Categories? Where we’re going, we don’t need categories.
Some people just prefer good old-fashioned points leagues where pitchers and hitters are rewarded more for their volume and discipline than the flashy stats and ratios. Well, obviously, they go hand-in-hand… but we’re digging for the players that roto leagues left behind. On the hitting side, points leagues tend to reward contact skills and plate discipline, giving points for walks and total bases while penalizing strikeouts (in most formats). Meanwhile, pitchers tend to accumulate points for innings pitched, strikeouts, quality starts, and wins. Fantasy managers are beginning to grow tired of poor hitting performances, and waiver wires are piling up with great bats off to cold starts.
Neither of the recommended rookies provided much notable fantasy value last week, but at least Miguel Vargas stayed red hot after being mentioned for a second consecutive week in this column! Now that he’s being rostered in over 75% of ESPN leagues, he’s graduated from the “Under-Rostered” category, but fear not – there are plenty more excellent recommendations where that came from (we hope)!
So strap in as we accelerate to 88 mph (and beyond), highlighting players that have been overlooked and under-rostered in most points leagues formats. Scoop up these guys to make your league mates think you got your hands on Biff’s Almanac.
NOTE: Every points league has slightly different scoring settings, so bear that in mind as you read through the suggestions.
Ryan Jeffers, C, MIN
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (C): 15th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (C): 6th
52.0% rostered (ESPN)
For managers who lost Cal Raleigh to the injured list, Jeffers could be a perfect stand-in option if your league is one of the 48% where he’s available. Batting in the middle of the Twins’ lineup, Jeffers’ plate discipline has been exquisite as he’s posted career-bests in zone-contact rate (89.9%), strikeout rate (16.3%), and walk rate (15.6%) so far this season. With Victor Caratini as his only catching competition in the great white North, Jeffers should continue to see plenty of plate appearances for Minnesota.
Michael Busch, 1B, CHC
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 12th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking: 19th
42.3% rostered (ESPN)
After a dreadful start to the season, Busch has begun to turn things around with an improved .286 batting average over the last month to bring his season average to .232. Credit the Cubs for sticking with him through the struggles; now he’s starting to pay dividends for fantasy managers who showed the same kind of patience. Busch has at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games, including a home run on Sunday afternoon against the White Sox. With six home games this week, the first baseman will hope to provide plate discipline and power for fantasy managers looking for a corner infielder in points leagues.
Luke Keaschall, 2B, MIN
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (2B): 8th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (2B): 13th
55.6% rostered (ESPN)
Not sure I feel all that great about recommending two Minnesota Twins in the same week, but here we are! Amidst the wasteland that is the second base position, Keaschall has shown signs that he could be a serviceable fantasy bat, even in points leagues. While his strikeout rate has risen just slightly from a season ago, his zone-contact rate has improved to a stellar 94.2%, while his walk rate has spiked to 9.8%, showing signs of improving plate discipline. Managers will just hope for his 2.6% home-run-per-fly-ball rate to increase as the season wears on. His .263 BABIP indicates that he may have been unlucky so far this season and could mean he ought to start seeing better results from the plate in the coming weeks.
JJ Bleday, OF, CIN
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (OF): 174th
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (OF): 50th
36.9% rostered (ESPN)
Bleday is officially an everyday bat for the Cincinnati Reds after starting against each of the last two left-handed pitchers that the Reds have faced. In the midst of a scorching hot May, Bleday has reduced his strikeout rate to nearly half of what it was during his tenure with the Athletics while manufacturing a career-best 18.6% walk rate over his 70 plate appearances this season. He plays half his games in the most hitter-friendly park this side of the Great Plains, and more than half of fantasy baseball leagues haven’t even caught on yet. Make Bleday a priority waiver pickup in any format, but with the improvements in plate discipline, he should be rostered in points leagues especially.
Landen Roupp, SP, SFG
2026 Projected Positional Ranking: 143rd
2026 YTD Positional Ranking: 42nd
55.1% rostered (ESPN)
The strikeout numbers are the separating factor for Roupp from all the other waiver wire arms out there. Roupp has been outstanding in tunneling his pitches and generating whiffs in 2026 and even struck out seven Dodgers in his last outing. Now he gets back-to-back starts against an Arizona lineup that hasn’t been all that intimidating this season. He should be the first waiver arm that fantasy managers look at this week, and might end up sticking on your roster far beyond just a streaming start or two.
Bryan Baker, RP, TBR
2026 Projected Positional Ranking (RP): N/A
2026 YTD Positional Ranking (RP): 6th
45.6% rostered (ESPN)
Baker has emerged from the ashes of the Rays’ early bullpen woes to become one of their top high-leverage relievers. Though he’s gotten the majority of their recent save opportunities, I refuse to call him the Tampa Bay closer because, well… it’s the Rays. Baker ascended last season in the Orioles organization, becoming an important late-inning arm in Baltimore before he was traded south. Now he’s riding a nasty fastball-changeup combination to a backend role in Tampa Bay, where he’s been extremely effective so far. Though his save ceiling is limited based solely on which team he plays for, he’s the closest thing the Rays have to a closer and should provide enough value as a relief pitcher to justify a roster spot in most points league formats.
