Bidding Wars: Week 8

Welcome to ‘Bidding Wars’; it’s not a reality TV show, but rather my weekly FAAB article focused on the top waiver-wire targets. ‘Bidding Wars’ will be published weekly, typically on Saturday mornings, to give you ample time to plan and start your bidding process. The general premise is to identify the best waiver wire options, regardless of position, to help you fill your roster needs. Players will be grouped into three tiers: Priority, Secondary, and Streamer. Priority is the top option on the wire with the highest upside. Secondary is the next tier of available players, most offering higher floors but less upside, while Streamers are plug-and-play guys in the short term, including SPs to target based on matchups. The Streamers section will focus on the top options to pick up for a juicy matchup or a possible two-step for the week. I also use a section called “Drop Zone” to highlight players who can be safely dropped in all formats. Each of the Streamer and Drop Zone probably won’t start appearing until a few weeks into the season, because ideally, we’re not dropping or streaming anyone that early in the year unless injuries decimate you. I’m also adding the ‘Stash List’. I’m not generally an advocate of stashing players, especially if you have one or more injuries without IL spots. BUT, not all leagues are NFBC, so stashing guys is an option for many of my readers. The availability of players will vary by league, so I’ll use 12-team NFBC leagues with a <50% ownership rate as a baseline for every article. Obviously, league sizes will vary, so adjust accordingly. One thing I won’t do is advise you how much to spend on each player; I’m not that good.

PRIORITY

Andrew Vaughn, 1B, MIL (49% owned)

After missing all of April with a hamate injury, Vaughn is back in the Brewers’ lineup and causing damage right away. In his second game back, Vaughn had two hits, including a 3-run homer against the Cardinals. If you recall, the former #3 pick had nine homers with Milwaukee following the trade from Chicago. Vaughn should be locked in as the everyday first baseman, giving him the volume needed to produce for your rosters.

Rico Garcia, RP, BAL (31% owned)

Garcia has become the de facto closer for the O’s in the absence of Ryan Helsley, who remains out without a set timetable to return. On the season, Garcia has a 0.53 ERA, 0.41 WHIP, and a 33.3% strikeout rate, converting two of his three save chances. From a skills perspective, the 32-year-old is suppressing hard contact, allowing an 82.3mph average EV thanks to a groundball rate of almost 60%. He’s also generating a 17.8% swinging strike rate, giving him two viable ways to put away hitters. Garcia is a must-add, given that he’s the closer or seems to be with the skills to really bolster your ratios.

Robby Snelling, SP, MIA (0% owned)

I’ve written about Snelling ad nauseum but how could you not love what he’s doing at AAA? In six starts this season, the big left-hander has a 40% strikeout rate and a sub-2.00 ERA in nearly 30 innings. His excellent start to 2026 is nothing new after Snelling dominated at the end of last season. From July 26th on, Snelling totaled 54 2/3 innings with an ERA of 1.15 and a WHIP of 0.90, striking out 76 batters against 13 walks. Simply put, Snelling has now dominated for over five months at Triple-A and deserves the promotion. The swing-and-miss stuff is quite strong, and although the walk rate is up a bit this season, he commands his stuff very well. Snelling is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and will command very high FAAB bids even if he has a so-so debut on Friday.

SECONDARY

Peter Lambert, SP, HOU (37% owned)

I haven’t decided if I like Lambert yet, but he’s definitely getting the job done early on. The 29-year-old, who spent four seasons in the Rockies’ system before reinventing himself in the NPB last season, has been pretty good for the Astros. Through four starts, he’s got a 2.42 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, averaging just over a strikeout per inning and missing bats at a clip of almost 12%. His most recent start was a win against the Dodgers in which he threw seven scoreless with four Ks and four walks. His four-seamer and changeup each get a good amount of whiffs while his slider and cutter earn their share of called strikes. The depth of the arsenal is solid, and he’s going to stick in the Astros’ rotation. Lambert should be added in all 15-team formats.

Aaron Ashby, RP, MIL (31% owned)

Normally, I don’t love rostering bulk-relief guys in fantasy, but Ashby is proving me wrong. The former starter, turned reliever, is tied for the MLB lead with six wins on the season. In addition, he’s got a 2.35 ERA and a 35.4% strikeout rate in 23 innings. The reason he failed as a starter was largely due to his command, and his walks haven’t really improved, entering play Friday with a BB rate of over 13%. The wins seem fluky, and they are, but remember this. In each of the last four seasons, a reliever has posted double-digit wins over the course of the season, including 13 from Adrian Morejon last season. In a world where getting wins is harder and harder, finding a plug-and-play guy who can get a win per week with high strikeout numbers can be a huge win.

Bryce Eldridge, UTIL, SFG (23% owned)

A lot of people would consider Eldridge a primary add, but I’m still leery of the impact in 2026. We know the power is 70-grade, but his contact skills are far from it. He’s 1-for-9 thus far and has struck out four times already. At the same time, he posted a 95.6 mph average EV and 68.8% hard hit rate in 37 PAs in his debut in 2025. The skills are potentially impactful, but there is significant risk. Bid carefully!

Tony Santillan, RP, CIN (7% owned) and Graham Ashcraft (1% owned)

With closer Emilio Pagan out for an extended period of time, Santillan and Ashcraft project as the most viable options to get saves for the Reds. Santillan currently owns a 2.87 ERA and a 25% strikeout rate in 15 2/3 innings, while Ashcraft has a 1.93 ERA and 26.3% strikeout rate in 18 2/3 innings. Each can miss bats and shut down a lineup, but each also has a double-digit walk rate and has struggled with command in the past. Pick your poison in the Reds bullpen, but don’t overspend given the volatility in the profiles.

Ryan McMahon, 3B, NYY (2% owned)

If you lost Carlos Correa this week, or are still feeling the effects of Jordan Westburg, may I suggest Ryan McMahon? I don’t love the player or the profile, but one thing is certain: when he’s hot, he’s hot. Over his last 15 games, McMahon is batting .319 with a pair of homers and 15 combined runs and RBI. His quality of contact has always been solid, but he rarely hits for average. We do know that McMahon will play every day in the Yankees’ lineup, and when they’re at home, the home run pop can be enticing. It’s a low-risk move while he’s hot, but be prepared to move on in a few weeks when he inevitably cools off.

STREAMER

Brandon Sproat, SP, MIL (25% owned) (v SDP, @ MIN)

I won’t endorse Sproat as a full-season add because I don’t believe in the stuff, but his two-step this week against the Padres and at the Twins seems decent. The Padres have mustered just a .226 batting average and a .294 OBP on the road this season, scoring 77 runs in 17 games. Plus, Sproat fares much better against RHH with most of the SD thump coming from the right side. I expect Sproat to perform well in that matchup, which should help boost his week-long totals even if he were to struggle against the Twins. Sproat has an ERA that’s two runs lower on the road, and if you can contain Byron Buxton, you’ve got a fighting chance against this lineup.

Aaron Civale, SP, ATH (2% owned) (v SFG)

Right now, the Giants are easily the best team to stream against. On the season, they’ve scored just 115 runs, the lowest in the Majors and 19 runs behind the next closest team (NYM). On the road, they have a .653 OPS and are striking out over 22% of the time as a team. They also have just 11 HRs on the road. Civale is throwing the ball as well as he ever has, posting a 2.95 ERA in seven starts. The downside is that he’s recorded just one quality start this season, so the goal is a five-and-dive with a lead.

DROP ZONE

Trevor Story, SS, BOS (98% owned): Nothing is going right for Story, including his relationship with the front office. As the Sox continue to fade, he’s a trade candidate. Even still, he’s got a .528 OPS and the worst batted-ball data of his career. His saving grace is four stolen bases, although that isn’t enough to overcome the drain on your lineup.

Ryan Walker, RP, SFG (90% owned): Walker hasn’t had a save since April 22nd and has blown two save chances in the time since. He’s on the outside looking in for the closer role and owns a career-worst 5.52 ERA after setting a previous low in 2025.

Agustin Ramirez, C, MIA (82% owned): Ramirez wasn’t an offensive star this season, but he wasn’t the worst either. Now he’s in AAA, working on his defense. That could take a while. He’s an easy drop at this point.

Justin Crawford, OF, PHI (76% owned): We drafted Crawford for three reasons: batting average, runs, and steals. On the season, he’s batting a respectable .266 with nine runs and just three bags despite playing every day for the Phillies. It’s very easy to turn over this roster spot at this point.

THE STASH LIST

Logan O’Hoppe, C, LAA: Starting up light activities with a goal of a mid-May return; given the depth crunch at C, he holds value in two catcher formats

Victor Robles, OF, SEA: Robles is on a rehab assignment at AAA. His ability to provide above-average BA and SB gives him viability in 5OF leagues.

Justin Verlander, SP, DET: Old man Verlander is working back from his hip injury and will be welcomed with open arms into a depleted Tigers’ rotation. He’s far from vintage JV at this point, but he had a strong 2025 and is an upgrade over many of the SPs we’re running out there.