MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

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.

Shaquille O'Neal making a three-pointer. Bartolo Colon hitting a home run. The 2025 Colorado Rockies winning a game. As impossible as they may seem, all three of those things have happened, and what made them all special is that they each involved someone doing something that hardly anybody expected from them. You'll find that to be a common theme in this week's article, as we have relievers joining the rotation, sluggers hitting for average, contact hitters suddenly hitting homers and unimpressive runners emerging as base-stealing threats. I even thought about giving a bad pick this week just to continue the trend of going against expectations, but I figured there should at least be one thing that stays consistent. Enjoy, everyone.

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

Starting Pitcher

 Hayden Birdsong, San Francisco Giants (35%)

The moment that I'm sure plenty of fantasy managers were waiting for finally came Saturday, when the Giants announced Birdsong would be replacing Jordan Hicks in the starting rotation. Birdsong was sharp in his first start of the year, giving up just one unearned run in five innings and taking home the win over the Royals. It's worth mentioning that the Royals have one of the lowest-scoring offenses in baseball, and he's due to face the much more intimidating Tigers in his next start. Still, his previous success and new role make him more than worthy of a look in fantasy. FAAB: $7

Will Warren, New York Yankees (37%)

Across 22.2 innings in the majors last season, Warren was essentially throwing batting practice for the other team, finishing the year with a 10.32 ERA and 1.90 WHIP. Across 22.2 innings since the start of May, he has seemingly transformed into a whole new player, turning in a 2.38 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while logging a staggering 34 strikeouts in four starts. Time will tell if the 25-year-old's recent performance is something that can be expected regularly or merely a hot stretch, but I'm betting on him to keep it up for at least one more start when he faces a Rockies offense that owns the third-worst OPS in the majors (.648). FAAB: $4

 Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins (24%)

Slow starts sure do have a nasty way of lingering on stat sheets. If you shaved off Paddack's first two outings of the season, his ERA would plummet from 3.98 to 2.22, and his WHIP would fall from 1.22 to 1.01. The right-hander has only managed to come away with two wins over his impressive eight-start stretch, and he's never going to be someone who racks up a ton of Ks, but he's made up for it by consistently proving to be hard to score on. FAAB: $2

Randy Vasquez, San Diego Padres (7%)

Although he wasn't able to make it through the fifth inning during his last start Wednesday, Vasquez still carries a 2.49 ERA and 1.25 WHIP since the beginning of May, and his 7.1 K/9 in that span – while not great – is notably better than his 5.0 mark for the season. Three of his four starts this month have been against the Pirates, Rockies and Angels, so he hasn't exactly faced the toughest competition recently, but it's not expected to get tougher anytime soon with an upcoming matchup against the Marlins followed by a rematch against Pittsburgh. As long as he continues trending up, I think Vasquez has life as a streaming option. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs (4%)

With Porter Hodge on the IL due to an oblique injury and Ryan Pressly struggling to find his footing, the Cubs have been giving Palencia a look at closer lately. He owns a 2.16 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 16.2 innings on the year, making him one of Chicago's most reliable relievers, and he collected his first save of the season Wednesday against Miami. If the 25-year-old continues at his current pace for another couple of weeks, he might be able to hang onto his closer role even after Hodge returns from the injured list. FAAB: $5

Catcher

 Gabriel Moreno, Arizona Diamondbacks (30%)

Moreno entered May batting just .230 with a .578 OPS but has turned things around drastically, slashing .315/.351/.556 with three homers, eight RBI and nine runs scored since the start of the month. Most of his recent success has come within the past week, as he's currently riding a five-game hitting streak, and the value he gives the D-backs on defense makes it unlikely that he'll start losing playing time to Jose Herrera. FAAB: $3

First Baseman

 Rhys Hoskins, Milwaukee Brewers (43%)

Two weeks ago, I wrote about Hoskins and said that he hadn't been showing off the power we've all come to know him for. In 12 games since that article was published, he's smacked seven extra-base hits – three of which were home runs – while batting .390 and driving in 10 total RBI. His recent surge puts him back on pace for about 24 homers this season and has elevated his batting average to .300 on the year – well ahead of his career-best .259 mark that he set during his rookie season in 2017. Needless to say, Hoskins is well worth a pickup if your fantasy team is hurting for a power bat. FAAB: $6

 Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels (9%)

Schanuel's five-game hitting streak came to an end Wednesday, but the 23-year-old has been a reliable source of offense for quite some time now. I wouldn't count on him to drive in many RBI as long as he's batting second in the Angels' lineup, but with a .364 batting average and 12 runs scored across his last 16 games, he could be a great addition for any fantasy manager that needs a boost in those categories. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays (40%)

Lowe had been in a major slump at the plate, batting just .138 and striking out in 30 of his 80 at-bats from April 15 through May 11. He's begun to turn things around in his last nine games, however, going 12-for-33 (.364) with three homers, seven RBI and seven runs scored in that span. His batting average typically hovers around the .240 mark, so he's bound to cool off at some point, but he could still add value to your roster until then, especially as he begins to rediscover his power stroke. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs (42%)

The Cubs sent Shaw to the minors in mid-April after an underwhelming start to his MLB career. He responded by slashing .286/.409/.560 in 110 plate appearances at Triple-A Iowa and hasn't slowed down since rejoining the Cubs, going 5-for-11 with a pair of runs, RBI and stolen bases in three games. There's not a whole lot of talent outside of Shaw at third base in Wrigleyville, so as long as the rookie infielder keeps stuffing the stat sheet, he should have no problem cracking the lineup every day. FAAB: $6

 Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox (19%)

Moving onto the South Side of Chicago, Vargas has bounced back nicely from a sluggish start, slashing .315/.379/.565 with six home runs, 15 RBI and 13 runs scored across 103 plate appearances since April 23. Of his six round-trippers, four have come within the past 10 days. As long as he continues hitting between second and fourth in the lineup, he'll be in the ideal spot for runs and RBI as well... or at least as good as you can hope for when talking about the White Sox's offense. FAAB: $3

Shortstop

 Chase Meidroth, Chicago White Sox (12%)

Meidroth has wielded one of the hottest bats in the majors over the past couple of weeks, going 15-for-36 (.417) with a homer, three RBI and six runs scored across his last nine games. The 23-year-old has also swiped five bags over the ChiSox's last six contests, which comes as a pleasant surprise considering he was never regarded as much of a running threat as a prospect. If he continues to be this aggressive on the base paths while batting near .300 as Chicago's leadoff man, Meidroth's fantasy value could quickly begin to surge. FAAB: $4

Outfielder

 Will Benson, Cincinnati Reds (35%)

After spending nearly a month in the minor leagues, Benson has been doing everything he can to make up for the time he lost, going 12-for-30 (.400) with five home runs, 11 RBI and seven runs scored in 10 games since being recalled May 9. His incredible offensive output has earned him regular playing time against right-handed starters, and there's a solid chance that he keeps his starting spot once Jake Fraley (calf) returns from the injured list. While that last part is far from a guarantee, it's worth adding Benson to your roster now in case he takes over as the primary option in right field. FAAB: $3

 Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers (14%)

A cold start to the month of May brought Frelick's OPS down to .718 on May 13, but he's gotten back on track since then, going 7-for-25 (.280) at the plate while hitting two home runs, driving in five runs, scoring four himself and swiping a bag over his last seven games. Two homers in one week isn't something you should start to expect from Frelick, who only hit two balls over the fence in 145 games last season, but his ability to hit for average and excellent base-running skills should hold firm for the duration of the season. FAAB: $1

 Robert Hassell, Washington Nationals (5%)

One of the top prospects in Washington's farm system, Hassell slashed .365/.403/.603 with four home runs, 16 RBI, nine runs scored and two steals in 16 Triple-A games this month. The 23-year-old is now on the big-league roster to fill in for the injured Dylan Crews (oblique) and banged-up Jacob Young (shoulder). It remains to be seen whether Hassell's tenure in Washington will extend past Crews' stay on the IL, but he may at least offer some short-term value if his hot bat carries over into the big leagues. FAAB: $1

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