Welcome to Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that highlights the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at those who 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 who to add and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Sean Burke (CHW), SP (57% Rostered on Yahoo)
Sean Burke delivered his most dominant start of the season on Saturday, allowing one run on seven hits with 11 strikeouts over six innings against the Guardians. This was his fourth straight start of allowing two or fewer runs, and over that span, he’s allowed just five runs on 22 hits and five walks with 33 strikeouts over 25 innings. This spike in production isn’t random, either, as it has come at the same exact time Burke has seen a noticeable rise in fastball velocity. Early in the season, his four-seam fastball typically sat just below 94 miles per hour, before settling just below 95 mph in May. However, over this recent four-start stretch, he’s seen that number rise to be consistently above 96 mph.
That velocity difference might be just what Burke was missing all this time, as his entire arsenal saw improved production as a result, with his slider, cutter, and curveball also generating plenty of whiffs in his last outing. On the season, he now holds a 3.56 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with a 25.8% strikeout rate, but all of those numbers are quickly shifting in an even better direction. The righty has certainly proved himself as a must-roster caliber player at this point, and is even a must-start player until he shows any signs of cooling off.
Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT), OF (50% Rostered on Yahoo)
Esmerlyn Valdez has been on a tear since becoming an everyday player on June 24th, collecting at least one hit in 10 of 12 games while homering in four games straight from June 26th to June 29th. He’s slashing a robust .310/.359/.662 on the season, with a ridiculous 27.3% barrel rate, 50% hard-hit rate, and 43.2% launch angle sweet-spot rate. Time will tell what kind of pace he can sustain over a longer period of time, but he’s worth adding as a hot-hand streamer with the potential to stick on your team long-term.
Jake McCarthy (COL), OF (56% Rostered on Yahoo)
Jake McCarthy isn’t slowing down, and recently had a huge game against the Giants on July 3rd where he went 4-for-5 with two home runs. His season slash line heading into Monday was .306/.343/.522 with nine home runs and 14 steals in 76 games, which is a clear must-roster player. You might be hesitant because it is Jake McCarthy, after all. However, sometimes it’s best not to question a usually mediocre outfielder having an elite season with the Rockies. If you don’t believe me, just ask Nolan Jones, who went 20/20 with a .297 batting average in 2023, or Brenton Doyle, who hit 23 home runs and stole 30 bases in 2024. Crazy things happen in Coors, and McCarthy needs to be rostered and started until he cools off, which may not happen as soon as you think.
Tyler Wells (BAL), RP (12% Rostered on Yahoo)
With Ryan Helsley once again landing on the injured list with a sore elbow, the Orioles were left once again with a vacancy in the ninth inning. Early indications are pointing toward Tyler Wells, who collected back-to-back saves on July 3rd and July 4th. He’s been solid as a reliever this season, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and 10 walks in 41.2 innings. Things aren’t looking good for Helsley, so in any leagues where you need saves, Wells could be a reliable option for the foreseeable future.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
The lone hitter on the Yahoo most-added list is Kyle Karros, who entered Monday batting .375 with two home runs over the past seven days, and batting .360 with four homers over the past 30 days. The whole Rockies’ lineup has been hot, and Karros is no exception, who maximizes the spacious outfield of Coors Field with an elite 41.9% launch angle sweet spot, which allows him to rack up hits and extra-bases. Third base isn’t the deepest position, so Karros has certainly hit his way into being a viable streaming option at the position.
Reynaldo López was a popular Monday streamer, and he delivered five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five. He recently earned his way back into the Braves’ starting rotation and should continue to be a decent streaming option in the right matchups.
Shane Drohan is the next streamer to discuss, who allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts over six innings against the Cardinals. This is his fourth straight start of allowing two runs or less, and this was the first time he lasted a full six frames in that span, as he was much more efficient than usual this time out. He’ll also get plenty of win chances on the Brewers, and he’s shaping up to be a solid back-end arm for your fantasy rotation.
Eric Lauer did well against the Rockies on Monday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three in a quality start. He’s not going to blow you away with strikeout totals, but he has been extremely consistent, as this was his fourth straight quality start. That’s even more of a benefit pitching for the Dodgers, as six mediocre innings is enough to earn a win a good amount of the time. He doesn’t have much upside, but you could do worse if you need an innings-eater to fill out your roster.
Griffin Jax looked great for the Rays, striking out 10 batters in five innings. He allowed three earned runs on one hit and two walks, and exited the game at 81 pitches, in typical Rays fashion. Volume will always be an issue with Tampa Bay’s relievers turned starters, but Jax has looked extremely solid overall, holding the opponent to three runs or less in six straight starts. He should probably be rostered in most leagues, especially Roto leagues where volume is not as important.
We’ve already discussed Lopez, Lauer, and McCarthy above, which just leaves Taj Bradley and J.T. Ginn. Bradley is a two-start streamer this week and is coming off an 11-strikeout gem against the Astros, which is certainly worth taking a chance on for his two-step this week. He’ll remain a volatile pitcher overall, but can do some serious good for your fantasy team if you can catch him on a hot streak. Ginn is also coming off a strong performance against the Dodgers, in which he held them to one run over six innings while striking out four, although he walked five. He holds an excellent 3.04 ERA on the season with a 1.23 WHIP and is worth rostering as a back-end arm. Starting him at home can feel a bit scary, but his 47.7% groundball rate typically limits the damage.
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.
Payton Tolle (BOS), SP (57% Rostered on Yahoo)
It’s shocking to me that Payton Tolle is still only 57% rostered, despite holding a solid 3.39 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 74 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. His peaks have looked even better, such as seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Yankees two outings ago, or his 11-strikeout gem in his first start of the season. This is a legitimate young talent who has the upside to be worth starting every time he takes the mound, so stream him today against the White Sox and don’t drop him afterwards.
