Fantasy Baseball Weekly Waiver Wire & Pitcher Streaming Options (Week 8)
A position-by-position breakdown of the best waiver wire targets ahead of week 8 of the fantasy baseball season
Well, the plan for this week was for me to put out one article a day as a way to try and take advantage of my staycation. Instead, I made it through Wednesday and was surprised with an action-packed birthday weekend to end the week. I apologize for my absence, but the show must go on! So here we are back again with my favorite article of the week.
If you’re familiar with Jon Anderson and the MLB Data Warehouse, I’ve partnered with them to start putting the waiver wire content out both here on Fake Baseball and over at the MLB Data Warehouse every Sunday. When I’m running on my normal schedule, the article will continue to be out for paid subscribers of Fake Baseball every Friday, and then it will be out for everyone else on Sundays. Plenty of time for the paid subscribers to get an early jump on the upcoming waiver wire period, while also being out at a good time for everyone else to get their moves in before lineups lock for the week and FAAB runs.
With that being said, again, I apologize for the delay on content at the end of the week. What is typically a time where I lay low (I’ve never really been a big birthday guy) turned into a weekend of being spoiled by my family, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Let’s get into the list!
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Catcher
Ryan Jeffers - Minnesota Twins
ESPN: 9% | Yahoo: 18% | CBS: 46% | Fantrax: 51%
Jeffers fits a bit into the same mould of catcher as Cal Raleigh and Shea Langeliers. Not going to excite you much in the batting average department, but they all have tremendous power. That tremendous power has been on display as of late with nine XBH in his last 19 starts, thanks to a 51% hard hit rate and an .866 OPS. He’s cut down on strikeouts this year and has seemingly turned the corner we’ve been waiting years for. Jeffers looks great right now and is a good addition for anyone needing a catcher.
Dillon Dingler - Detroit Tigers
ESPN: 4% | Yahoo: 7% | CBS: 21% | Fantrax: 36%
He’s not starting every day at this point, but he’s locked into about four starts a week. We can live with that. Especially when he’s taking advantage of it as much as he has been. In his last 22 games, Dingler has put together eight XBH, 10 RBI, and has been one of the more reliable second-tier catchers in fantasy baseball. He makes a great addition in two-catcher leagues or deep leagues where you need an extra oomph at the position in the short term.
First Base
Rowdy Tellez - Seattle Mariners
ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 1% | CBS: 3% | Fantrax: 8%
Don’t look now, but the big man’s bat is finally heating up. After what many would consider a very slow start, Rowdy has finally found a way to string some productive at-bats together. With that, his home run totals have finally started to elevate. He’s not going to help with a whole lot, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one so readily available with the same power upside. In his last 67 plate appearances, he’s hit six home runs with an .861 OPS. He’s a streaky hitter, so roster him in deep leagues while he’s hot and try and capitalize on the home runs while you can.
Zach Dezenzo - Houston Astros
ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 1% | CBS: 12% | Fantrax: 26%
With all the injuries the Astros have sustained lately, Dezenzo is all but locked into that lineup every day. It’s not by default, though, as he’s shown himself to be productive at the plate and worthy of the spot. In his last 13 games, he's strung together five doubles, a home run, 11 runs scored, seven RBI, and he’s even stolen a base. All while hitting above .300. He does fall into that category of guys who are not great at anything, but they’re pretty good at everything, so monitor him closely. For right now, though, he’s worth an add and some playing time on your roster, especially while he’s hot.
Second Base
Daniel Schneemann - Cleveland Guardians
ESPN: 3% | Yahoo: 12% | CBS: 11% | Fantrax: 27%
Schneemann is the hidden gem of that Cleveland Guardians lineup, if you ask me. He’s flown a bit under the radar, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes. He’s seen some of the most drastic quality of contact changes in all of baseball. He’s upped his swing speed by 1.5 MPH, and in turn has seen a rise in both his squared up on contact rate (35.4%) and Blast rate on contact (20.3%). That blast rate alone is an almost 12% increase over 2024. This has resulted in five home runs in his first 75 at-bats, matching the amount he put up in 221 at-bats in 2024. He is a free swinger who struggles with contact at times, but when he connects…he connects. He’s a sneaky source of power getting every day run in that Guardians lineup. He’s a good depth piece to add in deeper leagues.
Colt Keith - Detroit Tigers
ESPN: 7% | Yahoo: 14% | CBS: 34% | Fantrax: 70%
The secret to Keith’s success has finally been unlocked…at least I hope it has been. The results as of late seem to point to that being the case. In his last 30 plate appearances, he’s hitting .385 with four home runs, a 21.7% barrel rate, an 86% contact rate, and a strikeout rate of just 10%. Keith has gone from “oh no another prospect that’s not going to pan out” to “oh wow he’s playing his ass off right now”. Something you need to be taking advantage of in the world of fantasy baseball. He’s now eligible at both first and second base as well, which makes him all the more appealing. Add him and enjoy what seems to be the Colt Keith breakout season we all hoped for.
Third Base
Josh Smith - Texas Rangers
ESPN: 10% | Yahoo: 22% | CBS: 61% | Fantrax: 68%
If you’re looking for a dinger hittin’ slugger at the corner infield position right now, this really isn’t your week. Guys like Josh Smith are your best bet for production and shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s not great at anything, but he’s good at everything, and we love him for that. He’s lowered his K% below 20%, getting on base almost 40% of the time, and making the same consistent contact he always has. In 2024, he broke out with 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases, and his numbers show he may improve on that. His barrel rate (6.7%), hard hit rate (37.3%), and Damage/BBE (20%) are all higher than they were last season. The Rangers are committed to getting his bat in their lineup every day, and you should be too.
Schneemann is my second favorite option for third base as well. If Smith isn’t available, target him for this position as well.
Shortstop
JP Crawford - Seattle Mariners
ESPN: 14% | Yahoo: 21% | CBS: 37% | Fantrax: 61%
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Edgar Martinez can certainly teach an old veteran shortstop how to hit a baseball. Crawford has now managed a hit in 15 straight games, and in 21 of his last 23. He’s improved so much as of late that the Mariners have let him reclaim the title of leadoff hitter, and he has yet to disappoint. Although we’ll likely never see the 19 home run version of JP again, this new version is pretty cool in and of itself. He’s seen improvements to his barrel rate (7.8%), contact rate (84.1%), and is hitting line drives at a career best 26.1%. He’s a great option for teams needing batting average, runs, and RBI, which makes him pretty useful in just about every league if you ask me.
Similarly, with shortstop, my second favorite option is also already on this list. If you need a shortstop and Crawford isn't available, target both Josh Smith and Schneemann.
Outfield
Trent Grisham - New York Yankees
ESPN: 26% | Yahoo: 27% | CBS: 50% | Fantrax: 65%
Admittedly, I have no clue how much longer till the wheels on this mustache ride fall off. Right now, though, I don’t care. I’ve tried and tried to come up with reasons as to why I can’t suggest Grisham as a waiver wire addition, and I can’t come up with anything good outside of “Because he’s Trent Grisham”, and that’s not going to cut it. He’s one of only nine players with double-digit home runs already this season, and his 101 at-bats are by far the fewest of anyone else on the list. He’s making career-best contact (82.3%), has a career-best 14.5% barrel rate, and his .408 xwOBA shows he’s not overachieving in the slightest. Again, I don’t know how long this is going to last, but you’re better off grabbing him and enjoying the influx of home runs while you can.
Max Kepler - OF - Philadelphia Phillies
ESPN: 7% | Yahoo: 7% | CBS: 29% | Fantrax: 47%
So he’s definitely matchup dependent to a degree, but Kepler should not only be rostered, but started in way more leagues than he currently is. Since April 26th, he’s hitting .276 with four home runs, seven RBI, eight runs scored, and a strikeout rate below 20%. Much of his batted ball data is very similar to his 2023 season which he hit 24 home runs and 48 total XBH in just 130 games. He’s struggling to drive in runners, but when you’re a power-hitting outfielder batting behind Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos every night, those will come. He’s worth an add in all leagues starting five outfielders, and especially against right-handed pitching.
