Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
A.J. Ewing (NYM), 2B/OF — 39% Rostership
I was lucky enough to grab Ewing before his debut. Since then, his stock has skyrocketed; he entered this week with a sub-1% rostership rate!
Ewing is slashing .250/.438/.667 over his first four games in the majors, already tallying a triple, homer, and stolen base. Over that span, Ewing has already been worth $2.4 million, per Fangraphs. That’s just laughable.
He’s a “do it all” kind of pickup that should provide upgrades in multiple categories – OBP, stolen bases, extra-base hits, to name a few. Best of all, he pairs his exceptional ability to take ball four with limited strikeouts. That combo is so attractive to fantasy managers.
Daylen Lile (WSH), OF — 68% Rostership
Lile was a guy I prioritized in every one of my drafts, and now I’m reaping the benefits. The 23-year-old phenom is slashing .274/.335/.463 with a 123 wRC+ in 2026, but his production has significantly increased since the start of May. He’s launched four home runs over his last four games, is a legit stolen-base threat, and is running a sub-20% strikeout rate this year. His 1.051 OPS and 184 wRC+ this month should be more than enough to jump into your starting lineup.
Spencer Horwitz, 1B — 4% Rostership
If you need a quick boost in your utility spot, look no further than Pirates corner infielder Spencer Horwitz. The 28-year-old is slashing .274/.387/.419 with a 131 wRC+ and has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball since the start of May, posting a 166 wRC+ since the calendar flipped. He’s tallied hits in eight of his last nine games, too.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
River Ryan is a priority add; he was at the top of this article before I realized he was included in this graphic. The 27-year-old is poised to make his return to the Dodgers’ pitching staff, and fantasy managers should be chomping at the bit to stash him. He owns a 2.41 FIP and a 23% K-BB rate through 11 innings at the Triple-A level this season. Best of all, his arsenal is casually up at least two ticks all-around… the four-seamer (~98 mph) has been electric, and the Dodgers have implemented the triangle-fastball strategy with him (throwing the FF, SI, and FC all based on matchups).
Kyle Leahy is one of the most underrated arms in baseball, and I’ll always give him a shout when I can. Paired with 7.2 feet of extension and a flat four-seamer (1.2 HAVAA), his curveball (.217 xBA, 29% whiff) has the chance to be one of the best offspeed pitches in baseball. I think given time, Leahy can develop into a quality top/mid rotation starter, but perhaps that’s an article for a different time. Leahy has allowed just one earned run over his past two starts, striking out ten batters and posting a sub-1 WHIP over that span.
If by some miracle J.J. Bleday isn’t rostered in your league, you’re poised to make the waiver wire claim of a lifetime. The 28-year-old is slashing .345/.465/.776 with a 233 wRC+ and .470 xwOBA through 17 games with the Reds. It’s no secret he’s been one of, if not the most productive bat in baseball since making his season debut.
Eduardo Rodriguez may not “wow” you with the stuff or swing-and-miss ability, but he’s been able to turn in a 2.25 ERA through 48 innings. I do believe we see him regress back into a low/mid 4s ERA starter (4.18 FIP and 6% K-BB rate are quite indicative that he’s bound to drop off a bit), but if you need a quick “hold me over” claim, he’s been balling.
Casey Mize has excelled in 2026, fueled by a dynamic combo of secondaries. His splitter (.174 xwOBA, 35% whiff) and slider (.174 xBA, 32% whiff) have been lights out, and in turn, the strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate have improved tremendously. All of a sudden, Mize has a 2.90 ERA/2.84 FIP with a 19% K-BB rate. He’s a fantastic pickup — so long as he’s available in your leagues.
Streaming Pitchers
Our guy Nick Pollack does a fantastic job at highlighting and ranking starting pitcher streaming options… check out his list here!
Ryan Weathers (NYY), LHP — 70% Rostership
If Weathers is available in your league, I’d try my best to snag him. He’s posted a 3.00 ERA/3.30 FIP with a 23% K-BB rate, looking more and more like the high-quality top-of-the-rotation start the Yankees envisioned when they acquired him. He also has a good matchup against a Mets offense that hasn’t found its footing yet – or at all.
Brayan Bello (BOS), RHP — 8% Rostership
I know what you’re thinking…I’m not thinking. But wait. Bello has been phenomenal after the Red Sox implemented the usage of an opener before his outings. Over his past two appearances, Bello has turned in a 1.35 ERA/1.75 FIP, 0.75 WHIP, and 20% K-BB rate. He also shoved against Atlanta during camp, tossing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts on the road against their ‘A’ lineup. Perhaps I’m optimistic, but he’s been able to turn things around lately, and I still believe in the upside.
