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
Nick Kurtz (ATH), 1B (48% Yahoo, 20% ESPN)
Nick Kurtz had a slow start to his major league career, going homerless in his first 16 games. He still hit a decent .269 over that stretch, but only had a double and a triple as his two extra-base hits. However, he homered for the first time on May 13 and followed it up with four more in a four-game stretch between May 20 and May 23. Unfortunately, two days later, he landed on the injured list with a hip flexor strain, which sent him back to the waiver wire in many fantasy leagues.
Since returning on June 13, he has picked up right where he left off. The slugger has five home runs in his past eight games, and is now slashing .246/.304/.507 with 18 runs, 10 home runs, and 25 RBI in 40 games this season. Doing some easy math, that would be a 40 home run pace over 160 games, which is the type of power everyone came to expect from Kurtz as he rocketed through the minor leagues. The rookie has proved he belongs at every level of baseball after being drafted as the fourth overall pick out of Wake Forest less than a year ago. There’s a real chance he could be a top-12 first baseman from here on out and should be rostered in way more than 48 percent of leagues.
Roman Anthony (BOS), OF (55% Yahoo, 30% ESPN)
Roman Anthony hasn’t gotten things going yet, slashing .111/.289/.250 through his first 12 games. However, if Kurtz is any indication, you can’t judge a rookie by their first couple of weeks in the majors. Anthony has too much upside to leave sitting on the waiver wire, even in shallow leagues. He recently got the start and hit second in the lineup against a left-handed starting pitcher, which is huge to see from a Boston organization that has been known to platoon their newcomers. The youngster is getting the chance to prove himself, and you’ll want him on your fantasy team when he breaks through.
Jac Caglianone (KC), 1B/OF (51% Yahoo, 29% ESPN)
Keeping with the theme, Jac Caglianone is another recently promoted rookie, and like Kurtz, was drafted less than a year ago with the sixth overall pick. While his production on the whole hasn’t been great, the young slugger already has a two-homer game and a four-hit game under his belt. It’s only a matter of time before he figures things out and goes on a home run streak of his own, and like the others, the upside here is way too high to pass up on.
Colton Cowser (BAL), OF (50% Yahoo, 11% ESPN)
While he’s not a rookie like the first three on this list, Colton Cowser is only 25 years old and is on his own power binge. Since returning from the injured list on June 3 after recovering from a fractured thumb, he has homered five times in 16 games. He’s produced an excellent 92.1 mph average exit velocity, 14.3% barrel rate, and 50% hard-hit rate. The glaring downside is a 35.1% strikeout rate that he will have to fix, but he deserves the benefit of the doubt as he shakes off two months of rust. He hit 24 home runs in 2024 and was being drafted as a top-36 outfielder over the offseason, and he still has the potential to take a step forward and be a force in the middle of Baltimore’s lineup.
Cam Smith (HOU), 3B/OF (35% Yahoo, 11% ESPN)
Cam Smith is a good lesson to show that sometimes it takes even longer for rookies to figure things out. After being a detriment to fantasy teams through the first two months of the year, the youngster is finally showing signs of life. He had a two-homer game on June 17 and was batting .301 over the past 30 days entering Sunday. He was a top prospect for a reason and deserves another look for fantasy.
Chase Burns (CIN), SP (35% Yahoo, 19% ESPN)
Chase Burns is the most recent top prospect joining the big leagues, as he’s set to make his major league debut on Tuesday against the Yankees. He was the second overall pick of the 2024 draft and has dominated every level of the minor leagues since. Through time spent in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, he posted a 1.77 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with 89 strikeouts in 66 innings over 13 starts. The flamethrower can touch 102 mph with his fastball and has the stuff to be a major league ace. He is a must-add in all leagues.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
The list of most added players on Yahoo includes Chase Burns, who was already discussed above, and four Sunday streamers. Ryan Gusto and Bryce Elder both gave up five earned runs apiece and can safely be sent back to the waiver wire. Lucas Giolito was solid but not great, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six innings against the Giants. He’s only one start removed from a ten-strikeout performance against the Mariners, and his past pedigree makes it worth holding onto him for now. Slade Cecconi was the best of this bunch on Sunday, pitching seven scoreless innings while striking out three against the Athletics. This is now four straight starts where he has allowed two earned runs or less, making him a solid streaming option in shallower leagues and a nice rotation depth piece in deeper leagues.
The top five most added players over the past week on ESPN are all players who are unlikely to be on waiver wires. They have decently high roster rates on ESPN, with three of them already owned in over 60 percent of leagues. They are even more rostered on Yahoo, with all five above 60 percent and the majority even reaching the 70s and 80s. If any of them are available, definitely add them. Jacob Misiorowski has looked incredible to start his major league career, throwing eleven straight no-hit innings in his first two starts. Clarke Schmidt hasn’t given up an earned run in three straight outings, a stretch spanning 20.2 innings. Grant Holmes has remained solid all year and is only a couple of starts removed from a 15-strikeout performance. Ryan Pepiot hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in a start since April 15, and Andy Pages remains as hot as ever and is slashing .292/.330/.512 with 16 home runs.
Category Specific Players to Add
Giancarlo Stanton (NYY), OF (44% Yahoo, 15% ESPN)
Giancarlo Stanton finally made his season debut last week after recovering from tennis elbow in both of his arms, and has gone 6 for 19 through his first six games. It’s obviously no guarantee he stays healthy for the rest of the season, but he still hits the ball as hard as anyone when he is on the field. He’s coming off a 2024 season where he hit 27 home runs in 114 games, so clearly he can still knock them out of the park. If you need homers, Stanton is your guy.
Michael Toglia (COL), 1B/OF (23% Yahoo, 3% ESPN)
Michael Toglia is another potential great source for home runs who isn’t rostered in many leagues. He was undeniably bad through the first two months of the year, so much so that he was demoted to Triple-A on May 31. However, he returned on June 16 and promptly hit three long balls in his first three games back. The power has always and will always be there for the young slugger, but it’s just a matter of whether he can avoid striking out enough to utilize it.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to figure out who you need to start, stream, or sit each day this season. There is one name that I particularly like for today.
Chad Patrick (MIL), SP (28% Yahoo, 12% ESPN)
Chad Patrick is my favorite streaming option of the day, as he gets a nice matchup at home against the Pirates. The main appeal here is that he gets another great situation at home against the Rockies later in the week, making him a good two-start option for weekly leagues or a double streamer if you have the roster space to hold him in daily lineup leagues. He’s coming off two rough starts against the Braves and Cubs, but in the 14 starts prior, he hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in an outing a single time. The upside isn’t the highest here, but he should be solid enough against two very bad teams to be worth the add.
