X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Auction Draft Pitching Targets Under $10

Finding good value picks is essential in fantasy baseball auction drafts. Todd Salem highlights the best pitchers to target for under $10 in auctions for the 2020 MLB season.

The strategy necessary to participate in an auction draft dwarfs that needed for a standard snake draft. While the difficulty level is ramped up, so too are the options and flexibility available to each owner.

If someone wants to break the bank for the top three players in baseball, go crazy. No matter someone's plan at the top, though, everyone is on the search for value late. It is those low-budget picks made in the later rounds that could wind up winning you a fantasy league in 2020.

Here are the pitchers to target that will cost fewer than $10 to acquire (according to NFBC ADP projections).

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Triumphant Return

All of Carlos MartinezSean Manaea, and Lance McCullers Jr. are returning to a spot in a starting rotation after varying absences. They all offer tremendous upside and great value near the tail-end of auction drafts.

Martinez took a sabbatical in the bullpen for St. Louis. Prior to that, he had four consecutive seasons of starting (or mostly starting) where he never had an ERA+ worse than 116.

Manaea missed most of '19 after shoulder surgery. He was coming off his own 116-ERA+ season in 2018 and went on to allow just 25 base runners in his 29.2-inning return last year.

McCullers missed the entirety of 2019 after needing Tommy John surgery. In 80 career starts, he averages 10.1 strikeouts per nine and has a career 110 ERA+. If he had enough innings to qualify, that strikeout mark would be the eighth-best in the history of the sport, neck and neck with Gerrit Cole and Pedro Martinez.

 

Unlucky One

According to research put together by Ben Lindbergh, Mitch Keller in 2019 was arguably the unluckiest pitcher in the Statcast era of baseball. If you believe in positive regression and the underlying belief that Keller was much, much better than his traditional stats indicate, the $3 auction price tag is mere peanuts for one of the premiere young talents in baseball.

 

IL Slot Hold

James Paxton going for $8 (on average) is only happening in a season where he is set to start the year on IL. The dude is too good to be that cheap if owners expect six months out of him. Except, when do we ever get six months out of Paxton? He's never made 30 starts in a season. Never. He's never thrown more than 160.1 innings in a season either. His injury is a bummer, but at least one IL stint is always expected of him anyway. Ariel Cohen has already shown us how Paxton's value (and others) has increased based on adjusted projections. Think of it this way - we're just getting his annual injury out of the way and saving dollars in the auction in the process.

 

No Belief

At a cost of $7, people are clearly not believers in what Mike Minor just did a season ago. He set career-highs in wins, innings, and strikeouts. But this wasn't out of nowhere exactly. Minor has been a very good pitcher each of the last three seasons, since missing all of 2015 and 2016 after shoulder surgery and recovery. The production wasn't in the face of his batted-ball data either. Instead, it supported it. Minor was an upper-echelon pitcher in terms of the contact he allowed in '19. He was even better in a shortened '17 as he came back from the lengthy absence.

 

Track Record

What more do Masahiro Tanaka and Marcus Stroman have to do to be graced with standard-league ownership higher than $4 auction prices would seem to foreshadow? These guys aren't Cy Young contenders, but they are pitchers a fantasy player should feel comfortable putting in a lineup each time they take the mound. The lowish strikeout totals are buoyed by good inning eating and expected double-digit wins.

Tanaka's been good for a league-average or better performance pretty much since the day he joined the Major Leagues. He doesn't walk batters, pitches to contact, and yet allows barrels less often than the average pitcher. In fact, he's the active leader in fewest walks per nine given up. Stroman isn't as thrifty with his base runners, but he was stellar in '19. It may be risky pitching to contact, but it helps when you give up ground balls 60.4 percent of the time for your career and ranked in the 94th percentile of barrels allowed this past season. As much as any pitcher can, Stroman knows how to allow the contact he wants.

 

Potential Closers

Paying up for closers is never worth it. The turnover at the position is too high. Even the best closers can perform poorly or lose the job outright. Last year, 37 pitchers recorded double-digit saves. The year before, it was 43 pitchers. In 2017, 40 men did so. Also worth pointing out, in the past three years, only seven guys topped 40 saves, and just one - 2018 Edwin Diaz - broke the 50-save plateau. We saw how last year played out for Diaz.

As the role of bullpens expands, the dispersion of saves grows. Fewer guys record the bulk of saves, and more guys in total collect them. That's a long way of saying that there will be a number of players drafted for a few bucks who collect useful save totals. Even more important, there will be players that go undrafted who end up saving a lot of games.

 

Conclusion

As with any set of projections, especially for an auction draft, there is no guarantee that these specific players will go for fewer than $10 in your real-life draft. Who knows if another owner loves 2020 Sean Manaea and is willing to pay through the nose to grab him. If that's the case, move on. Players at this level are not worth a bidding war. Their value is tied up entirely in their low price to acquire. The worst thing an owner can do prior to a draft is set a player or group of players that they can't live without.

More 2020 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF