roster and is almost certainly going to begin the year as New York's primary DH while Giancarlo Stanton is sidelined with tennis elbow. If his .835 OPS from the Grapefruit League translates into the regular season, he'll have a good chance to score and drive in runs often for the team that came across the plate more often than any other team in the American League last year. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Kristian Campbell, Boston Red Sox (35%)

Campbell was named to the Red Sox's Opening Day roster Sunday and is likely to act as the team's primary second baseman in 2025, which is enough for me to make another exception to my "no repeats" rule. His .167 batting average and .576 OPS from the Grapefruit League may not immediately inspire much confidence, but finishing just one home run shy of the 20/20 club while advancing through three minor-league levels last season speaks volumes about the potential the 22-year-old has to make an immediate fantasy impact. If he realizes that potential, I believe Boston may have its first Rookie of the Year winner since Dustin Pedroia in 2007. FAAB: $10

 Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals (49%)

Donovan is set to begin the new year in the three-hole of St. Louis' lineup. Paired with his career .280 batting average, he instantly becomes a prime candidate to increase his RBI total this season while batting behind Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras. Donovan is also more than capable of playing anywhere in the field, which will go a long way to keep him in the starting nine whenever manager Oliver Marmol decides to give Nolan Gorman a look at the keystone. FAAB: $8

Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants (32%)

After finishing 2024 with a .280/.334/.497 slash line and 17 steals, Fitzgerald picked up right where he left off in spring training, turning in an .883 OPS through 50 plate appearances in the Cactus League. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, picking up where he left off also means an alarmingly high strikeout rate, as 23 of his 46 at-bats ended with three strikes. He's managed to remain productive at the plate despite his poor discipline, though he may begin to concede reps at second base to Casey Schmitt if strikeouts become more of a problem than a tolerable nuisance down the line. FAAB: $5

Max Muncy, Athletics (2%)

Not to be confused with the other Max Muncy who was born on Aug. 25 and drafted by the A's, the 22-year-old Muncy will get his first look in the majors this season after slashing .277/374/.491 with eight home runs and 33 RBI across 203 Triple-A plate appearances last year. He doesn't quite have the same amount of power as his name counterpart, but his ability to hit for average has held strong across all minor-league levels, as has his elite on-base percentage. He'll get a chance to prove himself as an everyday player right away at second base, as Zack Gelof is expected to miss roughly six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery Monday. FAAB: $3

Third Baseman

 Brett Baty, New York Mets (8%)

Baty will be given the keys to the keystone to open the Mets' season while Jeff McNeil works his way back from an oblique injury. Even if McNeil hadn't gotten hurt, Baty may have been able to win the second base job anyway after slashing .353/.441/.745 in the Grapefruit League with four homers, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored and eight walks compared to just six strikeouts through 20 games. Combine his offensive explosion with the proficiency he displayed on the defensive side, and it's possible Baty continues to start regularly at second base after McNeil returns. FAAB: $4

Shortstop

 Jacob Wilson, Athletics (8%)

Suffering a hamstring strain during your MLB debut would be seen by many as a bad omen, but things have begun to look up for Wilson since he did exactly that last July. In 19 Cactus League games, he slashed .308/.321/.558 with four home runs and 13 RBI while striking out only twice. The 22-year-old has always been lauded for his high contact ability and low strikeout rate, though his four round-trippers in 19 games is a bit of a shock considering his personal record in a season is seven homers in 81 contests (split between four levels). Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much power or stealing from Wilson, but he could be a dream come true if your team needs a boost in batting average. FAAB: $3

Outfielder

 Victor Scott, St. Louis Cardinals (29%)

Scott boasts one of the fastest sprint speeds in baseball but was an offensive liability upon reaching the big leagues last season, finishing 2024 with a .502 OPS and a 27.1 percent strikeout rate. Something must have clicked this spring, however, because he now looks like a completely different player at the plate with a .349/.451/.721 slash line to go along with four homers, seven RBI and 11 runs and five stolen bases in 51 plate appearances. Thanks to his remarkable turnaround, Scott is now set to begin the regular season as St. Louis' primary center fielder, and that kind of playing time makes him a serious threat to lead the majors in stolen bases – he stole 95 bags between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. FAAB: $10 

 Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (42%)

Buxton got off to a hot start this spring and never cooled down, finishing the Grapefruit League with a 1.005 OPS alongside three home runs, six RBI and two stolen bases through 16 contests. While those numbers would put him on pace for a career-best season, the biggest concern regarding the 31-year-old has never been his offensive capability as much as it has been his health. Fortunately, Buxton was able to reach the 100-game checkpoint last season for the first time since 2017 and isn't dealing with any injuries entering the 2025 campaign, so now is as good a time as any to add him to your roster while he's still available in a majority of leagues. FAAB: $7