Another week in the books and that means it’s time for more fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups. Plenty of names featured over the last few weeks exceeded their hype, while a select few didn’t. Of course, nobody’s perfect, but we here at FantasyPros strive to be. My goal is to go 100% each week. I believe I’ve got a promising shot with this next batch.
There are a few under-the-radar types, so now is your chance to get a jump on them before the competition does. Others highlighted are obvious flavors of the month and should be utilized until their hot streaks come to an end. That is if they’re still even available. It’s a hitter-heavy week, so for those in search of offense, you’re in luck. Alright, that’s enough chitchat for now, let’s get to it.
All players featured are rostered in 50% or fewer (or close to it) in Yahoo leagues and can benefit you right now as well as possibly in the future.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Top 9 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 18)
Jeff McNeil (2B, OF – NYM): 46%
Fans on message boards couldn’t say enough about Jeff McNeil leading up to the All-Star game. Some called him a ground into double play (GIDP) specialist, others placed him under the label “most deserving to be benched.” To put it mildly, he wasn’t performing well in the first half of the season. However, once the All-Star break hit, something must have clicked. McNeil emerged as a new man and has been nothing short of spectacular ever since.
Over the past seven games, McNeil’s exit velocity is in the top three percent of the league. He’s racked up four home runs, nine RBI, eight runs scored and 11 hits. With such a performance, McNeil’s rostership has shot up 33% over the last two days and will likely continue to rise throughout the weekend. It wasn’t that long ago McNeil was considered one of the best hitters in baseball, it just took him a while to rediscover his swing. The comment section is singing a different tune now. Add McNeil if he’s still available.
Jose Iglesias (2B, 3B – NYM): 31%
Sticking with the Mets, Jose Iglesias has also been putting on a hitting clinic. Even though he has cooled off a bit these last few days, his performance still deserves mentioning. The journeyman infielder is hitting .365 on the season and that’s including his latest 3-for-14 stretch. Iglesias is no stranger to putting up big numbers in the hitting department as he set the tone in the shortened 2020 season with a .373 average and followed that up with a .356 average in Boston after leaving the woeful Angels.
Iglesias is playing every day for the Mets and is still performing at a high caliber on defense. The 34-year-old is a doubles machine and deserves a spot on rosters near the bottom in batting average.
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS, OF – SF): 46%
No one in baseball has been hotter than Tyler Fitzgerald these past few days. The unheralded prospect from Louisville has been out of his mind, crushing seven home runs while driving in 11 and scoring 10 times. The shortstop/center fielder is 13 for his last 27 (.481) and has quickly brought attention to himself with such an outburst. ESPN featured a piece on him and the guys on Quick Pitch (MLB channel) can’t stop talking about him. Fitzgerald also exhibits speed on the basepaths evidenced by his seven steals. The 26-year-old is currently sporting a 1.060 OPS. If he is still available in your league consider yourself lucky.
Richie Palacios (2B, OF – TB): 3%
Richie Palacios is slightly boring and doesn’t hold much value outside of daily leagues (he sits versus left-handers) but for those in desperate need of steals, Palacios makes for an interesting add. Over his last eight starts, the Rays’ second baseman/outfielder has swiped four bags and scored seven runs. With Randy Arozarena no longer in town, Palacios should see regular playing time against righties. He’s a strong candidate to swipe at least 10-15 more bases this year. That holds value in deeper leagues with daily transactions.
Jake Burger (1B, 3B – MIA): 44%
It took Jake Burger half the season to start hitting like he did last year, but he is finally back to his old self. Burger’s already collected six home runs alone this month and there’s a good chance considering his hard-hit and barrel rate he’s going to keep up this pace the rest of the year. The corner infielder launched 34 home runs last year and produced a .303/.355/.505 triple slash for the Marlins after the deadline. If your squad needs a power boost, Burger should be your guy.
Colton Cowser (OF – BAL): 37%
Colton Cowser is on a hot streak similar to the one he experienced at the beginning of the season. Back then, he drove in 14 runs in just over a week. Now, over just 10 days, Cowser has collected five runs, two homers and nine RBI. He also registered two steals and a .387 batting average (12-for-31). The Orioles outfielder has been as streaky as they come, but with so many righties projected to be coming up, Cowser has a good chance to keep the good times rolling. He’s worth a look in most league types.
Gavin Lux (2B, OF – LAD): 17%
Gavin Lux is now hitting fifth in the lineup against righties and for good reason. The Dodgers infielder has risen from the dead and is now 11 for his last 20 with two home runs, five RBI, five runs scored and a stolen base. Lux got off to a very slow start to the season, but he also missed time in spring training and was a late add to the roster. He now seems to have his timing down and may finally be on his way to fulfilling his former top prospect status. If your league includes an MI spot, give Lux a look.
Kyle Harrison (SP – SF): 48%
Kyle Harrison was considered the Giants’ best pitching prospect going into this season and last. Unfortunately, for Giants fans and Harrison’s fantasy managers, he has been vastly inconsistent. It’s to be expected among young hurlers, but it makes it difficult to start him in fantasy leagues. That may be all changing, however, because over his last three starts the young southpaw has allowed just two runs to score. He’s held opponents to just seven hits over 17 innings while striking out 20.
Harrison also shut down the Astros back on June 10 when he allowed just one run over 6.1 solid innings. The 24th-ranked prospect (FanGraphs) has been lights out of late. He has a good chance to keep it going with either Oakland up next or Cincinnati, who struggles against left-handed pitching.
Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI): 54%
Brandon Pfaadt was a big part of why the Diamondbacks made it to the World Series last year and he’s doing all he can to will them back once again. After a mediocre start to the season, Pfaadt has turned in some of his best performances. Over his last four starts, the 6-foot-4 righty has surrendered just two runs, three walks and 16 hits.
The 25-year-old struck out 25 in that span while only allowing a single home run. He’s performed well on the road lately as well as at home and has gotten both righties and lefties out. In other words, it doesn’t matter where he’s pitching, or who he’s up against, Pfaadt is getting outs. The young righty is projected to face the Pirates in back-to-back outings and is more than worthy of a roster spot in those two matchups.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.