The All-Star game has come and gone. While it was entertaining, we fantasy baseball diehards were champing at the bit for a return to action. With the second half now upon us and the trade deadline vastly approaching, plenty of moves will be made over the next several weeks. Player values can change in an instant, so it’s something to be aware of in the coming days.
That said, there are still a handful of players flying under the radar that deserve your attention now. Whether they’re returning from injury or players increasing their value as a result of a trade, we’ve got you covered. There should be something for everyone this week, especially if you’re searching for starting pitching, so let’s get right to it.
All players listed are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues. I try not to repeat players week to week, so if there’s someone glaringly missing, it’s likely because they were featured in a previous piece. Without further ado, here are this week’s top fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the first period of the second half of the MLB season.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets
Kyle Bradish (SP – BAL): 9%
The Orioles ace is on the mend and is about to start his rehab assignment. Similar to Luis Gil in last week’s piece, Kyle Bradish can offer you a massive boost over the final two months of the season. He likely won’t pitch deep into games his first few times out, but if he returns to form, he could produce like a No. 2 starter for your club.
Bradish was excellent in 2023 and 2024, registering a 2.83 and a 2.75 ERA, respectively. The 28-year-old keeps the ball in the yard and strikes out over 30% of the batters he faces. He’s worth a look in all leagues if you’ve got the room.
Noah Cameron (SP – KC): 49%
I’ve featured Noah Cameron before, but the soft-tossing lefty keeps getting people out. Through 12 starts, the 6-foot-3 southpaw has allowed just 18 runs, with 11 of them coming over two outings. That makes for an ERA of 1.04 in his other 10 starts (60.1 innings) — that’s pretty remarkable. Cameron’s also only surrendered 48 hits over those 70 innings, resulting in a clean 1.00 WHIP. He’s even upped his strikeout totals lately, striking out eight against the Mets last time out over 6.2 innings.
Cameron is not immune to the occasional clunker, but outside of those few games, the rookie has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Jeffrey Springs (SP – ATH): 38%
Jeffrey Springs is likely better left for those in deeper leagues, but the veteran has quietly been solid in his first go-around with the A’s. You have to pick your spots with Springs, ideally with him pitching on the road, but the southpaw can offer you decent numbers across the board more often than not.
Springs not only sports a fine 1.18 WHIP, but he’s also won eight games. He pitches deep into the late innings, and when he’s on, he gives his club a chance to win. Springs’ strikeouts are down this year and his home runs are up, but he’s been a well above average pitcher since his rough April to start the year.
Springs posted a 2.90 ERA in June and is off to a similar start in July, registering a 3.00 ERA. He’ll face Cleveland on Sunday and Houston next week. Both offenses are near the middle of the pack when it comes to production against left-handed pitchers. Springs has done well on the road this season, especially of late, and could be a nice addition for those looking to add pitching help in deeper formats.
Quinn Priester (SP, RP – MIL): 42%
Quinn Priester has been incredible for the Brewers, maintaining an ERA below 3.50 and a WHIP consistently hovering around 1.20. After struggling with Boston, the former first-round draft pick revamped his pitching arsenal, which included eliminating his four-seam fastball.
The results have been remarkable as he was lights out once again Friday night against the Dodgers. Priester isn’t as flashy as some of his lauded teammates, but he’s steadily gotten the job done and can help out fantasy managers in most leagues.
Giancarlo Stanton (OF – NYY): 24%
Giancarlo Stanton is back to his old self after needing a few weeks to regain his timing. Following a shortened rehab stint and a dozen games in the Majors hitting singles, Stanton returned to his mashing ways, launching four balls into the seats over his last seven starts. Perhaps even more impressive are the 13 RBI this month that the 35-year-old has registered in just nine starts.
The former MVP doesn’t play every day, so he’s best left for those in daily leagues. But for those in search of homers and RBI, few can mash like Stanton while he’s healthy and performing well.
Janson Junk (SP, RP – MIA): 26%
Janson Junk doesn’t walk batters. Through 50.1 innings (10 games; five starts), Junk has allowed just four free passes. He has also surrendered just one home run. Over those 50 innings, the journeyman starter has recorded a 2.68 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. He and Eury Perez are a big reason why the club is suddenly winning games. Junk does give up above decent amount of hard contact, yet he has still been able to limit batters to a solid .246 batting average.
Junk has been especially good of late, tossing 15 scoreless innings in back-to-back road starts. He’s allowed just two runs all month and has earned the victory in four of his last six games. The luck could run out at any moment for Junk, but while he continues to keep the ball in the yard and the free passes to a minimum, he’s worth starting in proper matchups.
Mitch Keller (SP – PIT): 49%
There’s a good chance Mitch Keller gets traded before the deadline, which would increase his stock. While the 29-year-old has pitched well this year in Pittsburgh (3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), a switch to a contender would boost his value into the top 50 range.
Keller’s pitched exceptionally well lately, allowing two runs or fewer while pitching deep into games over his last six starts. Despite the quality starts, Keller still has just three wins to his credit, limiting his ceiling. If he were to play for a team like the Cubs, Red Sox, Blue Jays or Tigers (all rumored trade candidates), Keller would become a must-start option.
It’s not a bad idea to add the former prospect now, before the move. Even if he doesn’t get dealt, he’ll still maintain mixed league value.
Ezequiel Tovar (SS – COL): 46%
Ezequiel Tovar returned to the lineup on Friday night after a lengthy injured list (IL) stint. The former top prospect can offer solid numbers across all major categories and is worth adding in the majority of leagues.
It may take Tovar a few weeks to regain his timing and perhaps his confidence, but as we saw last year, Tovar can mash. He hit 26 home runs and 45 doubles last year in his sophomore campaign and could continue down a similar path now that the summer months are in full swing.
Dylan Lee (RP – ATL): 8%
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there’s a reasonable chance a few closers get moved. The good news is that while opportunities could be lost for the player traded, there is always someone ready to take his place. There are more than a handful of prospective names floating around out there, but one player in particular I keep hearing about is Rasiel Iglesias.
Iglesias is also one of the few potential trade targets who has a reliable replacement ready to take his place — Dylan Lee. Lee is left-handed, so he may not see every save opportunity, but his peripherals make for a strong case to take over. Lee’s average exit velocity sits below 87 miles per hour (MPH). He also possesses a filthy slider that has an outlandish .110 batting average against. Lee’s Statcast page is full of dark red, and if he’s still available in your league, he’s a nice pickup with Iglesias likely on the move.
Mickey Moniak (OF – COL): 11%
During the break, I added Mickey Moniak to my roster, so I figured I’d highlight him here as well. I’ve mentioned Moniak in the past, but the former top pick in the draft continues to fly under the radar in fantasy leagues. There are plenty of reasons for this, including that he’s not a full-time starter (he sits versus lefties) and can suffer through long lull periods. That said, he also plays through multiple hot streaks where the production can mirror a top-100 fantasy player.
Moniak’s been hitting well recently, recording a .356 average over the last month. Against righties for the year, his triple slash line is .272/.318/.553 and his line at home is .309/.370/.626. If Moniak is facing a righty at Coors Field, you want him in your lineup.
Grant Taylor (SP, RP – CWS): 11%
Everyone knows the White Sox don’t win many games these days, but when they do, it’s usually by three runs or fewer. With saves being such a sought-after commodity in fantasy leagues this year, even a handful of opportunities is worth the risk for some managers.
Grant Taylor won’t offer more than a save per week, but for many, that’s probably more valuable than a middle-of-the-road starter stashed on the bench. Despite the undesirable situation, Taylor’s peripherals are excellent. He strikes out 10.47 batters per nine and limits walks at a low 2.20/9 clip.
Taylor’s ERA is 4.41, but his FIP is immaculate at 1.49 and his xERA is 2.06. He averages 99 MPH on his fastball and hasn’t given up a home run all year in the Majors or Minors. Taylor is a decent source for those in desperate need of a few saves.
Yu Darvish (SP – SD): 50%
Yu Darvish is a name we all recognize. And while he probably won’t perform like he has in previous seasons as Father Time catches up with him, Darvish is always a candidate to perform well when right.
Darvish hasn’t been all that sharp in his first two outings, but he’s still worth stashing if you’ve got the room. Sometimes veteran pitchers just take a few starts to get back on track following an injury, and that could very well be the case here. Darvish is worth adding in deeper leagues.
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Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
