2025 NFBC 15-Team Waiver Wire (4/20 – Week 5) Part 1

Every Sunday, the free-agent pool has a moving range of value based on each player's success and any injury news. For late updates, I will post them in the notes area on my Substack site.

Note: If I’m in a league with someone, I will be aware of what I've written and pay closer attention to your bids if I believe you may be looking for a similar player in a particular week. At the same time, our free agent spending during the year will have different paths. If I’m aggressive early and a competitor is not, they will have the advantage of buying power as the season progresses and vice versa. I’ll do my best to list all players of interest, but there will be times when waiver thread lines are backfilled with low-dollar players to ensure an unwanted or injured player is released and replaced.

I’m working on the outfielders and starting pitchers. I’ll send a second email when I’m done. Sorry for the delay this week.

Catchers

Edgar Quero, CWS (0.0%)

The White Sox promoted Quero on Thursday after Korey Lee's left ankle injury. In his first 15 AAA games, he hit .333 (17-for-51), scoring nine runs with one homer and four RBIs, drawing 11 walks and striking out 14 times. In 2024, Quero batted .280 with 16 homers and 70 RBIs across 350 at-bats between AA and AAA.

Chicago gave him at-bats over their last four matchups (4-for-1 with two doubles, two RBIs, and one strikeout).

Rating: Based on talent, Quero is worth a couple of dollars over minimum flier bids, but he has an unknown window for his long-term viability for the White Sox.

Liam Hicks, MIA (2.0%)

Over his last 14 games with the Marlins, Hicks has 11 hits over 36 at-bats with five home runs and 11 RBIs. His playing time increased after Miami placed Nick Fortes on the injured list with a mild oblique issue. In 2024 at AA, Hicks hit .264 over 406 at-bats with 67 runs, six home runs, 47 RBIs, and four stolen bases. Hick showcased a plus approach (64 walks and 58 strikeouts).

Rating: With career experience at AAA, he made the Marlins’ opening day roster. Hicks lacks a defining asset for fantasy teams, making him only gap option due to his increase in playing time.

Luis Campusano, SD (0.0%)

After 14 games, Elias Diaz is hitting .184 for the Padres over 38 at-bats with four runs and two RBIs. Meanwhile, at AAA, Campusano has been red hot over his last 34 at-bats (.500 with 11 runs, four home runs, 10 RBIs, and one stolen base) while striking out six times with 10 walks.

Rating: Despite not playing a game in the majors this season, Campusano should be in the free-agent pool in all leagues. He shouldn’t cost more than $1 for a fantasy team looking for a catcher with upside with buy-and-hold potential.

First Base

Nick Kurtz, ATH (18.0%)

After a blistering start to his AAA season (13-game hitting streak – 22-for-57 with 14 runs, seven home runs, and 21 RBIs), Kurtz has three hits over his last 22 at-bats with three runs and two RBIs while seeing a bump in his strikeouts (10).

Tyler Soderstrom (.309 over 81 at-bats with 17 runs, nine home runs, and 19 RBIs) has been exceptional out of the gate for the A’s at first base. His success blocks Kurtz, and Brent Rooker has been clogging up their DH slot in the batting order. The Athletics gave Rooker three starts in the outfield so far this season, a sign that they want to find a way to get Kurtz in their major league starting lineup.

Rating: I saw Kurtz in the free-agent pool in one of my main events. He’s getting close to a call-up. If my fantasy team had a power shortage or weakness at 1B, CO, or DH, I would spend between D-class market value ($65) and token ($35) bids to acquire him this week.

Rowdy Tellez, SEA (2.0%)

In deep leagues like the NFBC main event, fantasy managers are looking for a spark or signal to add a player. Tellez had a pinch-hit home run on April 18th, followed by a game-winning grand slam despite going 1-for-6 for the day. He has a 35-home run season on his major league resume, and Seattle still has a wide-open competition for starting at-bats at first base.

Rating: Last week, one team threw four Flemings at Tellez with no runner-up bid. He’s not in Seattle’s starting lineup today, so he’ll cost short money again this week.

Justin Turner, CHC (2.0%)

The Cubs shipped Matt Shaw back to AAA, which should lead to more playing time for Turner. Unfortunately, his bat remains quiet (5-for-34 with three runs and four RBIs). Chicago rotated in Jon Berti and Gage Workman over the past week, but no one has seized the job.

Rating: Last week, there was one bid for $7 for Turner. His best days are behind him, but he still has a professional approach.

Second Base

Caleb Durbin, MLW (35.5%)

The Brewers called up Durbin on Friday, and they plan to give him starting at-bats at third base (he qualifies at only second base). Over the last two seasons at AAA, he hit .286 with 69 runs, 12 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases over 364 at-bats, painting him as a 15/35 type player once Durbin proves he can handle major league pitching.

Rating: Once he qualifies at third base, he will create an edge in speed for the position. With a “starting job tag,” Durbin may require D-class market value bids ($65) in some leagues.

Luke Keaschall, MIN (0.0%)

In 2024, Keaschall excelled between High-A and AA, posting a .307 average over 378 at-bats with 81 runs, 15 homers, 47 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. His AAA start this year was dull over 46 at-bats, hitting .261 with eight runs, one homer, five RBIs, and four steals. The Twins called him up Thursday to spark their offense at second base, aided by Matt Wallner’s injury, which shifts Willi Castro (listed as day-to-day with an oblique issue) to right field more often.

In his Twins debut, Keaschall batted eighth as DH, going 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI, and a stolen base. He moved to second in the batting order the next day, leading to one hit over five at-bats with an RBI.

Rating: Keaschall has intriguing upside, putting him in the E-class token bid ($20) this week for fantasy teams looking to hit lightning in a bottle.

Brett Baty, NYM (12.0%)

With Mark Vientos battling a groin issue, Baty may have a short window for starting at-bats. He has seven hits over his last 20 at-bats with three runs, two RBIs, and one stolen base. The Mets have given him 591 at-bats over the past four years, where Baty only hit .215 with 63 runs, 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, and three stolen bases over 591 at-bats.

Rating: Last week, Baty was kicked to the curb in 16 main events with no one adding him to their roster. Over the next two weeks, New York faced nine right-handed pitchers in their 13 matchups. At best, he is worth a minimal flier bid for Vientos owners.

Third Base

Noelvi Marte, CIN (51.0%)

With the Reds placing Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the injury list with a lower back issue, Marte should have a better window for starting at-bats. I did a full write-up on him last week. His bat flashed today (5-for-7 with two runs, a home run, and seven RBIs) in a blowout game vs. the Orioles.

Rating: Based on his talent and potential ceiling, I’d be willing to pay E-class token bids ($20) because I have CES on multiple teams. Marte has a balanced skill set, but he must hit his way into more playing time. Last week, Marte had a high bid of $51, with 19 fantasy managers bidding at least $11 on the winning side. His top runner-up bid was $30. Marte was added to 29 main events.

Update: Based on his late surge, Marte will draw bids over $100 in some leagues as talent added with success on the field draws in more eyeballs.

Eric Wagaman, MIA (2.0%)

The Marlins have started Wagaman in seven of their last eight games, leading to an eight-game hitting streak (11-for-27 with seven runs, one home run, and four RBIs). Over his previous two seasons in the minors (AA and AAA), he hit .283 with 91 runs, 22 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases over 568 at-bats.

Rating: In deep leagues, Wagaman brings a “hot player for the week tag,” and Miami has pushed him up in this batting order. I only see mid-tier token bids.

Shortstop

Jordan Lawlar, ARI (33.0%)

Over the past three weeks, Lawlar has 24 hits over 71 at-bats with 18 runs, four home runs, 18 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. His improvement puts him a phone call away from the majors with Ketel Marte injured. Lawlar has made nine starts at second base, two at third, and five at shortstop. On the downside, his strikeout rate (28.0) remains high.

Marte took batting practice this week as he is working his way back from an early-season hamstring issue. If he can handle running, the Diamondbacks could have him back in their starting lineup by the end of the month, which would block Lawlar from a callup.

Tim Tawa went 5-for-23 since his callup with five runs, one home run, five RBIs, and one stolen base, but he has looked better over his last six games played (four hits over 16 at-bats with five runs, two home runs, five RBIs, and one steal).

Rating: Finding at-bats for Lawlar with the Diamondbacks looks challenging with Marte not that far from returning to their starting lineup. He needs another injury to create a long-term window with the Arizona, putting Lawlar in the buy-and-hold category in the NFBC Main event for teams with weakness at shortstop or second base. His bid range last week was from $45 to $9, with three reasonable runner-up bids ($12, $12, and $10).

Brooks Lee, MIN (26.0%)

Since returning from the injured list, Lee is 2-for-18 with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs with two strikeouts. He has four seasons of experience in the minors (.289/129/28/129/9 over 778 at-bats), giving an 80/20/80/5 type of skill set with help in batting average.

Rating: Lee doesn’t bring name value, and his window for playing time now looks to be at third base with Carlos Correa off the injured list. Once Royce Lewis returns, the Twins may shift him to second base. At best, double-digit bids (add in eight leagues last week – high $32 and a low of $1).

Ernie Clement, TOR (35.0%)

Over the past week, the Blue Jays have had Clement on their bench in four of their eight matchups. His bat is trailing last year’s success (.263/48/12/51/12 over 434 at-bats), but he did flash twice over since April 13th (4-for-5 with two runs and one steal and 3-for-5 with a run). His path to more playing time relies on his beating out Will Wagner (.217 over 46 at-bats with three runs and two RBIs) at third base.

Rating: I view Clement as only a bench flier at shortstop in NFBC Main events, where $1 bids should buy his services.