Wow, it really is the end of August. It feels like just yesterday when we were all drafting our teams, having that feeling of itching to make your next pick but having to wait a few more teams before you can snatch your guy. It’s also interesting at this point in the season to compare your drafted squad with your current group. We all make those major mistakes that we can’t wait to drop pretty much right away, but there are also those of you who drafted players like Pete Crow-Armstrong or Jacob Misiorowski, and they’ve been absolute rockstars the whole way through.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues make the best choices in who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
SEVEN GAMES: BAL, BOS, TBR, CWS, CLE, DET, ATH, HOU, SEA, TEX, MIA, CHC, MIL, SFG
Batters
Outfielders
Walker Jenkins (OF, $$$): 19% rostered on Yahoo
The long-awaited debut of the Twins’ top prospect is here, and he’s going to be picked up in fantasy leagues across the board. Jenkins is a very toolsy offensive prospect. He has great power and should flash impressive exit velocities throughout his career. He also has solid discipline and contact skills which will allow him to have a decently high floor. So many people have been hoping to finally get to see this kid play this year, and many of them are going to try to pick him up for their fantasy team if they haven’t yet.
Tristan Peters (OF, $$$): 37% rostered on Yahoo
It’s going to become harder and harder to roster Tristan Peters down the stretch, as going into the fantasy playoffs managers are going to want to have him locked in, especially with how he’s been playing. He’s more of a put-the-ball-in-play type than a power hitter, but he miraculously had a five-game home run streak recently, which gave him nearly half of his 2026 home runs. It’s been great to see the White Sox get the most out of Peters, who was traded to them by the Rays last season in a very unheralded move.
Heriberto Hernández (OF, $$): 12% rostered on Yahoo
Hernández has been one of those names that has been super popular on the waiver wire this season. He is a bit of a streaky hot/cold guy who often hits high in the Marlins lineup. His power is really solid, which makes him one of the more reliable home run options available on the market in most leagues. If you need help in that department, Hernández may very well be your guy.
Héctor Rodríguez (OF, $): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Rodríguez has been hot lately and has been rewarded with the leadoff role for a few games for the Reds. He’s one of the higher-ranked prospects in their system due to exceptional bat speed and solid speed on the basepaths. His questionable discipline and developing contact skills do limit his floor, but he’s hot right now and he probably can be had for no FAAB money at all.
Infielders
Kaelen Culpepper (SS $$): 13% rostered on Yahoo
Culpepper feels like a really underrated player. He’s kind of good at everything and projects to be a big part of the Twins’ future. He’s performed admirably thus far, with a wRC+ of 139 on the season. He should have a higher rostered percentage, as his contact skills show that he has a higher floor than plenty of other prospects getting their first cup of coffee.
Brooks Lee (2B, SS $$): 26% rostered on Yahoo
Speaking of shortstop-eligible Twins, Brooks Lee has been having a pretty great season. He now has 22 home runs, and he’s doing it without impressive raw power. So how does he do it? The Isaac Paredes way, by pulling fly balls. It’s always crazy to see how frequently players with blue savant pages can break through and hit 20+ homers. Another player with this kind of trajectory is Liam Hicks. Maybe they’re all destined to be Rays one day.
Bryce Eldridge(1B, $$): 15% rostered on Yahoo
First base is such a stacked position that it’s easy to forget about how much potential Bryce Eldridge has. He has a 122 wRC+ and flashes some serious power for such a young bat. He is a great combination of pure strength and plate discipline, which, combined with the strikeouts, has some thinking he could be a future Kyle Schwarber-type. With his pulled flyball rate up this season, that sort of outcome seems like a legitimate possibility, and as of now, he’s proving himself to be good enough to be viewed as a must-roster player.
Konnor Griffin (SS, OF $$): 8% rostered on Yahoo
This one is a bit of a speculative move, as Konnor Griffin has been on the 60-day injured list with a finger injury. The Pirates are optimistic that he will be ready to return in a couple of weeks, and that feels like enough to bring him in as an IL stash if available in your leagues. He was the top prospect in baseball for a reason, a true five-tool type player who fits well into a surprisingly solid Pirates lineup.
Catchers/UT
Tyler Stephenson (C – $$): 14% rostered on Yahoo
Stephenson has been on fire as of late, with hits in six of his last seven games. He’s the definition of a streaming catcher, as he’s a pretty consistent offensive producer who plays in a hitter-friendly ballpark. His floor is high, with only one season below a 100 wRC+, though his injury issues in the past as well as his uninspiring ceiling will have some managers skeptical of picking him up.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Joe Musgrove (SP – $$): 25% rostered on Yahoo
Musgrove appears to be nearing a return to the rotation after missing extended time due to various injuries. We all know what Musgrove brings; he’s a steady arm with a great floor and also a decent ceiling. He showed flashes of this in his rehab start, where he was allowed to throw 60 pitches. He should be available in plenty of leagues and could be a solid pickup if he returns right where he left off when he makes his way back into the rotation.
Andrew Painter (SP – $$): 27% rostered on Yahoo
So is Painter here as the guy we thought he’d be as a top prospect? Yeah, honestly, he might be. He didn’t have his best outing the last time out, but we are seeing him showcase better stuff and command since getting called back up. A lot of managers moved on from him after those minor struggles, but it may be a good idea to pick him back up as we prepare for the fantasy playoffs.
Chris Bassitt (SP – $): 9% rostered on Yahoo
Bassitt has been looking better lately than he has in quite some time and gets to play his former club next, the beat-down Athletics. I don’t normally recommend streaming a pitcher in that environment, but with how rough the A’s lineup looks, he very well could be a great option to at least grab a win.
Griffin Jax (SP – $): 47% rostered on Yahoo
So Jax isn’t returning this week, as the Rays may want to see one more rehab start from him. That doesn’t mean it’s off the table that he returns for the week after, and I would suggest possibly bringing him in and stashing him on your IL. He has so much potential and can get strikeouts in bunches, and he definitely should be available in your leagues. It’s not super common when a player having a season like this becomes available due to a short-term injury, but at the end of the season, some people justifiably make decisions that will solely help them now.
Relief Pitchers
Elvis Alvarado (RP – $$): 9% rostered on Yahoo
This week’s potential closer add is Alvarado, who has been getting the chance to shut the door for an Athletics team that really struggles with run prevention. Alvarado isn’t amazing results-wise, but there’s plenty of potential there. He has swing-and-miss stuff, which is led by his 99 mph fastball. Unfortunately, when it is hit, it gets crushed, and he does walk plenty of players. Still, it looks like he’s in line for the role and has an argument for being the pitcher most capable of handling it.
