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
Colson Montgomery (CHW), 3B/SS (38% rostered on Yahoo, 15.6% ESPN)
Montgomery was highlighted in this column last week, and his rostership has steadily climbed since then. However, he’s still rostered in far fewer leagues than he should be.
Montgomery entered the season as one of the White Sox’s top offensive prospects, and he’s more than lived up to the billing at the big-league level. His .238 batting average doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s posted elite power numbers for a middle infielder. He’s already slugged eight homers in just 101 at-bats, and they’ve all come in his past 15 games.
The underlying data suggests the power is legit. He swings the bat extremely hard, averaging 77 miles per hour, and it’s resulted in a 14.3% barrel rate. His .543 xSLG is actually slightly better than his actual mark, so there’s no reason to expect too much regression moving forward.
The strikeouts and batting average aren’t ideal, but the power more than makes up for it. He’s the No. 8 shortstop and No. 5 third baseman in the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater over the past 15 days. Given his prospect pedigree, he’s someone to get excited about.
Jakob Marsee (MIA), OF (21% Yahoo, 6.6% on ESPN)
Speaking of prospects, Marsee made his debut for the Marlins on August 1st. He’s not the same level of prospect as Montgomery, but it’s hard to imagine his MLB career getting off to a better start. He’s sporting a .407 batting average and 1.256 OPS through his first 33 plate appearances, and he’s already tallied one homer and two steals.
The stolen bases are the real reason to get excited. He had 47 steals in 98 Triple-A games this season, and he had 51 steals in the minors last year. He doesn’t grade out great from a pure speed standpoint, but the guy simply knows how to get from first to second.
The batted-ball data on Marsee is also sparkling. He’s shown excellent strike-zone discipline, and when he’s gotten his pitch, he’s punished it. He owns a .368 xBA and .642 xSLG to start his MLB tenure, so he doesn’t appear overmatched at the plate.
Marsee won’t continue to be this good all year, but he looks like a potential five-category contributor. At a minimum, he should help in the batting average and stolen base departments.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Yahoo’s list of most-added players was comprised exclusively of streamers on Saturday. Each of the five options took the bump with varying degrees of success.
Eduardo Rodriguez had the best matchup of the bunch, taking on the Rockies in Arizona. Unfortunately, he was unable to take care of business. One of the worst offenses in baseball tagged him for five earned runs in just 5.1 innings, thanks in part to an unacceptable five walks. Rodriguez also added just two strikeouts, so he provided zero real value. He can be safely left on the wire.
Nick Martinez made a spot start while filling in for the injured Nick Lodolo, and he was far more successful. He lasted seven full innings vs. the Pirates, allowing just one run, four hits, and two walks. He only added four strikeouts, but it was more than good enough for a streamer. He’s now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six straight outings, but it remains to be seen if he’ll stick in the rotation.
Hurston Waldrep is one of the Braves’ top pitching prospects, and he had a solid debut in his first outing. He followed that up with an even better performance on Saturday, limiting the Marlins to one run, four hits, and one walk across six innings. That was good enough to pick up the win, and he added six punchouts. He’s now 2-0 with a 2.95 xERA at the MLB level, so he’s someone who could potentially provide some value down the stretch.
Charlie Morton made his second start for the Tigers on Saturday, and it did not go nearly as well as his first. He allowed six earned runs in just 4.1 innings, though he did salvage some fantasy value with 10 strikeouts. Morton has pitched better after struggling mightily to start the year, but he’s still too volatile to trust on a consistent basis.
Joey Cantillo has had some success for the Guardians this season, and he turned in a strong outing vs. the White Sox on Saturday. He managed just three strikeouts, but he earned a win across 5.2 innings of one-run ball. While the strikeouts weren’t ideal, it looks like a clear outlier. He has 75 punchouts in 61.1 innings, and his strikeout rate puts him in the 85th percentile. If he can continue to keep runs off the scoreboard, he could provide some value.
ESPN’s list features a lot of names we’ve discussed recently, with Edward Cabrera, Warming Bernabel, Andrew Vaughn, and Ramón Laureano all appearing in yesterday’s column.
Lucas Giolito is the only new addition, and he’s nearing a point where he’s owned in more leagues than he isn’t. Giolito got off to a bit of a shaky start this season, and his advanced metrics for the year still don’t look great (5.11 xERA). That said, it’s hard to deny his production of late. He posted a 2.03 ERA and 3.87 FIP over his past 10 starts heading into Saturday’s outing, and he’s added 54 strikeouts in that span.
Unfortunately, Giolito took a step back on Saturday. He failed to make it through five innings vs. the Padres, allowing four runs with just one strikeout. San Diego is a really good offense — especially after adding a few bats at the deadline — so we can give him a pass for that outing.
Giolito’s next start is tentatively scheduled for Friday vs. the Marlins. Miami has shown some improvement on offense as the season has progressed, but Giolito can certainly be streamed in that contest.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Matt Wallner (MIN), OF (12% Yahoo, 3.2% ESPN)
Wallner has always had undervalued power, and he’s put that on display recently. His Power score has approached the 90th percentile of late (via the Pitcher List Pro Rolling Charts):
Wallner has clubbed nine homers since the beginning of July, and he should continue to provide value from a power standpoint against right-handers. He ranks in the 96th percentile for bat speed and 92nd percentile for barrel rate, which is an excellent combination.
Wallner is ultimately a platoon bat, so don’t expect him to be in the lineup when the team is facing a lefty. However, he can certainly be counted on when the Twins are facing a righty starter: he owns a 129 wRC+ and .281 ISO in that split. That might make him better suited as a bench bat, but he’s a solid add for those looking for power.
Luke Keaschall (MIN), 1B/2B/OF (44% Yahoo, 12.1% ESPN)
Let’s stick with the Twins, whose lineup looks completely different following the trade deadline. They sent out a host of key contributors, including Carlos Correa, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, and basically every reliever with a pulse. It’s opened up some additional playing time for those who actually remained on the roster.
Keaschall returned from a stint on the IL on August 5th, and he picked up basically right where he left off. He has multiple hits in three straight games since returning to the lineup, including a homer.
The power might not be super consistent from Keaschall—he topped out at 15 homers in the minors in 2024—but the average and speed seem pretty legit. Keaschall is currently batting over .400 in his first taste of MLB action, and he had five steals in seven games before getting injured. He has a minuscule 5.1% strikeout rate through 39 at-bats, so he should continue to put the bat on the ball at a bare minimum. He’s best suited for points leagues that penalize batters who strike out, but he has some viability in all formats.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD), SP (24% Yahoo, 5.9% ESPN)
The Dodgers entered the year with an embarrassment of riches at pitcher. They had two former Cy Young winners (Blake Snell and Clayton Kershaw), as well as two who could win them in the future (Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow). They also added the hottest international free agent in Roki Sasaki, so it didn’t seem like there would be a spot for Sheehan.
Unfortunately, the Dodgers’ rotation has been hit hard by injuries for the second straight year. It’s allowed Sheehan to stick around since the beginning of July, and the results have mostly been good. He’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA with more strikeouts than innings pitched, and the advanced data mostly supports his production.
Sheehan started and went five innings in his last outing, and if he can do that consistently, he’ll have a chance to win a lot of games. That gives Sheehan enough upside to warrant an add.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices. Sunday’s slate is loaded with aces, so there aren’t a ton of appealing streamers out there. That said, there are still a couple of places where we can turn:
Adrian Houser (TBR), SP/RP (31% Yahoo, 21.4% ESPN)
Houser has been one of the biggest surprises at pitcher this season. He had a 5.84 ERA last season, but he pitched to a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts with the White Sox. His production certainly felt fluky, but it was enough to earn a trade to the Rays before the deadline.
Unfortunately, Houser has seemingly come back to reality of late. He allowed five earned runs in his final start with Chicago, and he followed that up with seven runs allowed in his first start with the Rays. His ERA for the year still stands at 2.54, but his xERA is nearly two full runs higher (4.24).
So why go with Houser on Sunday? It’s all about the matchup. He’ll square off with the Mariners in Seattle, and while they’re a solid offensive team, pitching in Seattle has its advantages. It’s the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball (per Statcast Park Factors), and Seattle has averaged more than a full run per game fewer when playing at home (4.03 vs. 5.12). The Mariners are 26th in wOBA and have the fourth-highest strikeout rate when facing a righty at home, so it’s a great spot for a Houser bounceback.
Speculative Adds
Logan Henderson (MIL), SP (26% Yahoo, 18.0% ESPN)
Henderson was recently added to the IL, but he ultimately avoided a serious injury. He was initially feared to have suffered structural damage to his elbow, but an MRI revealed it was just a flexor strain. While he’s still going to miss some time, he should be able to return sooner rather than later.
When Henderson does get back in action, he should have a spot in the rotation waiting for him. That’s the only thing that has kept him from making a bigger impact this season. The Brewers have elite starting pitcher depth, so they’ve been keeping him on ice in the minor leagues.
When Henderson has been on the bump this season, he’s been extremely effective. He’s pitched to a 1.78 ERA across his five starts, and he’s added 33 punchouts in just 25.1 innings. While he’s not quite Jacob Misiorowski, he’s still pretty damn good. If you have an IL spot available, he’s someone to consider stashing for the short term. He could be a difference-maker down the stretch.
Nathan Lukes (TOR), OF (7% Yahoo, 4.1% ESPN)
The Blue Jays were unable to make a big offensive upgrade before the deadline, which means Lukes should remain a feature in the team’s lineup. He’s not the sexiest name for fantasy purposes, but he does have a few elite traits. Most notably, he puts the bat on the ball at a really high level. His Contact rating is among the best in baseball:
Lukes has also started showing off his pop recently. He has just 10 homers for the year, but six of them have come since July 1st. He’s also been batting leadoff for the team a bunch recently, putting him directly ahead of some of their most dangerous hitters. If that continues, he should have plenty of opportunities to score runs.
Deep League Players to Watch
Cade Cavalli (WSN), SP (6% Yahoo, 1.3% ESPN)
Cavalli was once considered a top-flight starting pitching prospect. Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. He was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2023, and he missed nearly two full years as a result. When he finally got back to business this season, he struggled to a 6.09 ERA across 65 Triple-A innings.
The Nationals decided to promote him to the big leagues anyway, and that looks like a wise decision. Cavalli was immaculate in his first MLB start since 2022, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. His xERA was under 1.00 in that outing, so it’s possible that resumes his place on the mantle as one of the game’s premier young pitchers.
The bad news is his upcoming schedule. He’s tentatively scheduled for two starts next week: at the Royals and vs. the Phillies. It’s hard to feel comfortable using him in either outing. However, he’s someone to definitely keep an eye on. If he survives in those two spots, it could be all systems go for the remainder of the year.
