Day: August 19, 2018

Tout Wars FAAB Report: Week of August 20

Welcome to the weekly Tout Wars FAAB report, on its new home right here on the Tout Wars site. Each week, we’ll review the free agent acquisitions from all five leagues, with commentary from a league member, as well as yours truly. We changed the timing of the weekly run to 1 PM ET every Sunday, with the report posted later that afternoon so you’ll have time to digest and apply to your own leagues. In addition, I’ll be joining Lawr Michaels and Justin Mason on the Tout Wars Hour on the FNTSY Network every Sunday at 3:20 PM ET to discuss the results.

You can find the complete list of Tout Warriors here. Everyone starts with 1000 FAAB units, less any penalty incurred by finishing below a designated point in the standings. This is a means of keeping everyone motivated to keep playing all season long. The minimum bid is $0. FAAB units can be traded as well as rebated for players released off the DL.

The report will list all winning bids along with unsuccessful tries and contingencies. This provides the maximum level of information to help gauge interest on the players.

The American and National League only formats are 12-team leagues, as is the new points-based head to head league, The Mixed Auction and Draft each have 15 clubs. All the leagues have four reserves with an unlimited DL, expect the head to head league, which allows six reserves.

The headings above each league are links to publicly accessible sites where you can see standings, roster and a complete review of transactions. The initial auctions and drafts can be found here.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER WINNING BID
TWard, LAA Mike Podhorzer 455 Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 171 Vlad Sedler 53
Larry Schechter 2
EYoung, LAA Jason Collette 74
MMahtook, Det Mike Podhorzer 56 Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 26
BWorkman, Bos Jason Collette 51
RPressly, Hou Rob Leibowitz 35
TRogers, Min Patrick Davitt 25 Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
RRivera, LAA Vlad Sedler 6 Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
JRickard, Bal Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 6
APlutko, Cle Seth Trachtman 5 Jason Collette 51
LAvilan, CWS Larry Schechter 1 Chris Liss 0
AEngel, CWS Chris Liss 0 Jason Collette 33
FArcia, LAA Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0 Vlad Sedler 6
HFillmyer, KC Chris Liss 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
RStanek, TB Rob Leibowitz 15 Jason Collette 11 Chris Liss 0
DHutchison, Tex Seth Trachtman 3 Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
JAlvarez, LAA Rob Leibowitz 8 Larry Schechter 0
XCedeno, CWS Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
BWilson, Min Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
DButera, KC Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
JPhegley, Oak Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
JSucre, TB Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
RoPerez, Cle Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0

Todd’s Take

Know thy rules. Taylor Ward is an interesting player. In 2017, he spent the season behind the plate, finishing with Double-A Mobile. Ward began this season Double-A before being advanced to Triple-A Salt Lake. The catch is, Ward ha spent the entire year at the hot corner. Had someone been prescient enough to draft him in March, Ward would be eligible at catcher. However, since he wasn’t rostered, he’s eligible at the spot he played most in the minors – third base. In season, you can throw scarcity out the window, it’s all about the upgrade over the player being replaced. That said, chances are the weakest player on most teams is a backstop so in leagues where Ward has catcher eligibility, he could be a bigger upgrade than replacing a 3B or CI. Regardless, his power/speed combo with full time action is in play for all formats.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER WINNING BID
TChatwood, ChC Andy Behrens 33
JHicks, StL Mike Gianella 20 Grey Albright 12 Andy Behrens 3
Phil Hertz 0 Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
KGlover, Was Grey Albright 17 Mike Gianella 20 Steve Gardner 11
Andy Behrens 3 Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
JChavez, ChC Andy Behrens 3 Phil Hertz 0
AWainwright, StL Todd Zola 3
AHechavarria, Pit Derek Carty 3
EKratz, Mil Phil Hertz 0
HNeris, Phi Phil Hertz 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
DPoncedeleon, StL Grey Albright 12
DHudson, StL Mike Gianella 0
GGarcia, StL Derek Carty 0
PMaton, SD Phil Hertz 0
RStock, SD Phil Hertz 0
TWolters, Col Phil Hertz 0

Todd’s Take

Andy Behrens is one of the unsung heroes of the industry for the work he does with the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. However, with all due respect, the long-time Yahoo! Sports stalwart’s $33 bid on Tyler Chatwood was about $53 too high. Admittedly, I’m looking at my second straight year finishing second to last in this league, so maybe it’s not my place to comment.

Faced with the choice of Chatwood or Jason Vargas to fortify my pitching in an effort to leap to third to last, I eschewed both, hoping Carlos Martinez’s move to the bullpen clears the way for Adam Wainwright to return to the surging Cardinals rotation. I’ll be taking a zero, but he’ll ostensibly replace someone like Matt Strahm so it’s not a huge loss.

MIXED LEAGUE AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER WINNING BID
TWard, LAA Fred Zinkie 56 Ray Flowers 37 Derek VanRiper 33
ROrtega, Mia Scott Pianowski 49 Jeff Zimmerman 3
DBote, ChC Derek VanRiper 33
KGlover, Was Bret Sayre 28
AGomber, StL Derek VanRiper 19 Ron Shandler 17 Tim McLeod 1
JJunis, KC Ron Shandler 17 Tim Heaney 6 Al Melchior 2
TAustin, Min Bret Sayre 12 Scott Engel 1
YSanchez, CWS Zach Steinhorn 8
LForsythe, Min Scott Engel 7
RMcMahon, Col Tim Heaney 6
WMiley, Mil Scott Engel 4
RYarbrough, TB Jeff Zimmerman 4 Tim Heaney 1
TBlach, SF Tim Heaney 4
TWilliams, Pit Fred Zinkie 3 Tim McLeod 2
KPlawecki, NYM Fred Zinkie 3
SGonsalves, Min Al Melchior 2
BreAnderson, Oak Tim McLeod 1 Tim Heaney 2
MMoore, Tex Al Melchior 0
HNeris, Phi Bret Sayre 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
MEstrada, Tor Jeff Zimmerman 1 Tim Heaney 1 Tim McLeod 0
DRobertson, NYY Fred Zinkie 1
HBailey, Cin Tim Heaney 1
JChavez, ChC Ron Shandler 1
RBrasier, Bos Ron Shandler 1
RStock, SD Ron Shandler 1
RNunez, Bal Tim Heaney 0

Fred Zinkie’s Commentary

Last week, I came up with the bright idea to sneak Taylor Ward onto my roster before he was promoted to the Majors. Willing to eat a week of zeros from his position if necessary, I was overjoyed just one day later when I found out that his imminent promotion was in fact coming right away. But I forgot to cover one of my bases, as I erroneously put Ward in an illegal position and was forced to ship him back to waivers. So, one week later I put in a significantly higher bid of 56, which was enough to top Derek VanRiper’s runner-up bid of 33. Ward may not be eligible at catcher in Tout Wars (he is eligible at that position in many other leagues, making him more valuable in those formats), but I believe in his bat anyways. The 24-year-old hit .349 with 14 homers and 18 steals in the Minors this season, and he could be the best offensive player who will come to the Majors from this point forward. As you can tell, I’m skeptical that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Eloy Jimenez will get the chance to reward owners who have been stashing them.
 
Todd complimented this league last week for their attention to the waiver wire, and the group did not disappoint this time around. Even though Tim Heaney has this competition wrapped up, 12 of the 15 owners took the time to place at least one bid. After Ward, the next highest price for a player was Scott Pianowski’s 49 fee for Rafael Ortega. Ortega did not post a game-changing steals total in the Minors this year, but he has swiped four bags in recent days with the Marlins and could move the needle in a coveted category. Van Riper’s consolation prize for missing out on Ward was a 33 winning bid on David Bote, who has had already had some memorable moments as a member of the Cubs.
The low-cost bid that caught my eye this week was Heaney’s 6 addition of Ryan McMahon. I’m not sure how the Rockies are going to fit McMahon into their lineup, but I feel like he is a better hitter than Ian Desmond, who is well-paid by Colorado and also happens to be on my roster. 

Todd’s Take

Call me crazy, but I like Tim Heaney’s pickup of Ty Blach. Yes, Ty Blach. He has a two-start week on the docket, the first against the Mets, one of the league’s most futile clubs versus lefties. The second is an interleague tilt with Texas visiting AT&T. Blach will enjoy the platoon edge on many of the Rangers top hitters, plus the visitors have to leave their DH on the bench.

MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER WINNING BID
TWard, LAA Anthony Perri 45
NWalker, NYY Anthony Perri 24
MWieters, Was Anthony Perri 24
LForsythe, Min Rudy Gamble 16
ELongoria, SF Anthony Perri 15
ADeSclafani, Cin Anthony Perri 14
JLucchesi, SD Ray Murphy 10
BBrach, Atl Gene McCaffrey 7
TBlach, SF Perry Van Hook 1
RMcMahon, Col Gene McCaffrey 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
JJunis, KC Anthony Perri 17
ERamirez, Sea Ray Murphy 10
JBeeks, TB Ray Murphy 10
ADiaz, Tor Gene McCaffrey 0
CSpangenberg, SD Gene McCaffrey 0
DBote, ChC Gene McCaffrey 0
JBautista, NYM Gene McCaffrey 0

Todd’s Take

It hasn’t been the best season for Anthony Perri, who always grinds anyways. But, with the FAAB penalty incurred by those finishing below 75 points in this league, Anthony has additional incentive to keep plugging away, like he’s doing this week.

Hey look, another pickup of Blach, maybe I’m not so crazy after all.

Nah, I’m crazy.

HEAD-TO-HEAD MIXED AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER WINNING BID
BreAnderson, Oak Dr. Roto 80 Justin Mason 19
ACobb, Bal Andrea LaMont 32
JWendle, TB Jake Ciely 30
AGomber, StL Jake Ciely 25 Justin Mason 19
HRenfroe, SD Andrea LaMont 21
WPeralta, KC Andrea LaMont 16
CMcHugh, Hou Jake Ciely 15 Dr. Roto 15
ARosario, NYM Michael Rathburn 12 Andrea LaMont 16
RYarbrough, TB Jeff Mans 11
PStrop, ChC Dr. Roto 10 Andrea LaMont 7
JLeclerc, Tex Dr. Roto 10 Andrea LaMont 7
FPena, LAA Stephania Bell 6 Jake Ciely 15 Jeff Mans 10
FGalvis, SD Michael Rathburn 6 Andrea LaMont 0
WFlores, NYM Michael Rathburn 6 Andrea LaMont 1
FRodney, Oak Andrea LaMont 3
KPlawecki, NYM Andrea LaMont 2
JBautista, NYM Andrea LaMont 2
THildenberger, Min Andrea LaMont 1
RStephenson, Cin Justin Mason 0
JNix, SD Justin Mason 0
RErlin, SD Justin Mason 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
ROsuna, Hou Dr. Roto 20
MTrumbo, Bal Andrea LaMont 17
HRondon, Hou Andrea LaMont 11
ADiaz, Tor Michael Rathburn 3
MGonzalez, Hou Michael Rathburn 3
ARomine, NYY Andrea LaMont 2
JShields, CWS Andrea LaMont 1

Todd’s Take

We’ve talked a lot about fishing for the two-start option in this H2H league. I like what Jeff Mans did this week. Ryan Yarbrough won’t be listed as starter in some places as he’s been coming in as the follower. However, Yarbrough lines up to pitch the bulk of the middle innings against the Royals then Red Sox, a better setup than some two-start options. The Boston half is of course perilous, but at least it’s in The Trop and the Red Sox are less effective versus southpaws than they are facing righthanders.