Author: Todd Zola

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
JVillar, Bal	Patrick Davitt 1007	Doug Dennis 754	Mike Podhorzer 439
		Rob Leibowitz 278	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 243
		Vlad Sedler 129	Larry Schechter 80
		Seth Trachtman 50
CMaybin, Sea	Doug Dennis 754	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 243	Larry Schechter 80
		Vlad Sedler 23
TPham, TB	Rob Leibowitz 145	Mike Podhorzer 133	Larry Schechter 80
		Seth Trachtman 15	Vlad Sedler 8
TGlasnow, TB	Mike Podhorzer 116	Jason Collette 76	Vlad Sedler 24
		Lawr Michaels 17
LForsythe, Min	Larry Schechter 80	Mike Podhorzer 76	Doug Dennis 55
		Seth Trachtman 35	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 10
TWhite, Hou	Jason Collette 56	Doug Dennis 55
JBeeks, TB	Mike Podhorzer 42	Vlad Sedler 24
BLowe, TB	Mike Podhorzer 28	Jason Collette 6	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
RLaureano, Oak	Seth Trachtman 25	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 6
AMejia, Min	Seth Trachtman 25	Jason Collette 5
BreAnderson, Oak	Vlad Sedler 24	Larry Schechter 10	Seth Trachtman 5
		Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1
KCowart, LAA	Seth Trachtman 18	Mike Podhorzer 12	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
JAdduci, Det	Vlad Sedler 6
EYoung, LAA	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 6
TVieira, CWS	Jason Collette 6
JAlvarado, TB	Larry Schechter 5
AEscobar, KC	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2	Mike Podhorzer 12
DRobinson, Tex	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
ROHearn, KC	Larry Schechter 32
AJurado, Tex	Seth Trachtman 4
RPressly, Hou	Jason Collette 4
LAvilan, CWS	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
AMeadows, TB	Seth Trachtman 1	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1
HSantiago, CWS	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1
TRenda, Bos	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0

Todd’s Take

What was gearing up to be a boring deadline period in the American League picked up a bit with four hitters and a pitcher adding some meat to the pickings. Though, the injury to Tommy Pham dampened things a bit as he would likely be the top pick in most AL formats, unless you need the speed Jonathan Villar or Cameron Maybin can offer.

Baseball HQ’s Patrick Davitt confirmed his intent was to pick up Pham but swerved to Villar to insure maximum playing time. Davitt expressed concern how much running Villar will do with Baltimore, a club that traditionally is more station to station. Hopefully, they’ll let him utilize his skill set and add some swipes before season’s end.

Maybin could actually be the better option if steals are the priority. Seattle does run, especially at the bottom of the order. Expect Maybin to play every day.

While it’s not a surprise Pham drew the third most FAAB, the low number it took to get him is certainly a head-scratcher. Larry Schechter agrees, expressing similar dismay, “I can’t believe Pham only went for $145. He may be back in as little as two weeks and was batting clean-up for the Rays. He’s a very valuable HR/SB combo.” Even more curious is several Touts have ample money left to have outbid Rob Leibowitz. In fact, Leibowitz still has the third most FAAB so depending on what happens with waiver deals and callups, he may be able to funnel the discount on Pham into more help.

Schechter acquired Logan Forsythe, saying, “Beggars can’t be choosers. With 3rd least FAAB remaining, I’m happy to get Forsythe. (I’m assuming he plays full time).” I agree, Forsythe should play nearly every day. The Twins still have the likes of Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and (don’t laugh) Joe Mauer, so Forsythe should generate reasonable run production.

One last note in the Twins before switching to pitching. I’m very surprised Tyler Austin was only a contingency. Sure, he’s starting in the minors, but he’s a natural platoon partner for both Joe Mauer and Logan Morrison. It shouldn’t be long before Austin is with the big club.

Tyler Glasnow joins the Rays staff, eventually as a starter but he may also be the follower for a few weeks. Credit to Jeff Passan on Twitter, this is a great landing spot for Glasnow. Tampa’s pitching coach is 6-foot-8 Kyle Snyder with expertise in honing the mechanics of tall hurlers. Glasnow, of course, is 6-foot-8.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
BDozier, LAD	Andy Behrens 444	Brian Walton 329	Craig Mish 311
		Scott Wilderman 245	Mike Gianella 244
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 187	Grey Albright 97
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
CArcher, Pit	Brian Walton 329	Andy Behrens 444	Craig Mish 311
		Scott Wilderman 245	Mike Gianella 244
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 187	Andy Behrens 133
		Grey Albright 97	Phil Hertz 36
JSchoop, Mil	Craig Mish 311	Brian Walton 329	Scott Wilderman 245
		Mike Gianella 244	Tristan H. Cockcroft 187
		Grey Albright 97	Phil Hertz 35
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
WRamos, Phi	Scott Wilderman 245	Tristan H. Cockcroft 125	Grey Albright 97
		Phil Hertz 33	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
KGausman, Atl	Tristan H. Cockcroft 187	Andy Behrens 444	Mike Gianella 111
		Grey Albright 97	Phil Hertz 25
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
HBailey, Cin	Phil Hertz 27	Todd Zola 0
KKela, Pit	Brian Walton 15	Grey Albright 11	Mike Gianella 5
		Scott Wilderman 4
AGomber, StL	Grey Albright 11	Todd Zola 0
SOh, Col	Scott Wilderman 5	Grey Albright 11	Brian Walton 6
PTucker, Cin	Craig Mish 2	Tristan H. Cockcroft 8
JMurphy, Ari	Craig Mish 0
RErlin, SD	Todd Zola 0	Phil Hertz 27	Tristan H. Cockcroft 11
SRomano, Cin	Todd Zola 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
CFerguson, LAD	Phil Hertz 8	Grey Albright 2
BWahl, NYM	Grey Albright 6
BDixon, Cin	Grey Albright 1
MHolliday, Col	Craig Mish 1
CShreve, StL	Brian Walton 1
BBrach, Atl	Todd Zola 0	Scott Wilderman 0
RMoronta, SF	Todd Zola 0	Scott Wilderman 0
AWainwright, StL	Todd Zola 0
BKintzler, ChC	Todd Zola 0
COswalt, NYM	Todd Zola 0
DSmyly, ChC	Todd Zola 0
JDiekman, Ari	Todd Zola 0
RStock, SD	Todd Zola 0
SCarle, Atl	Todd Zola 0
TWebb, StL	Todd Zola 0
WMiley, Mil	Todd Zola 0
EKratz, Mil	Craig Mish 0

Todd’s Take

With Manny Machado, Eduardo Escobar and Cole Hamels part of previous FAAB runs, this week comes down to needs with Brian Dozier and Chris Archer the primary targets.

Interestingly, Andy Behrens had the hammer yet bid on three players – he listed Dozier first so he won him for $1 more than Brian Walton could bid. In turn, Walton bid $1 more than Craig Mish could bid, with Behrens, Walton and Mish holding the most FAAB heading into the festivities.

Keeping with the theme, Mish bid $1 more than the next in line, Scott Widerman, grabbing Jonathan Schoop. On paper, Dozier should out-produce Schoop, but who knows, there’s a good chance Mish gets similar stats for a lower cost.

While Wilson Ramos isn’t the same caliber hitter as Dozier and Schoop, the upgrade he offers at the catching position could be almost as much of a net upgrade, depending on your roster composition.

MIXED LEAGUE AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
TONeill, StL	Brent Hershey 253	Fred Zinkie 131	Derek VanRiper 77
		Tim Heaney 20
HBader, StL	Fred Zinkie 131	Brent Hershey 174	Ray Flowers 46
		Derek VanRiper 44	Tim Heaney 20
		Jeff Zimmerman 14	Al Melchior 8
KGiles, Tor	Zach Steinhorn 103	Ray Flowers 38	Tim Heaney 1
RGsellman, NYM	Zach Steinhorn 53	Zach Steinhorn 93	Tim Heaney 28
BPhillips, KC	Derek VanRiper 44	Brent Hershey 97
BPeacock, Hou	Brent Hershey 43
AMejia, Min	Ron Shandler 27
TGlasnow, TB	Brent Hershey 25	Tim Heaney 14	Ray Flowers 13
		Jeff Zimmerman 13
PErvin, Cin	Fred Zinkie 15
WAdames, TB	Tim McLeod 13	Tim Heaney 13
EJackson, Oak	Ray Flowers 13
BLowe, TB	Al Melchior 8
TRichards, Mia	Al Melchior 6
DFletcher, LAA	Tim Heaney 4	Al Melchior 8	Tim Heaney 1
MPina, Mil	Al Melchior 2
CBurnes, Mil	Tim Heaney 2
DPalka, CWS	Jeff Zimmerman 1	Derek VanRiper 11
GoHernandez, SF	Tim Heaney 1

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
RErlin, SD	Ron Shandler 27	Al Melchior 2	Tim Heaney 1
TWilliams, Pit	Ron Shandler 27
MBarnes, Bos	Brent Hershey 21
DRobertson, NYY	Zach Steinhorn 18
JJeffress, Mil	Zach Steinhorn 18
RBlack, SF	Brent Hershey 17
WMiley, Mil	Ray Flowers 13
RStanek, TB	Brent Hershey 12
ASenzatela, Col	Ray Flowers 11
ESantana, Pit	Brent Hershey 11
SOh, Col	Al Melchior 2
JIglesias, Det	Tim Heaney 1
SKingery, Phi	Tim Heaney 1
MHauschild, Tor	Al Melchior 0
PLopez, Mia	Al Melchior 0
RNunez, Bal	Al Melchior 0

Todd’s Take

Brent Hershey had his choice of either Tyler O’Neill or Harrison Bader, both in line for full-time run with Dexter Fowler sidelined with a fractured foot. It comes down to needs – Bader’s more all around production versus O’Neill’s power-heavy profile.

Zach Steinhorn is looking to make a late-season charge at saves with the pickup of Ken Giles and Robert Gsellman. Giles is expected to jump right into the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen. Giles story is well documented. Despite having a stellar 2017 campaign, he hit a rut at the wrong time (namely the ALDS) and was removed from the closer gig he rest of the playoffs. Even though he started the season saving games for the defending champs, there was never a feeling management was confident in Giles. Given a fresh start, it wouldn’t be shocking if Giles defeats the narrative and flourishes north of the border.

MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
KGiles, Tor	Adam Ronis 173	Ray Murphy 39	Scott White 19
JLeclerc, Tex	Adam Ronis 134	Adam Ronis 133	Michael Beller 104
		Ray Murphy 79	Perry Van Hook 69
		Scott White 41
PErvin, Cin	Perry Van Hook 23	Ray Murphy 9
TKemp, Hou	D.J. Short 20
TGlasnow, TB	Scott White 13
RBorucki, Tor	D.J. Short 10
SDuggar, SF	Ray Murphy 9
ONarvaez, CWS	Perry Van Hook 0
JGomez, CWS	Michael Beller 0
EJackson, Oak	Perry Van Hook 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
RDavis, Cle	Perry Van Hook 3

Todd’s Take

Like the Mixed Draft Auction league, the Draft League witnessed Giles being paired with another closer, this time Adam Ronis also acquiring Jose Leclerc. Leclerc is interesting since he’s still just 24 years old even though it feels like he’s older. “One skill away” is a common theme when looking at starters. Leclerc is a great example where this applies to a closer. If Leclerc can hone his control, he could be a top-ten closer.

HEAD-TO-HEAD MIXED AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
TRichards, Mia	Clay Link 54	Andrea LaMont 14	Dr. Roto 10
AMinter, Atl	Dr. Roto 24	Andrea LaMont 3
JVillar, Bal	Stephania Bell 23	Dr. Roto 22
SRomano, Cin	Stephania Bell 12	Justin Mason 3
HBader, StL	Dr. Roto 8
RLopez, CWS	Stephania Bell 7	Clay Link 0
JBarria, LAA	Peter Kreutzer 7	Michael Rathburn 4
JJunis, KC	Peter Kreutzer 7	Michael Rathburn 4
IKinerFalefa, Tex	Stephania Bell 6
NTropeano, LAA	Michael Rathburn 6	Justin Mason 3
BHardy, Det	Michael Rathburn 4	Peter Kreutzer 3
FArcia, LAA	Michael Rathburn 3
AMejia, Min	Justin Mason 3	Peter Kreutzer 7
RMartin, Tor	Michael Rathburn 1
YAlonso, Cle	Justin Mason 1
TGlasnow, TB	Clay Link 0
ADeSclafani, Cin	Clay Link 0
WChen, Mia	Justin Mason 0
YGallardo, Tex	Justin Mason 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
THernandez, Tor	Dr. Roto 8	Justin Mason 1
TBeckham, Bal	Dr. Roto 5
CAdams, NYY	Clay Link 4
RErlin, SD	Peter Kreutzer 2
BJohnson, Bos	Michael Rathburn 2
TRoss, SD	Peter Kreutzer 1
CaJoseph, Bal	Michael Rathburn 0
KGiles, Tor	Clay Link 0
YChirinos, TB	Clay Link 0

Todd’s Take

Like expected, the H2H competitors continue to treat the free agent look like an extra roster spot, churning pitching based on matchups. With one start against the Cardinals on his ledger, Trevor Richards was the most sought after hurler. Stephania Bell fortified her rotations with Sal Romano and Reynaldo Lopez, though neither has a double-dip on the docket. Justin Mason snagged the only two-start guy this week as Wei-Yin Chen lines up for two home efforts. This is relevant since he sports a 2.18 ERA at home as opposed to a 10.27 mark away from The Aquarium. Plus, the second game is with the Mets and their league-worst lineup versus lefties.

You can break Tuesday’s Tout Daily into those who stacked the Nationals and those kicking themselves for not stacking the Nationals. Count Andrea LaMont among the former as RotoLady came out on top on one of the higher scoring nights of the contest. The Godfather Charlie Wiegert and Wise Guy Gene McCaffrey were close, but not close enough to best Andrea’s impressive 168.15 total. Aside from keying on the nation’s capital, RotoLady clicked in a rejuvenated Zack Godley to anchor her pitching as well as capturing Khris Davis’ big night featuring three hits including a homer. Check out Andrea’s lineup below.

Despite her big night, Andrea remains on the outside looking in for the last three Golden Tickets into the Survivor Championship Finals. Derek Carty took over the op spot in Period 5, followed by Jake Ciely and Michael Beller. Just 5 points separate the top-three with several within shouting distance halfway through the final qualifying period.

Rick Wolf remains the top overall points scorer in the quest for the wild card entry into the championship. Beller leaped into second with Todd Zola lagging in third. See where your favorite Tout stands in the Leaderboard.

Be sure to check out all of our weekly content, beginning with the Tout Wars FAAB report on Sunday, followed by the Tout Table every Monday, our Tout Daily picks on Tuesday, culminating with the Tout Daily Wrap each Wednesday.

Here’s Andrea’s week-winning roster:

It’s the second week of the fifth and final period for Tout Daily. Here’s who some of the participants are clicking into their lineup in search of the last three Golden Tickets.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola)

Masahiro Tanaka: A crappy Orioles lineup just got even crappier

Blake Swihart: Batting second versus Arrieta, low cost will help offset two aces (leaning to Skaggs as SP2).

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis)

Masahiro Tanaka: I did not start Tanaka last week and paid the price. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. Over his last 5 starts, Tanaka has a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

Christian Yelich : Over the past 14 days, Yelich leads all hitters with 11 runs scored, 4 home runs, 14 RBI, 1 stolen base, and a .500 batting average.

Gene McCaffrey (Wise Guy Baseball, @WiseGuyGene)

Trevor Cahill: Great value at home vs. the free-but-not-so-hot-swinging Blue Jays.

Jose Abreu: Too bad Jonathan Schoop isn’t playing, he was #1 on my list. I’ll pivot to Jose Abreu, heating up, at home, and facing Danny Duffy and a weak Royals’ pen

Michael Rathburn (Rotowire, @FantasyRath)

Tyler Skaggs: 7 starts of 18 points or greater in his last 8 starts. 6 had at least 22 points. Great matchup vs Rays

Jose Ramirez: Keep riding that pony

Mike Gianella (Baseball Prospectus, @MikeGianella)

Charlie Morton: In a bit of a slump of late, but I like the matchup against the Mariners on the road…was dominant in his lone outing against them in 2018.

Alex Bregman: He’s a fantasy superstar and he’s still not priced like an elite player. Giddyup.

Lawr Michaels (CreativeSports2, @lawrmichaels)

Kolby Allard: The top prospect hurlers brought up this year have comported themselves well first start, and the Marlins have not only not seen Allard’s stuff, they are hitting just .230 with 43 dingers off lefties.

Adalberto Mondesi: Hitting .406 with four swipes his last nine games, switch hits, and faces the oft-porous James Shields.

Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt)

Masahiro Tanaka: Sounds like the Orioles might be starting John Lowenstien and Mark Belanger.

Lucas Duda: Duda went 2-for-12 in a recent three-game set at CHW, so as they say in broadcast booths everywhere, “He’s due!” Also has 2 HR in 14 career AB vs James Shields.

Question posed to the Touts this week:

If your team is destined to not win this season, will you trade with a competing team to improve your finish?

Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball, @LarrySchechter): Yes, definitely…although my motivation to trade is much less than if I’m in contention, I’m competitive enough that I’d rather finish as high in the standings as I can. Similarly, in non-trade leagues, I will keep managing my team even when hopelessly out of contention. Tout Wars also has a unique rule, where if you don’t reach a certain threshold in the standings, you lose some FAAB money for the next season. This adds motivation to finish as high as possible.

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis): Absolutely! We all play for pride and want to be able to finish as high in the standings as possible. It’s all about next year’s FAAB dollars as incentive. I play to the end, regardless of the league standings. I can’t stand a league manager that is out of contention and starts to abandon their team. It’s not fair to the other teams that need your help in all categories. You can get a lot of pleasure by moving your opponents down in a specific category. Making a trade with people in contention may pay dividends in years to come when you reach out to them when you are in contention.

Rick Wolf (Fantasy Alarm, @RickWolf1): This is a good question in there is some ethics to it. You are NEVER out of it in July. At least I cannot remember believing that for the most part. I will definitely trade to get better in July, but NOT as the trade deadline approaches in my leagues, I will look to see if the trades that I make will affect the race for the final month. It is not a simple yes or no for me. There are situations where you can move from 10th to 5th with a trade, but can make it 100% sure who wins the league. That to me is VERY bad form. Getting your team to be better in July is way different than on August 29th when there are five weeks left. You cannot change the balance of the league in July. You can ruin the league in August with a king maker trade. Let the teams in the Top 3 or 4 fight it out. Trade with others to move up when it is that late.

Michael Beller (Sports Illustrated, @MBeller): Rick beat me to a lot of what I wanted to say, but I’ll still echo some of his comments. None of us is out of it, no matter how far back, in late July. I could be in last place in a redraft league right now, and I wouldn’t feel guilty about trading with one of the teams at or near the top of the standings. We’re getting close to the end of that window, though. If mid-August rolls around and it becomes clear that this just isn’t your year, then I think you need to turn off the deal-making portion of your fantasy baseball brain for the rest of the season. This obviously changes in a keeper format, but in redraft leagues where you’re not taking any of your players into the next season trading with a contending team once you’re out of the race can undercut the competitive integrity of the league. This is fantasy, not real life. You’re not trying to sell tickets to fans or convince impending free agents that you’re building something special. Time to turn your attention to football. There’s always next season.

Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ, @dougdennis41): I am a cautious trader by nature, but I will always take an opportunity to improve my place in the standings and I will not begrudge others doing the same when I am in the top 3 and one of my competitors gets a deal from someone low in the standings. It has happened that way on several occasions, in fact.  That is part of the game like every other part.  Self-censure and not making a trade that makes sense for both sides affects the standings too–just in the opposite direction.

Michael Rathburn (Rotowire, @FantasyRath): I am looking to finish as high in the standing as I can, so if I trade will improve my team yes I will pull the trigger. Also, usually those trades for 2 for 1 or 3 for 1 in which you can make the competing team pay a premium.

Rudy Gamble (Razzball, @RudyGamble): In a redraft league, I try to avoid trades if I am out of contention. Rightly or wrongly, I scrutinize contender w/ non-contender trades to a greater degree. My sniff test on a standard trade is “Did this trade help both teams?”. On a contender w/ non-contender trade, my sniff test is “Is this a fair trade outside of both teams’ context?” It is valid trading $.80 on the dollar sometimes if it helps you in the standings. But that type of trade by a non-contender is awfully annoying (bordering on amoral not as far as immoral) to me if I am contending in a league.

Fred Zinkie (Rotoworld, Baseball HQ, @FredZinkieMLB): I’ll definitely make the trade. For the sake of personal pride, I’m trying to finish as high in the standings as possible in every league. My team is open for business right up to the trade deadline for all of the contending teams, and my hat goes off to the owner who finds a way to propose a deal that makes my team more successful and their team more successful at the same time.

Ron Shandler (RonShandler.com, @RonShandler): Tout Wars has its own built-in incentives to keep playing. Final season standing determines seeding for the following season’s reserve round snake draft. Each league has a points threshold that determines how large of a FAAB budget you take into next season. So, if pride and being a good roto-citizen are not enough reasons to make these types of trade, there are always other reasons to keep plugging away.

Derek Carty (RotoGrinders, @DerekCarty): Absolutely. I may be a little less proactive if I’m really towards the bottom of the pack in a league (but more so in a league like Tout Wars where there’s incentive to move up in the standings), but I’ll always engage in trade talks with anyone who wants to, especially if they’re competing. Nothing frustrates me more than the owners who won’t do this. I’ve been competing at times in the past in Tout Wars and LABR and have had owners straight-up refuse to trade with me not on the merits of the trade itself but on the actual principle of trading because they “didn’t want to have an undue influence on the final result of the league” or something like that, which I found absolutely ridiculous. Or they wouldn’t want to trade with me because it would be unfair to the guy I’m competing with who wouldn’t be making a trade too. I was furious. This goes against the entire spirit of competition of these leagues. We all play in this league, we all have the same opportunities to trade, and if the people at the top want to win the league and put in the effort to make a trade, I’m very much in favor of helping them as long as the trades are fair. I’ve had a ton of injuries this year in Tout Wars NL and am pretty far out contention, but I’d be more than willing to make trades with anyone competing, and I feel very strongly that’s how it should be.

Phil Hertz (BaseballHQ, @prhz50): I have a firm rule: my job is to try to improve my team at all times. Indeed, I believe failure to do so can impact things just as much as making a trade or a free agent acquisition. I note that most of my leagues have incentives – or disincentives – to keep trying to improve your finish.

Andy Behrens (Yahoo! Fantasy Sports, @andybehrens): In Tout Wars, where it is clearly not my year, we have no shortage of incentives to compete until the end. So the obvious answer here is “Yes, definitely.” All redraft leagues should incentivize competition up and down the standings, through the end of the season. I’ll trade at any point up to the deadline, from any position. That said, we’ve certainly reached the point in the season where my focus is on leagues in which I’m clearly competing for a title. I’m less likely to actively seek out a trade partner in an effort to vault myself from, say, ninth place to sixth place. Still, if a reasonable deal presents itself, in Tout or elsewhere, I have no reservations about trading to improve.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports): Depends on the league! If it is a partial keeper league, and a trade with the top teams would gain me a keeper for next year, YES. If a trade could get me into a money spot, Yes. If a trade causes the integrity of the league to be questioned by helping one person win with no benefit to me, then NO! In Tout Wars, where there is a penalty for a bad finish, yes I would trade if it improved my position.

Tim McCullough (Rotoexperts, @TimTenz): Dynasty and keeper formats demand that you play right to the finish and at least try to build or rebuild your team to go get ’em next season. Since Tout has the penalty for finishing below a set threshold, there is an incentive of a different sort that you need to address. So, I am always open to trades even if I’m out of contention for a title. If you’re not going to try and finish as high in the standings as possible, why are you playing? At the very least you can learn something by tweaking your team to improve in the standings and apply that knowledge for future teams/leagues.

Lawr Michaels (CreativeSports2, @lawrmichaels): i will always do everything i can to finish as high as i can in any league, irrespective of format. that said, i do try to be careful to not make a trade that overtly does tip the scales among the contending teams if that makes sense.

Glenn Colton (Fantasy Alarm, @glenncolton1): what is the point of playing if you fail to compete as best as you can and do as best as you can? The only caveat is that if my team cannot win, I will likely make sure I let the whole league know a player is available before just pulling the trigger with one competing team. That way, the other teams cannot complain if they failed to make a better offer.

Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt): Yes, for all the reasons listed above by the touts.

Bret Sayre (Baseball Prospectus, @BretSayreBP): Even if a league does not have any incentive for owners who have no chance of winning, whether it’s the FAAB incentive like Tout has or a second-half prize like some of my home leagues have, I will continue to try to improve my teams until the bitter end. Of course, all leagues should have those types of incentives (as they make for a better overall culture throughout the season), but that’s a separate topic. As a personally competitive person when it comes to fantasy leagues (as all of us certainly are), an eighth place finish certainly feels better to me than a tenth place one, and I act accordingly.

Ray Murphy (BaseballHQ, @RayHQ): I think the Tout Wars rule re: deduction of next year’s FAAB is a valid reason for non-contenders to be dealing with contenders, but I’ll go against the grain here. Sure, I’d rather scratch out every standings point. It’s (a little) better to finish 8th than 10th. But (in re-draft leagues) I am very leery of playing king-maker, too. If my marginal gain downward in the standings means that I’m gift-wrapping a title for my trade partner, I’m inclined to not make the deal.

Jeff Zimmerman (Fangraphs and Fantrax, @jeffwzimmerman): My goal is to win the league. With next year’s FAAB total tied to this year’s finish, I sure in the hell going to try anything to move up. If it means giving the flag to someone else this season so I can get it next season, so be it. It’s a harsh stance but sticking to my goal is key.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola): To be candid, I continue to struggle with this. My head says very point counts. My heart says don’t influence the top of the standings in a redraft format. Then the head says by not making a move, I’m in fact influencing the results. So while I usually won’t seek out deals to move me from 13th to 11th, I’ll consider them if approached, with the condition I let the league know I’m open for business. This way, if the consummated deal indeed aids someone at the top of the heap, the other contenders had an equal chance to work something out with me. This said, all bets are off it Tout Wars where I want every FAAB dollar I can muster and assume my brethren do as well.

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
BGoodwin, KC	Seth Trachtman 160	Larry Schechter 31	Vlad Sedler 12
		Patrick Davitt 10
NMartini, Oak	Lawr Michaels 117	Chris Liss 89	Jeff Erickson 15
		Vlad Sedler 7
BPhillips, KC	Chris Liss 89	Jeff Erickson 45	Larry Schechter 30
		Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 16	Seth Trachtman 10
FArcia, LAA	Vlad Sedler 48	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
EButler, Tex	Lawr Michaels 47
YChirinos, TB	Jeff Erickson 45	Jason Collette 36	Vlad Sedler 31
		Mike Podhorzer 26
MCabrera, Cle	Larry Schechter 32	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 16	Jeff Erickson 5
CTocci, Tex	Larry Schechter 29
JMinaya, CWS	Vlad Sedler 18
BMcKinney, Tor	Lawr Michaels 17
YGallardo, Tex	Vlad Sedler 15	Vlad Sedler 6
SRobinson, NYY	Jeff Erickson 15
EAdrianza, Min	Patrick Davitt 10	Mike Podhorzer 0
MPerez, TB	Seth Trachtman 10	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
YRamirez, Bal	Doug Dennis 5	Vlad Sedler 5
JChoi, TB	Vlad Sedler 4
JBriceno, LAA	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
BreAnderson, Oak	Vlad Sedler 7
JAlvarado, TB	Jeff Erickson 5
JPhegley, Oak	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
KHigashioka, NYY	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0
RoPerez, Cle	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0

Todd’s Take

AL only leagues are faced with a huge conundrum. If you have the hammer, do you go all-in on Brian Goodwin or hope someone else comes over prior to Wednesday’s deadline? Goodwin is a nice player, likely to get regular playing time with the Royals but is he a difference-maker? I think it comes down to deciding if Goodwin is enough to get you where you want to go or if your forced to hope for a miracle at the deadline.

Part of the problem is there aren’t any rumored players crossing over from the National League. This isn’t to say it won’t happen, but this is the classic bird in hand scenario.

Nick Martini wasn’t traded into the league, but a solid week as him a hot commodity. He’s bumped Dustin Fowler from the leadoff spot, which is key in front of the power-laden Athletics lineup. Despite social media pointing out I had the metaphor reversed… Martini may not shake things up with power, but he can certainly stir stuff up with his on base ability and speed.

Brett Phillips also crossed leagues. Phillips is still young enough to figure things out, especially contact. He’s been given a couple of chances with the Brewers, with patches of mediocrity before getting exposed. To be honest, I have a feeling another B. Phillips, namely Brandon, may end up being a sneaky AL only pickup.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
MMoustakas, Mil	Derek Carty 740	Steve Gardner 707	Grey Albright 581
		Andy Behrens 577	Brian Walton 328
		Mike Gianella 230	Tristan H. Cockcroft 97
		Phil Hertz 46	Lenny Melnick 29
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
EEscobar, Ari	Steve Gardner 707	Grey Albright 578	Brian Walton 328
		Derek Carty 291	Mike Gianella 230
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 97	Phil Hertz 47
		Lenny Melnick 29	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
CHamels, ChC	Grey Albright 581	Andy Behrens 577	Derek Carty 291
		Mike Gianella 230	Tristan H. Cockcroft 97
		Lenny Melnick 29
MWilliams, Cin	Mike Gianella 36
DBote, ChC	Todd Zola 30	Grey Albright 16	Scott Wilderman 2
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 1	Mike Gianella 1
RQuinn, Phi	Lenny Melnick 29	Mike Gianella 1	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
JSoria, Mil	Phil Hertz 12
TMilone, Was	Grey Albright 11
JOsuna, Pit	Scott Wilderman 5	Tristan H. Cockcroft 1	Grey Albright 1
JPirela, SD	Tristan H. Cockcroft 5	Mike Gianella 10	Scott Wilderman 1
AFrazier, Pit	Tristan H. Cockcroft 5	Scott Wilderman 2	Grey Albright 1
DHudson, StL	Tristan H. Cockcroft 5	Grey Albright 2
MAndriese, Ari	Grey Albright 2	Mike Gianella 1
AJackson, NYM	Grey Albright 1	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
DPoncedeleon, StL	Tristan H. Cockcroft 5	Grey Albright 2
CFerguson, LAD	Phil Hertz 4	Grey Albright 2	Tristan H. Cockcroft 1
		Mike Gianella 1
RErlin, SD	Phil Hertz 4
PAlonso, NYM	Mike Gianella 2
AGomber, StL	Grey Albright 2	Tristan H. Cockcroft 1
BKintzler, Was	Grey Albright 2
PBaez, LAD	Grey Albright 2
SOh, Col	Grey Albright 2
DHernandez, Cin	Mike Gianella 1	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
PEvans, NYM	Mike Gianella 1
SDyson, SF	Mike Gianella 1
DiHerrera, Cin	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0

Todd’s Take

It’s pretty much chalk at the top with some decent consolation prizes after Manny Machado was purchased last week. The only question was whether someone on the top three wanted pitching more than hitting. Speaking of which, I know Cole Hamels has struggled lately but I’m intrigued by the park/league. Overall, the move to Wrigley Field is huge, at least according to park factors. Hamels lines up to allow fewer runs, fan more and walk fewer – and that’s without even considering the lack of the DH.

Most of the other hitting pickups are injury replacements, including my all-in bid for David Bote who is picking up some extra time with Kris Bryant out. Mason Williams is getting some run in the Reds outfield with Jesse Winker out for the season and Scott Schebler on the shelf, though the latter is on rehab and could be back this week. Jose Osuna is another injury fix with Josh Bell on the DL.

As opposed to the AL where it’s hard to envision someone of consequence coming over by the deadline, we could have another set of spirited bidding in the Senior Circuit next week.

MIXED LEAGUE AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
JFry, CWS	Scott Pianowski 69	Zach Steinhorn 38	Al Melchior 11
		Ray Flowers 11
RZimmerman, Was	Scott Swanay 68	Scott Engel 7
LGurriel, Tor	Al Melchior 46	Scott Swanay 65	Derek VanRiper 44
		Fred Zinkie 17	Ray Flowers 16
		Jeff Zimmerman 0
BGoodwin, KC	Derek VanRiper 44	Fred Zinkie 1
NDelmonico, CWS	Fred Zinkie 43	Jeff Zimmerman 0
DHolland, SF	Zach Steinhorn 42	Fred Zinkie 35	Derek VanRiper 31
		Ray Flowers 14	Scott Pianowski 13
		Tim Heaney 8	Jeff Zimmerman 0
SPearce, Bos	Derek VanRiper 22
LMorrison, Min	Fred Zinkie 12	Scott Swanay 28	Scott Pianowski 7
RQuinn, Phi	Ron Shandler 11
NTropeano, LAA	Ray Flowers 11
JMauer, Min	Scott Engel 9	Scott Pianowski 7	Ron Shandler 1
DFreese, Pit	Scott Engel 8	Scott Swanay 13
ARomine, NYY	Fred Zinkie 6
MCanha, Oak	Ron Shandler 5	Fred Zinkie 1	Jeff Zimmerman 0
LTrivino, Oak	Scott Pianowski 5
FArcia, LAA	Al Melchior 2
OArcia, Mil	Tim Heaney 2	Fred Zinkie 12
LGarcia, CWS	Jeff Zimmerman 1	Fred Zinkie 1	Scott Engel 1
DValencia, Bal	Jeff Zimmerman 1	Jeff Zimmerman 0
YChirinos, TB	Jeff Zimmerman 1	Scott Swanay 28	Derek VanRiper 0
JBeeks, TB	Derek VanRiper 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
AVerdugo, LAD	Ron Shandler 5
RYarbrough, TB	Tim Heaney 2	Jeff Zimmerman 1
CBurnes, Mil	Tim Heaney 2
CCulberson, Atl	Ron Shandler 1
THildenberger, Min	Jeff Zimmerman 1
ASwarzak, NYM	Tim Heaney 0
DCovey, CWS	Jeff Zimmerman 0
DDescalso, Ari	Jeff Zimmerman 0
JAnderson, LAA	Tim Heaney 0
JJay, Ari	Jeff Zimmerman 0
JPirela, SD	Jeff Zimmerman 0
MMinor, Tex	Jeff Zimmerman 0
RDavis, Cle	Jeff Zimmerman 0
RGrossman, Min	Jeff Zimmerman 0
SDuggar, SF	Jeff Zimmerman 0

Todd’s Take

This week’s flavor of the week in terms of closing is Jace Fry, replacing Joakim Soria. This is an intriguing pickup as the White Sox play the Royals and Rays next week, on paper a couple of lesser teams. The problem is Fry blew Sunday’s save chance, well before the bids were finalized. It’s not like the South Siders have a treasure trove of options, but Sunday’s events are discouraging.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been seeing regular playing time which shouldn’t be hindered with the Blue Jays acquisition of Brandon Drury. Gurriel Jr. profiles as a high average without much power or speed, though he’s shown some pop in his rookie campaign.

Derek Holland was the most sought after starter, for good reason. He’s over 100 innings into the season, still maintaining over a whiff an inning. This week, Holland has a good pair of starts, first facing a weak Padres lineup followed by a manageable Diamondbacks offense.

MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
LGurriel, Tor	Adam Ronis 73	Scott White 21	Tim McCullough 21
JMcNeil, NYM	Tim McCullough 51
WPeralta, KC	Rudy Gamble 36	Ray Murphy 18	Perry Van Hook 17
DHolland, SF	Michael Beller 24	Perry Van Hook 2
JBradley, Bos	Perry Van Hook 17	Ray Murphy 14	Adam Ronis 8
SGray, NYY	Michael Beller 17	Ray Murphy 11
DFowler, StL	Ray Murphy 14
JJay, Ari	Tim McCullough 11	Perry Van Hook 0
JFry, CWS	Ray Murphy 11	Scott White 9
JGyorko, StL	Tim McCullough 3
MBoyd, Det	Perry Van Hook 3
JAlfaro, Phi	Adam Ronis 2	Perry Van Hook 0
JWendle, TB	Tim McCullough 2
MPerez, TB	Perry Van Hook 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
BDrury, Tor	Adam Ronis 23	Ray Murphy 14
ARomine, NYY	Perry Van Hook 0
BGoodwin, KC	Perry Van Hook 0
BHolt, Bos	Perry Van Hook 0
CIannetta, Col	Perry Van Hook 0
FArcia, LAA	Perry Van Hook 0
JRickard, Bal	Perry Van Hook 0
KSmith, CWS	Perry Van Hook 0
LMaile, Tor	Perry Van Hook 0
PErvin, Cin	Perry Van Hook 0

Todd’s Take

It’s a little surprising Jeff McNeil didn’t garner more attention. It appears the Mets will play McNeil regularly after dealing Asdrubal Cabrera. His .268/.427/.600 line in Triple-A looks impressive, but keep in mind Las Vegas is one of the best hitting venues while McNeil is a little old for the level at 26 years old.

Don’t look now but Sonny Gray is relevant again. The veteran righty is sporting a 1.10 ERA and .92 WHIP over his past three outings, featuring 19 punch outs in those 16.1 frames.

HEAD-TO-HEAD MIXED AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
MChapman, Oak	Jake Ciely 55	Jeff Mans 19	Andrea LaMont 18
		Michael Rathburn 2	Justin Mason 0
BNimmo, NYM	Jeff Mans 48
TRoark, Was	Jake Ciely 25	Andrea LaMont 18	Michael Rathburn 14
		Jeff Mans 8
AAlmora, ChC	Jeff Mans 21
LGurriel, Tor	Andrea LaMont 14	Michael Rathburn 6
MFried, Atl	Andrea LaMont 14	Jeff Mans 4
DHolland, SF	Andrea LaMont 13	Peter Kreutzer 3
JShields, CWS	Michael Rathburn 12	Andrea LaMont 3	Justin Mason 2
		Jeff Mans 1
NWilliams, Phi	Dr. Roto 10	Jeff Mans 31
EJimenez, CWS	Dr. Roto 8
JUrena, Mia	Jeff Mans 7
MBoyd, Det	Michael Rathburn 6	Andrea LaMont 11	Peter Kreutzer 3
AHedges, SD	Andrea LaMont 6
RBorucki, Tor	Michael Rathburn 6
SDuggar, SF	Dr. Roto 5	Jeff Mans 2
NDelmonico, CWS	Dr. Roto 5
SGaviglio, Tor	Peter Kreutzer 2
BColon, Tex	Peter Kreutzer 2
NHundley, SF	Jeff Mans 1
KMorales, Tor	Justin Mason 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
JHeyward, ChC	Jeff Mans 19	Dr. Roto 5
YAlonso, Cle	Jake Ciely 15	Jeff Mans 12	Justin Mason 0
ADeSclafani, Cin	Jeff Mans 5
FLiriano, Det	Jeff Mans 5
NTropeano, LAA	Jeff Mans 5
ARomine, NYY	Andrea LaMont 4	Jeff Mans 1
CMaybin, Mia	Andrea LaMont 3
MGonzalez, Hou	Jeff Mans 3
YRamirez, Bal	Michael Rathburn 2	Peter Kreutzer 1
AMeadows, Pit	Dr. Roto 2
BPhillips, KC	Dr. Roto 2
DPalka, CWS	Jeff Mans 2
ELauer, SD	Michael Rathburn 1
JMauer, Min	Jeff Mans 1
KPlawecki, NYM	Jeff Mans 1
KSuzuki, Atl	Jeff Mans 1
NMartini, Oak	Jeff Mans 1
ONarvaez, CWS	Jeff Mans 1
PLopez, Mia	Jeff Mans 1
SPearce, Bos	Jeff Mans 1
WChen, Mia	Michael Rathburn 1
WMiley, Mil	Peter Kreutzer 1
ASenzatela, Col	Michael Rathburn 0
IKinerFalefa, Tex	Andrea LaMont 0

Todd’s Take

There’s still plenty of season left but my spring declaration that Matt Chapman would have a better season than Matt Olson doesn’t look as outrageous as some made it out to be, especially after Chapman missed some time due to injury. OK, Olson will outpace Olson in terms of homers and RBI, but by triple-slash, Chapman can be considered to be having a better campaign. This isn’t an indictment of Olson, just another reminder how sometimes outstanding fielders can translate their superior hand-eye coordination and timing to the dish, most notably with respect to contact.

Rick Wolf lead three FSWA Hall of Famers a top the standings in the week’s Tout Daily Contest, the initial week of Period 5. This is the last chance for the Touts to gain entry into the Survivor Tournament finals.

Fantasy Alarm’s Wolf posted an impressive 159.6 total, followed closely by Lenny “The Legend” Melnick’s 155.6. ESPN’s Stephania Bell’s 148.9 placed her third. All three Hall of Famers were sage enough to click in Masahiro Tanaka and his complete game effort.

Rick’s lineup also featured a pair of Twins with Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario having big nights along with a late home run from Khris Davis. Check out the Wolfman’s entire roster below.

Not only is Rick leading the final period, his first weekly winning score propelled him back on top of the overall standings, almost 45 points in from of Todd Zola. Check to see how your favorite Tout is doing on the Leaderboard.

Be sure to come back for the rest of our great content, beginning Sunday with the Tout Wars FAAB report, then Monday for the ToutTable, Tuesday with our Tout Daily picks and Wednesday for the Tout Daily wrap.

Here’s Rick’s lineup – ART ART OOOWWOOOOOO!

It’s the first week of the final period for Tout Daily. The final three Golden Tickets for entry into our Survivor Finals will be awarded. Here’s some picks we hope will bring home the Golden Tickets.

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis)

Shane Bieber: Shane Bieber ($8,100) – Going with one medium priced starting pitcher tonight. Cleveland’s Shane Bieber is at home tonight against Pittsburgh. He has 13 strikeouts in his last two games combined. All of this has me with Bieber fever tonight.

Jonathan Schoop : Jonathan Schoop ($3,700) has hit successfully in 14 of his last 15 games. He is breaking out of his first half slump, so get him while he is still this cheap at $3,700 tonight.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports)

Bieber & Lauer: Went Cheap! Bieber will stop Bucks at home and Lauer will dominate hapless Mets

Davis, Judge & Springer: 3 if’s that will go deep plus offense stacked with Carpenter, Gattis and DeDe

Lawr Michaels (CreativeSports2, @lawrmichaels)

Gerrit Cole:Rockies hitting a sorry .224 against right-handers

Wil Myers: Facing the hittable Zack Wheeler (4.44 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), Myers is in the midst of a hot period, batting .317-3-7 over his last 10 games with a season OPS of .910.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola)

Felix Pena: 32 to 9 K per BB in 26.1 IP, at home vs. White Sox for 5.5K? Drooooooooooooooooooool.

Matt Carpenter: Stacking Astros, using Carp as a one-off against Everyone Hits a Homer off Bailey.

Gene McCaffrey (Wise Guy Baseball, @WiseGuyGene)

Lauer/Buchholz: Going super-cheap in hopes of two 15-20 point starts, which seems like a strong possibilty. Buchholz was on top of his gane he got hurt, and the Mets are floundering.

Mookie Betts: I’m loading up on Coors’ hitters and adding the super expensive ($6200) Mookie in hope that few will be able to afford him.

Rick Wolf (Fantasy Alarm, @RickWolf1)

Zach Wheeler: Wheeler is lower priced than Zimmermann and I almost took both of them. Wheeler has six or more strikeouts six times in his last ten starts. He faces the Padres who have been lame with a K percent that is more than one to four vs RHP. He was slightly less than Zimmermann so I took the value and upside.

Khris Davis: Super hot with 3 HRs in the last two games and facing a LHP in Texas. Good spot for all the Oakland RHH so I am stacking them all. If you are batting 1-4 for the Athletics tonight, you are also playing from team CTW.

Vlad Sedler (Fantasy Guru Elite, @Rotogut)

Eric Lauer: Hard to pass on a minimum-priced southpaw against a hapless Mets squad that can’t hit them. Can fit all the offense you want with him in your lineups.

Jonathan Schoop : Totally off the grid today since I love all the Cardinals against Homer Bailey, but Schoop is getting warm at just the right time and as long as the weather cooperates, I’d expect Schoop and the O’s to give Pomeranz a not-so-pleasant return to the bigs.

Jeff Erickson (Rotowire, @Jeff_Erickson)

Zach Wheeler: I get the idea that Lauer + Paxton/Cole is going to be widely owned, so I wanted to go against that. So I’ve got Wheeler with a high-K potential tonight paired with Tanaka.

Matt Chapman: I’m going back to the well from yesterday and running an A’s stack – five RH’s against Mike Minor.

Jason Collette (Rotowire, @jasoncollette)

Jordan Zimmermann: The Royals just aren’t good

Gary Sanchez: just kidding. Jake Bauers — he’s been excellent vs Yankee pitching this year and Tanaka has been extremely homer prone

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
BHand, Cle	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 516	Rob Leibowitz 365	Jason Collette 121
		Chris Liss 90	Larry Schechter 66
		Jeff Erickson 47	Mike Podhorzer 28
		Doug Dennis 2
JFamilia, Oak	Jeff Erickson 37	Larry Schechter 26	Rob Leibowitz 24
		Chris Liss 21	Doug Dennis 2
		Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
BDrury, NYY	Jason Collette 35	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
BHardy, Det	Jason Collette 31
RNunez, Bal	Seth Trachtman 18	Jason Collette 3	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
ACimber, Cle	Jason Collette 13	Chris Liss 8	Mike Podhorzer 1
BGuyer, Cle	Larry Schechter 6	Jason Collette 2	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
KSmith, CWS	Jeff Erickson 2
JLeclerc, Tex	Chris Liss 1	Mike Podhorzer 1
TScott, Bal	Mike Podhorzer 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
MCabrera, Cle	Larry Schechter 5	Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2
YRamirez, Bal	Jeff Erickson 3
BWilson, Min	Jeff Erickson 0

Todd’s Take

The league leaders, Colton and the Wolfman went all-in on Brad Hand. There’s no assurance he’ll be the full-time closer for the Indians, especially since he surrendered a homer in his first appearance with the Tribe. Glenn and Rick are on top of the saves category so Hand may be an odd choice, but the seasoned duo could be playing defense, blocking a competitor from gaining points or they could be setting themselves up for a deal. Regardless, they don’t make any moves without thinking things threw so expect some sort of follow-up move by Glenn and Rick.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
MMachado, LAD	Tristan H. Cockcroft 972	Derek Carty 966	Steve Gardner 737
		Grey Albright 706	Craig Mish 327
		Mike Gianella 230
SRodriguez, Pit	Scott Wilderman 13	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
CEdwards, ChC	Phil Hertz 8	Scott Wilderman 0	Derek Carty 0
		Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
JChavez, ChC	Phil Hertz 7
PErvin, Cin	Brian Walton 2
RMadson, Was	Steve Gardner 2
JWilson, ChC	Derek Carty 0	Scott Wilderman 0
PMaton, SD	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0	Phil Hertz 0
TWilliams, Pit	Scott Wilderman 0
JLuplow, Pit	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
RErlin, SD	Phil Hertz 3	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
BDixon, Cin	Brian Walton 1
MDenDekker, NYM	Brian Walton 1
BPhillips, Mil	Brian Walton 1
TPlouffe, Phi	Tristan H. Cockcroft 0
NOrf, Mil	Scott Wilderman 0
DiHerrera, Cin	Scott Wilderman 0
JBrebbia, StL	Scott Wilderman 0
CFerguson, LAD	Phil Hertz 0
SKelley, Was	Phil Hertz 0
JCastillo, SD	Phil Hertz 0
RBlack, SF	Phil Hertz 0

Todd’s Take

While it may seem like a no-brainer for the FAAB leader to bid what it takes to get Machado, it may not be that cut and dried. With the early deal, Machado is the only prize available this week. It’s unlikely someone better will cross leagues, however if you need help[ in pitching, there could be someone more helpful. It’s a conundrum – take the bird in hand (pun intended) or roll the dice a hurler is dealt into the Senior Circuit. Trading isn’t always the answer as there’s no guarantee you can work out a deal or it could be a no-trade league, like the NFBC (I was faced with this exact conundrum several years ago).

MIXED LEAGUE AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
GHampson, Col	Tim McLeod 129	Bret Sayre 77	Al Melchior 17
		Tim Heaney 7	Jeff Zimmerman 2
KGausman, Bal	Ray Flowers 86	Derek VanRiper 44	Scott Pianowski 4
		Jeff Zimmerman 2
DHudson, StL	Fred Zinkie 22	Tim McLeod 3
CStammen, SD	Ray Flowers 13	Ray Flowers 7
DTravis, Tor	Derek VanRiper 11	Jeff Zimmerman 0
DRobertson, NYY	Zach Steinhorn 7	Ray Flowers 13	Tim Heaney 1
DFowler, StL	Tim Heaney 7	Derek VanRiper 1
CAsuaje, SD	Scott Pianowski 5
JWendle, TB	Scott Engel 5	Jeff Zimmerman 0
JLeclerc, Tex	Al Melchior 3	Tim McLeod 2
TKemp, Hou	Al Melchior 2
AKnapp, Phi	Scott Pianowski 1
DJansen, Tor	Tim McLeod 1
YMunoz, StL	Jeff Zimmerman 1

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
EJackson, Oak	Ray Flowers 13
FHernandez, Sea	Ray Flowers 13
MMinor, Tex	Ray Flowers 13
BColon, Tex	Ray Flowers 7
JAnderson, LAA	Ray Flowers 7
MGivens, Bal	Ray Flowers 7
RMoronta, SF	Ray Flowers 7
RYarbrough, TB	Ray Flowers 7
SCishek, ChC	Ray Flowers 7
DHolland, SF	Ray Flowers 6
PLopez, Mia	Al Melchior 3
THildenberger, Min	Al Melchior 3
DSantana, Mil	Tim Heaney 2
HPerez, Mil	Tim Heaney 2
JIglesias, Det	Jeff Zimmerman 0
JPirela, SD	Jeff Zimmerman 0
KBroxton, Mil	Al Melchior 0
LGarcia, CWS	Jeff Zimmerman 0
NDelmonico, CWS	Jeff Zimmerman 0
RNunez, Bal	Al Melchior 0

Jeff Zimmerman’s Commentary

Besides some injury roster fillers, three signings stood out this week. First, Ray Flowers picked up Kevin Gausman ($86) who Tim Heaney (leading league by ~25 points) dropped last week. Four teams bid on him so there was some league-wide interest. Gausman’s been OK this season with a 7.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 but his 4.33 ERA and only four Wins has limited his value. Ray is hoping Gausman comes through with his normal second-half improvement where his career ERA has dropped from 4.77 in the first half to 3.58 in the second half.

Tim McLeod was able to take home the Rockies Garrett Hampson for $129. While three other owners and myself put in bids, McLeod is hoping DJ LeMahieu will have a long DL stint. It’s tough to know how the situation will play out.

Fred Zinkie gambled $22 on Dakota Hudson for the week. With Carlos Martinez heading to the DL, some rumors place Hudson pitching on Monday or Tuesday while others have Daniel Poncedeleon and Austin Gomber as the options. It’s not a horrible gamble by Fred as even if Hudson doesn’t start, he can take the zero’s for the week (all free agent pickups must start for a week) and get him cheaper than if he was guaranteed to start.

Todd’s Take

For what it’s worth, it’ll be Poncedeleon for the Cards on Monday, but that doesn’t mean Hidson won’t get the call down the line.

When a Rockies prospect is called up, the first thought is POWER, WOO HOO! While Hampson has a little pop, his primary fantasy asset is speed, though he’s also hit over .300 at every level. The expectation is for DJ LeMahieu not to miss too much time but obliques can be tricky.

MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
GHampson, Col	Rudy Gamble 187	Ray Murphy 54
WCalhoun, Tex	D.J. Short 85	Adam Ronis 74
RGsellman, NYM	D.J. Short 40	Perry Van Hook 11
ARosario, NYM	Ray Murphy 10
SGaviglio, Tor	Charlie Wiegert 7
JGant, StL	Charlie Wiegert 7
WFlores, NYM	Charlie Wiegert 6
EDiaz, Pit	Gene McCaffrey 3
SCishek, ChC	Perry Van Hook 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
CMaybin, Mia	D.J. Short 10	Charlie Wiegert 3
DFowler, StL	D.J. Short 10
JLeclerc, Tex	D.J. Short 10
LGiolito, CWS	Charlie Wiegert 7
CStammen, SD	D.J. Short 5
PMaton, SD	D.J. Short 5
SGray, NYY	Charlie Wiegert 5
SLeon, Bos	Gene McCaffrey 3
LGarcia, CWS	D.J. Short 3
WChen, Mia	Charlie Wiegert 2
CHerrmann, Sea	Gene McCaffrey 0
CIannetta, Col	Gene McCaffrey 0

Todd’s Take

Is Willie Calhoun up to stay this time? Help was needed with Nomar Mazara on the shelf but Calhoun has been tearing up Triple-A so the summoning was warranted.

HEAD-TO-HEAD MIXED AUCTION

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

PLAYER	WINNING BID
WCalhoun, Tex	Justin Mason 37	Dr. Roto 21
JBonifacio, KC	Dr. Roto 5
DHudson, StL	Dr. Roto 4
TWilliams, Pit	Peter Kreutzer 3	Justin Mason 0
RChirinos, Tex	Dr. Roto 3
DPomeranz, Bos	Justin Mason 0
FPena, LAA	Justin Mason 0

UNAWARDED BIDS

PLAYER
DPoncedeleon, StL	Dr. Roto 4
NWilliams, Phi	Dr. Roto 3
FLiriano, Det	Peter Kreutzer 1
JJunis, KC	Peter Kreutzer 1
MBoyd, Det	Peter Kreutzer 1
GHampson, Col	Dr. Roto 1
JUrena, Mia	Peter Kreutzer 0

Todd’s Take

It’s an odd week for two-start pitchers. As is often the case the week after the break, there’s fewer off days than most other weeks, rendering a larger array of options. However, since teams can shuffle their rotations to have their better arms work the first weekend out of the break, double-dippers are mostly back-end pitchers. Still, in a league like this, that can be important. Justin Mason took advantage with Felix Pena and Drew Pomeranz. Pena has quietly been fanning a ton of hitters (32 in 26.1 innings) while Pomeranz is coming off a solid rehab effort.