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
Randy Rodríguez (SFG), RP (43% rostered on Yahoo, 14.2% on ESPN)
We saw a host of relief pitchers moved before the trade deadline, which has had a serious impact on the closing pitcher situation for a number of squads. The Giants were one of the busiest teams. They shipped off Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, which opens the door for a new closer in San Francisco.
Rodriguez will assume those duties, and he picked up a save vs. the Mets on Friday. With more save opportunities available, Rodriguez becomes an elite fantasy reliever. He’s already been one of the best relievers in baseball this season, pitching to a 1.17 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 46 innings. The only reason he’s this widely available is that he entered Friday’s contest vs. the Mets with just one save on the year.
Even without the benefit of saves, Rodriguez currently ranks as the No. 21 reliever in the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater. If he can add a handful of saves to his resume down the stretch, he has the potential to be a top-10 option at the position moving forward. He needs to be added in all leagues where he’s available.
Colson Montgomery (CHW), 3B/SS (25% Yahoo, 8.2% ESPN)
Montgomery started this season as one of the White Sox’s top offensive prospects, and he was called up to the big leagues at the beginning of July. Montgomery has routinely drawn comps to Corey Seager as a big shortstop with excellent hitting prowess. He had 11 homers in 55 games at Triple-A to start the year, and he had 18 homers at Triple-A last season.
Montgomery got off to a slow start to his MLB tenure, but he’s starting to put his elite power on display. He’s clubbed six homers in his past 10 games, and his underlying metrics suggest the production is legit. His bat speed is among the best in baseball. He’s averaging 77.0 miles per hour on his swings, which would put him right between Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge on the Statcast leaderboard if he had enough at-bats to qualify. That’s pretty elite company from a power standpoint. Montgomery’s 13.6% barrel rate is also well above average, resulting in a strong .536 xSLG.
Montgomery isn’t going to provide any help in batting average—he strikes out far too often—but his power should more than make up the difference. He’s the No. 6 shortstop in the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater over the past 15 days, so he could be a strong asset down the stretch.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
As usual, Yahoo’s list of most-added players is dominated by streaming pitchers. Three of the top five options took to the mound on Saturday: J.T. Ginn, Aaron Civale, and Kyle Hendricks.
Ginn has pitched well at times this season, and his 3.55 xERA puts him in the 68th percentile. Unfortunately, things did not go particularly well for him on Saturday. He struggled against the Diamondbacks, allowing four earned runs in just 4.1 innings. Walks were the biggest issue for him, as he handed out a season-high five free passes. Ginn can potentially be streamed in the right matchups, but he’s not someone who needs to be rostered at this point.
Civale has had a surprisingly effective season for the White Sox, and he turned in a masterpiece Saturday vs. the Angels. He pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, and he surrendered just one hit and two walks. He added eight strikeouts, which was his top mark of the year. Civale’s next start is tentatively scheduled for Friday vs. the Guardians, and he can be streamed in that spot.
Hendricks was opposing Civale, and he had a solid performance of his own. He allowed one run over five innings, and it was his second straight start with just one earned run allowed. Hendricks doesn’t bring much else to the table—his strikeout rate puts him in the sixth percentile—but he’s turned things around after a dreadful start to the year. He typically goes deep enough to factor into the decision, so he’s another viable streamer in the right matchups.
Warming Bernabel has absolutely torn the cover off the ball since being promoted to Colorado. He’s hitting .500 with three homers in just 28 at-bats, and his underlying Statcast data is fantastic. He has a .349 xBA and a .519 xSLG, and with the Rockies facing an extended stretch of games at Coors Field, he’s worth adding if you need help at the corners.
Finally, Andrew Vaughn has been arguably the hottest hitter in all of baseball. The former top prospect was never able to figure things out with the White Sox, but he’s been ridiculously good since landing in Milwaukee. In fact, he’s the No. 1 overall player in the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater over the past seven days. He’s batting .386 with a 1.220 OPS in 17 games with the Brewers, and his underlying metrics suggest the production isn’t entirely fluky. He obviously won’t hit like peak Judge for the entire season, but he could continue to hold some value.
ESPN’s list of most-added players features a lot of names we’ve touched on recently. Three of these players are now owned in more than 70% of leagues: Nick Kurtz, Kyle Stowers, and Shea Langeliers. There’s not much left to be said about those guys, and if they’re still available in your league, go out and grab them while you can.
Michael Harris II has also seen his ownership rebound following a dreadful first half of the year. He was one of the worst qualified hitters in the league over that time frame, but he’s looked like a completely different player since the All-Star break. He’s batting .393 with three homers and an 1.120 OPS, and with his track record, he’s certainly worth an add in leagues where he’s available.
Noah Cameron should also be owned in most leagues at this point. He’s been remarkable in his first taste of big league action, pitching to a 2.68 ERA across 15 starts. The Blue Jays roughed him up on Saturday, but there has still been far more good than bad with Cameron. His strikeout numbers have also been on the rise recently. Before Saturday’s outing, he had racked up 28 strikeouts in his last 24.2 innings. A lack of strikeouts has been the biggest red flag in Cameron’s profile, so it’s an excellent sign for his fantasy prospects moving forward.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Mickey Moniak (COL), OF (23% Yahoo, 8.2% ESPN)
Moniak is one of the best sources of power that is widely available across most leagues. He’s up to 16 homers for the year, and he’s made huge strides from a power standpoint in recent weeks:
Of course, Moniak doesn’t deserve all the credit. Part of his production stems from getting to play his home games at Coors Field, which remains the most hitter-friendly venue in baseball. Moniak has posted a 1.012 OPS at Coors this season, and that figure drops all the way to .669 on the road.
That makes Moniak an excellent option whenever the Rockies are at home, and they’re scheduled to be at home a lot in the coming weeks. They’ll finish a series vs. the Pirates at Coors on Sunday, and including that contest, 12 of their next 18 games will take place in Colorado. It makes Moniak a prime add for those looking for power, at least for the short term.
Ezequiel Tovar (COL), SS (47% Yahoo, 15.3% ESPN)
Moniak has the power covered at Coors, but what about those looking for average? Look no further than Tovar. He’s been limited to just 174 at-bats this season due to injury, but he’s been effective whenever he’s been in the lineup. He has an elite .313 xBA, and his .552 xSLG is pretty good too.
Like Moniak, Tovar has absolutely thrived in Coors Field this season. His batting average is currently north of .400 in that split, and his OPS checks in at 1.121. He also has three homers and three steals in just 77 home at-bats, so he has the potential to be a legit five-category contributor when playing in Coors. He’s another prime option given the team’s upcoming schedule.
Cade Smith (CLE), RP (47% rostered on Yahoo, 21.9% on ESPN)
The Guardians ultimately chose not to be big sellers at the deadline, holding on to most of the key names that were rumored to be available. That includes Smith. He’s been a key setup man for Cleveland since the start of last season, and while his 3.00 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, his 2.60 xERA puts him in the 96th percentile. Smith also possesses some of the best strikeout stuff in baseball, ranking in the 95th percentile for strikeout rate and 96th percentile for Whiff rate.
A lack of saves is the only thing that has been keeping Smith from being an elite fantasy option. With Emmanuel Clase currently out indefinitely, that’s no longer an issue. He should slide into the ninth-inning role moving forward, and the Guardians’ remaining schedule should result in some save opportunities. They have the ninth-easiest remaining schedule in terms of opponent win percentage, so he’s another outstanding bullpen addition.
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:
Colin Rea (CHC), SP (21% Yahoo, 9.4% ESPN)
Rea got off to a fantastic start for the Cubs this season, but he’s starting to come crashing back to reality. That was always going to be the case, but he’s allowed 15 hits and nine earned runs across his past nine innings.
That said, Rea should be able to pick up a win on Sunday. The Cubs are pretty sizable favorites against the Orioles, who will send Brandon Young to the bump. Young has a 6.68 ERA for the year, so the Cubs’ offense should be able to carry the team to a victory. Rea has gone at least five innings in all but three of his starts this season, and if he’s able to make it that long vs. the Orioles, he has a good chance to secure a W.
Speculative Adds
Nestor Cortes (SDP), SP (16% Yahoo, 14.0% ESPN)
Cortes was shipped off to San Diego before the deadline, which is a fantastic development for his prospects as a starter. The Brewers are absolutely stacked in their rotation, so they simply don’t need Cortes at this point. He should slide into a starting slot immediately for the Padres, and he’s expected to be activated from the IL shortly. He’s already made four rehab starts in the minors, culminating in a 93-pitch effort in his most recent outing.
Cortes has only pitched eight innings this season, and the Yankees absolutely rocked him in one of his two starts. However, he has a solid track record of success in recent years. He had a 3.77 ERA in his final year with the Yankees, and he had a 2.90 ERA or better in 2022 and 2021.
The Padres went all-in at the deadline, so they’re going to be a serious threat down the stretch. That should give Cortes significant win equity when he eventually returns to the bump. If you have an IL spot available, stashing him could pay dividends.
Carlos Correa (HOU), SS (28% Yahoo, 36.4% ESPN)
Is Correa cooked at this point? It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem likely. He hit .310 last year, and he has a .285 xBA so far this season. It’s more likely that he’s just been a bit unlucky, and he did increase his batting average to .300 in July.
Now that he’s back in Houston, Correa could see a spike in production down the stretch. Daikin Park features one of the shortest left field fences in baseball, which could give Correa a slight boost in power. Add in some better batted-ball luck, and Correa is someone worth keeping an eye on.
Deep League Players to Watch
Coby Mayo (BAL), 1B/3B (10% Yahoo, 2.4% ESPN)
It has not been pretty for Mayo at the MLB level, either this season or in 2024. However, with the team firmly out of the playoff picture this season—and Ryan O’Hearn now in San Diego—the coast is clear for him to play basically every day moving forward. Mayo has big raw power, launching 25+ homers in the minors in each of the past two seasons. It remains to be seen if he can do it against MLB pitchers, but the upside warrants an add in deeper formats.
