This article is part of our NL FAAB Factor series.
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 chart, which is sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This is a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. An "A" grade is reserved for a high-impact prospect stepping into an everyday role.
If you have questions on players, I'm happy to provide my thoughts in the comments.
| PLAYER | TEAM | POS | GRADE | 12-Team Mixed $ | 15-Team Mixed $ | NL-Only $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Abbott | CIN | SP | C | $1 | $4 | $10 |
| Colin Rea | CHC | SP | E | No | $1 | $3 |
| Javier Assad | CHC | SP | D | No | No | $2 |
| Tobias Myers | MIL | SP | B | $3 | $6 | $12 |
| Jose Quintana | MIL | SP | B | $1 | $4 | rostered |
| Quinn Priester | MIL | SP | D | No | $1 | $3 |
| Brandon Woodruff | MIL | SP | C | $2 | $4 | $6 |
| Landon Knack | LA | SP | E | No | $2 | rostered |
| Tony Gonsolin | LA | SP | D | No | $1 | $2 |
| Edward Cabrera | MIA | SP | C | $1 | $4 | rostered |
| Calvin Faucher | MIA | RP | E | No | $3 | rostered |
| Alexis Diaz | CIN | RP | C |
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 chart, which is sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This is a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. An "A" grade is reserved for a high-impact prospect stepping into an everyday role.
If you have questions on players, I'm happy to provide my thoughts in the comments.
| PLAYER | TEAM | POS | GRADE | 12-Team Mixed $ | 15-Team Mixed $ | NL-Only $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Abbott | CIN | SP | C | $1 | $4 | $10 |
| Colin Rea | CHC | SP | E | No | $1 | $3 |
| Javier Assad | CHC | SP | D | No | No | $2 |
| Tobias Myers | MIL | SP | B | $3 | $6 | $12 |
| Jose Quintana | MIL | SP | B | $1 | $4 | rostered |
| Quinn Priester | MIL | SP | D | No | $1 | $3 |
| Brandon Woodruff | MIL | SP | C | $2 | $4 | $6 |
| Landon Knack | LA | SP | E | No | $2 | rostered |
| Tony Gonsolin | LA | SP | D | No | $1 | $2 |
| Edward Cabrera | MIA | SP | C | $1 | $4 | rostered |
| Calvin Faucher | MIA | RP | E | No | $3 | rostered |
| Alexis Diaz | CIN | RP | C | No | $5 | rostered |
| Kevin Ginkel | ARI | RP | D | No | $1 | $5 |
| Porter Hodge | CHC | RP | D | No | $1 | rostered |
| Cade Cavalli | WAS | RP | E | No | No | $1 |
| Liam Hicks | MIA | C | E | No | $1 | $2 |
| Henry Davis | PIT | C | D | No | $1 | $3 |
| Hayden Senger | NYM | C | E | No | No | $1 |
| Jose Iglesias | SD | 2B | C | No | $1 | rostered |
| Garrett Hampson | ARI | 2B | E | No | No | $1 |
| Vidal Brujan | CHC | 2B | E | No | No | $1 |
| Adael Amador | COL | 2B | E | No | No | $1 |
| Blaze Alexander | ARI | 2B | E | No | $1 | $3 |
| Tsung-Che Cheng | PIT | SS | E | No | No | $1 |
| Thomas Saggese | STL | SS | C | No | $2 | rostered |
| Noelvi Marte | CIN | 3B | E | No | No | $1 |
| Amed Rosario | WSH | 3B | C | No | $3 | rostered |
| Jose Tena | WSH | 3B | E | No | No | rostered |
| Austin Hays | CIN | OF | A | $4 | rostered | rostered |
| Zac Veen | COL | OF | B | $10 | $16 | rostered |
| Brandon Lockridge | SD | OF | E | No | No | $1 |
| Sean Bouchard | COL | OF | D | No | $1 | rostered |
| Nick Martini | COL | OF | E | No | No | $1 |
Starting Pitcher
Andrew Abbott, Reds
Abbott made his 2025 debut on Saturday against the Pirates and pitched effectively across five innings (5:2 K:BB, 1 ER). That should be taken with a grain of salt given the matchup, and he's best used as a streamer in mixed formats. Abbott's got a mixed bag of projected starts in the coming weeks as he draws road starts against the Orioles and Marlins. 12-team mixed: $1, 15-team mixed: $4, 12-team NL only: $10
Colin Rea/Javier Assad, Cubs
Rea and Assad are worth mentioning together as their respective fantasy relevance is tied to each other. At the time of drafting, Rea was the likely starter on Sunday for the Cubs having taken the rotation spot of Justin Steele (elbow). Steele isn't likely to be back anytime soon with the latest news of him seeking a second opinion. The downside for Rea is that Assad (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday. That still likely gives Rea a few turns through the rotation, making him viable in deep formats. Rea - 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL-only: $3; Assad- 12-team mixed: No,15-team mixed: No,12-team NL-only: $2
Tobias Myers, Brewers
Myers is returning from an oblique injury and threw 3.1 innings in his first rehab outing Tuesday. The Brewers are desperate for pitching right now, so there should be no doubt about his role when he's able to return. There is still some danger given Myers' short track record of success and inconsistencies in the minors, though he has the chance to be a locked-in starter in 15-team mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: $3, 15-team mixed: $6, 12-team NL-only: $12
Jose Quintana, Brewers
Quintana is among the most projectable pitchers in the league. That doesn't make him elite, but he'll be valuable as a back-end streamer or rotation stabilizer. He's filled that role for several big-league clubs over the years, and there isn't much reason to believe it will change now that he's in Milwaukee. 12-team mixed: $1, 15-team mixed: $4, 12-team NL-only: rostered
Quinn Priester, Brewers
Priester's track record isn't great, and he's now bounced around a few big-league teams. However, he boasts the pedigree and has been in three organizations that have successfully developed pitching. Priester's appeal is likely to be relatively short-term as he's going to be among the first pitchers to be removed from the rotation once other starters get healthier. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: $3
Brandon Woodruff, Brewers
Woodruff made his rehab start Saturday after a lengthy absence caused by a serious shoulder injury. There's reason to be skeptical, but he'll be impactful in every format if he returns even at 75 percent of the pitcher he was during his peak. 12-team mixed: $2, 15-team mixed: $4,12-team NL only: $6
Landon Knack, Dodgers
Knack is penciled into the Dodgers' rotation with Blake Snell (shoulder) sidelined. He didn't pitch well in his first turn through the rotation, yet draws a matchup against the Rockies on Tuesday. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $2, 12-team NL only: Rostered
Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers
Gonsolin has made two rehab outings and will require several more. We don't know exactly what his role will be upon his return or how effective will be, so this is more of a "keep an eye on him" mention than a suggestion to make him a part of your fantasy plans. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: $2
Edward Cabrera, Marlins
Cabrera is a bit of a shinier version of Abbott. He offers excellent strikeout potential, but carries a homer problem, a walk problem, and poor team context. The hope is that Cabrera makes some tweaks to go on a decent run and gets dealt to a contender and potentially an organization that can further his development. 12-team mixed: $1, 15-team mixed: $4, 12-team NL only: rostered
Relief Pitcher
Calvin Faucher, Marlins
Faucher got the save on Saturday for Miami, so he belongs on this list - but that doesn't mean he's taken over the closer's role. Anthony Bender did blow a save Friday, though pitching Saturday also would have meant he was on the mound in three of four days. He's also gotten better results to begin the year with both he and Faucher not performing particularly well from a skills perspective. At best, this is a split role on a subpar team for Faucher. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $3, 12-team NL only: rostered
Alexis Diaz, Reds
Diaz is taking the final steps in returning from the Injured List, and is the Reds' incumbent closer. Emilio Pagan has largely pitched well in the role in Diaz's absence with the team openly stating he may not be the closer immediately upon activation. Nevertheless, he's one of the better speculative plays for those desperate for saves. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $5, 12-team NL only: rostered
Porter Hodge, Cubs
Speaking of two high-leverage relievers that aren't performing well, that's what we have in Chicago with the duo of Ryan Pressly and Hodge. Pressly has settled in a bit from the perspective of not allowing runs, though he's yet to have an outing without allowing a baserunner (2.43 WHIP). Hodge looked solid until his last two outings, so a change may not be imminent but he's a good stash for saves-needy teams. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: rostered
Kevin Ginkel, Diamondbacks
Ginkel has progressed to throwing to live batters and will likely only need one or two rehab appearances before being activated. Justin Martinez looks to be gaining a grip on the closer role, yet that can change quickly with Torey Lovullo making decisions about bullpen usage. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: $5
Cade Cavalli, Nationals
Cavalli made a rehab outing Wednesday and sat between 94 and 97 MPH. He's going to return from Tommy John surgery as a reliever, but should be starting around the All-Star break. There's already a lot of uncertainty about Cavalli's role and potential for success, so he's not worth stashing in a lot of formats. There's pedigree here, though it's purely speculation. 12-team mixed: No,15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
Catcher
Liam Hicks, Marlins
Hicks was starting to take playing time from Nick Fortes (oblique), who's now on the IL. Hicks is known for a solid hit tool, though it comes with very little power while being held back by his defense. The latter isn't likely to matter now, and Hicks shouldn't bottom out catcher-needy teams. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: $2
Henry Davis, Pirates
These bids are dependent on Joey Bart (back) landing on the IL, but Davis was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday and immediately started. Pedigree and minor-league track record favor Davis, yet his big-league sample is poor. There's enough hope for a post-hype breakout, but the shine is off. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL only: $3
Hayden Senger, Mets
Senger has started five of the last six games behind the plate for the Mets and has gone 4-for-15 with three runs scored and no extra-base hits. Francisco Alvarez (hand) is likely to be back soon, but Senger should hold short-term value in very deep formats. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
Second Base
Jose Iglesias, Padres
Iglesias has started all three games at second since Jake Cronenworth (ribs) hit the IL. It's unclear how long he'll be out, though Iglesias should provide a solid batting average with some counting stats in the meantime. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL Only: rostered
Garrett Hampson/Blaze Alexander, Diamondbacks
Hampson looks to be slowly taking over the second base job in Arizona having started four of the last six games. We know who he is (not a good hitter), though he should be a decent source of stolen bases until Marte returns. The danger of investing in Hampson is the impending return of Alexander. The latter has been with Triple-A Reno since Apr. 8 and should be activated soon, but his role is unclear. Hampson- 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL Only: $1; Alexander -12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $1, 12-team NL Only: $3
Vidal Brujan, Cubs
Brujan is another player on the verge of a return. He may be activated and optioned, yet he could also take Jon Berti's spot as a utility option. Brujan is a career .189 hitter and has only 14 stolen bases on 27 attempts across 550 big-league plate appearances, so there isn't much appeal. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL Only - $1
Adael Amador, Rockies
Brenton Doyle (quadriceps) is day-to-day with the chance to go on the IL. We'll cover the potential playing-time winners, but Amador is the anticipated corresponding roster move. The Rockies don't offer a strong option at second with Thairo Estrada (wrist) sidelined, so maybe Amador gets some run. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL Only: $1
Tsung-Che Cheng, Pirates
Cheng is a mediocre prospect in the Pirates' system and was recalled to replace Jared Triolo (back). He's only started once across five outings, so the excitement level should be minimal. 12-team mixed: No,15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
Shortstop
Thomas Saggese, Cardinals
Saggese looked on the verge of losing out on his playing time and potentially his roster spot due to the return of Nolan Gorman. His defensive versatility paid off when Masyn Winn (back) landed on the IL as he's now penciled in as the Cardinals' starting shortstop. Best-case scenario, Saggese would chip in across all categories. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $2, 12-team NL Only: rostered
Third Base
Noelvi Marte, Reds
Marte was recalled to take the roster spot of Matt McLain (hamstring), yet has only started once in four games. He's likely to be off the roster soon as McLain is expected to be activated from the IL on Tuesday. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
Amed Rosario, Nationals
Rosario should step into more playing time with CJ Abrams (hip) sidelined and Paul DeJong sliding over to shortstop. He should be a strong source of steals. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: $3, 12-team NL only: rostered
Jose Tena, Nationals
Tena is still in a bench role, though his potential for more action has improved due to the injury to Abrams. He's already potentially stashed in NL-only leagues. But if not, now is the time. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
Outfielder
Austin Hays, Reds
Hays is another prominent player in the midst of a rehab assignment. He's likely rostered in most leagues, so this is the final shot to pick him up. 12-team mixed: $4, 15-team mixed: rostered, 12-team NL only: rostered
Zac Veen, Rockies
Colorado has a reputation for messing with the development of their top prospects by favoring mediocre veterans for playing time, but they seem to have prioritized Veen. He's already regularly hitting leadoff or second and has played every day since being recalled. Veen could be an excellent source of power and speed and is worth taking a big swing on despite his obvious strikeout risk. 12-team mixed: $10, 15-team mixed: $16, 12-team NL only: rostered
Sean Bouchard/Nick Martini, Rockies
These bids are contingent on the news we hear about Brenton Doyle. If he's forced to the IL, Veen would likely become the center fielder. The way the Rockies have played things so far, that would leave Mickey Moniak and Martini as the primary corner outfielders with Bouchard as the short-side platoon option. Bouchard offers the more intriguing skills, so I'd still be willing to invest slightly more in him in the hope the Rockies correctly manage their roster. Bouchard – 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed - $1,12-team NL only – rostered; Martini -12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed – No, 12-team NL Only - $1
Brandon Lockridge, Padres
Lockridge is a short-term streamer while Jackson Merrill is out. He's started every game since and slotted eighth in the order, albeit with minimal production. 12-team mixed: No, 15-team mixed: No, 12-team NL only: $1
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