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
Eury Pérez (MIA), SP (58% rostered on Yahoo, 30.8% on ESPN)
Perez was likely drafted in most leagues before the start of the season and stashed on the IL, but it’s possible he was dropped at some point. He’s still available in roughly 40% of Yahoo leagues and a much higher percentage on ESPN, and he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in fantasy down the stretch. His upside makes him a massive priority add wherever available.
Perez had to shake off some rust in his first starts back, but he has bounced back with three straight dominant outings. He pitched six scoreless innings versus the Twins, allowing just one hit while striking out seven in the process. He followed that up with five innings, two hits, one run, and eight strikeouts versus the Reds, and he capped things off with seven scoreless innings in his final start before the All-Star break.
Despite the shaky start, Perez’s metrics for the year are absolute elite. He owns a 2.37 ERA, putting him in the 96th percentile. His xBA puts him in the 99th percentile, while he’s averaged an elite 98.0 miles per hour on his fastball. Perez has also averaged better than a strikeout per inning with solid batted-ball data, so he checks every box you’re looking for in a fantasy starter.
Perez is currently ranked as the No. 33 starter in the Pitcher List Rankings, but that feels like a pessimistic outlook for the rest of the season. He could easily move into the top 20, and he’s the No. 9 starting pitcher in the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater over the past 30 days. Given his recent results and elite pedigree, getting excited about his upside is warranted.
Noelvi Marte (CIN), 3B (29% Yahoo, 18.0% ESPN)
Marte was a former top prospect, and he was the crown jewel of the trade package that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners. Unfortunately, his stock lost some luster in recent years, and he was dreadful in his first taste of big-league action back in 2024. He posted a paltry 48 wRC+ across 242 plate appearances, and he managed just four homers and nine steals.
Still, it’s not uncommon for a young player to struggle in his first stint in the majors, and Marte has come back with a vengeance in 2025. He’s already exceeded his home run tally from 2024 despite nearly 140 fewer plate appearances. Overall, he’s posted a .282 batting average with six homers and five steals in just 95 at-bats.
The Reds are giving Marte the opportunity to solidify his spot in the team’s future over the second half of the year. They’ve already released Jeimer Candelario, while they recently demoted Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the minors. That has allowed Marte to start eight of the past nine games at third base, and he’s responded with three homers in his past five outings.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen if Marte can continue to hit at this level all season. His advanced metrics suggest some regression could be looming, but the upside is worth chasing. He ranks in the 93rd percentile for sprint speed, and playing in Cincinnati gives him plenty of home run potential. The Great American Ball Park ranks second for homers in Statcast Park Factors over the past three seasons. With an everyday spot in the lineup essentially locked up, it’s worth taking a flyer on Marte’s upside.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
With the MLB wrapping up the All-Star break on Thursday, there were no streaming pitchers among the most-added players on Yahoo. However, that didn’t stop some from looking to get a jump on Friday.
Slade Cecconi is slated to make his team’s first start when play resumes, taking on the Athletics in Cleveland. The Athletics aren’t quite as friendly of a matchup as in years past, ranking 13th in wRC+ versus right-handed pitchers. However, getting them outside of their home ballpark should help, and they do rank 11th in strikeout rate in that split. Cecconi has also impressed so far this season, pitching to a 3.44 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 55 innings. His advanced metrics aren’t quite as favorable, but he’s a potential streaming candidate in this spot.
Colin Rea is also slated to take the mound on Friday. He’ll be squaring off with the red-hot Red Sox, who entered the break on a 10-game winning streak. However, their lineup isn’t nearly as intimidating on paper without Rafael Devers, and Rea has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his past five starts. His expected metrics suggest he’s been fortunate, but he doesn’t have a ton of downside versus Boston.
Zebby Matthews was the other pitcher among the top-five most added, and he’s a worthwhile IL stash if you have a spot available. He made a rehab start on Sunday and was extremely impressive, racking up nine strikeouts with zero walks and one hit in just four innings of work. He’s likely headed back to the majors shortly, and he has the stuff to succeed at that level immediately.
Luke Keaschall is another potential IL stash for the Twins, though he doesn’t offer nearly the same upside. Keaschall was impressive in his limited action before getting injured, and he will reportedly start a rehab assignment in Triple-A shortly. Keaschall batted .368 and added five steals in just seven MLB games, and with Willi Castro potentially on the trade block, he should get another chance at the MLB level before long.
Stowers hit a cold spell in June, which caused him to hit the wire in a handful of leagues. However, he heated back up before the All-Star break, culminating in a 5-5 performance with three homers versus his former team. He’s batting .293 with 19 homers and a .911 OPS for the year, and his batted-ball data supports his production. He’s the No. 22 outfielder in ESPN’s Fantasy Player Rater and simply should not be available in even the shallowest of leagues.
ESPN’s list of most-added players also features three pitchers, including the aforementioned Perez. Trevor Rogers and Brandon Woodruff are the other two, and both players have upside for fantasy purposes.
Woodruff was one of the best starters in baseball before suffering a major injury, and he’s looked dominant in his return to action. He owns a 2.20 xERA, while his strikeout rate is a ridiculous 47.4%. Woodruff has 18 strikeouts in just 10.2 innings, and even better, he’s yet to hand out a free pass. The Brewers will likely still be somewhat cautious with him through his next few outings, but he looks like a top-flight starter.
Rogers’ success has been more of a surprise, but he’s up to No. 56 in the Pitcher List Rankings. He owns a 1.53 ERA through his first six starts, and his 2.94 xERA puts him in the 86th percentile. He’s been good enough from a strikeout standpoint, and he’s done a fantastic job of limiting the damage on balls in play: his barrel rate ranks in the 93rd percentile. Perhaps Rogers will turn back into a pumpkin at some point, but it’s worth seeing where this goes.
Ceddanne Rafaela and Zach McKinstry round out the list, and both players have been discussed pretty frequently in these columns. Kyle McCarthy touched on both on Thursday, and both guys appear undervalued at the moment.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Janson Junk (MIA), SP/RP (21% Yahoo, 9.8% ESPN)
Junk has one of the least sexy names in fantasy, and his game looks similar on paper. He doesn’t throw particularly hard or generate a ton of strikeouts, so he has to rely on impeccable command.
So far, that hasn’t been an issue. Junk has just a 2.0% walk rate, which puts him in the 100th percentile. The result is a sparkling 2.13 FIP, which is the second-best mark among pitchers with at least 50 innings. Only Tarik Skubal has been better, and any time you’re mentioned in the same sentence as Skubal, you’re doing something right.
Junk has now made five starts for the Marlins, and he’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of them. That includes back-to-back scoreless outings in his final two starts before the All-Star break. Ultimately, it may not be pretty, but Junk is getting the job done.
Tyler Freeman (COL), SS/OF (17% Yahoo, 4.9% ESPN)
Freeman is still widely available across the industry, which is a bit surprising for someone who plays half his games at Coors Field. That’s especially true with how well Freeman has been swinging the bat. He posted a .373 batting average and .985 OPS in June, and he’s hit .340 so far in July.
He’s not providing a ton of power, but the average seems pretty legit. His xBA for the year is above .300, and he’s made solid strides since the beginning of the season from a contact and decision-making standpoint (via Process+):
Freeman should also help out in the stolen base department. He has 12 steals for the year, and nine have come since June 1. That’s more than good enough to make him worthy of a roster spot, especially for those in need of batting average help.
Daniel Palencia (CHC), RP (49% Yahoo, 19.5% ESPN)
How often is the unquestioned closer for one of the best teams in baseball widely available on the wire? That’s currently the case with Palencia. He’s racked up 12 saves so far for the Cubbies, and he’s pitched to a sparkling 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. His fastball velocity checks in just below 100 miles per hour, so he’s unsurprisingly added plenty of strikeouts as well.
The only caveat with Palencia is that there’s no guarantee he holds the closer job for the entire season. It’s possible that the Cubs look to add a veteran reliever before the deadline, which could push him back into a set-up role. Still, there is very little downside to adding him at this point. He’s going to provide solid ratios and saves for as long as he holds the job, and if the Cubs do opt for a different closer down the line, you can just return him to the waiver wire.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices. It’s not a particularly strong day for streamers, with most teams leaning on one of their top arms out of the break. That means if we’re going to look at players who are widely available, we’re going to have to go a bit deeper than usual:
Bailey Falter (PIT), SP (11% Yahoo, 5.2% ESPN)
There are only a handful of pitchers worth considering on Friday that are currently rostered in less than 50% of leagues. Falter is one of them. It’s hard to get super excited about him given his recent results, but Falter did have a strong stretch earlier this season. He had a sub-1.00 ERA in six May starts, so he’s capable of succeeding in the right matchups.
Friday’s contest versus the White Sox definitely qualifies. The White Sox aren’t as historically bad as they were last year, but they’re still just 29th in wRC+ versus right-handed pitchers. They’re averaging the third-fewest runs per game, so it’s a spot where Falter shouldn’t get hurt too badly. He has the potential for a quality start and a win without much downside.
Speculative Adds
Sean Murphy (ATL), C (24% Yahoo, 12.7% ESPN)
How Atlanta approaches the trade deadline will be one of the most interesting factors over the next two weeks. They’re almost certainly not going to contend in 2025, but they expect to be right back in the mix next year. Will they be willing to sell off a few pieces or simply look to run things back in 2026?
Murphy is one player who should definitely be on the table. Atlanta has gotten excellent production from Drake Baldwin this season, so shipping Murphy to someone looking for catching help makes a lot of sense.
With more locked-in playing time elsewhere, Murphy could definitely return to being a top-12 fantasy catcher. He has plenty of pop, launching 16 homers in just 199 plate appearances so far this season. Only Cal Raleigh, Logan O’Hoppe, and Hunter Goodman have more homers at the catcher position, despite all three players having at least 80 additional at-bats.
If you’re looking for someone at catcher, this is clearly a situation to monitor. It could be worth scooping up Murphy early and trying to stay ahead of a potential trade.
Griffin Jax (MIN), RP (21% Yahoo, 16.7% ESPN)
Jax is a similar “wait and see” type of player. He’s an elite reliever, but he hasn’t been particularly valuable because of his role with the Twins. They have an established closer in Jhoan Duran, so Jax has been relegated to set-up duty. Unless you play in a league that rewards holds, it’s tough to roster a reliever who doesn’t get save opportunities.
That could change after the deadline. It’s possible that the Twins move Duran to a contender, which would open the door for Jax as the closer in Minnesota. Another squad could also look to acquire Jax, which could potentially lead to some save opportunities elsewhere.
If Jax does get a ninth-inning role, he should be one of the best closers in fantasy. He ranks in the 98th percentile or better in strikeout, Chase, and Whiff rate, so his stuff is absolutely elite.
Cade Smith checks a similar box for the Guardians. He could take over in Cleveland if the team trades Emmanuel Clase, or he could be the closer for a contending team if the Guardians ship him out. Both players are intriguing names to monitor.
Deep League Players to Watch
Kody Clemens (MIN), 1B/2B/3B/OF (1% Yahoo, 0.9% ESPN)
Clemens has cooled off after a strong start with the Twins, but he continues to make excellent contact. He has a .260 xBA and .532 xSLG, both of which are better than his actual marks. He’s simply been unlucky, posting a paltry .206 batting average on balls in play. Only four batters with as many plate appearances as Clemens have worse marks in that department.
That makes him a solid bounce-back candidate over the second half of the year. His positional versatility makes him valuable in deeper leagues, and he could get more opportunities if the Twins sell off some veterans before the deadline.
