The fantasy baseball waiver wire is flush with excellent options right now, especially on the hitting side. I could have easily tripled the number of players in this week’s article, and I chose to mostly focus on players who have had a major shift in fantasy potential over the past week. This is a good time for managers to take a long look at their current roster and weed out unproductive members.
Hitters to add
Heliot Ramos, OF, Yankees, 39%: Ramos received a big boost in fantasy value when he was traded from the Giants to the Yankees, as he is now the cleanup hitter in a productive lineup with a HR-happy home park. Wise fantasy managers will look past his meager homer total (9) and remember that he topped the 20-HR plateau in each of the previous two seasons despite playing his home games in spacious Oracle Park.
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A.J. Ewing, OF, Mets, 25%: Ewing has really settled in as the Mets’ leadoff man, and the left-handed hitter even hit atop the lineup in a recent game against a southpaw starter. He continues to flash a bit of power, and showcased his elite speed by swiping six bases in July. Managers who are looking for a player who contributes runs, batting average and steals should have Ewing and White Sox leadoff man Sam Antonacci (38%) atop their wish list.
Hector Rodriguez, OF, Reds, 13%: Rodriguez got the call immediately after the trade deadline, and at the moment of his promotion, he ranked second in the International League in homers (27) and runs (72), and third in RBI (69). Rodriguez has plenty of offensive upside, having shown premium power skills this season while maintaining solid strikeout rates throughout his minor league career. With the Reds having fallen out of the playoff race, Rodriguez should play regularly down the stretch.
George Lombard Jr., SS, Yankees, 42%: Lombard was promoted on Monday, and immediately took over as the team’s starting shortstop. He has outstanding plate patience and a respectable blend of power and speed. He lacks a dominant skill, which may keep him off shallow-league rosters for the immediate future. But at the very least, his ability to play regularly in a quality lineup and occasionally chip in a homer or steal should make Lombard relevant in 12-team formats.
Abimelec Ortiz, 1B, Nationals, 1%: Ortiz is similar to Rodriguez, in that both players earned their promotions by posting impressive stat lines in the International League. Ortiz ranked second in that circuit in RBI (74) before joining the Nats, and his success was rewarded by being inserted into the No. 2 lineup spot for his debut. He proved the wisdom of his skipper by collecting two hits, including a homer, in that contest. Even with James Wood on the injured list, Ortiz could help fantasy teams if he holds a premium spot in baseball’s highest-scoring lineup.
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Pitchers to add
Walbert Ureña, SP, Angels, 45%: Provided that a manager doesn’t need to prioritize the WHIP category, Ureña is the best option who remains available in the majority of Yahoo leagues. The right-hander has two of the three pillars that make an excellent starter, as he induces oodles of grounders (54.1%) and collects plenty of strikeouts (22.5%). Walks are Ureña’s weakness, as he has issued free passes to 12.3% of the batters he has faced. Even with the lack of control, the 22-year-old has produced a stellar 2.54 ERA that includes allowing a total of three runs over his past five starts.
Noah Cameron, SP, Royals, 41%: While we can debate if Cameron (4.37 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) is a great pitcher or merely a serviceable one, there is no arguing that he is the hottest pitcher in baseball, having allowed one run over 23 innings over his past three starts. Cameron has enjoyed a strikeout uptick (24) in those three appearances, while continuing to show respectable control skills. Managers who hope to catch lightning in a bottle should grab the southpaw now in hopes that he can keep this going over his upcoming two-start week.
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Hayden Wesneski, SP, Astros, 7%: In two starts since returning from May 2025 Tommy John surgery, Wesneski has gone 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He has been efficient in his outings, totaling 11.2 innings pitched despite throwing just under 80 pitches in each start. Prior to his extended absence, Wesneski had shown potential while logging inconsistent results over 222 innings that spanned parts of four seasons. The right-hander will be a two-start pitcher with reasonable matchups next week (Giants, Mariners), which makes him a worthy gamble for those who need help in the wins category.
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Cody Bradford, SP, Rangers, 3%: Although the Rangers kept Bradford on a short leash (70 pitches), they were surely impressed when he struck out five Giants over 4.1 scoreless innings in his return from June 2025 internal elbow brace surgery. Bradford last pitched in 2024, and he was a fantasy asset that season by logging a 3.54 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. He should draw immediate attention in 12-team leagues, as his next start is a favorable matchup against the Angels next Tuesday.
Brandyn Garcia, RP, Diamondbacks, 19%: The success of Garcia is a major reason that Paul Sewald was removed from the closer’s role last week. The 26-year-old has been terrific this season logging a 2.03 ERA and 0.77 WHIP that are well-supported by a 36:7 K:BB ratio. He has converted the past two saves for an Arizona team that is doing better than expected (61-55) and currently possesses a wild card spot. An unknown to many fantasy managers as recently as the All-Star break, Garcia could be among the league leaders in second-half saves.
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Luke Weaver, RP, Pirates, 29%: Weaver became the Pirates best reliever as soon as he was acquired on Monday. The right-hander has been terrific this season (1.84 ERA, 0.82 WHIP), which comes on the heels of two excellent campaigns in the Yankees bullpen. Weaver could initially share saves with incumbent Gregory Soto, but is the better pitcher and should also benefit from being right-handed. Managers who need saves right away should add Gomez, while those who can afford to chase someone with more long-term upside will prefer Weaver.
Hitters with favorable weekend matchups
Joc Pederson, 1B, Rangers, 11%: Pederson should bat leadoff and remain in all three games until their conclusion when the Rangers face three right-handed Baltimore starters and a relief corps that is dominated by righties. The lefty slugger has logged an .856 OPS against right-handers this season (.678 OPS vs. lefties) and has hit 19 of his 20 homers in those matchups.
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Pedro Ramirez, 2B/3B, Cubs, 3%: Ramirez impressed the Cubs enough while logging a .985 OPS in July that he emerged from the trade deadline still in possession of a semi-regular role. The switch-hitter and his teammates in the second-highest scoring offense in baseball should enjoy a weekend series against three subpar Royals starters and a bullpen that ranks 29th in baseball with a 5.37 ERA.
Pitchers to stream this weekend (ranked in order of preference)
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Walbert Ureña @ MIA (Saturday, 45%)
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Zac Thornton @ PIT (Friday, 28%)
