If you check in on this space each week, you're accustomed to the 'Suggested FAAB Bid' listed at the end of each player entry. As the years have passed, more and more fantasy leagues are embracing the idea of waiver claims being processed once per week via a bidding system. To me, this is the most enjoyable type of set-up, but I won't kid you, it's caused me more headaches than any other. To cut to the heart of my issue ... you would think it would be relatively easy to set aside 15 minutes every Sunday evening to get together your bid and to officially make them ... but, you would be wrong! I can't tell you how many times a once-per-week requirement has somehow escaped my boggled mind.
Maybe I should go old school. Maybe I should go the route of waiver priority.
For many of us, this is the system that we started with. If you and another owner, or owners, wanted the same guy, the owner with the higher waiver priority got him. Then, that owner saw their priority re-set to the bottom of the entire league.
It wasn't unfair, but it has left many in a lurch from early-April until late-July. The question is so often this - If I have the top spot in waiver priority (thus, being able to get whomever I want), when and on whom, should I give up that spot for? I'm sure that a percentage of you still go the priority route and, thus, you often come across this exact same inner conflict.
From my perspective, having the top priority is overrated in any league above 10 squads. If I'm a fantasy player with needs and wants in early-May, I must address those concerns right away. I can't hope that the Houston Astros call up Carlos Correa in early-June. Correa can absolutely be a solid player when he is eventually called up. But, frankly, he has almost just as much a chance of being a ho-hum guy as he does a star. Even if he were to perform like an '8' on a scale of 1-to-10, would his effect on your squad be the same as using a '6' and a '7' that you snagged in early-May? I'm a big believer in the here and now ... get the player you need, take a shot on the hurler who starts well, get the guy who may fall into 30 saves after not being on radars before this year, etc.
Understand, that priority is handled differently in dynasty and keeper leagues. Waiting on the hot shot, top 10-prospect is specific to where your roster is on the title contender timeline. It may make total sense if you're rebuilding. When to pull the trigger on that decision is extremely user-specific.
Otherwise, the waiver positioning is not much of a consideration. I don't suggest you wait. I suggest you make a move.
(Note: To make the list, I'll apply a loose definition that says you have to likely be unowned in a vast majority of 12-team mixed leagues. At the end of each player note, I'll also provide a suggested bid for those that use FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) for their waiver process (based on a $100 budget). Understand that this is only a suggestion ... if you just lost you're a starting outfielder to injury and you have an immediate need or gaping hole in your lineup, you will find it necessary to bid more in order to get that week's top available outfielder.)
Hitters
Matt Duffy, 2B/3B, San Francisco
In under 40 games, Duffy has gone from bench player afterthought to starting third baseman for the defending champs. Casey McGehee has officially flamed out and has disappeared from the list of options. While the Giants are still in the market for an upgrade, Duffy should get another 30-40 games to alter perceptions, once again. He can probably keep his average in the .275-range, but there's very little pop and even less of a chance to do damage from his customary 8-spot in the batting order. He's an emergency corner infield option.
Suggested FAAB bid - $2
Logan Forsythe, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay
Forsythe finally got a chance for more regular playing time in 2014 and he blew the opportunity in Tampa by getting stuck at a half-dozen home runs (for the 3rd consecutive season) with an average under-.225 (third time in four years) and, overall, very little growth. Now, at the age of 28, Forsythe is getting a chance at 1B with the injury to James Loney. The early returns are there. He's turned in a .290+ average from the right-side, while already hitting five balls over the wall. He's also a solid play versus LHPs (a near-.800 OPS in his career against them). Still, we've seen enough to know that this isn't an alley you want to walk down with any level of confidence.
Suggested FAAB bid - $4
Mitch Moreland, 1B, Texas
Will Moreland ever be an every-fantasy league starter? Probably not. He's been a mostly light-hitting first baseman with injury concerns for so long that many had already officially changed his name to Mitch Less-land entering 2015. He came off the DL a couple of weeks back and started with a bang (a dozen hits and three homers in his first nine games) before leveling off in recent days (seven hits and a homer in his last seven games). I still think he's worth a speculative grab, though. If you have any infield depth concerns, Moreland should be one of your targets. He could fall into a HR total in the high teens with 60+ RBIs if he's able to stay on the diamond.
Suggested FAAB bid - $6
Mark Reynolds, 1B, St. Louis
At this rate, I'll put together 25 waiver columns this year and all 25 of them will have a mention of a St. Louis Cardinal! Reynolds is this weeks' honoree, as he has moved into the starting 1B spot for the Birds, following the (probably, season-ending) quad injury suffered by Matt Adams. Reynolds has been playing a lot for St. Louis even without having a true starting spot (he's made the box score in 41 of his teams' 47 games this year). He's also been the usual Mark Reynolds. His power is legit and his K-total is sky-high. Expect an 8th straight year of 20 home runs in 2015, but if he manages an average over .235, I'd consider it a huge win. Also, be warned that if he finds the sledding tough in June, St. Louis will likely go a different route (a trade or even a move of Matt Carpenter across the diamond).
Suggested FAAB bid - $6
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Arizona
Whomever was in charge of stitching the uniforms at Triple-A Reno should also be receiving a promotion to the big leagues alongside Salty. Seriously, that stitch job is up there with Betsy Ross's accomplishment! Moving to the player, the vet returns to the MLB-scene after flaming out with Miami. Arizona has playing time available after disabling Tuffy Gosewisch. He's only a legitimate option for those in 2-catcher leagues, and even then, you're talking about a hitter well outside the top 24 at his position. He's crafted a sub-standard .235 batting mark since the end of 2011 (covering more than 1,200 ABs). He receives no favors with the schedule, either, with series coming up against Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Three of those four teams are among the top 9 in all of baseball for team ERA.
Suggested FAAB bid - $1
Pitchers
Chad Bettis, SP, Colorado
Attention was something that Bettis did not have before Friday night. He now has it. Bettis retired the first 22 Philly batters before surrendering a hit to Cody Asche with one out in the eighth inning. That gives him back-to-back outings that have covered at least eight innings. In total, he's allowed two runs, with eight hits, and 14 punch outs over 16 innings. Bettis has been considered one of the better pitching prospects in the Rockies' organization, but that doesn't make him an elite, future SP2. He's a sinker/change-up artist who needs ground balls to succeed. Thus far, he's given up more fly balls and line drives than worm-killers, though (59 balls in the air vs. 42 on the ground this year). If he ever were to become a true ground ball artist, there might be a smidge of interest. But, since he wears the purple of Colorado, it's incredibly hard to recommend Bettis as much more than a streaming option in a league of more than 12 teams.
Suggested FAAB bid - $3
Mike Bolsinger, SP, LA Dodgers
Bolsinger finally suffered a loss in a decent showing on the road in St. Louis. That average performance (6 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs, but just 3 K's), followed a run of excellence (25.1 innings, 14 hits, 2 earned runs, and 22 K's) that has boosted the fantasy prospects for the 27-year old. His arsenal is not eye-catching (wow, guys still hit just 90 with their fastball in 2015??!) and you shouldn't get too fired up about the May success. Much like his rotation partner, Carlos Frias, Bolsinger could be cleaning up 5th inning messes by the time mid-July rolls around. He's fine for the time-being, but you should see a slow erosion of his success in the next month.
Suggested FAAB bid - $5
Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, Boston
Rodriguez's debut was the stuff of dreams for the Red Sox. As has been discussed in this space in previous weeks, Boston has suffered through some truly awful rotation turns this year. There's help to be found in the minors, but the team has been slow to give up on the vets who are dealing with issue after issue. Rodriguez got the first crack on Thursday and answered with 7.2 innings of three hit ball in which he didn't allow a run. Before the call-up, the lefty was sailing through Pawtucket with 48 Ks in under 45 innings. All of that came with an ERA under 3. The Sox have already announced that he'll get another shot next Wednesday against Minnesota. He's not expected to ever be a top-end hurler, but he can be a mid-range option. For this year, best-case might be as an SP5 for fantasy players.
Suggested FAAB bid - $9
Carson Smith, RP, Seattle
I offer an assessment of Smith here in week 9 that is almost a verbatim re-type of what I said about him in week 3. Grab him now, before Fernando Rodney gets pulled out of the 9th inning. Smith stands 6'6", has a nasty slider, gets groundballs (61% this year), gets whiffs (10.3/9 this year), and doesn't allow runs (two in 21 innings). Rodney's ERA has ballooned to over-7. Seattle is feeling the heat after a slow start and they can't afford any more final out concerns. At the end of this season, Rodney (who once again allowed a 9th inning run on Friday) will be a free agent and will be close to 40. The Mariners are going to make a move to Smith at some point.
Suggested FAAB bid - $7 now ... $20 soon
Ryan Vogelsong, SP, San Francisco
Before you claim that I've lost my marbles, let me just tell you that Vogelsong has a two-start week. And, dare I say, he's actually been quite good over the past few turns? Th+e vet exits May with a five-start sprint that has seen him total four wins, while sporting an ERA of just 1.14 and a WHIP under-1. Many have pointed out that he's altered his approach by scrapping his sinker and going with more of a fastball/curve look. Now, if you're new to this, let me remind you that Vogelsong has a stretch or two like this every season. But, when he isn't hanging out in the 'rich neighborhood,' his outings can be full-blown 'Skid Row.' He's got calls set up against Pittsburgh at home and a road trip to Philadelphia. In a weekly league, I'd embrace some risk and take the chance.
Suggested FAAB bid - $5
You can hear Kyle each weeknight on 'The SiriusXM Fantasy Drive' from 7-10 ET, Sirius 210, XM 87.
