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
Cam Schlittler (NYY) – SP (Yahoo! – 9%)
Schlittler is slated to make his MLB debut against the Mariners tomorrow. He’s had a breakout season in the upper minors, posting a 2.82 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 76.2 innings of work. He has a four-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball, slider, sweeper, and curve, all of which have been effective this year. His fastball clocks in at 97 mph and has a substantial 15 inches of vertical rise. He’s given up just four home runs in 14 starts this season, but he gives up hard contact when he does get hit.
He has the potential to be an impact arm in all league sizes. I’d recommend leaving him on the bench for his debut, but his spot in the rotation should be safe with the Yankees losing Clarke Schmidt for the season. Schlittler doesn’t quite have the ace upside of a Jacob Misiorowski, but could be in the Noah Cameron mold of a reliable, top-of-the-rotation starter.
Joe Boyle (TBR) – SP (Yahoo! – 22%)
Boyle had a cup of coffee a few weeks ago and looked fantastic. His MLB ERA sits at a crisp 0.00 in 10 innings of work, during which he notched 14 strikeouts. He has a three-pitch arsenal, with a fastball, slider, and splitter. He can touch 98 with the four-seamer, and all three pitches have been effective.
The big fear for Boyle is that he winds up in bulk-relief-hell. Tampa has no issue sticking promising rookies in the bullpen. That’s fine in some leagues, but he’d take a major hit in quality start leagues if he doesn’t wind up as a starter. Boyle’s stuff is better than Schlittler’s, and he’s shown that he can handle MLB batters. I’d lean Boyle over Schlittler unless you’re in a QS league. Both should be rostered in 10-team leagues and up.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – SP (Yahoo! – 30%)
Sheehan has looked like a new man in his return from Tommy John surgery. He notched 36 strikeouts and allowed just two walks in his rehab starts. His success has carried over to the majors, where he is posting a 2.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts and one walk in 9.0 innings of work. This is his second stint in the majors this year, and he hasn’t missed a beat. He held the Astros to one run in five innings, notching four strikeouts in a series where the Dodgers looked lifeless. The biggest risk for him is the imminent return of Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, but there should be a spot for him somewhere with LA’s star pitcher Enrique Hernández on the shelf.
Tyler Freeman (COL) – SS, OF (Yahoo! – 16%)
Finally, a batting option. Freeman didn’t get regular playing time in Colorado until June. In June, he put up an OPS of .985. In July, his OPS sits at 1.115. He has just one home run in 48 games, but he’s swiped 12 bases so far.
Freeman hit 11 home runs last year, and his power and contact rates have both increased this year. He’s never had the highest barrel percentage, but that doesn’t explain the sudden drop in home run results. His power outage might be explained by his decreased launch angle, which was already on the lower end. I’m more than happy to snag a hitter with a month-long 1.000 OPS off the wire, even if there are things they could be doing better.
Yahoo! and ESPN Most Added Players
Yahoo!
Yu Darvish led the most-added players on Yahoo! ahead of his 2025 debut. He struggled against the Diamondbacks, making it just 3.2 innings and giving up two earned runs. He did manage to strike out five batters, so it wasn’t all bad. This looked like an outing where he was shaking off the rust more than anything. His 3.31 ERA last year tells us that he has plenty left in the tank.
Joe Boyle got a write-up above.
Noah Cameron is having a wonderful rookie season, posting a 2.56 ERA over 56.1 innings. He handled the Pirates, earning the win over seven innings with seven strikeouts. I don’t think he’ll end the season with a sub-3.00 ERA, but he looks like a legitimate arm, and he should be rostered everywhere. I
Trevor Story was awful in May with a 13 wRC+. He turned things around in June when he tallied a 126 wRC+, and he’s keeping it going with a 274 wRC+ so far in July. He’s still striking out a ton, but it’s hard to argue with the results. I doubt he can keep this up much longer, but it’s nice to see him healthy.
Brady Singer was a streaming option against the Marlins. He held them to two earned runs over five innings but took the loss anyway. He hasn’t looked that impressive this year, but feel free to stream him against weaker teams.
ESPN
Edward Cabrera has been dominant. He holds a 1.88 ERA in his last seven starts, working 38.1 innings and notching 37 strikeouts. His ERA on the season is less impressive at 3.38, but that certainly still works. Don’t let the occasional blowup start scare you off; he’s worth a look in every league.
Brandon Woodruff was stellar in his debut, earning the win and a quality start with eight strikeouts. He’ll draw the Nationals for his next start, and I’d rush out to get him if you can.
Shane Baz has been roughed up in a few of his recent starts, but he’s still looking much improved from what we saw in May. I’d opt for Baz over Cabrera or Woodruff if you have those options.
Lucas Giolito has been great since the start of June. He gave up just one earned run in his last two starts, pitching seven innings in both games. He hasn’t had a season with a sub-4.00 ERA since 2021, and I’m just still not sold.
Otto Lopez was a priority pick in my column last week. He’s gone three for his last 22 since then. I still like him a lot long term, but if he’s on your wire now, you may as well leave him there until he heats back up. Despite his recent struggles, Lopez is on pace for a 20/20 season.
Streaming Pitchers
Check out Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings for breakdowns and recommendations for every start.
Cade Horton (CHC) – SP (Yahoo! – 15%)
Horton blanked the Guardians over seven innings in his last start, and I think that he can keep it rolling against the Twins tomorrow.
Deep League Players to Watch
Check out Ben Rosener’s Deep League Waiver Wire column every Thursday and Saturday for more Deep League picks.
Denzel Clarke (ATH) – OF (Yahoo! – 0%)
You may know Clarke from his defensive highlights, but there’s value in his bat, too. He had a 120-ish wRC+ in each of his last two seasons in the upper minors. He has elite speed and power tools, but both are hamstrung by his subpar ability to make contact. He flexed the power with a 471-foot home run on the Fourth of July. He has three home runs and five steals in his first 38 games in the majors. The hit tool keeps him out of the fantasy picture in most leagues, but he’s just a few small steps away from being a legitimate threat. Keep an eye on him; if his eye develops over the course of the season, he could immediately become an impact player.
Yanquiel Fernández (COL) – OF (Yahoo! – 1%)
An even less-finished product than Clarke, Fernandez is a lefty with plenty of power. He has a chase problem, but he made enough contact to keep his K% at a solid 14% in 68 games at Triple-A this year. His best year in the minors was 2023, when he hit 25 home runs in 117 games. He’s struggled since, but the upside is there.
A lot would have to go right for Fernandez to make a serious impact this year. He’s 22, with plenty of time to mature, but he’ll likely have to do it in the minors. It would take a prodigious hot streak to keep him in the big leagues. It’s certainly not out of the question for him to get hot at the right time, so keep an eye on him as a sneaky power option.
