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
Jo Adell (LAA) OF (43% Yahoo, 16% ESPN)
A former top prospect with high expectations, Adell looks as if he’s coming into his own this season. Fans often forget how young these players are; Adell is still just 26 entering his prime years as a ball player with room to expand. In the 24 June contests, Adell has smacked 11 long balls. He’s now up to a .234/.308/.498 slash line in just 74 games. What’s most impressive is that he’s not falling into the same habits of old. The strikeout rate is improving while his swing decisions have been much sharper in the first half of 2025 compared to his historically awful composure inside the box. He lands in the 99th percentile of bat speed and 91st in barrel rate. A .275 xBA and .569 xSLG tell fantasy managers to invest with confidence because things could be even brighter than they already are for this young outfielder.
Chase Burns (CIN) SP (62% Yahoo, 42% ESPN)
Burns is the next shiny new prospect coming out of Cincinnati. What he showed this past week against a struggling Yankees lineup was everything you wanted to see from a young hurler. He racked up eight strikeouts while walking zero batters. That’s a recipe for success in the bigs. Even though he surrendered three earned runs, it’s more important to focus on the fact that he wasn’t handing out free passes or pitching scared. He was the first rookie in the expansion era to strike out the first five batters he faced in a debut outing. Burns generated 12 whiffs while touching 100 mph a couple of times on the radar. The roster rate is climbing every day, and if he’s still available in your league, swipe him immediately. The upside is large compared to many of the pitchers on the waiver wire. That’s not the say he won’t come with some growing pains. His next start comes in Boston on Monday, a place which has always made it hard to limit runs. Burns will have to be sharp once again in order to show consistency across his performances.
Max Scherzer (TOR) SP (46% Yahoo, 14% ESPN)
Many fantasy managers have already put the nail in the coffin for Scherzer’s career. Not so fast, this veteran still has some gas left in the tank. It’s important to remember what kind of results Scherzer got just last year in his short 43.1 inning stint. A 3.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 40 strikeouts aren’t shabby numbers at all. If he can stay around those same results, he’s already better than almost all of the streamable pitchers available on the wire. And when it comes down to the minimal options to choose from, think about a pitcher’s background. Would you rather have the consensus Hall of Famer or a kid making his first few starts at the major league level? Scherzer may not have looked great in his first start back against Cleveland, but he said his thumb felt better following the outing. He still has strikeout upside with his fastball touching a bit over 95 mph, so cash in on this proven veteran before he starts performing like his true self. His next match comes Monday at home versus the struggling Yankees. Mad Max is up for the occasion.
Edward Cabrera (MIA) SP (24% Yahoo, 6% ESPN)
Don’t skip to the next section just yet. Every fantasy manager knows how volatile Cabrera can be as he has displayed in the past. However, take a look at Cabrera’s last nine starts. In that time, he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in any start. Perhaps even more important is the fact that he hasn’t walked more than three batters in any start this year so far. As simple as that may sound, his control in years past was horrendous, and any type of command is welcomed for Cabrera’s profile. He’s always had strong strikeout stuff and is posting quality numbers in that category once again; 69 in 64.1 innings. He’s now set for a two-start week against Minnesota and Milwaukee. It’s a simple mission – keep the free passes down and the command in check. Easier said than done, but so far, Cabrera has been up for the challenge.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
The top five most added players include three starting pitchers, along with an outfielder and a third baseman. Burns has top prospect pedigree with a tough matchup ahead of him Monday evening in Boston against ace Garrett Crochet. Jacob Misiorowski takes on a stumbling Mets team this week with that overpowering heat of his, while Eduardo Rodriguez faces a Kansas City offence that now ranks dead last in runs scored. The Byron Buxton breakout year seems to finally be happening as he is producing in ways all over the diamond and at the plate. Real value is being collected from Buxton, considering his draft day price was so cheap. And even though Max Muncy had an awfully slow start to the season, he has come on as of late in that potent Dodgers offense.
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.
Jacob Lopez (ATH) @ TB (24% Yahoo, 9% ESPN)
Lopez has been extremely effective thus far. Although he doesn’t light up the radar gun, his odd arm slot and balanced repertoire give him plenty of chances to be useful. The southpaw lines up to face the Rays on Monday in an intriguing match, considering Tampa’s best hitters are also lefties in Jonathan Aranda and Brandon Lowe. Not to mention speedster Chandler Simpson. Lopez’s roster rates remain too low for the value he’s been bringing to the table. He’s clearly the top streaming option for Monday’s slate of action, along with previously mentioned pitchers Chase Burns and Max Scherzer.
Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs SF (26% Yahoo, 9% ESPN)
Though Nelson’s career has been shaky, 2025 has seen him succeed. A 1.05 WHIP is something many didn’t expect. He’s got fantastic extension, landing in the 83rd percentile for that category, while his fastball has some life behind it. A home match versus the Giants is not the worst thing in the world, and if he can limit the action on the base paths, Nelson could provide solid ratios to start the week.
