AL free-agent bids get real in this week’s FAAB-focused look, with two-start windows and keeper-grade upside driving the top targets. Expect big money on Bradish and Early as immediate impact bets, while Alexander, Urquidy, and Mahle offer upside in shallower formats or as roll-the-dice options when a two-start week aligns. Depth pieces like Rivero, Cole, Eaton, and Loperfido provide later-week dart throws, and a handful of power bets (Meadows, O’Neill, Meadows) could swing the week in the right matchups.

Grid-based pricing and a player-grade scale guide decisions, helping managers allocate a $100 FAAB budget efficiently. The slate features a mix of rotation depth, bullpen stability, and situational bats—useful for chasing wins, ERA/WHIP gains, and stolen-base upside down the stretch. Keep an eye on two-start schedules, IL-returns, and late-season callups that can reshape rosters in competitive leagues.

The Twins blew a two-run lead in the ninth as Michael A. Taylor delivered a two-out, go-ahead double down the left-field line to lift Chicago to a 4-3 win at Target Field. Minnesota’s bullpen couldn’t close the door after Zebby Matthews worked six innings of one-run ball, and the rally hopes fizzled when Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach sparked a late frame but came up short against Jordan Leasure.

Minnesota remains far from the postseason picture, sitting 10½ games out and 15 below .500, while Chicago pushed its fragile momentum forward in a series that has felt unkind to the Twins. The Twins’ early damage came via Luke Keaschall and Matt Wallner, but the late miscue and a 205-run deficit narrative in trailing after eight innings underscored how thin the margins have become.

Matthews’ six-inning gem offered a glimmer for Minnesota’s rotation outlook, even as the bullpen faltered at the end. Chicago’s offbeat punchline status has a sting to it, but the White Sox found a chance to steal a win in a tight, chilly night at Target Field.

White Sox explode for 12 runs as Twins bullpen meltdown flips a 3-1 game into a blowout, with Chicago riding a late-power surge to pull away. Lenyn Sosa and Kyle Teel go deep in the seventh, Benintendi adds a three-run shot in the eighth, and Chicago tacks on two in the sixth after a Curtis Mead miscue helps spark the rally. Minnesota’s early offense from Buxton and Larnach is undone by costly errors and a fall-apart bullpen stretch.

From a fantasy lens, the Sox showcased speed and pop from depth pieces like Sosa, Teel, and Baldwin, offering sleeper upside in the short term if the order holds. Twins hitters supplied the early spark but couldn’t sustain against Chicago’s late surge or contain the Sox lineup that kept piling on across the middle and late innings. A reminder that bullpen volatility can swing the entire fantasy value of a game.

White Sox rebuilding with patient conviction: Will Venable and Chris Getz are balancing a young, talent-rich pipeline with the need to win now and in the long run. Chase Meidroth returns to fortify a reshaped infield alongside Colson Montgomery, with Miguel Vargas penciled in at first and Curtis Mead and Lenyn Sosa pushing for everyday at-bats in a lineup still short on big-league experience. Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel share catching duties as Chicago experiments, while Braden Montgomery’s rise and a handful of prized prospects fuel the long-term plan.

Montgomery’s Birmingham breakout (.308/.392/.477 across 17 games) and the Crochet–era acquisitions (Meidroth, Teel, Gonzalez) spotlight a pipeline stacked with upside. The Banana Ball cameo by Sox legends adds culture and energy to the rebuild, underscoring a franchise intent on sustainability and development. The challenge remains everyday consistency, but the blueprint is clear: durability and growth at the top, with at-bats doled out to maximize future value.

Lenyn Sosa and Colson Montgomery homered as Chicago halted a six-game slide with a 6-4 win over Cleveland, a 11-hit showcase fueling fantasy relevance from the White Sox lineup. Sosa’s two-run shot in the first, his 14th, set the tone, with Montgomery adding a solo blast later in the same frame for his ninth. Mead and Teel drove in runs as Chicago leaned on its depth to manufacture offense.

Davis Martin worked five innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs, while Grant Taylor nailed down the save. Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi was tagged for five runs on eight hits, as Kyle Manzardo homered and David Fry chipped in a two-run double in support of the Guardians. The result snapped Chicago’s skid and kept the Sox atop a surge in homer production since the All-Star break, a key fantasy trend to monitor.

Chicago now heads to a home series against Detroit, with Chris Paddack expected to take the mound for the Tigers, while Cleveland visits Miami to face Janson Junk and the Marlins. The Sox’ league-leading 42 homers since the break continues to shape a fantasy-friendly lineup, underscoring the value of Chicago’s rising youngsters and the veteran pieces fueling the attack.