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.
All things must eventually come to an end, and because there is just one full week of regular-season baseball remaining, that means this will be the final installment of the MLB FAAB Factor for the 2026 campaign. I’ve had a blast this year diving into the numbers (nerd alert!) and finding players who I felt could add value to your fantasy squad, and I hope that at least one of the recommendations I made across this 25-week journey was able to guide you to success. Thank you all for tuning in each week, and good luck to those who are still in the mix to win a championship. Now, here’s one more round of players for the road!
The number in parentheses represents the player’s rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.
Starting Pitcher
Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (34%)
With a 5.31 ERA and 1.46 WHIP for the season, Javier isn’t exactly the most attractive option available on the wire, but he’s turned things around since the beginning of September by allowing just four earned runs in 16.1 innings across his last three starts while fanning 15 batters and walking seven. He’s also been getting
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.
All things must eventually come to an end, and because there is just one full week of regular-season baseball remaining, that means this will be the final installment of the MLB FAAB Factor for the 2026 campaign. I’ve had a blast this year diving into the numbers (nerd alert!) and finding players who I felt could add value to your fantasy squad, and I hope that at least one of the recommendations I made across this 25-week journey was able to guide you to success. Thank you all for tuning in each week, and good luck to those who are still in the mix to win a championship. Now, here’s one more round of players for the road!
The number in parentheses represents the player’s rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.
Starting Pitcher
Cristian Javier, Houston Astros (34%)
With a 5.31 ERA and 1.46 WHIP for the season, Javier isn’t exactly the most attractive option available on the wire, but he’s turned things around since the beginning of September by allowing just four earned runs in 16.1 innings across his last three starts while fanning 15 batters and walking seven. He’s also been getting batters to swing and miss at rates comparable to those from his peak years in 2021 and ’22, and allowing just a 34.4 percent hard-hit rate puts him comfortably above average in that area. He’s currently lined up to make his final two starts of the season against the Mariners (hitting well recently but inconsistent to the tune of a .692 OPS this year) and the A’s (missing many of their top offensive contributors). FAAB: $2
 Yusei Kikuchi, Los Angeles Angels (25%)
I typically try to stay away from pitchers who just gave up four earned runs in 4.1 innings during their most recent outing, but even with his rough showing Wednesday, Kikuchi has still delivered a 2.95 ERA across 21.1 frames over his last four starts. Much like Javier, Kikuchi is lined up to finish the season with matchups against the Athletics and Mariners, and we already went over why that puts him in a position to succeed. Kikuchi is also someone you can usually count on to pick up strikeouts (9.1 K/9), which is something both the A’s and M’s have struggled with this season after accumulating the seventh- and 11th-most strikeouts in MLB, respectively. FAAB: $1
 Andrew Alvarez, Washington Nationals (22%)
If you’d rather pick up somebody who isn’t coming off one of his worst starts of the season, perhaps I can interest you in a different left-hander who just had his best. Alvarez pitched seven scoreless innings Saturday, allowing one hit and four walks while striking out a season-high eight batters. That’s only the most recent installment in a stretch that’s seen him post a 2.40 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 48.2 innings dating back to July 27. His 11 percent walk rate isn’t great, but he’s been able to work around it for the most part. I will say that Alvarez may not be your best bet if you’re looking to squeeze out a few final wins – he has just two this season and none since the All-Star break. FAAB: $1
 Chris Bassitt, Baltimore Orioles (16%)
Speaking of pitchers coming off their best performance of the year, Bassitt pitched a season-high 6.2 innings Wednesday against the Mets and did so while allowing just one run on five hits and a walk, fanning six batters in the process. He’s now come away with a win in four of his last five starts and will have another chance to do so Tuesday against a Blue Jays offense that’s turned in just a .697 OPS this year (27th in MLB). That is expected to be his final start of the year, however, so although he has a 3.12 ERA and 8.8 K/9 this month, he might not be your guy if you’d prefer someone who projects to still have two starts ahead of him. FAAB: $1
Relief Pitcher
 Rico Garcia, Baltimore Orioles (22%)
Trying to get a read on the Orioles’ bullpen has been quite the task this year, and I’m using the last of my guesses on Garcia to finish the campaign as Baltimore’s closer after he picked up three of the team’s last four saves. He stumbled a bit coming out of the All-Star break but has since regained his reputation as one of the team’s most reliable relievers, allowing just one earned run over 14.2 innings since Aug. 14. Felix Bautista (shoulder) and Ryan Helsley (elbow) are both still attempting to return from the IL before the end of the season. However, Bautista has conceded five earned runs in eight innings during his assignment, and Helsley hasn’t even pitched in the minors since beginning his assignment Saturday, so I don’t think either of them are on pace to claim the ninth inning anytime soon. FAAB: $1
Catcher
 Rafael Flores, Pittsburgh Pirates (6%)
Flores has been on fire for most of September, logging a hit in each of his last 10 games while batting .421 and smacking a pair of homers. He’s become a regular part of Pittsburgh’s lineup at this point, working as the Pirates’ main backstop against right-handers and moving to first base against southpaws. That defensive versatility is always something we like to see for both playing-time and eligibility purposes, and a 47.7 percent hard-hit rate and 90.5-mph AEV are a couple of cherries on top. Just be mindful of his 28.1 percent K rate. FAAB: $2
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire’s MLB Rest of Season Projections!
First Baseman
 Ty France, San Diego Padres (30%)
There’s no doubt that the Padres have been getting their money’s worth out of France, who signed a one-year, $1.35 million deal with San Diego in February and has since gone on to have a career year, slashing .294/.360/.509 while tying a career high with 20 home runs. More recently, he’s gone 19-for-54 (.352) with 10 RBI and eight runs scored across his last 14 games. He’s had to sacrifice a bit of plate discipline to get to where he is, but his 21.5 percent strikeout rate is still far from the worst mark among qualified hitters. One last nugget for the superstitious crowd: France spent last weekend on the paternity list welcoming the arrival of twins, so perhaps some good ol’ “dad strength” will help him to finish the season strong and hit a few more balls into the bleachers. FAAB: $3
Second Baseman
 Travis Bazzana, Cleveland Guardians (31%)
Bazzana had been in a severe power drought for much of the second half, going 36 games from July 21 to Sept. 3 without hitting a home run and slashing just .221/.317/.254 in that stretch. You might have already guessed based on the fact that I brought it up, but his last 10 games have been a much different story. The 24-year-old rookie has suddenly exploded for five round-trippers since Sept. 4 while batting .371 (13-for-35) and adding 13 total RBI, nine runs and a steal for good measure. His resurgence at the plate has convinced the Guardians to resume starting him against left-handed pitchers – just in time for Cleveland to (tentatively) face southpaws in five of their final nine contests. Bazzana is already 4-for-14 with a homer and two walks against lefties this month, so that might not be as intimidating a forecast as his .557 OPS versus LHPs might suggest. FAAB: $3
 Adael Amador, Colorado Rockies (3%)
Amador was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque once rosters expanded at the beginning of September. Since then, the 23-year-old has started nearly every day for the Rockies, and there have been only two games he’s played in that he didn’t record a hit. Slashing .286/.340/.510 with three home runs, seven RBI and 10 runs scored this month, Amador looks poised to close out the season as a lineup regular at either second base or DH, and Colorado playing seven of its final 10 games at Coors Field will only help to continue his hot streak. FAAB: $2
Third Baseman
 Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (5%)
Major League Baseball unfortunately doesn’t hand out an award at the end of the season for Most Improved Player, but if they did, Ortiz would certainly be in the running for it. His .270 batting average and .733 OPS – despite both being career highs – don’t look very significant at a glance, but when you account for the fact that those numbers read .198 and .528 on June 23, they begin to look a bit more impressive. He’s been one of the most reliable hitters in baseball since that date, slashing .333/.371/.546 with eight homers, 31 RBI and 27 runs scored across his last 198 plate appearances, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down while batting .400 in the month of September. He has firmly established himself as the preferred option at third base over David Hamilton at this point, and the top-notch supporting cast in Milwaukee will help to ensure that Ortiz has ample opportunities to score and drive in runs down the stretch. FAAB: $3
 Josh Jung, Texas Rangers (20%)
After spending more than seven weeks on the injured list with a calf injury, Jung has quickly gotten to work on making up for lost time by recording three multi-hit performances in his first four games back. He’s added two RBI and three runs while going 7-for-18 at the plate, continuing a career-best season that’s seen him slash .298/.362/.444 across 414 plate appearances. There aren’t many hitters out there who can say they have a 48 percent hard-hit rate, a sub-18 percent strikeout rate and bat third every day. Now is your chance to pick one up to give your lineup one final spark. FAAB: $2
Shortstop
 Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees (5%)
The 25-year-old got another shot in the majors when Jazz Chisholm (thumb) landed on the injured list last Thursday. Volpe evidently returned to the Bronx with his bat flaming, as he belted a grand slam in his first game back and has now gone 8-for-23 (.348) with seven total RBI, three runs and four steals in seven contests. He hasn’t been much of a consistent producer in the majors, failing to finish a season with an OPS higher than .700 since debuting in 2023, but he’s capable of at least riding out this hot streak until the end of the regular season. He’s also on the verge of picking up eligibility at second base after working exclusively at shortstop prior to his latest call-up, which could be beneficial for both this season and next. FAAB: $1
Outfielder
 Max Clark, Detroit Tigers (40%)
It’s exciting to think about what Clark will be able to do in future seasons with his combination of power and speed once he fully acclimates to the majors, though he may already be giving us an early look. The 21-year-old has been an offensive machine since the calendar flipped to September, slashing .360/.458/.540 with a home run, nine RBI, 12 runs, four steals and a 7:12 K:BB across 59 plate appearances this month. That’s allowed him to jump up from eighth to sixth on Detroit’s lineup card, and moving closer to the heart of the order will likely make it easier for him to continue driving in runs consistently. If you need offensive/outfield help more than anything and Clark is still available, this is exactly where most, if not all, of your remaining FAAB dollars should be headed. FAAB: $8
 A.J. Ewing, New York Mets (30%)
The Big Apple isn’t a stranger to seeing someone named Ewing dominate while playing center and wearing blue and orange. A.J. still has a looong way to go before he can join Patrick in New York sports lore, but slashing .389/.452/.611 with three homers, 10 RBI, 11 runs and three steals in 15 games is a small step in the right direction. The 22-year-old’s late-season surge is coming too late to make much of a difference for a Mets team that has long been eliminated from the postseason, but it could be coming at the perfect time to give your fantasy squad the push it needs. FAAB: $3
 Victor Mesa, Tampa Bay Rays (28%)
Before being held hitless across the first two games of Tampa Bay’s series against the A’s, Mesa had tallied a hit in 10 of his first 12 games of September, slashing an incredible .450/.500/.800 with three home runs, eight RBI, 12 runs and three steals over 44 plate appearances. His season numbers are a bit less video-game-like but still strong at .252/.320/.500 through 70 contests. With just 11 games left on the docket for the Rays in the regular season, one last hot streak is all he needs to be of use to fantasy managers. However, it’s worth wondering how useful his left-handed bat will be while the Rays take on left-handed starters in six of their next seven games. FAAB: $1