So back in the days of me working my ass off for FantasyPros, I wrote multiple different articles on a weekly basis. Many of you may have read my waiver wire articles that I did over there. I also just so happened to write their weekly planner as well as spend a bit of time writing their pitcher streaming articles as well. It was a lot, it was fun, and I do miss the time I spent doing it.

Now that I’m back to weekly content with The Roster Report, just putting out a Waiver Wire article as my weekly content doesn’t feel like enough. So, to fix that “problem” as I see it, I figure why not change the waiver wire into an all-encompassing article that helps you in every way I can think of each fantasy week.

It’ll be broken down into three segments:

1. A shortened version of the waiver wire

2. My favorite pitcher streaming options of the week

3. The teams with schedules you should target and avoid for the upcoming week

This should serve as a pretty solid cheat sheet framework that you guys can check out every week to gain the best advantage possible. Especially with the season getting into crunch time, with playoffs either coming up or being right in the thick of it.

If you like the concept or find it helpful in any way, subscribe, and you’ll automatically get notified when the newest ones come out…completely free!

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Waiver Wire

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B/3B - Baltimore Orioles

It can be incredibly difficult to find power on the waiver wire market this late in the season. Especially power that has proven to go crazy when he gets hot. After a cool little 0-for-16 stretch, CES seems to have found his way into another one of those potential hot streaks. Nine hits in his last four games to go with three doubles, a home run, and six RBI. Don’t overthink it; if you need power or corner infield help, CES is the guy you need.

Pedro Ramirez - 2B/3B/DH - Chicago Cubs

So he’s only a good option as long as he’s continuing to get run with the starting squad, BUT Ramirez is a guy who ticks multiple boxes for me.

Eligible at multiple positions ✅

Hitting in an elite lineup ✅

Paying out of his damn mind ✅

In his last six games, he’s scored eight runs, driven in nine, hit two home runs, and struck out a grand total of two times in 26 plate appearances. The Cubs seem to have a knack lately for getting the best out of their young hitters, and Ramirez seems to be the next up. There are some limitations in the power department (his 13 home runs this season are his most ever), but as I like to say…he has enough speed and on-base ability to keep things interesting. If the Cubs trust him, so should you.

Colton Cowser - OF - Baltimore Orioles

Who doesn’t love a list that gives you two guys from the same team in the first three names mentioned? Real hard-hitting journalism being done over here…but for real, though, Cowser deserves to be on this list for the way he’s been hitting as of late. In his last 17 games, he’s hit five dingers, driven in eight, and has an OPS over 1.000.

The only thing you could really ask him to do more of is steal a couple of bases, but if you’re relying on Colton Cowser to steal you bases, your team is probably already out of the playoff hunt. Go into it with the mindset that he’s a platoon bat and won’t play every day, but when he does, and he’s hot…he’s worth putting up with an off day here and there for.

Connor Norby - 1B/2B/3B/DH - Colorado Rockies

We came dangerously close to this being a four-man list with three Orioles on it. Baltimore Orioles legend Connor Norby finds his way on this list by way of the Marlins trading him to the Colorado Rockies, where he has since flourished. Since 8/15, he’s hitting .326 with two home runs, five doubles, nine RBI, and a respectable .964 OPS. That’s all before adding another two hits on Saturday night.

Eric Samulski wrote an awesome article this week that highlighted the stance and swing changes the Rockies have implemented with Norby since the trade and the success that’s come from it looks legit. We all know Coors Field makes everyone look better, but there’s reason to believe Norby’s current success is more than just some Colorado trickery.

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Pitcher Streaming Options

Hayden Wesneski - Houston Astros

When targeting pitcher streaming options, you should look for two things: Do they have the ability to throw a quality start? Do they match up against a favorable team? If you can get a yes from both of those, they automatically jump to the top of the list for me. Aside from his hiccup against the Mariners, Wesneski hasn’t given up more than three runs in a start this season, has struck out at least four in every start (six in two of his last three), and while wins are what you should hope for, not plan for…he’s managed wins in four of six starts.

He’s set to line up against a White Sox team whose .729 OPS against right-handers is middle of the road and their 23.6% strikeout rate is even worse. He then faces a Diamondbacks team that doesn’t necessarily strike out a ton against righties, but their .687 OPS and .231 batting average are both bottom three in the league. Wesneski may very well double down on quality starts this week, which would be MASSIVE.

Randy Dobnak - Kansas City Royals

The Old School Runescape legend himself, Randy Dobnak, has now become a second half of the season legend as well. The former reliever has been off to a blistering pace in the second half of the season with a 1.93 ERA. That’s good for eighth in baseball amongst starters. All jokes aside, what Dobnak has been doing lately has been great. I do wish he was pitching a bit deeper into his outings, but he went six innings in his last outing against the Blue Jays and finished one out shy of a quality start two outings before that against the Angels.

This week he lines up for two starts against the Marlins and Blue Jays, both at home. We just saw the quality start from him against the Blue Jays, which is what we’re looking for once again. The Marlins, on the other hand, fare decently against right-handed pitching. The good part for Dobnak is the Marlins offense is slugging just .358 as a team in August. With him not being a huge overpowering strikeout guy, facing a team with little worry of leaving the yard makes this feel like an even safer pick.

Patrick Sandoval - Boston Red Sox

This one pains me to write a bit, as his only start this week comes at home against my Seattle Mariners, but sometimes that’s just how things shake out. The reality of the situation is that the Mariners are not only a bad offense, but they’re also atrocious away from T-Mobile Park. Their 27-41 record on the road is better than only five other teams in baseball. On the other side of things, you have a Red Sox team turning into one of the best teams in baseball, and a pitcher in Sandoval who has been pretty damn good despite flying under the radar a bit.

In his last seven starts, he’s given up two or fewer runs in six of them. In that seven-start stretch, he’s got a 23% strikeout rate and just a 33% hard-hit rate against. He’s also stranding batters at an 80% clip. You know who loves striking out, softly hitting baseballs, and leaving copious amounts of runners on base? The Seattle Mariners. They have a literal -22.9 wRAA (Weighted Runs Above Average) in the second half of the season. At this point, I could probably start against the Mariners and get penciled in for a quality start. Sandoval is about as safe as it gets this week despite just the one start.

Team Matchups To Target

Baltimore Orioles

at Colorado (3 games) | vs Boston (4 games)

Key Takeaways:

Coors Field, duh. They have to face Boston but have the advantage of being at home, and they’ve averaged 4.44 runs per game against Boston so far this season. I don’t love them facing Tolle and Gray, but the other five matchups are just too juicy to not try and take advantage of.

Los Angeles Dodgers

vs St Louis (3 games) | vs Washington (3 games)

Key Takeaways:

The scariest pitcher the Dodgers were set to face this week was Cade Cavalli, who just got blasted by a comebacker on Saturday and now is likely to miss his next start. After that, they’re facing a real “Who’s Who” of pitchers. Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, Quinn Matthews, TBD, Andrew Alvarez, and Will Dion. Stop me when you hear a pitcher that strikes a little fear in ya. This lineup is going to put up disgusting numbers, so if you have any way of getting a piece of it in your lineup this week, do it.

Houston Astros

vs Chicago White Sox (4 games) | at Arizona (3 games)

Key Takeaways:

A full seven-game slate for this lineup is nice. They get some really good matchups on the hitting side, with the best pitcher they’re set to face being Sean Burke. They’ve looked mediocre as a unit, but this is the kind of week that ends up being one team’s look back on as a turning point for their playoff hopes. Plenty of home runs to be had, so get as many Astros in your lineup as you can handle without it getting out of line.

Team Matchups To Avoid

The Athletics

at Texas (3 games) | at Seattle (4 Games)

Key Takeaways:

They don’t play a single game at home in that glorious hitters park they call home, and they're facing a murderers row of pitching. Jacob DeGrom, Mackenzie Gore, Kade Anderson, Logan Gilbert, and Bryan Woo is a tall task for any team in a single week. I know the Athletics have been a fun lineup, but this week just isn’t the one.

Los Angeles Angels

vs New York Yankees (3 games) | at Pittsburgh (3 games)

Key Takeaways:

Somewhat the same reasoning for avoidance as the Athletics. They’ve got six games, and in those six games they manage to face Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Paul Skenes. Doesn’t leave much meat left on the bone for Angels hitters to get at-bats in a favorable scenario. With every game and every at-bat being important for your fantasy baseball lineups at this point, it’s really hard to trust any Angels hitters this week. Yes, even Mike Trout.

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You know the gimmick. “Guys I’m not leaving my draft without.” Except these guys are different. These are the guys that you sweat watching float out there in the draft pool when your pick is four players away. The clock feels like a million seconds long, you’re fake-laughing at your friend’s vapid joke, but really all you can think about is how much everything will suck if you get sniped right now.

These are those guys for me, and should be for you too.

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Jeremiyah Love

RB | Arizona Cardinals

The single biggest inefficiency during draft season is that people are obsessed with the first few weeks. “Banged up to start the year”, “Week 1 in doubt”... these phrases echo and create doubt in countless managers’ minds. But me? I don’t care about Week 1. I care about Weeks 15-17. And Jeremiyah Love is my ticket to the promised land.

Let’s look at the facts about Love:

Generational prospect? ✅

Highest drafted RB since Saquon? ✅✅

Most guaranteed money ever given to his position? ✅✅✅

Elite receiving skills out of the backfield? ✅✅✅✅

Looks like Adrian Peterson running the ball? ✅✅✅✅✅

In a year where the meta is RB/RB in rounds one and two, getting this caliber of talent and investment in the third round is a certified cheat code. In the last five years, rookie RBs with round one draft capital have averaged almost 14 PPG. If we go back a decade for guys taken in the top 10? Over 16 PPG, which would have been good for RB7 last year.

Oh, and back to that whole “Weeks 15-17” thing? Ya know, the fantasy playoffs? Love gets a platter of poverty franchises in the Jets, Saints, and Raiders. His third-round ADP is a gift and a mere overcorrection to Jeanty going in round one a year ago. Buy the dip, short the VIX, fuck bitcoin— and draft Jeremiyah Love if you want to win your league.

Brian Thomas Jr.

WR | Jacksonville Jaguars

Look, I love Parker Washington as much as the next guy. But the fantasy community is pretending that Washington was awesome and that BTJ was the devil for averaging four fewer yards a game than Washington did. Cue the “Aww... he’s sweet”/”Hello, Human Resources??” meme.

As we did above with Love, let’s look at the facts. Brian Thomas Jr. is the biggest, fastest, and most talented receiver on the Jaguars. He’s also the only one who’s had 1200+ yards in a season. The only one who’s had 10 touchdowns in a season. And the only one with a top 4 WR finish under his belt. He did those as a rookie. His struggles in year two are easily attributable to injuries most wouldn’t have played through. A month ago at camp, when asked how his body feels this year, he smiled and said it no longer hurts to run.

Never before has a player this young and this good been dinged seven full rounds for one injury-riddled season, which is the difference between his ‘25 and ‘26 ADP. He still has the prototypical size, he still has that rare blend of speed and power, he still plays in a Liam Coen offense, and he’s on every single team I’ve drafted.

George Kittle

TE | San Francisco 49ers

Tight ends don’t matter. They so don’t matter that an entire format was created to make them matter more. Once you get past the first three or four TEs every year, they’re essentially all the same. The difference between Trey McBride and TE5 last season was five points per game. The difference between TE5 and TE23 was three points per game. Which brings us to George Kittle.

Kittle averaged more points per game than Brock Bowers last season. Torn Achilles, you say? I say Kittle is perhaps the single toughest player in football. I’ve seen him get something called a “popped knee capsule”, something doctors said would end his season, and come back two weeks later. That he’s already full-strength from a February Achilles tear should tell you he’s just built different. He’s also the best passcatcher on the roster, for an offensive genius coach whose team had fantasy’s highest point-per-game QB a year ago.

And not to get all political here, but the substation thing isn’t real. The Panthers practice next to one too, and you don’t see anyone fading Tet McMillan. Put your tin foil hats on with me and hop aboard the Kittle Train where we get difference-maker production at “just a guy” prices.

Jared Goff

QB | Detroit Lions

I don’t know what I’m missing here, man. There must be something about this guy’s face that people just don’t like. Goff’s finishes the last four years: QB9, QB6, QB7, QB10. A perennial lock for 4500+ yards and 30+ TDs who helms one of the best offenses in the NFL. And the best part is you know when his good games are going to happen ahead of time.

In 47 dome games over the last four years, he averages 19.4 ppg (more than QB7 last year). He plays 12 dome games this season, against the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, in an offense that Vegas has projected as the highest scoring in the league. And by the way, he hasn’t missed a game in four years.

Most would tell you to cuff him with a Kyler type and play the matchups. They say you never want to go “Full Goff”, but I say give me complete exposure to the guy with the best weapons in the NFL.

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One thing that will never cease to amaze me is just how quickly a 162 game baseball season can start to come to an end. We spend all offseason waiting for pitchers and catchers to report. Then once they do, we get hyped to see how spring training shakes out. Then comes opening day. Next thing you know you blink and there’s less than 30 games left.

Despite the speed in which baseball seems to fly by, there are still lots of things that caught my eye along the way. That’s what this Baseball Breakfast Bites is about. In case you forgot, these are meant to be fun, short articles centered around random baseball related things that catch my eye. I also slip in some non-baseball related things along the way because, you know, I also like other things too.

I want to try and keep these a regular thing to make sure I’ve constantly got some baseball content going out with the other sports. Just bear with me though, please. My day job has me working my ass off Tuesday - Friday so it’s not easy for me to find time to write any of those days.

With that in mind, though, let’s get after it…

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Jac Caglianone is going to be an absolute superstar

It’s just like we all thought, and then didn’t think, and then kinda thought “Yeah, maybe” and then kinda forgot about. He just put together a five hit, six RBI performance. Amongst qualified outfielders, Cags is fourth in barrel rate (14.3%), second in hard-hit rate (54.6%), and third in 90th percentile EV (110.4 MPH). Add all that in with his 90% zone contact in the second half and you have a 23 year old kid who is about to light the baseball world on fire in 2027.

This feels like a year where the Mariners somehow limp into the playoffs, look bad, and somehow go on a huge run

This has been one of the most disappointing Mariners seasons of my lifetime and I’m not sure there’s a season in the last 15 years that even comes close. That’s a pretty big statement for a team that’s only three games back in the division currently. Honestly, this team should be running away with the American League West and be talked about as one of the best teams in baseball. I get that Cal is having a down year, the pitching is imploding, Julio forgot how to hit, Taylor Ward can no longer hit the broad side of a barn…that happens. But you know what doesn’t and shouldn’t happen? The manager that has been running this team into the ground keeping his job.

Dan Wilson sucks. He was real cool when I was a kid, but now that I’m an adult heeeee sucks. Rearranged lineup every night, no consistency, keeps starters in too long, then takes other starters out way too early, uses the wrong relievers in different situations, doesn’t know how to get his team to capitalize on a bad matchup…I could go on and on. Fire him already PLEASE.

Randy Arozarena is pretty cool, though. This ended up having nothing to do with the Mariners going on a run in the playoffs but oh well.

Luis Robert is pretty good at baseball again, which is just fun

Do any of you collect baseball cards and remember the crazy hype there was for everything “LuBob” when his rookie cards came out? You’d have thought he was going to be the second coming of Mike Trout. Now, I do love me some Robert and I do think when fully healthy and clicking on all cylinders he’s a special special talent…but that’s a version of him we haven’t seen in quite some time. Including early this season.

Since August 6th, though, he’s slashing .333/.387/.686 with six home runs, a K rate below 20%, and a 186 wRC+. The type of numbers that make you think maybe the good LuBob is still hangin’ around in there somewhere. Obviously we need to see this kind of pace happen for a lot longer to truly start to get excited for what the future could be, but for now I’m just happy with the little glimpse we’re getting currently.

Over the last few months I’ve slowly gotten back into playing Old School RuneScape to pair with my crippling Magic: The Gathering addiction. My super nerd transformation is almost complete

Not much to say for this one. Got into magic like a year and a half ago. Had nobody to play with and mentioned to my wife that I’d build her a deck if she’d be willing to put up with playing against me so I could try some stuff out. Now here we are, 12 decks later, 3 more in the works, and hosting Magic game nights with my brother in law and some friends on Friday and Monday nights.

OSRS is much less eventful but it’s been giving me something to do to pass the time when I’m trying to relax. Working my way towards level 99 Magic and level 99 Strength slowly but surely.

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The second article in this series focuses on the NBA Central Division.

So who am I and why should you read my stuff?

I’m a 49-year-old teacher hailing from the eastern part of North Carolina. I’ve been playing fantasy basketball since before websites did them for free; I kept the stats in college for our league. I’ve seen a lot of hyped guys come and go, and generally can figure out who’s going to produce given minutes.

For the past five years I’ve been writing for Razzball, and when the opportunity came to try something a bit different it felt like the time. I’m still on staff there, both for baseball and basketball, so hit me up there.

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CHICAGO BULLS

Role Riser

Tre Jones is my guy. Not only did he go to Duke, he’s also the perfect point guard to help the new kids develop in what should be a different type of offensive system. He has the best ball security skills on the team and is more efficient than Josh Giddey (more on him below). If you draft Jones, you will have to make up for his lack of three pointers, but they are plentiful elsewhere. He’s a sneaky source of FG% (55% last year) and in leagues counting turnovers he’s a great value with only 1.4 per game. Tre Jones is a terrific value as a second point guard.

Role Reversal

Josh Giddey put up numbers last year. The offense was heliocentric at times, setting him up for the third most touches per game in the league. That will likely change. Norman Powell and Matas Buzelis are worthy of more usage, let alone prized rookie Caleb Wilson. Giddey’s scoring will be less than in the past in Chicago. Rebounding has been a cheat code for Giddey as well, but the young frontcourt in Chicago won’t be as accommodating for Giddey to swoop in and grab loose ball rebounds. If you’re taking Giddey expecting last year’s numbers, you’ll be disappointed.

Stash

Jalen Smith will be an interesting player to monitor. The Bulls are bad, but they won’t want to be bottom-three with the new relegation draft rules. Smith is likely a better player right now than Caleb Wilson. So my theory is that rookies in general, and Wilson specifically, will sit more to start the season and gain minutes after the relegation is avoided. Smith can chip in in threes and blocks, and has low-end value at minimum, but he’s one to watch the minutes for. If he’s getting 25-30, scoop him up.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Role Riser

The Bucks have no reason to sit Kel’el Ware. He’s a developing beast with the chance to be more than just a rebounder. The issue with him in Miami is the effort that coach Eric Spoelstra called him out on. This is overblown; he’s prone to mistakes in boxing out, but that’s not necessarily effort. He even chipped in a three per game. Take Ware for the upside; by the end of the season he’ll be a double double machine.

Role Reversal

If you want a PF who doesn’t rebound, block shots, get steals, or shoot free throws, you should be all over Kyle Kuzma. Ware should take his minutes from the start, and for sure by the end of the season. At age 31, Kuzma’s time as a fantasy asset is nearly over.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Role Reversal

I really don’t know why the Cavs traded Darius Garland for James Harden, and I’d be an angry Cavs fan if I were cursed to be one. Harden is now 36, and his scoring numbers dropped from 25 PPG to 20 after the trade while still turning the ball over 3.1 times per game. This is Donovan Mitchell’s team, followed by Evan Mobley. Harden’s days as a heliocentric player are done, not to mention the risk of injury to guys at age 36. He’s considered a safe pick in the 30s; give me Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, or Derrick White in that range instead. Harden likely isn’t on one of my teams this year.

DETROIT PISTONS

Role Riser

Isaiah Joe was buried in the insanely deep Oklahoma City backcourt, but don’t forget about him moving to Detroit. What did the Pistons lack last year? Shooting range and a defender to go with Cade Cunningham. Joe fits both of these. Duncan Robinson is first on the depth chart for now, but Joe will fill a major role for Detroit. Grab him in the late rounds for some threes and steals juice. He’ll be worth the squeeze (I know, I know, I’m a dad so I’ve earned that joke).

Stash

I love Paul Reed. As a starter he went 15-8-3, averaging 27 minutes in his eleven games started last year. Now, Jalen Duren exists, and John Collins was acquired to fill the 4 position, but Isaiah Stewart took his on-court distractions to Memphis, leaving Reed as the primary backup. Duren averaged 28 minutes per game last year, leaving ample opportunity for Reed to sneak in there and get some value. He’s one of my favorite late round picks with the ability to have mid-round production. If you’re thinking about Mark Williams or Nic Claxton, go with Paul Reed at the end of your draft.

INDIANA PACERS

Stash

Jay Huff will move to his rightful reserve role, but break his glass case if there is an Ivica Zubac injury. Huff isn’t anything special scoring, but he chips in well enough for rebounds and is always good for a couple threes and blocks when he plays. I lost track of how often I streamed him and then dropped him when I was in a close H2H blocks battle, and more often than not he delivers. He’s not draftable, but you know what to do if Zubac has another injury-ruined season.

Role Riser

Aaron Nesmith was overextended in his role last year, leading to a massive drop in shooting percentage and rise in turnovers. This should be fixed with Tyrese Haliburton coming back, cutting Nesmith’s time on the ball as a creator. Nesmith two seasons ago shot 50%, turned it over less than once per game, and hit two three pointers per tilt. He should be back to that type of efficient glue guy for fantasy managers next season, as long as health holds (less than 50 games played each of the last two seasons).

Hope this is helpful! I’m busy preparing for the Yahoo! Friends and Family League, facing guys like Dan Titus from Yahoo, and writers from the Athletic, Rotoworld, Rotowire, Locked On, and more. It’s a brutal battle, so better go start reading up!

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We’ve all been scammed before. The telemarketer who tells you you won a cruise, the online customer service rep who asks to control your screen, and drafting players you thought were awesome only to find out they’re a whole lotta mid. The source of these scams, at least in the land of fantasy football, is season-long finishes and the weight they carry. Let’s examine some fake ones and real ones to help protect your valuable resources come draft day.

SCAMS

Zay Flowers

WR / Baltimore Ravens / Last Year’s WR7

This is about as scammy as it gets. Anyone looking at Zay Flowers this season sees last year’s WR7, one of the shiftiest players in football, and the clear #1 target for an MVP quarterback. Anyone, of course, but the people who had Zay on their teams last season.

That WR7 finish is a product of two things: a historically low receiving output across the entire league (his same stats would have ranked WR12 in 2023, WR15 in 2024) and the slew of injuries to top-tier receivers. On a per-game basis, Zay slides to WR14 last season and within 0.3 ppg of WR18. More than that, the week-to-week experience of owning him was tortuous. Never bad enough you don’t play him, rarely ever good enough to help you win.

He was a top 12 WR just in 13% of his starts. He was outside the top 24 WRs in 11 out of 16 fantasy-season games. Clicking Zay and expecting WR1 numbers is like clicking that “Your package could not be delivered” text you got from some hotmail.com email address.

Kyle Pitts

TE / Atlanta Falcons / Last Year’s TE2

This isn’t exactly breaking news to anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock since 2021, but Kyle Pitts is a Mike Ross level fraud, except without any of the skills. I mean, TE2? 2? That’s what we all envisioned when the Falcons took him over the likes of Ja’Marr Chase in 2021. But when something looks too good to be true, it usually is.

Pitts scored a grand total of 1 touchdown last year prior to the fantasy playoffs. Then in week 14 he exploded for 166 yards and 3 TDs, dominating consolation brackets across the country. During the fantasy regular season, Kyle Pitts was TE21 per game. Throw out his 40-burger outlier week and he’s TE16 on the year. That “TE2 finish” is one of the more obvious scams, like Michael Jackson DM’ing you on instagram to ask for $3000 to finish his new album.

Rico Dowdle

RB / Pittsburgh Steelers / Last Year’s RB17

Linsanity runs are a telltale sign of a trap player, and boy-oh-boy do we have one here. Rico had a two-game performance for the record books, tallying 473 yards in weeks 5 and 6 last year, 35% of his season’s total yards. Still, a back-to-back 1000 yard rusher entering a seemingly ambiguous backfield who was an RB2? This particular scam is well done, like those fake PayPal emails where they get the UI and the branding exactly right.

But upon further review, you realize that Rico is a 28-year-old undrafted journeyman who averaged RB33 numbers when he wasn’t cosplaying as HGH-season Adrian Peterson for those two weeks.

GOOD... SCAMS?

Ceedee Lamb

WR / Dallas Cowboys / Last Year’s WR20

WR20 is fake as hell— in a good way. We all remember last season as one in which George Pickens (WR5) kinda ate Lamb’s lunch. But the numbers tell a different story. Lamb is credited for 14 games played, but two of those games ended only a few plays in (one due to injury, the other due to week 18 shenanigans). If we look at just the games he actually played all of, Lamb jumps to WR10 per game, on a 1500+ yard pace (more than Pickens).

He’s trended well below the TD scoring his volume should indicate, so I expect some positive regression in that area. Click confidently in round 2 if the RBs you like are gone while your leaguemates balk at his skewed season-long finish.

Justin Jefferson

WR / Minnesota Vikings / Last Year’s WR25

This blurb exists not to tell you the obvious, that Jefferson struggled last year due to playing with JJ McCarthy. No, I am spotlighting Jettas here because the degree of bad McCarthy was is almost impossible to quantify in words. It was a staggering, historical level of incompetence that far exceeds any regular young-QB struggles.

Prior to getting Nine’d, Jefferson led all humans in the history of mankind in NFL receiving yards per game at almost 100 per, a number he equaled with Carson Wentz for 5 games. The 10 games with McCarthy cut that number clean in half, essentially turning Jefferson into Dolphins Jonnu Smith. Again— with JJ McCarthy, 900 yard full-season pace. With Carson Wentz, 1600+. Minnesota is never letting 9 touch a field Justin Jefferson is on ever again.

Trust the 84 other games of Jefferson’s career over the 10 he shared with one of the worst throwers in the history of the sport.

Blake Corum

RB / Los Angeles Rams / Last Year’s RB35

This is a context matters pick, because his per-game stats (RB45) are even worse than his season-long finish. Before the Rams’ bye week, he was outside the top 60 RBs in fantasy. After it? A fringe RB2, ranked 26th at the position. And he ended on a heater, gaining more trust and opportunity to the tune of 6.4 ypc over his final 5 outings when he was a top 17 guy.

If we’re going to reward the Michael Wilsons and Parker Washingtons (and I think we should) for their end of season barrage, we gotta show some love to Corum. His season-long finish is tanked by his early season workload and in no way reflects the level of player he is or the role he has walking into 2026.

(ADPs per FantasyPro’s Live ADP Tracker; all analysis assumes 0.5 PPR and 12 man league)

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Any NBA player can have fantasy value.

That’s the bedrock, the foundation of my work in this exciting new space. Finding NBA players who are moving into roles that can provide fantasy value, or identifying trends leading to a reduced role and less value.

All these guys are great real-life basketball players. The trick in fantasy basketball is figuring out the changes and what’s real. That’s my goal for you, my hopefully long-term and invested reader.

Let’s start with the NBA Atlantic.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Role Riser

No real risers, but don’t stress Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown. They’re going to be just as valuable as before. The scoring may drop a tick, but they should make up for that with improved efficiency numbers. Don’t forget the missed games too; LeBron is 42, and Embiid has the body of a 49-year-old. As a current 49-year-old human, I know how he feels, and he’ll miss his share of games. Look for Maxey and Brown to pick up the slack in those games.

Role Reversal

VJ Edgecombe has a bright future and a high ceiling. He’s also the fifth option as a second-year player and has a solid player behind him in Anfernee Simons. On a different, developing team, he would be a sure-fire breakout candidate. On this team, looking to win a championship this year, VJ development will take a back seat to wins. Managers looking for a breakout should look elsewhere this season.

Stash

The Sixers are aiming to be healthy for the playoffs, so expect a lot of missed games for the frontcourt of LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Adem Bona is a good fill-in at center if you can afford the roster spot. In games where he played over 30 minutes, Bona averaged 9 points and 8 boards, and most importantly, advanced stats showed a positive box score plus/minus. Keep an eye on how the Sixers use Bona; he could be a helpful UTIL guy or stream when Embiid is unavailable.

BOSTON CELTICS

Role Riser

Jaylen Brown is gone. Jayson Tatum is here with basically the same roster. Jaylen Brown had a career season. Tatum gets to take that usage, and he’s a significantly better player than Brown. I’m taking Tatum third overall if I get the chance. He’s the complete focal point of a good Celtics team, and hop aboard, especially if you get him toward the end of the first round.

Target Acquired

Neemias Queta is going to be the exact double-double threat he was last year. Mitchell Robinson isn’t healthy enough, and Queta will get the minutes he had last year. Basketball Reference projects a 14-11 line with 2 blocks and a steal on 63% shooting. While the points may be high, Queta can be Rudy Gobert-esque this year.

BROOKLYN NETS

Role Risers

Day’ron Sharpe moves into the starting role unchallenged this year. 11-8-4 is a solid slash line for a second center, especially shooting over 60% from the field. This is as obvious as the large, protruding nose on my face. Sharpe is a good old-school big and has his first chance to start. Look for him to seize it.

Role Reversal

I’m not drafting Mikel Brown Jr. this year. The electric rookie has potential, but for this year he looks like an inefficient guard who’s got to figure out his role on the fly as a youngster. He was wildly effective sometimes at Louisville; he also struggled in games against good competition. Watch for flashes, but let someone else draft him. His inefficiency will be an anchor your team needs to overcome.

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NEW YORK KNICKS

Role Reversal

Nothing against OG Anunoby as a player. He suited up 67 times last year and 74 the previous one and been a solid asset. It’s the years before that that continue to give pause. OG missed over 30 games in 3 of the 4 previous seasons, averaging 52 games played. Now, factor in the Knicks playing into June, and you can see the risk. Not to predict injury, but injury prevention is the name of the game in today’s NBA and OG will likely be rested more. Hashtag basketball shows OG is being drafted at pick 60. I’d pass and take a safer guy in that range (Stephen Castle, Ivica Zubac) or an upside play like Jaren Jackson Jr.

Stash

Andre Drummond is a stat-getter. He averaged 8.4 rebounds per game, useful numbers for sure. Moving to New York makes him the primary backup big, in line for 20-25 minutes per game. In that range last year, he scored 8.4 with over 10 boards per game. You’ll have to address the free throw issues, but Drummond is a useful FLEX player with upside for more if the Knicks rest players more this season.

TORONTO RAPTORS

Role Risers

Tickets have been sold and seats filled for the Collin Murray-Boyles train. January showed what the second-year athletic big man can do: 10-7.4-3.7 in 30 minutes, most of the time starting. The Raptors used him heavily in the playoffs as well. Look for this to continue as Toronto pivots to an incredibly fertile fantasy environment, and Murray-Boyles will be right smack dab in the middle of it. He’s going late in drafts for the last time.

There’s the Atlantic. Next I’ll tackle the Central division. Good luck in your early drafts and thanks for reading!

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YOU’RE DRAFTING THE WRONG UPSIDE

“Upside” — a fantasy buzzword thrown around so casually it’s lost all meaning. So what does it really mean? Upside is, quite simply, whether a player will meaningfully outperform the price paid for them. The problem is that the players who get stamped with the upside label are inevitably priced at their ceilings (see: Luther Burden, Chase Brown). Walk with me as we wade into the ADPs to uncover the real buried gold— and the traps— that await in this year’s drafts.

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MASSIVE UPSIDE

Jameson Williams

WR | Detroit Lions | 5.07 ADP

Jamo is many things— a former top 12 pick, the fastest player in the NFL, the best IG follow— but what he is most of all is a victim of false narrative. The perception of Williams is that he’s just a deep threat who needs to catch a bomb TD to pay off your week. The truth is that he runs a full route tree, excels versus man and zone, devours YAC, and has elite contact balance. He’s not boom/bust at all, but rather a complete receiver who just finished as a WR1 while catching only one deep-ball touchdown.

Jamo’s super power— and where his upside lies— is his efficiency. This is a special player on a per-target basis. He put up 1000 yards/7 TDs on 91 targets two seasons ago. Last year he earned 10 more targets and jumped to WR10. If Williams, who the Lions absolutely love and has been a star at camp, can earn even 1 more target a game— 17 more across the season— he will put up 1300 yards on a top 3 offense in football. And who is the Lions’ Offensive Coordinator now? Oh, it’s Drew Petzing, who last year let Jacoby Brissett set the NFL record for throws in a game, and had Arizona lead the whole league in passing attempts. Jamo is a rocketship to the moon at WR25 cost. Go get him.

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Brandon Aubrey

K | Dallas Cowboys | 11.09 ADP

Adjust your glasses, clutch your pearls— yes, that’s a kicker on the upside list. The degree to which Aubrey is the best kicker in the NFL cannot be overstated. There’s no bigger gap between 1st and 2nd best player at any other position in fantasy. The key is you gotta use your imagination— don’t think of him as a kicker. No, when you think of Brandon Scott Aubrey, think of AJ Brown or Saquon Barkley because that’s the level of production he is going to be dishing out from your K slot. The 12th best kicker? They’re going to give you Troy Franklin numbers. And if your league awards extra points for 60 yarders? You almost can’t draft Aubrey early enough.

Grab him in the 10th round, let your friends ridicule you while they draft the Michael Pittmans and Jake Fergusons of the world, then sit back and enjoy the upside of a cheat code positional advantage who won’t get hurt.

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Matthew Stafford

QB | Los Angeles Rams | 10.09 ADP

Sometimes, things are just simple. Matt Stafford was QB3 last season, and is going as QB15. I repeat— a 4th round value is going in the 10th round. If Stafford regresses and throws even 20 less TDs than last season— then he actually will be the QB15, which is where you drafted him. But don’t trust me, trust Vegas. They project the Rams to lead the league in scoring. And Stafford is an absolute vulture on the goal-line, throwing more 1-yard TDs last year (8) than anyone ever has in a season, which offsets the lack of rushing upside he gets dinged for. He is this season’s Easy Button. Click it as early as the 9th round and enjoy having Sean McVay— unambiguously the best offensive mind on the planet— dialing up tuddys for you all year long.

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ZERO UPSIDE

Malik Nabers

WR | New York Giants | 3.06 ADP

The injury isn’t the problem here. It’s not even close to being the problem. If Nabers had never gotten hurt and put up 1400 yards last season, he would still be the first player on the downside column. The concern is not his ability but his head coach. John Harbaugh’s teams, despite having Lamar Jackson, have thrown significantly less than anyone else since 2020. His offenses are routinely dead-last in passing attempts. Last year, when Lamar was hurt and he had less-than-stellar QBs at the helm, Baltimore was last in the league by 50 attempts. His QB is now... Jaxon Dart.

Nabers, in his record-setting rookie season, put up 1200 yards on 170 targets. If his targets fall to even 150— more than any Harbaugh receiver has ever had— he will struggle to break 1000 yards. And again— this is all assuming he is instantly his 2024 self again. Nabers is the quickest way to lose your league this season with his 3rd round ADP.

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Treveyon Henderson

RB | New England Patriots | 4.09 ADP

Many look at Henderson and think “Vrabel doesn’t trust rookies, that’s why Hendy was behind Rhamondre last year. In year 2, it’s wheels up.” Would it surprise you to learn that Henderson had 53 more touches than Rhamondre last year? They gave the rookie 215 touches, which is a lot. Then they phased him out of their offense completely in the playoffs (2 carries vs Conf. Champ, 6 in Super Bowl).

Henderson is good at one thing and one thing only— running fast in a straight line. He is possibly the single worst pass protecting back in the league, misses open lanes, struggles between the tackles... he just is not who people think he is. He’s a handcuff, going in round four. No thank you.

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DJ Moore

WR | Buffalo Bills | 5.03 ADP

Hop in the Delorean and travel back to 2023, Week 9. The Eras Tour is in full swing and Stefon Diggs is a top 3 WR on a 1600-yard pace. All good, right? Wrong. The second half of the year, Diggs fell off the face of the earth and averaged 40 yards a game. So, what changed at the exact point Diggs went from amazing to useless? Joe Brady became Buffalo’s Offensive Coordinator, implementing a run first approach that has neutered even Josh Allen’s passing output ever since. Who just became the Head Coach of the Bills? Joe Brady did.

People look at DJ Moore and see Stefon Diggs 2.0. He’s going to be closer to Amari Cooper-on-the-Bills 2.0, a time so insignificant most don’t remember it even happening. If Ben Johnson couldn’t get 700 yards out of DJ Moore, I’m not going to bet on the guy who ruined Stefon Diggs to get 1100 yards out of him. Heed the warnings of history and believe what the past is telling us.

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Well, well, well, isn’t this a familiar feeling. I know it’s been a minute, but it honestly feels like I’m picking up right where I left off.

If you’ve been around for awhile, the concept of my waiver wire articles is likely the reason you are here to begin with. If you’re new, the shtick is I find and highlight my favorite waiver wire options at every position. I avoid the overly obvious ones (you don’t need me to tell you to go pick up Kade Anderson this week), and try to highlight the ones widely available. Something many people do, but I like to think mine are more fun.

Also, if you’ve been around a while, you may notice I’ve rebranded. What was once Fake Baseball has now graduated to “The Roster Report”. As much as I loved the previous name, I have bigger goals for the brand. The main one is a transition into other fantasy sports as well. Specifically, fantasy football and basketball. This name suits that better, as nobody really wants to read a fantasy football article from a site called “Fake Baseball”.

More news on those coming soon, but that content will begin in the very near future. If you want to make sure you’re here for it from the beginning, make sure you subscribe. It’s free!

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With that in mind, though, let’s dig into that waiver wire.

Catcher

Moises Ballesteros - Angels

ESPN: 1.8% | Yahoo: 3% | CBS: 20%

The catcher position may be slim, but Ballesteros stands out as a widely available option who’s still seeing everyday at-bats. It’s been a slow transition to the Angels, but he’s starting to heat up. He’s got multiple hits in two of his last three games with a couple of doubles and three RBI.

The matchups he has coming up aren’t ideal, but sometimes the best ability is availability, and few on the waiver wire offer you what Ballesteros does right now. Add him hoping he stays hot-ish, but keep the expectations on the low side.

First Base

Nick Sogard - Red Sox

ESPN: 1.1% | Yahoo: 2% | CBS: 2%

Right now, Sogard is what I like to call a “Triple Whammy”. He hits leadoff most games, has triple position eligibility (1B, 2B, 3B), and is absolutely raking. In his last 17 games, he’s hitting .288 with an OPS of .801 and has scored 13 runs. There’s no sign of him slowing down either, with multiple hits or R+RBI in five straight and six of his last eight games.

He’s not going to offer you anything in terms of home run power or stolen bases, but he offers high enough output everywhere else to be more than worth the add. Especially in points leagues.

Deyvison De Los Santos - Marlins

ESPN: 0% | Yahoo: 0% | CBS: 3%

This one is a bit more of a “get him before everyone else has a chance” pick, but I think a legitimate argument can be made that De Los Santos can make a serious impact. At least in the short term. He was just called up by Miami and has a good combo of both power (108.2 MPH 90th Percentile EV) and speed (18 steals). Something that can be tough to find on the wire this late into the season.

While I do wish he pulled more fly balls, and that may hold back the home run potential a bit, he carries a line drive rate that should find a good amount of success at LoanDepot Park. I think just enough non-Marlins fans forgot he existed to make this an addition your leaguemates end up jealous of.

Second Base

INSERT NICK SOGARD AS OPTION ONE RIGHT HERE

Keep it simple.

Jeff McNeil - Athletics

ESPN: 10% | Yahoo: 19% | CBS: 19%

One of the sneakiest “good” fantasy players of the season has to be McNeil. I know that home stadium may make him seem like a bit of a home-field merchant, but it couldn’t be less true. He’s been solid everywhere, especially in the second half of the season. Since July 18th, he’s hitting .359 with 17 RBI and an .892 OPS. On top of that, he’s got eight XBH and five stolen bases to throw in. His batting average leads all second basemen with at least 90 ABs in that timeframe, and his OPS is third only behind Fernando Tatis Jr and Bryson Stott.

This is a somewhat long-winded way of saying McNeil is still fantasy relevant and in the midst of a hot streak that can help you lock down a playoff spot and make a run at a league title. Don’t overthink it; add the man already.

Third Base

I’ve got two words for you…NICK. SOGARD.

Yes, again.

Jordan Lawlar - Diamondbacks

ESPN: 3.1% | Yahoo: 6% | CBS: 35%

The epitome of a post hype sleeper is what I’d consider Lawlar right now. Hyped prospect who struggled a bit last season and lost the hype, gained the hype again in spring and the start of the season, only to get hurt and lose the hype again because he was out so long. Now he’s back, and I think he’s worth an add just about everywhere. Don’t let his 0-for-10 in those first three games back scare you; that was just him knocking off the rust. Lawlar has a unique blend of both power and speed that you don’t often find just lying around.

I know we’re working with nothing but small sample sizes for him at the moment, which means you can find reasons to write off his success. Before you do that, though, take into account that his zone contact rate jumped almost 12% to an incredibly good 91.3% this season. Combine that with the fact he’s now crushing fastballs (.548 SLG) and hitting a crisp .500 against offspeed pitches, and we may finally have ourselves the version of Lawlar we all hoped to see one day. He’s going to be playing regularly for the Diamondbacks, which means he should also be playing regularly for your fantasy team.

Shortstop

Matt McLain - Reds

ESPN: 7.4% | Yahoo: 33% | CBS: 31%

Ok, so McLain is a bit more rostered on Yahoo and CBS than I typically like to put in these articles, but he comes with a disclaimer. That disclaimer is that this is solely a vibes pick and should only be made if you’re not too concerned with how your batting average shakes out the rest of the way. A Hail Mary pickup, if you will. However, there have been some signs of life. Since August 4th, he’s hitting .241, which is a nice improvement. It’s still not good enough to get him to the Mendoza Line, though. In that same timeframe, he’s also second amongst middle infielders with five home runs and the only qualified middle infielder with 5+ HR and 3+ SB.

In short, he’s out here giving you a little bit of some stuff and a lotta bit of other stuff. The lotta bit of stuff should far outweigh everything else, and he’s at a point of being a potential difference-maker at the end of the fantasy season.

Kaelen Culpepper - Twins

ESPN: 2.9% | Yahoo: 6% | CBS: 32%

Another guy flying slightly under the radar as someone who can offer some decent pop and flashed enough speed in the minors to keep things interesting. What really caught my eye with Culpepper, though, was his combination of zone contact (88.9% AAA, 87.2% MLB) and line drive rate (23.7% AAA, 34.6% MLB). Arbitrary numbers to some, but it’s a combination that has shown proven success in the majors time and time again. He shmacked his second big league home run today and has hits in nine of his first 12 games. The upside is there, so he’s more than worth at least a speculative add.

Outfield

Jordan Lawlar is option numero uno by a mile

Another instance of “Don’t overthink it”.

Brett Bateman - Blue Jays

ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 1% | CBS: 3%

If you’re looking to add power to your lineup, look elsewhere. If you’re looking to add literally everything else, or you play in a points league, you’ve come to the right place. Bateman checks many of the boxes I absolutely love: He’s hitting leadoff consistently, he gets on base a ton, and he has the ability to contribute in every category but one. Bateman kind of feels like a poor man’s Steven Kwan. Not much power potential, but he’s making zone contact 90.4% of the time, whiffing only 18.2% of the time, and showing the ability to hit both fastballs and breaking stuff with consistency.

I’d like to see him score a few more runs out of the leadoff position, but that’s more of a detriment to his team rather than him. Should he continue to get on base like he has (multiple hits in six of his last nine games), those runs should start pouring in.

Pitchers I Like

Jacob Lopez - Athletics

Randy Dobnak - Royals

Andrew Alvarez - Nationals

Honorable Mentions

Jose Fernandez - SS/1B/3B/OF - Diamondbacks

Javier Sanoja - 2B/3B/OF - Marlins

Michael Massey - 2B - Royals

Luis Lara - OF - Brewers

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There are few things in life I miss more than writing. The thinking through article concepts, the research, the formatting of the articles…it’s something that’s been more in than out of my life over the last 20 years. I’ve quit, come back, quit, come back for a really long time, quit again, thought I was coming back, didn’t come back, and now here I am working on another comeback.

It’s frustrating, I know.

With me attempting to come back again, I’m going to try and skip the overly drawn out intro for this one. Going forward prepare for a mix of fantasy + general baseball content. Mostly written, some video, and possibly a podcast return in the future. (I’m putting the cart a bit before the horse so take that last one as a big maybe).

All of that’s to say, I’m excited for what the future may hold. Now let’s talk some baseball.

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Potential Playoff Powerhouses

(I really wanted an alliteration in there, “powerhouse” might be a bit overkill)

Tommy White - 1B/3B - A’s

The king of the college home run has finally popped his major league home run cherry. The underlying numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but that’s not overly surprising for a rookie. With that being said, he’s now on a six game hitting streak where he’s hit two dingers and driven in six while keeping the strikeout rate low. He’s got 18 more games at home in right handed heaven, and 18 road games which include eight games against the Royals, Astros, and Rays which are all top six parks in baseball for right handed home run hitters. If you’re looking for corner infield help or an influx in power, White is an excellent option.

Drew Gilbert - OF - Giants

From top prospect, to being forgotten, to now back on the radar. That’s the way we like em around here. Of all the things Gilbert has going for him at the moment, getting a taste of hitting leadoff is probably what intrigues me the most. It’s a small three game sample size, but with the Giants having nothing to lose at this point this could be the kind of end of season switch up that flies under the radar but yields positive results. His underlying numbers in August also show his recent success at the plate is no fluke. He’s walking about as much as he strikes out (12.5%/14.9%), he’s seen a solid jump in line drive rate, and because of that his xwOBA of .391 not only shows it’s not a fluke, it means he has room to improve beyond this as well. You can never have too many outfielders in fantasy, Gilbert is worth at least a stash.

Brett Callahan - OF - Tigers

The Tigers seem to have the magic touch when it comes to rookies this year, with Callahan being their newest success story. Callahan is one of those guys who seems to just do everything right. In the minors he showed speed (29 stolen bases in 93 games), contact (90.4% zone contact rate), XBH prowess (34 XBH in 357 AB), and an impressive .808 OPS across two levels. He’s not a guy who’s going to hit a million home runs, but he’s a guy who’ll consistently get on base and contribute in multiple categories as long as the Tigers give him regular ABs. Take advantage of his short term production before it snowballs into something bigger and you miss out.

Brock Rodden - SS/3B - Mariners

His stint in the majors is going to depend on the severity of Colt Emerson’s wrist injury, but while he’s up expect Rodden to be electric. He’s a guy who played so well this spring Mariners fans wanted the team to find him a spot on the opening day roster. All he’s done since then is mash at the plate to the tune of 44 XBH and an .841 OPS in fewer than 100 games. His small frame is going to hold back his home run numbers a bit, but he has a chance to contribute enough in all five categories to be well worth the roster spot right now. With how much of a struggle it’s been for the Mariners at the plate, Rodden has a chance to be a key piece to turning that around in the coming weeks.

Well, there you have it. A little more short and sweet than previous articles, but hopefully still something you guys find helpful. I missed you guys.

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Last June I reached a breaking point. I was working full time at the same place for more than a decade while also busting my ass to constantly get out as much content as possible. I had a great work/life balance that allowed me to do both things while still being a present father and enjoying time with my family.

Then I was presented a new work opportunity that was too good to pass up. And with that spelled the beginning of the end of that perfect balance I had created. Nothing drastic happened, but the shift in schedule changed every bit of free time I had and I was no longer able to maintain the content schedule I had set for myself and that you all had come to expect. In the end, I burned the candle at both ends to the point of no return and my content had to be set aside.

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The good news is I’ve now regained that balance and with it has come both the love for writing and the time to write that I’ve missed so much.

Now, to stop myself from burning out again there are going to be some significant changes in content schedule which some may love and some may hate which I understand BUT ultimately it’s what I feel needs to happen.

• I will no longer be producing multiple articles a week, every week. It’s not as realistic as it once was and at times it forces me to rush content which produces poorly written work that I’m not proud of. Quality is always more important than quantity.

• I’m not going to have set days that content goes out. I know it makes it easier for you guys to expect when you’ll get new content, but again I’m trying to make the work/life balance thing a priority. If I’ve got a date night planned for Saturday night I don’t want to have to rush home and write until 3 am to make sure something gets out. Sometimes I need some sleep lol.

• I will be significantly more active in the subscriber chat. I’ll also do my best to respond to each and every DM as I typically do but please keep it reasonable. Remember I have over 1000 of you on here, the amount of DMs I get at times can be a bit overwhelming, but I love the hell out of it. Just give me time and I’ll respond to them all.

I know how my brain works and I know I’ll probably break these rules at some point and start pumping out content non stop again. For now, though, Fake Baseball is focused solely on quality over quantity. You get the best content out of me when I’m having fun doing it, I want to make sure I’m able to always give that to you going forward.

With that in mind, stay tuned for the first article of 2026 coming soon 😁 I’m looking forward to a big and successful baseball season!

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Here are my updated fantasy baseball second base rankings. These are my rankings based on both current production, production trends, playing time outlook, and current injury concerns. Which rank surprised you the most? Who would you rank differently?

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Here are my updated fantasy baseball first base rankings. These are my rankings based on both current production, production trends, playing time outlook, and current injury concerns. Which rank surprised you the most? Who would you rank differently?

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Read more

One of the best parts about late June, early July is the fact that the entire focus of every sports fan is now squarely on baseball. At least it should be. We’ve reached the point of the year where all other major sports have ended, and baseball is front and center. It also just so happens to be the point of the season where many fantasy baseball managers start to feel the drag of the long season. It’s understandable, but it’s also when your roster management becomes most important.

Whether it be head-to-head, category, or rotisserie leagues, this is the point in the season where you can really start closing the gap between you and the teams leading your league. It is also the time when you can be a league leader and widen that gap between you and everyone else. It can be something as simple as nailing a starting pitcher that week, or adding some of the guys who may have seen a lag in production to start the season and are now starting to round into form.

It’s also the time when we really start to see a lot of prospects getting the call. Shout-out to Aaron (@PiquingProspect) for putting out his amazing prospect report once again this week. If you’re looking for a leg up on your league mates when it comes to prospects and who’s worth keeping an eye on, make sure you check it out right here.

If you like our content here at Fake Baseball, consider becoming a paid subscriber! For just $5/month, you get early access to all content as well as exclusive paid subscriber-only articles + rankings. It’s the best way to get a leg up on your league mates and lock down that league title!

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Catcher

Gary Sanchez - Baltimore Orioles

ESPN: 2% | Yahoo: 6% | CBS: 14% | Fantrax: 15%

The biggest benefactor of the Adley Rutschman injury is the ageless wonder himself, Gary Sanchez. The dude has shown up in the Orioles lineup and done what he does best, and that's hit dingers. In the fantasy baseball world, the best ability is availability, and that is something Sanchez is going to get a lot of for the next few weeks. He’s proven over his career that the power is legit, and while the batting average isn’t going to impress anyone, the home runs and RBI opportunities should continue to be plentiful. He’s worth an add in deep single-catcher leagues and two-catcher leagues.

First Base

Donovan Solano - Seattle Mariners

ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 3% | CBS: 2% | Fantrax: 8%

The theme of these articles over the last few weeks has seemingly been “boring is beautiful”. That is probably going to be the case once again this week, and Solano is the start of that. First of all, he’s not here because of his two-dinger game. He does not have the power to do that more than once, and he was aided by some crazy wind in Chicago. The reason he’s here is the fact that Solano has been an ELITE hitter since May 24th. In his 57 plate appearances since then, he’s slashing .423/.474/.615 with 15 RBI and a strikeout rate below 16%. He’s mainly hitting singles, but he’s proven over the course of his career to be a guy who can carry a high average. That Mariners offense is clicking on all cylinders, so take advantage of Solano and his on-base ability and the RBI opportunities that come with it.

Nolan Schanuel - Los Angeles Angels

ESPN: 14% | Yahoo: 17% | CBS: 53% | Fantrax: 75%

He was here last week, and he’s here once again. Something has clicked for Schanuel this season, and he’s been quite the fantasy asset at the first base position. He’s gone from boring on base guy to a well-rounded player who’s flashed some power potential as of late. Four home runs and seven XBH in his last 11 games, and a .328 average with RISP on the season make Schanuel a sneaky good option right now and for potentially the rest of the season.

Second Base

Caleb Durbin - Milwaukee Brewers

ESPN: 4% | Yahoo: 12% | CBS: 23% | Fantrax: 48%

If you’ve been frequenting Fake Baseball for a while, you’d know I have a soft spot for Durbin. I’ve affectionately coined him as the “Infield Steven Kwa,n” and it becomes more and more true by the week. ELITE zone contact (93.1%), a low swinging strike rate (5.3%), and doubles power with the potential to find his way into 10-12 home runs and stolen bases make him a sneaky good option. He’s also been on an absolute tear in the run scoring department with the Brewers offense being incredibly hot. In his last 13 games, he’s scored 14 runs, which is tied for the third-best in baseball. In that timeframe, he’s also hitting .383 with a .955 OPS. He’s multi-position eligible and should be added in most leagues at the moment.

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Otto Lopez - Miami Marlins

ESPN: 9% | Yahoo: 11% | CBS: 26% | Fantrax: 57%

There are few hitters in baseball as hot as Lopez is right now, which means if he’s available in your league, it likely won’t be for much longer. Over the last eight games, he’s had multiple hits in five of them, scored nine runs, driven in 13, and had four XBH, including dingers in back-to-back games. All of this from a guy coming into the season touted for his speed. We haven’t seen the stolen base numbers as of late that you hoped to see from him, but he’s doing enough in all the other categories to make him a very intriguing option. His upside was already talked about coming into this season, and we may finally be seeing it come to fruition.

Third Base

Matt Vierling - Detroit Tigers

ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 2% | CBS: 5% | Fantrax: 37%

Vierling seems to have been bitten by a radioactive injury bug coming into this season; the guy can’t catch a break. The good news, though, is that he’s now finally healthy (once again), which means he should be on everyone’s fantasy radar. 2024 was a prime example of why. 49 XBH, 80 runs scored, six stolen bases, and a .257 average made Vierling a guy with both a safe floor and a decent ceiling. He’s more than likely going to continue hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, but the Tigers have scored the fourth most runs in baseball this season, so he should have no problem finding his way into a bunch of counting stats. His return from injury flew under the radar, so use this as your opportunity to add a guy eligible in a ton of positions, putting up the kind of numbers you’ll be more than happy with moving forward. Or at least until he’s injured again.

Cam Smith - Houston Astros

ESPN: 11% | Yahoo: 33% | CBS: 74% | Fantrax: 74%

Every week, I add one guy who’s a bit more rostered than I’d typically like to put on here, but they’re just too good for me to not add for those of you who still have them available in your league. Cam Smith has finally started clicking at the plate, and the results have been scary good. Like, better than even the most optimistic people expected him to be this season. He started out slowly this season, like most other rookies did, and now he’s become not only one of the most productive rookies but one of the most productive players in all of baseball. Since going 0-for in a five-game stretch against the Rays and Pirates, Cam has hits in 17 of his last 20 games, including five doubles, four home runs, and an OPS over .900. He has reached must add territory in all leagues.

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Shortstop

Otto Lopez, Caleb Durbin, and Matt Vierling are all shortstop eligible, and all three would be my favorite options to add at the position this week as well. Ernie Clement gets an honorary mention as well, but don’t overthink it. If you need a shortstop, add one of those three.

Outfield

Jo Adell - Los Angeles Angels

ESPN: 15% | Yahoo: 40% | CBS: 68% | Fantrax: 76%

If you look up “post hype sleeper” in the dictionary, a big, fat picture of Jo Adell is waiting for you. I had mentioned on twitter two weeks ago that I went to write about why you shouldn’t be adding Adell in fantasy baseball,l but the more research I did, the more I fell in love with him. That’s still true to this day. The raw power has always been real; it’s the contact that’s been the issue. This year, that’s changed. His zone swing rate has come up considerably (73.1%), but so has his zone contact (82.4%), and his chase rate is at the lowest of his career as well (30%). Combine all of those with his elite power metrics and swing speed (this man swings HARD), and you get someone with the ability to flirt with 40 home runs should he continue to produce at his current level. A number only a handful of players in baseball have the ability to produce. Despite the lower batting average (he does have a .272 xBA!), we are finally witnessing what it looks like when Adell puts it all together and who knows, this still may not even be his final form.

Dominic Canzone - Seattle Mariners

ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 1% | CBS: 3% | Fantrax: 14%

DO NOT add Canzone if you’re looking for a boost in the batting average department. DO add Canzone if you’re looking for a major boost in the home runs and good vibes departments. He is everything Jo Adell is right now, minus the stolen base ability. He hasn’t played many games at the major league level this season (just 18), but he’s already hit five dingers, and that man doesn’t know how to hit anything other than no-doubters. All five of his home runs have gone 396+ feet, and he’s now hit 19 total in just under 400 career at-bats. With the Mariners opening up a spot in right field, Canzone feels like a lock as the strong side platoon guy out there for the foreseeable future. If that’s the case, you should continue to get plenty of home run production out of him. It’ll also make seeing his pimp job after every home run that much more entertaining. He’s more of a short-term, deep league addition, but there’s still plenty of value to be had from a guy hardly rostered in any leagues at the moment.

Honorable Mentions

Ernie Clement - Toronto Blue Jays

Isaac Collins - Milwaukee Brewers

Tyler Freeman - Colorado Rockies

Brooks Lee - Minnesota Twins

Pitchers I Like

Jacob Lopez - Athletics

Janson Junk - Miami Marlins

Brian Bello - Boston Red Sox

If you enjoyed what you read, please make sure to subscribe so you never miss out on the latest content from Fake Baseball! You can also follow me on X as well for all my random baseball and fantasy baseball-related thoughts!

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Welcome to Volume 6 of the Piquing Prospects biweekly prospect report! This is the sixth installment in the biweekly series where we recap noteworthy minor league performances of top prospects and identify breakout targets for players in leagues of all sizes. The goal of this series will be to give our subscribers an edge when it comes to adding prospects to their dynasty teams. This report is published once every two weeks, and player reports are broken into four main categories:

1. Redraft Stashes - these are prospects that should be owned in ALL leagues, even in non-dynasty formats, because of the impact they project to make when called up.

2. Top 100 Dynasty Prospects - prospects that are likely owned in all but the shallowest of dynasty leagues. 

3. Deep League Dives - “Deep” is relative, but I will specify how many prospects should be owned in your league for these players to be added. Think of prospects in the 100 - 400 range.

4. Watch List Wonders - the deepest of targets that should be added to your watch list now (or added depending on league size). These players will be less than 5% owned on Fantrax at the time of publishing.

Plus, check out the 2nd edition of a new section dedicated to baseball cards! Piquing Prospect’s Bowman Buys is located at the bottom of this article - check it out if you’re a fan of the hobby!

I am going to do my best to be very responsive to reader feedback! Tell me what you’d like to see more or less of, ask about specific players, and feel free to reach out directly on my Twitter account (@PiquingProspect)! 

Player reports include comps to MLB talent and a “dream” statline. Comps are more so based on statistical output vs player style, but I’ll mention differences when necessary. As the name suggests, a dream statline is what I project for a player if everything goes perfectly - this would be a 99th-percentile outcome.

All that said, here comes this week’s peek at prospects who are piquing my interest, and perhaps some peak projections as well.

Redraft Stashes

Cam Schlittler (NYY - SP) Ros: 15% (+1.6%) - 2.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 97 K in 74.1 IP - Notable Stats: 1.69 ERA, 0.98 WHIP in AAA 🔥

Of my six reports, Cam Schlittler is the lowest percentage owned player I’ve recommended as a redraft stash thus far. At just 15% owned on Fantrax, Schlittler is likely available in your league. After his latest start on Wednesday, June 25th, I was compelled to move Schlittler to this spot and bump Chase DeLauter. For the record, I do expect DeLauter to get the call in the near future, and for him to be an impact fantasy bat, but having Schlittler in this section seemed like more actionable advice.

Schlittler wasn't a prospect that was on my radar coming into the 2025 season. He had flashed plus stuff in 2025 Spring Training, but without the track record to back it up, he wasn't a player I was in on. His 2024 season-long stats were encouraging, but a large majority of the encouraging parts were done at High-A as a 23 year old. In 2024, Schlittler produced a 4.45 ERA in 32.1 Double-A innings and a 21.60 ERA in his only Triple-A outing (1.2 IP).

So far, 2025 has been a different story. This year, in 74.1 IP, Schlittler has produced a 2.18 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and the fourth most strikeouts in the minor leagues with 97. Schlittler started the year in Double-A, but he’s been even better since his promotion to AAA. In Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Schlittler has produced a 1.69 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP and an elite 40.2% K%. June 25th was likely his best start of the year with the line of 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, and 9 K. He did this against a relatively stacked AAA lineup in the Worcester Red Sox. The Sox AAA affiliate’s lineup includes players such as Kristian Campbell (0-4, 4 Ks 😬), Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia, Blaze Jordan, and Vaughn Grissom.

Schlittler works with a pitch mix led by his four seam fastball. His fastball works in the mid-upper 90s and tops out in the triple digits. With his 6’6” frame and high release height, his fastball plays well up in the zone. Cam also works a high 80s-low 90s slider shape with ~8-11” of glove side horizontal break. Statcast likes to split his offerings into two pitches in a slider and a sweeper, but looking at the similarities between the two, I’m unsure if he intends to separate the two or not. If so, he could likely benefit from more separation between the two pitches. Schlittler also mixes in a curveball with significant two plane break to left handed hitters. Without a pitch that breaks arm side, Cam could benefit from adding a changeup, but going into his June 25th gem, he was holding left handed hitters to a .583 OPS. Limiting damage to lefties will be key to Schlittler’s long term success with him calling Yankee Stadium his home.

Schlittler is not currently on the 40-man roster for the Yankees, but with him being Rule 5 eligible after this season, you’d expect the Bronx Bombers to add him to their roster soon enough. With injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman, and now Ryan Yarbrough, I think Schlittler’s time to shine may be coming soon. The Yanks had Allan Winans fill a slot in the rotation the last time through, but his lackluster line (4.1 IP, 4 ER 1 K) suggests they’ll be looking elsewhere by the time the 5th rotation spot rolls around again. Might Cam be that guy? We’ll have to wait and see.

The Data:

Schlittler’s all around numbers are impressive and only getting better after his gem last night. His stuff backs up his numbers and as a 24 year old, I think the Yankees will give him a shot sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Buy - As I mentioned above, Cam is my lowest % owned redraft stash so far. This likely means that he’s still acquirable for free in certain leagues and that his trade cost shouldn’t be too crazy either. Go snag him while you can - I just added him in a dynasty that rosters 300+ prospects.

80th Percentile Comp: Michael Pineda

95th Percentile Comp: Logan Gilbert with worse command that pitches in Yankee Stadium instead of the pitcher’s haven of T-Mobile Park

Dream Statline: 200 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 200 K

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Top 100 Dynasty Prospects

JJ Wetherholt (STL - SS/2B) Ros: 47% (+/- 0.0%) - .314/.436/.455 - Notable Stats: .532 OBP in June! 📈

The greatness of the 2024 MLB Draft class is continuing to shine with JJ Wetherholt. Coming into the 2025 FYPD season, the class was seen as relatively weak by many evaluators, but that seemingly couldn’t be further from the truth. Perhaps a lesson learned from this class is that those led by college bats should be valued higher than others. Kurtz, Cags, Cam Smith, and now JJ are surely making that seem to be the case so far. Every week I’m covering at least one player from the 2024 class that’s shooting up my rankings.

Coming into the 2024 season, Wetherholt was seen as a top 3-5 player in the class, but after spending most of his season battling hamstring injuries, JJ slid to 7th overall in the draft, and the Cardinals gladly selected him out of West Virginia. Wetherholt’s 2024 debut was solid, albeit at the Low-A level as a Big 12 college player. This year, Wetherholt has been at Double-A Springfield since their Opening Day, and he’s been tearing the cover off the ball. According to the Fangraphs Minor League Leaderboards, Wetherholt’s .436 OBP leads all players at the Double-A level age 25 or younger with more than 100 PA. JJ’s numbers have been especially impressive in June with the triple slash of .393/.532/.541!

With his average, OBP, contact rates, and SwStr%, Wetherholt is looking like one of the best hit-tool prospects in the minor leagues. To put some of those numbers in perspective, let’s compare Wetherholt to everyone’s new favorite future #1 overall prospect in Kevin McGonigle. McGonigle is lauded for his hit tool, and I don’t mean this to be a slight towards him in any way. McGonigle is an absolute stud - I’m more doing the comparison to demonstrate how well Wetherholt is doing.

When comparing Contact%, JJ has the slight edge with 85.6% contact vs KMG’s 84.0%. Wetherholt also edges out McGonigle when it comes to SwStr% at 5.8% vs 7.2% (both double plus marks). McGonigle is swinging more overall with a 4.5% edge in Swing% and because of that, he’s taking less called strikes (CStr% above). I mainly use CSW% as a metric to track pitcher’s performance, but because of his lower CStr%, KMG also edges Wetherholt there. Now I realize this isn’t necessarily an apples to apples comparison - KMG is two years younger than Wetherholt and is showing a bit more in the way of high end exit velocities. That said, I do think JJ deserves a little more hype with his performance. We’ve been watching the breakout of Jacob Wilson in Sacramento and the Cardinals may have a similar type of player on their hands in Wetherholt.

The Data:

Above is a list of Double-A players under the age of 25 sorted by on base percentage. Wetherholt tops the list, and his torrid June is only improving his season-long line.

The Verdict: Buy - While Wetherholt won’t come cheap, he doesn’t seem to have accumulated the same fan-fare as some of his draft classmates. There may still be a buying opportunity. If you’re in a points format, Wetherholt could be gold. In a roto, he projects as a solid all around contributor that won’t hurt you in any category - we all need players like that.

80th Percentile Comp: Infielder Steven Kwan with more pop/Jacob Wilson with a less aggressive approach/higher BB%

95th Percentile Comp: LHH Alex Bregman

Dream Statline: .300/.400/.500 with 20/25 HR/SB

Deep League Targets

Jhonny Level (SF - SS/2B) Ros: 10% (+0.3%) - .292/.382/.511 - Notable Stats: 4 HR, .959 OPS in June 💪

Jhonny Level was a solid DSL performer last year in his debut with a slash line of .275/.393/.517 (.910 OPS). He also smacked 10 HR, stole 16 bases, and had a respectable 16.7% K% and 14.0% BB%. However, the Giants DSL home park is known for producing some gaudy numbers (check out Rayner Arias from a couple of years ago), so I wanted to see it stateside before I fully bought in. With his 2024 performance in mind, Level made my preseason breakout watch list for ACL and FCL players on April 26th:

A few hits and a few misses there, but paired with Ching-Hsien Ko and Rainiel Rodriguez’ inclusion on the deep league list, I’m feeling pretty good about it.

Jhonny is reaching new heights (dare I say a new level) over the past month in the Arizona Complex League. His season-long slash is impressive enough as a stateside 18 year old, but what he’s done in June is what has really piqued my interest. So far in 16 games played in June, Level has produced the triple slash of .339/.411/.548 with four of his seven home runs on the season. The accompanying exit velocities for those home runs are also extremely encouraging for a player his size and age. The two home runs in the videos above were tracked at 106 mph (RHH), and 112 mph (LHH). The fact he can produce that kind of power from both sides of the plate is impressive to say the least.

One thing that’s interesting from the video above is you can see he takes his 3rd AB from the left side of the plate against a LHP. I wonder if that’s a developmental goal the Giants are tasking him with or if it was just something specific with the opposing pitcher’s arsenal. So far, against left-handed pitchers, Level is producing a 1.270 OPS. In only 27 ABs against LHP, Level has hit four of his seven HRs on the season. In 110 ABs against RHP, Level has produced a .797 OPS. Still impressive, but not quite the mark he’s producing against lefties. His 2024 performance against LHP was better than RHP as well. Perhaps the Giants are wanting him to get more reps against lefties as a LHH in an effort to improve his performance as a LHH - the side he’ll be hitting on more often than not if he continues as a switch hitter. I think there’s a somewhat obvious comp for Level that I’ll include below ⬇️

Level will also be featured in the Bowman Buys section below, so feel free to read more up on him and his card market below! I’d hope for a promotion to Low-A San Jose in the next month or so as the ACL wraps up and I’d try to grab Level as a throw-in type in a trade before that happens.

The Data:

The first screenshot shows how Level’s performance this year has compared to his impressive 2024 debut and his all-around impressive statistical output thus far in his career.

The second screenshot shows OPS leaders for minor leaguers age 18 or younger with 100 or more PA. Level ranks 11th on that list behind some well-known names. I’ll also note that he and Rainiel Rodriguez are probably the only two with a sustainable BABIP.

The Verdict: Buy - Level is still only 10% rostered on Fantrax, and should be valued as a top 150 prospect in fantasy baseball. Players providing his sort of upside don’t come along too often at his roster %.

80th Percentile Comp: Peak Jonathan Schoop

95th Percentile Comp: Ozzie Albies

Dream Statline: .280/.350/.500 with 25-30 HR and 15 SB

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Watch List Wonders

I won’t pretend to know everything about these guys, but this is the section that I have the most fun digging for. That’s part of their appeal, they’re lesser known and likely available in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues!

Yhoiker Fajardo (BOS - RHP) Ros: 1% (+/- 0.0%) - 1.09 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 27 K in 24.2 IP - Notable Stats: 0.81 WHIP, Improved Velo/Stuff

Another breakout Red Sox pitching prospect? Yes, another breakout Sox pitching prospect. There’s a reason the Sox are considered to have some of the best player development in baseball, and Yhoiker is seemingly no exception. First put on my radar by Ian Cundall (@IanCundall on X), Fajardo is the latest example of a Sox pitching prospect shooting up rankings.

After a solid, but not spectacular 2024 in the DSL in the White Sox system, Fajardo was traded to the Red Sox in the Cam Booser swap. The Red Sox clearly saw something they liked in him which piques my interest in and of itself. Boston started Fajardo’s 2025 season off in the Florida Complex League. In 20.2 IP at the level, Fajardo produced a 0.44 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and a 22.4% K-BB%. The Boston brass found his results impressive enough to promote him to Low-A Salem as an 18 year old. You don’t see many 18-year-old pitchers in full season ball, so the Sox clearly have belief that his stuff will play at the next level.

Speaking of stuff, his gains this year are reportedly directly related to improvements in that category. After working mainly in the low 90s in the DSL, Fajardo is working his 3/4 slot FB in the 93-95 mph range and topping at 97. The pitch has good running/sinking action when he locates it down in the zone, but he’s also shown the ability to miss bats up in the zone. It’s unclear at this point whether or not he is working two fastball shapes without Statcast to back up the eye test, but the velocity gains are noteworthy regardless. Listed at 6’3” and 181, Fajardo seemingly has more projectability on his frame. Yhoiker also works a mid-80s slider with depth (look at the knee-buckling offering at the 0:29 mark in the video above), and a CH in the 85-88 range with good fading action. The changeup shape pairs well with his fastball shape and “mimics the sinker well before diving off” according to Chris Clegg.

I’ve mentioned this with previously covered players, but the Red Sox have some of the best minor league coverage across baseball. There are multiple accounts on Twitter specifically dedicated to their minor league teams and prospects. I say all of this to note that their prospects get more buzz than similarly performing players in other systems. You might be able to use this to your advantage by picking up Fajardo, waiting for his hype to build, and flipping him for a more proven asset. Yhoiker feels like more of a professional run-preventer than a true Stuff freak, so I’d look to cash in if/when his value spikes.

The Data:

Yhoiker has made one start at the Low-A level since his promotion. He’s young for the level, but I’d like to see his K numbers increase over time to exhibit that he’ll be able to miss bats at the next level. As a natural sinker-baller, we may see him as a more pitch to weak contact profile, which he’s been doing a great job of thus far in 2025. As his FIP suggests above, his ERA and WHIP are slightly unsustainable and are being propped up slightly by his LOB% and low BABIP. I realize this doesn’t sound like the most glowing review, but sometimes cashing in on hot pitching prospects and adhering to the TINSTAPP philosophy is the best way to operate in dynasty fantasy baseball.

Where to Add: Any dynasty league that rosters 500+ prospects. Fajardo is only at 1% rostered on Fantrax. If he continues his success at the Low-A level as one of the youngest pitchers there, he’ll gain some major buzz among prospect hounds.

Chase Harlan (LAD - 3B/1B) Ros: 4% (+ 0.4%) -.283/.339/.485 - Notable Stats: 1.195 OPS since June 12th

Chase Harlan is a player I’ve had my eye on since he was drafted by the Dodgers this past summer. Drafted in the 3rd round out of Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown, PA, Harlan fits the mold of a cold-weather under-appreciated prep bat that was waiting to explode onto the scene. The Dodgers handed him a $1.75 M signing bonus (about a million over-slot) to keep him away from his Clemson commitment. Above slot signing bonuses for prep players always make me raise an eyebrow, and Harlan is no exception.

The Dodgers opted to give Harlan the rest of his 2024 draft year off, and started Chase in the Arizona Complex League for his professional debut in 2025. As a prospect known for his power, Harlan got off to a somewhat lackluster start with a .288/.350/.385 triple slash in May. The hit tool and ability to take walks was there, but as his SLG suggested, he wasn’t showing much in the power department early on. Since the calendar has rolled over to June, Harlan has picked up his game a notch. His average is slightly down (to .277), but his SLG is up over .200 points (.596). Harlan has also added his first four professional home runs in the month of June, including two in one game on June 24th.

At 6’3”, 205 Harlan has a projectable frame for power and he moves well for his size. Going back to his high school days, Harlan’s run times clocked as plus, and all athleticism indicators flashed as well-above average for a player his size. His 60 yard dash time and 10-yard splits graded in the 93rd and 96th percentile respectively for his class according to Perfect Game. His infield throwing velocity and his max exit velocity both ranked in the 99th percentile. He’s been splitting his time between both corner infield spots this year, but he seemingly has the throwing arm and athleticism to stick at the hot corner.

Harlan has been turning it on particularly as of late. Since June 12th, Harlan has produced the triple slash of .371/.395/.800 (1.195 OPS). All four of his home runs have come in that stretch as well, and he’s K’d at only a 13.5% rate. As is the case with the DBacks and JD Dix (featured in my Bowman Buys section), Harlan will have many hitter-friendly environments on his way through the minor league system. The CAL league (Low-A Rancho Cucamonga), the Texas League (Double-A Tulsa), and the Pacific Coast League (OKC Comets) are all considered hitter-friendly environments. Combine that with the Dodgers elite ability to develop, and we could have a breakout stud on our hands. When inquiring about him, Chris Clegg threw out a Coby Mayo comp for him. While Mayo hasn't had the smoothest transition to the highest levels, he peaked as a top-10 prospect and that would be quite the accomplishment for Harlan.

The Data:

Nothing truly jumps off the page (in either direction) on Harlan’s advanced stats on Fangraphs. We're attempting to get in early here on him before his season long stat line starts to become noteworthy. As I stated above, his last two week’s performance is what has me most intrigued in a player with his draft capital.

Where to Add: Any dynasty league that rosters 400+ prospects. More often than not, I’m going to bet on the Dodgers ability to identify talent, and develop said talent. Plus, as a corner infielder, he won’t be as road-blocked moving through the minors as their outfield is (Hope, Quintero, and Sirota, oh my!).

Piquing Prospect’s Bowman Buys:

Piquing Prospect’s Bowman Buys returns for a 2nd edition! As someone relatively new to the hobby (and now completely obsessed), I’ve been using my prospect expertise to buy Bowman singles in an attempt to flip them for a profit down the road. I’ve dove in head first to collecting this past month, and I’d like to use this section to identify players/cards that I’ve been buying. Guys listed here will be players I don’t think the card market has quite caught up to their future value. As a beginner, I’m sticking to almost exclusively Bowman Chrome Autos (preferably Bowman 1st Autos), and I prioritize numbered cards.

I want to start off this week’s edition with a shoutout to (@dahldoescards on X). When buying cards, it’s incredibly difficult to determine which refractors go for the most money, and which is which when they look so similar aesthetically. For example, to the untrained eye, Speckle, Sparkle, and even Mini Diamond look almost identical. Once you can ascertain which is which then you need to know which holds the most value. Is it always the lower # cards that hold the most value? Not always - for example, True Green are numbered to 99, but True Blue (numbered to 150), hold more value. This data helps clear up any confusion and the amount of effort and data collection that went into this is truly commendable! Shoot Dahl a follow on X and Substack as well!

Jhonny Level (SF - SS) - Written up above in the Deep League Targets section, Level has been on fire in the ACL. Hitting prospects tend to cost a good bit more than pitching when it comes to Bowman 1sts, so you have to catch the hitters early before they catch on. I’ve been able to snag a couple base autos in the $20 range, and I added a speckle refractor /299 (2.59x) for $44.00. Once Jhonny catches on on a more national level (no pun intended) for some of the bigger outlets such as Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, etc., I expect his market to explode and reach heights similar to Aroon Escobar, Tyson Lewis, and others.

Where/When to Buy: Any time you can grab a base auto < $22, that’s a buy for me. (@dahldoescards on X) recently released some incredibly helpful data on refractor multipliers for 2024 and 2025 Bowman. Use his data (screenshot above) to determine if a certain refractor is worth the price! I think Level’s buy low window may be closing soon, so get in while you can!

Cobb Hightower (SD - SS) - Cobb Hightower is an example of a player where the production hasn’t quite matched the offseason reports yet. This may indicate a perfect time to buy low. Cobb’s market varies auction to auction on eBay, but I snagged a base auto for $5.35 last week. If/when Hightower shakes the injury bug he’s dealt with early on (hamstring issues), I can see him settling in nicely in the Low-A California league. Silly analysis here, but it doesn’t hurt his case that he has a nice autograph.

Where/When to Buy: I’ve been snagging base first autos around the $10-12 range (including shipping). Use refractor multipliers from a base auto price of around $11 to determine if it’s a good buy. There’s still time to get in on Cobb, and like I mentioned with Level, young hitters explode in value once they catch on. He’s a buy and hold.

JD Dix (ARI - SS) - Dix rounds out three NL West middle infielders I’ve been targeting in the card market. His base autos have been moving around the $10-$12 range, so he’s still very affordable. Dix has been taking it to a new level since the calendar rolled over to June with the triple slash of .380/.450/.563. I snagged this Blue Wave Auto (3.46 multiplier according to Dahl’s data) for $26.00 in auction. Dix should be promoted to Low-A very soon, and I expect his card market to increase along with his minor league level. The CAL league and Visalia will be the first of many hitter-friendly stops on Dix’s road to the big leagues.

Where/When to Buy: Dix is a prospect that I see as on the rise. He’s yet to tap into game power, but if/when he does, I expect him to become more popular among collectors. His draft capital along with his impressive production should boost his prices soon. If you can grab some of his base autos at $12 and/or refractors according to the 2024 multipliers, I’d suggest doing so.

Other Autos Purchased June 12 - June 26: Johnny King (TOR), Robert Arias (CLE), Ashly Andujar (COL), Ryan Sloan (SEA), Thomas White (MIA), Josh Adamczewski (MIL), Kellon Lindsey (LAD), Brody Hopkins (TB), Marco Vargas (NYM), Daniel Espino (CLE), Cade Kuehler (ATL), Jeter Martinez (SEA)

Just Missed (Bonus Names):

Luis Arana - (MIA - SS/3B) - 1% rostered on Fantrax

Nathan Flewelling - (TB - C) - 1% rostered on Fantrax

Will Taylor - (PIT - OF) - 1% rostered on Fantrax

Freddy Contreras - (KC - SP) - 0% rostered on Fantrax - I had to request him being added to the player pool!

Roldy Brito - (COL - 3B) - 0% rostered on Fantrax

Thanks for reading the 6th edition of Piquing Prospects! Be sure to follow my Twitter account (@PiquingProspect) for more day-to-day content! Also, if it’s within your means, please consider subscribing to our Substack! Subscribers like you allow us to put more time into our research and assist you in finding tomorrow’s stars, today! Plus, paid subscribers get access to our articles two days earlier than anyone else!

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If you know me, you know I love diving into the world of pitcher streaming options and figuring out exactly who will help you for the upcoming week. One of the big things that I like to think separates me from most is the fact that I’m not trying to spin every pitching option into a good one. There are plenty of pitchers slated to start this week who are going to be flat-out not good. It’s all about separating the ones with the most upside from the ones poised to kill your ratios.

One of the first steps to pinpointing good streaming options is finding the guys most likely to end up with a quality start. Yes, I’m aware that I’ve said this over and over and over. I’m going to continue to do it. The more it gets said, the more you guys will start to take note of it on your own and use it in your own research.

With that in mind, these are the guys I like ahead of Tuesday.

Friendly reminder that these articles are for paid subscribers only. To become a paid subscriber and gain access to these pitcher streaming articles, rest of season rankings, and two-day early access to all other Fake Baseball content, subscribe today for just $5/month!

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I did a lot of these preseason and had been waiting a bit to really dive into the rest of the season rankings segments. I wanted to let the season normalize a bit to help give a more accurate list of rankings for you guys. When it comes to how I rank, I tend to mix underlying overall season analytics with recent trends to help give a better representation of who I think will continue to produce now and in the future.

If you have any questions regarding rankings, feel free to leave a comment or reach out and let me know!

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A lot of people put out waiver wire articles. That’s a fact. Not many of them put out very good ones. That’s also a fact. Even fewer people put out ones that are highly successful week after week. Lucky for you, I just so happen to put out a highly successful waiver wire week after week, and I may be biased, but I think it’s one of the best ones in the business.

The key to a good waiver wire article is covering the guys more widely available in leagues. Nobody needs to be told to pick up the same guy everyone else is talking about. It’s important to broaden your player base and dig into the guys underrepresented and overproducing. That’s where we both find success. It also helps if you make these articles a bit more entertaining as well. Filling them only with regurgitated stats over and over gets old and played out rather quickly. I know the beginning segment of these articles is supposed to be fun, but I’m having my old man “get off my lawn” moment right now, so you’re just going to have to deal with it.

That’s enough of a rant to start this week’s article, I think. I’m ready to get into this bad boy and help you guys once again have another successful week of fantasy baseball goodness.

Remember, paid subscribers get two day early access to all Fake Baseball content. If you’d like to receive two day early access and get a head start on the rest of your league mates, become a paid subscriber today for just $5/month!

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Catcher

Carlos Narvaez - Boston Red Sox

ESPN: 7% | Yahoo: 20% | CBS: 33% | Fantrax: 44%

He may not be the most exciting name in baseball, but he’s become one of the most consistent. He’s top five at the position in runs scored, fourth in OBP (amongst catchers with at least 200 AB), and third in doubles. The Red Sox trust him enough to be their everyday backstop, and at this point, so do I. It’s not often you find a catcher who hits for average AND puts up good counting stats for a good team. Narvaez is that guy, and also just so happens to play in a good Red Sox lineup.

First Base

Josh Smith - Texas Rangers

ESPN: 11% | Yahoo: 22% | CBS: 61% | Fantrax: 70%

Six straight multi-hit games for the super utility extraordinaire (prior to his hamstring issue that flared up), and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. There’s a lot to love here, with him being position eligible in four different spots, he’s also the king of runs scored. He has gone for 10 in his last five games, and while he has failed to steal a base in those 10 games, there are plenty of signs pointing to that changing soon. He does lack much pop in his bat, but he’s borderline elite in a few categories right now. Points leagues as well. Add him and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Nolan Schanuel - Los Angeles Angels

ESPN: 12% | Yahoo: 15% | CBS: 47% | Fantrax: 71%

Since the day he was called up, there hasn’t been much excitement in the fantasy baseball world. He’s a guy who consistently puts up average production at a position typically reserved for power hitters. Despite that, I’m really starting to come around to the idea of Schanuel being a serviceable option at this point in the season. In his last 17 games, he has multiple hits in seven of them, including five doubles, two home runs, and 11 runs driven in. He’s hitting consistently in the two hole and has become one of the better clutch hitters in baseball, hitting .308 with RISP. That combo alone should raise some eyebrows. He’s not going to be an exciting pickup, but he’ll be a productive one.

Second Base

Colt Keith - Detroit Tigers

ESPN: 5% | Yahoo: 9% | CBS: 29% | Fantrax: 64%

Since May 26th, the Keith-Meister has sneakily been one of the most productive second base eligible players in baseball. In those 15 games, he’s produced eight XBH, driven in 10, and has an .878 OPS, which is right in line with what we had HOPED he could produce this season. He’s hitting the ball extremely hard, and while he chases more pitches than I’d like, seeing his zone contact rate jump to just shy of 90% gives me hope. At this point, he’s eligible both at the middle infield and the corner infield positions, which makes me like him even more. He’s worth an add if you’re looking to boost your second base production, but just know he does have a tendency to have prolonged cold stretches as well. Ride the production out now while you can.

Ernie Clement - Toronto Blue Jays

ESPN: 12% | Yahoo: 18% | CBS: 29% | Fantrax: 43%

Another guy who falls into the “boring but productive” category is Clement. And I’m ok with that. He first made my waiver wire list either two or three weeks ago, and the dude hasn’t stopped hitting since, especially as of late. He’s not going to blow the doors off in the power department, but his contact is leading to a healthy 26% line drive rate, which is leading to plenty of opportunities to find himself on base. He’s always made excellent zone contact (93.2% this season, 92.1% career), so this type of production seems more likely to stick than in most other instances. Add him if he’s available, especially with him being eligible at up to four positions, depending on what platform you play on.

Third Base

I tried hard to find a different third base option, but there are none that I like more this week than Josh Smith and Ernie Clement. Add one of those guys!

Shortstop

Joey Ortiz - Milwaukee Brewers

ESPN: 4% | Yahoo: 4% | CBS: 9% | Fantrax: 35%

One of my favorite waiver wire guys last season has now become one of my favorites for this week. After a slow start to the season, Ortiz has found his way into a nice little five-game hitting streak where he’s getting on base, stealing, and scoring runs. For a guy as void of home run power as he is, that’s about as much as you can ask for. He’s swinging more while making the same high contact he typically does. A recipe that makes for an xBA 50 points higher than his current .203 average. He’s flying under many people’s radars, but with that Brewers lineup firing on all cylinders right now, the heat may be rubbing off on Ortiz. If it is, he’s going to have some very productive stretches in the near future.

I hate doing this twice in one article, but Clement and Smith are my second and third favorite shortstop options right now as well!

Outfield

Mickey Moniak - Colorado Rockies

ESPN: 1% | Yahoo: 3% | CBS: 6% | Fantrax: 20%

I said it when he initially signed with the Rockies, and I’ll say it again: Moniak playing his home games in Coors Field is going to be one of the most fun things to watch this baseball season. Not because it’s going to be overwhelmingly good, but because the mix of highs and lows was likely to be incredibly drastic. Moniak has real deal, grown man strength power. The problem has always been the fact that he’s such a free swinger who makes terrible contact. That’s been the case this season as well, but on the flip side, he’s managed to take advantage of being the strong side of a platoon where he gets to only face right-handers. Nine of Colorado’s next 12 games come at home, which means Moniak’s power should continue to be on full display. I’m not a fan of adding him in points leagues, but in leagues where you need the home run upside, he’s your guy right now.

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Isaac Collins - Milwaukee Brewers

ESPN: 0% | Yahoo: 0% | CBS: 1% | Fantrax: 7%

The lowest rostered guy on this list also just so happens to be maybe my favorite addition this week for the short term. He has a proven minor league track record of XBH ability and speed (49 XBH, 24 stolen bases in 113 games in 2024), and we’re starting to see flashes of it now in the bigs. He’s getting an extended run thanks to Garrett Mitchell’s injury, and he’s taking full advantage. In his last 11 games, he has five XBH (three dingers), has driven in nine, scored seven runs, and has walked (8) just about as much as he’s struck out (10). As long as he continues to get everyday playing time in that Brewers lineup, I like Collins. Especially in deeper leagues and points leagues. If you’re looking for short-term production with long-term potential, Collins is probably the best option in the outfield.

Pitchers I Like

Chase Burns - Cincinnati Reds

Jacob Misiorowski - Milwaukee Brewers

Taj Bradley - Tampa Bay Rays

Jake Irvin - Washington Nationals

Emerson Hancock - Seattle Mariners

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Welcome to Volume 5 of the Piquing Prospects biweekly prospect report! This is the fifth installment in the biweekly series where we recap noteworthy minor league performances of top prospects and identify breakout targets for players in leagues of all sizes. The goal of this series will be to give our subscribers an edge when it comes to adding prospects to their dynasty teams. This report is published once every two weeks, and player reports are broken into four main categories:

1. Redraft Stashes - these are prospects that should be owned in ALL leagues, even in non-dynasty formats, because of the impact they project to make when called up.

2. Top 100 Dynasty Prospects - prospects that are likely owned in all but the shallowest of dynasty leagues. 

3. Deep League Dives - “Deep” is relative, but I will specify how many prospects should be owned in your league for these players to be added. Think of prospects in the 100 - 400 range.

4. Watch List Wonders - the deepest of targets that should be added to your watch list now (or added depending on league size). These players will be less than 5% owned on Fantrax at the time of publishing.

Plus, for the first time, this edition includes a new section dedicated to baseball cards! Piquing Prospect’s Bowman Buys is located at the bottom of this article - check it out if you’re a fan of the hobby!

I am going to do my best to be very responsive to reader feedback! Tell me what you’d like to see more or less of, ask about specific players, and feel free to reach out directly on my Twitter account (@PiquingProspect)! 

Player reports include comps to MLB talent and a “dream” statline. Comps are more so based on statistical output vs player style, but I’ll mention differences when necessary. As the name suggests, a dream statline is what I project for a player if everything goes perfectly - this would be a 99th-percentile outcome.

All that said, here comes this week’s peek at prospects who are piquing my interest, and perhaps some peak projections as well.

Redraft Stashes

Chase Burns (CIN - RHP) Ros: 59% (+3.3%) - 1.68 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 75 K in 53.2 IP - Notable Stats: 33.7% K-BB%, Promoted to AAA!

Early on, the 2024 MLB Draft class and corresponding 2025 fantasy baseball FYPD class is looking like one for the record books. There’s seemingly not a bad first round FYPD pick from this class - Kurtz, Caglianone, Konnor Griffin, and now Chase Burns are skyrocketing up fantasy lists - heck, even Charlie Condon is turning it around. On May 25th, I tweeted that Chase Burns was my #3 pitching prospect in baseball. Since then, he’s only climbed my rankings and I’m back and forth between him and Bubba Chandler for the #1 SP spot.

As is the case with most of my favorite pitching prospects, Burns’ signature offering is his four seam fastball. Burns regularly works in the upper-90s and flashes 100+ throughout his starts. His four seam shape is also extremely effective and efficient. The last time we had public Statcast on Burns was in Spring Training 2025. Now that he was promoted to AAA, we’ll get updated data on his stuff as soon as he makes his AAA debut. In Spring Training, Burns was working with a 99.6 mph Four Seam with 19.6” of IVB. 19.6” jumps off the page, but from Burns’ high release height, it’s likely closer to double plus than it is elite. That said, as we’ve seen with Paul Skenes and others, pitches at that velocity don’t need to be perfectly shaped to be effective and because of its velocity, it’s likely a 70-75 grade pitch.

Burns’ lead secondary offering is a double-plus slider that he works in the high 80s to low 90s. Like most sliders thrown that velocity, it’s more of a bullet/gyro shape than a sweeper shape but that helps maintain its effectiveness against both handed batters. I’ll be excited to see what his new data shows in AAA, but watching video it seems like he can pick and choose when to cut his slider a bit vs make it drop more, so I’m wondering if Statcast will differentiate the two pitches (cutter/slider) or identify it as the same. He also mixes in a fading changeup to add a pitch that moves away from LHH. Overall, Burns’ arsenal isn’t the deepest, but what he does throw is incredibly effective and the results have surely backed that up.

So far, in three starts at High-A and eight starts at Double-A, Burns has produced a 1.68 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 38.3% K%. Even more impressive, Burns only got better once he was promoted to AA with the line of 1.29 ERA 0.71 WHIP (!), and 55 Ks in 42 IP. One of the more encouraging developments in Burns’ game is his gains in command. Thus far, in those 42 AA innings pitched, Burns has a measly 2.6% BB%. Among pitchers with 30 or more IP, that 2.6% mark at AA puts him 3rd in all of minor league baseball, and his 13.75 K/BB ratio is second in all of minor league baseball. For those wondering, the only player ahead of Burns is Marcus Johnson, a Rays minor leaguer who’s 24 years old in High-A.

The one anomaly in Burns’ game is that he does have a slightly higher than average (compared to other elite P) HR/9 allowed of 0.84. For context, Bubba Chandler is allowing 0.36/9, Jacob Misiorowski is allowing 0.54/9, and Travis Sykora has allowed zero HR this year. Chase’s HR/9 has gone down since his promotion to Double-A, but that will be something to keep an eye on with his Triple-A stint and with Great American Small Park as his future home. It may result in a higher ERA than xERA, FIP, etc.

Regardless of his HR/9, Burns is a no doubt top 3 SP prospect, and he might be #1. With the call to AAA, if the Reds stay in contention in the NL Central, expect to see Burns make his debut right around the All-Star Break!

The Data:

As you can see in the first screenshot, Burns’ walk numbers have made some major improvements since being promoted to AA. In college, Burns regularly produced BB% in the 7-8% range, so for him to be less than 3% in AA is incredibly encouraging. He’s attacking hitters, not wasting pitches, and even then, he’s producing elite BAA and WHIP numbers. As I suggested above, the HR/9 and public Statcast data will be what I’m keeping an eye on in AAA.

The Minor League Leaderboard above is using the filter of IP > 30 (split levels) to qualify. Burns is 2nd in MiLB in K-BB% behind only Trey Yesavage’s Low-A performance. The fact that Burns produced those numbers in Double-A is very impressive. Note - Volume 3 Gage Jump is not far behind! 📈

The Verdict: Hold/Stash in Redraft - In dynasty, Burns’ acquisition cost won’t be cheap. Therefore, it’s likely not the best time to buy him. That said, if you’re in an any size points league or an NL-only redraft categories league, now is the time to stash Chase Burns on your bench. I’d expect his major league debut sometime in July. More and more MLB teams don’t want to waste valuable bullets of franchise arms in the minor leagues (except for the Pirates *cough, Bubba Chandler, cough*)

80th Percentile Comp: Starter version of Mason Miller

95th Percentile Comp: more over-the-top Hunter Greene with a better WHIP (Strider & deGrom’s arsenals come to mind as well)

Dream Statline: 190 IP, 2.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 230 K

Top 100 Dynasty Prospects

Jaxon Wiggins (CHC - RHP) Ros: 10% (+1.9%) - 1.95 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 61 K in 50.2 IP - Notable Stats: BB% ⬇️, Strike% ⬆️

I want to start this write-up with a shoutout to Chris Clegg. Clegg has been all over Wiggins dating back to his “Pitching Prospects Poised to Breakout” article in January. Even with Clegg all over Wiggins back then, his control and command were a major concern for me. After rehabbing from Tommy John his draft year, Wiggins posted a 14.2% BB% and a 57.9% Strike% across three levels in 2024. The stuff had bounced back, but as is usually the case, the control was lagging behind post-surgery for Wiggins. Wiggins also posted > 13.5% BB% his two years at Arkansas (2021 & 2022) - he had future reliever stamped all over him.

This year, not only has Wiggins' stuff continued to shine, but he’s posting the best BB%, Strike%, and WHIPs of his career. In 2025, in High-A and Double-A, Wiggins has produced truly gaudy numbers. His season line of 1.95 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 30% K% are impressive enough, but as I referred to before, the biggest indicator for Wiggins’ soaring stock is his improvement in control and command. In 26.1 High-A IP, Wiggins produced a then career-low 12.4% BB% (still on the high side, but improving). Since his promotion to Double-A, Jaxon has really taken off. In 24.1 Double-A innings, across five starts, Wiggins has walked only 7.1% of batters. He’s also increased his Strike% to a more manageable 62.7%.

Even better is that Wiggins keeps trending in the right direction in that regard. In his two latest starts (June 3rd & June 8th), Wiggins has walked only one batter combined in 11.1 IP. His June 8th start yielded 5.0 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, and 8 K. Clegg’s been shouting his praises for a while, but you can still pick up Wiggins in shallower dynasty leagues. I picked him up last week in a league that rosters 300 prospects.

Wiggins works a four pitch arsenal (again) led by his four seam fastball. His fastball lives in the upper 90s and has hit as high as 101 this season. He reportedly creates about 17” of IVB and some horizontal movement on the pitch to help it play up in the zone. Wiggins also has a plus slider in the upper 80s, a low 80s curve, and a fading changeup. His changeup has shown positive signs of development this year as he starts to look more and more like a future starter.

As a college draftee, it won’t be long until we see Wiggins at the AAA level for the Iowa Cubs. I feel like a broken record saying this, but this is a player that once there is public Statcast data on his arsenal, his stock will explode 🚀 Note that I included Wiggins in my Top 100 prospect section, and he’s only 10% rostered on Fantrax! There’s still a great opportunity to get in on Wiggins before he’s a household name. The moral of the story? Trust Clegg’s analysis.

The Data:

I included all of his college data above to show how his BB% has trended over the years. He’s never posted a full season number < 10%, and his now (barely under 10%) 9.9% would be a major stepping stone for his development. Keep an eye on his next couple of starts, but if we see less than 10% BB% in his next few, expect a promotion to AAA and for his fantasy stock to explode. In the ABS environment of AAA, if he can maintain a BB% in the 10-11% range, I’ll be very encouraged in his long-term outlook.

The Verdict: Buy Now - The Fantrax rostership % tells the story here. This is a Top 100 prospect that’s still around 10% owned. He’s a great buy at this point as it’s only a matter of time before more people catch on to his performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wiggins is the Cubs Futures Game representative, and if he is, his stuff is going to jump off the screen in a shorter showcase outing. Pick him up if you can or try to acquire him as a throw-in on a trade!

80th Percentile Comp: Org-Mate Ben Brown

95th Percentile Comp: Dylan Cease

Dream Statline: 175 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 215 K

Deep League Targets

Nate George (BAL - OF) Ros: 4% (+0.1%) - .386/.455/.545 - Notable Stats: 3 HR, 17 SB, 1.000 OPS

Nate George is one of many Complex League pop-up names this year. Another Dynasty Dugout legend, Zac Beck (@Upper_Beck on X), was the first to put me onto George. In a sea of many pop-ups, George didn't make it onto my rosters and I somewhat stopped hearing the buzz on him. I figured this was another classic case of a churn-and-burn pop-up prospect that must have faded after the initial push. However, that is not the case with George. While the power has ticked down a touch, George has been playing as well as ever and recently earned a promotion from the FCL to Low-A Delmarva. I usually need to see pop-up guys (especially hitters) do it above complex ball before I’m ready to say they’re the real deal.

It’s an incredibly small sample size, but in two Low-A games, George is batting .429 with four stolen bases - he’s running wild in Low-A. Stolen bases in the lower levels of the minors should always be taken with a grain of salt, but George is showing some major power/speed appeal thus far in 2025. Baseball America rates George’s run tool as a 65 (plus/double plus), and his fielding tool as a 70 (double plus). This tells me if George can keep it up with the bat, we’re likely looking at a major league player. BA’s scouting report refers to George as a true Center Fielder with a chance to provide above average power and speed. Hit tool indicators that I look at such as BB% and K% are in respectable spots at 10.2% BB% and 17.3% K%.

George is a classic case of a cold-weather prep bat who didn’t get the hype he deserved coming out of the draft. George was drafted by the Orioles in the 16th round out of Minooka HS in Minooka, IL for an above-slot $455K (equivalent to about 5th-round money). He actually ranked above fellow cold-weather complex league breakout Brendan Tunink in the state of Illinois according to Perfect Game. George started off his pro career with a bang with a 3/4 day and a HR in his pro debut in the FCL. When he hit his second pro homer a week later, George set the prospect Twitter streets ablaze with his breakout potential.

It’s obviously difficult to keep up with every single prospect’s performance so (as I mentioned above) after George’s Twitter hype cooled down, I assumed his performance did too and he’d be stuck in the complex all year. Fast forward to today, and George is off to a blazing start in his full-season level debut at Low-A. If he continues his torrid SB pace (and gets back to hitting a couple of home runs), he’ll quickly raise his Q Score again in the fantasy community. In 2025, the Orioles need some feel-good stories after their dreadful start and lack of other good hitting prospect performances outside of Basallo. Nate George has a chance to be the next big thing in the Orioles system and I’m buying now before the stock takes off. I listed him in the deep league section of the article rather than Watch List Wonder because while his current ownership falls under the 5% threshold, I expect he won’t be eligible by the time this edition is released to the public. Go get him!

The Data:

George has put up an all-around impressive start to his season. Note that in the top screenshot, Fangraphs is only counting his first Low-A game. The second screenshot shows that among teenagers with > 90 PAs in 2025, Nate George ranks 5th in OPS. Previously covered Rainiel Rodriguez reigns supreme, Piquing Prospects favorite Ching-Hsien Ko is 2nd, and last edition’s Dauri Fernandez rounds out the top 3. That’s a good looking Top 5, and I don’t think George has reached the level of recognition as the other guys.

The Verdict: Buy - George is still a relatively sneaky dynasty buy. Currently sitting under 5% rostered, you might be able to add him to your roster for free. George should be valued as a Top 200 fantasy prospect.

80th Percentile Comp: RHH Jake McCarthy

95th Percentile Comp: The good mid-late-2010s version of Starling Marte

Dream Statline: .290/.360/.440, 15-20 HR, 40 SB, 100 R, 75 RBI

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Watch List Wonders

I won’t pretend to know everything about these guys, but this is the section that I have the most fun digging for. That’s part of their appeal, they’re lesser known and likely available in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues!

Roc Riggio (NYY - 2B) Ros: 3% (+1.0%) -.296/.415/.713 - Notable Stats: 1.128 OPS, 12 HR in 29 GP

Roc Riggio has been on an absolute tear to start his 2025 season. After starting the season late recovering from an injury, Riggio has taken minor league baseball by storm with his impressive power. In only 29 games played and 108 ABs, Riggio has rocked 12 HR 💪 Roc’s previous career high in HR came last year when he hit 11 HR in 106 GP. His power barrage has been even more impressive since his June 3rd promotion to Double-A. In seven games played at the level, Riggio has hit five home runs! He’s exhibiting elite ability to pull the ball in the air, and for a player destined to call Yankee Stadium’s (and its short porch) his eventual home, we might be looking at a fantasy stud at the 2B position.

As a Mets fan, Roc Riggio honestly seems like the perfect Yankee. He plays with an intensity and hater-ability that only few can bring. Roc famously was a spark plug for Oklahoma State in his college days where he made headlines for his personality and his play. See the video below ⬇️ 😂

The story behind the video above is that Riggio had apparently taken too long on his trot around the bases on a HR the day before and got some heat from it. This was his response the next day. As the announcer so aptly put it, he’s going to be a guy you either love or hate. The kind of player you want on your team, but despise on a rival.

Up until this year, Riggio’s minor league performance was relatively quiet and not worth boasting about. That said, this year, he’s flipping the script on that narrative and becoming very noteworthy for his performance. Fangraphs updates the day after games are played, but as of the 06/10 games (Riggio hit another bomb on 6/11), Riggio ranked 2nd in the minor leagues amongst players with more than 100 PA with a 200 WRC+. Like I said, Roc went yard as part of a 2/3 day on the 11th, so that number is only going up.

With Riggio’s filled-out 5’9” frame and no carrying defensive tool, his bat will need to play for him to get an extended look in the major leagues. Thus far, and especially lately, Roc’s bat is playing just fine. Might he get a look at 2B for the Yanks later this year if aging LeMahieu doesn’t turn it on? Only time will tell, but I’m adding Riggio where I can in case it does. It’s almost a hedge your happiness bet as I will have a hard time seeing him succeed unless he’s on my fantasy roster.

The Data:

The screenshot above shows the Top 5 players in minor league baseball in WRC+ with over 100 PAs. I’ll update you tomorrow on Twitter, but after another big day, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Riggio top this list when the 6/11 games are factored in.

Where to Add: Any dynasty league that rosters 200+ prospects. Riggio has been undoubtedly one of the hottest hitters in the minor leagues to start his 2025 season. I can see Riggio settling into a Brandon Lowe type fantasy profile (hopefully without the brutal injury history) and leading the 2B position in HR. As I said, the short porch of Yankee Stadium + demonstrated ability to pull the ball in the air = fantasy success.

Teilon Serrano (MIN - OF) Ros: 1% (+/-0.3%) -.500/.571/.1000 - Notable Stats: All of them (Small Sample Size Warning)

Serrano is my favorite DSL player who I wasn’t keeping an eye on going into the season. His small sample size season-long slash line is ridiculous on every level. If you take off the 100+ PA filter I referenced above and sort the Minor League Leaderboards for WRC+, Serrano is the number one overall player at a whopping 270.

Serrano was initially ticketed to sign with the Dodgers as part of their international class, but when the Dodgers signed Sasaki, several of their other agreements needed to find new homes. This is where the Twins slid into the picture. The Dodgers are widely considered the best in the industry at finding talent from a scouting perspective. The fact he was identified as a Dodgers target prior to signing with the Twins only boosts his stock in my opinion. Baseball America (the best international coverage in the biz, in my opinion) identified Serrano as a player trending up around signing day.

Serrano is a young 17 (5/22/2008 birthday - wow, I’m getting old), and for him to be putting up the stats and exit velocities that he has so far in the DSL gets me excited for his long term outlook. The HR in the video above (an exhibition game) was hit 103 mph - Serrano was 16 at the time! That’s an elite exit velocity for a player of that age, and for it to be produced with a launch angle that left the yard is even more encouraging. As I’ve said before, a lot of max exit velocities for young players are recorded on balls pounded into the ground - a pull-side bomb is obviously a more favorable outcome. Also, add an 80-grade bat flip to Teilon’s report.

It’s an incredibly small sample, but I’m getting in on the ground floor with Serrano and using one of my churn and burn minor league spots. As I’m writing this report, I just snagged Serrano in a dynasty that rosters ~600 prospects. As I’ve said before, it’s always easier to add a guy now and see if he’s legit, then churn him if not, than to acquire him after he proves himself worthy. Serrano may be nothing and just DSL noise, but I’m taking the chance on his sweet lefty swing, the Dodgers’ scouting department, and his eye-popping numbers while he’s free to acquire.

The Data:

As you can see above, Serrano leads all qualified hitters in the minor leagues in WRC+. He’s also right in the sweet spot for K%, BB%, and ISO that I look for in young DSL players. He’s a fun lottery ticket to take a chance on and monitor in your deep dynasty league.

Where to Add: Any dynasty league that rosters 400+ prospects. Serrano’s numbers pop off the page and he should be given a shot to prove their legitimacy. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Dodgers had identified a somewhat under-the-radar (MLB Pipeline’s #50 ranked) international stud.

NEW - Piquing Prospect’s Bowman Buys:

For the first time, I’d like to feature a new section of Piquing Prospects - Bowman Buys. As someone relatively new to the hobby (and now completely obsessed), I’ve been using my prospect expertise to buy Bowman singles in an attempt to flip them for a profit down the road. I’ve dove in head first to collecting this past month, and I’d like to use this section to identify players/cards that I’ve been buying. Guys listed here will be players I don’t think the card market has quite caught up to their future value. As a beginner, I’m sticking to almost exclusively Bowman Chrome Autos (preferably Bowman 1st Autos), and I prioritize numbered cards.

Johnny King - featured in the Watch List Wonder section of Volume 4, King is who inspired this new section. He’s a more expensive buy now than he was when I published Vol. 4, but there is still some value to be had in his card market. Thus far I’ve snagged autos in True Blue, True Purple, True Green, Aqua Lava, 3 refractors /499, and a few base autos. I got the Blue, Purple, and Green in a bundle for $68.00 including tax and shipping! King is only getting more and more publicity each start - I’d expect a promotion to Low-A very soon!

Where/When to Buy: If you can grab chrome auto refractors /499 for $21 or less, that’s a definite buy for me. His market has moved to ~ $25.00 lately, but you can still find good deals here and there.

Thomas White - Another LHP, Thomas White is a player I’ve been buying when the price is right. He’s a no-doubt Top 10 pitching prospect in the game of baseball, and depending on the auction, you can snag autos of his for less than $20. Despite being a Miami prospect, I expect his card market to continue to improve and I’m treating him as a chase when deciding when to buy.

Where/When to Buy: I’ve been snagging base first autos around the $17 range (including shipping), and I’ve been getting refractor autos /499 near $35. Use refractor multipliers from a base auto price of around $18 to determine if it’s a good price.

Ryan Clifford - Clifford is an example of a player who I think has turned into a bit of a post-hype prospect. Clifford’s Bowman 1st was released in the 2023 set, so his auto is a bit harder to come by than the 2025 players, but he still presents a nice value. After a slow start in April, Clifford improved in May and is showing the tools that made him a coveted asset for the Mets. He’s hit three home runs in the last week and the fact he plays for the big-market Mets only helps.

Where/When to Buy: I grabbed a 2023 Bowman 1st refractor auto /499 at $35 including shipping and felt great about that price point. You’ll likely need to get that deal in an auction or get an offer accepted below asking because his going rate is higher than that. NYC sells!

Other Autos Purchased May 29 - June 11: Didier Fuentes (ATL), Ryan Sloan (SEA), PJ Morlando (MIA), Walker Jenkins (MIN), Conrad Cason (BOS), Theo Gillen (TB), Yovanny Rodriguez (NYM), Payton Eeles (MIN), Boston Bateman (SD), Brody Brecht (COL - $1), Robert Puason (ATH - a pitcher now lol $1), Gabriel Lara (NYY - $1), Ronald Hernandez (NYM - $1)

Just Missed (Bonus Names):

Freili Encarnacion (BOS - SS/1B/3B) - 3% rostered on Fantrax

Elorky Rodriguez (TEX - OF/2B) - 2% rostered on Fantrax

Ashly Andujar - (COL - SS) - 1% rostered on Fantrax

Larry Suero - (COL - SS/3B) - 1% rostered on Fantrax

Sami Manzueta - (HOU - SS/2B/3B) - 0% rostered on Fantrax

Thanks for reading the 5th edition of Piquing Prospects! Be sure to follow my Twitter account (@PiquingProspect) for more day-to-day content! Also, if it’s within your means, please consider subscribing to our Substack! Subscribers like you allow us to put more time into our research and assist you in finding tomorrow’s stars, today! Plus, paid subscribers get access to our articles two days earlier than anyone else!

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Man, of all the articles I’ve started putting out with consistency on Fake Baseball, the anti-waiver wire is quickly becoming my favorite. I apologize for the two-week gap between that last one and this one, but I promise this one will make up for it. These anti-waiver wire articles are a culmination of my waiver wire article research I do each week. When going through the process of writing that one, it’s vital that I separate the players I do like from the ones I don’t. Typically, the ones a writer doesn’t like just get tossed to the side and forgotten about. I figured, why not take that group of players, explain why I’m avoiding them, and allow you to decide for yourself whether you agree or I’m out of my mind. Although I have yet to have someone tell me I’m out of my mind, I’m sure that day is coming.

The list isn’t particularly long. I typically cover the three most pertinent players. This is an article where I’m focusing much more on quality than quantity. Just like with my waiver wire article, I don’t think there is a ton of utility in me just naming off every player I can think of. It’s much more beneficial to you, the reader, if I’m able to take the ones I feel the most strongly about and break down to you exactly why I am avoiding them. Not everyone is going to agree, I’m aware, but allow me to at least play devil’s advocate for some of these players and help you get a more well-rounded view on exactly who that player is and who they may actually be moving forward.

(To get two day early access to this and all other articles, as well as exclusive access to pitcher streaming articles and position rankings, become a paid subscriber today! For just $5/month, you’ll get all the fantasy baseball content you need for a successful fantasy baseball season for the same price as the coffee you bought on the way to work this morning!)

Kyle Teel | Catcher | Chicago White Sox

The second top catching prospect called up by the White Sox this season made his major league debut with a lot more hype behind him. While Edgar Quero was known for his hit tool, Teel is the guy who flashed both power and rare speed at the catcher position in the minors. Because of that, he’s been towards the top of everyone’s waiver wire target list this week. Except mine.

There’s one major worry with Teel that is going mostly overlooked. In order for a prospect’s power and home run ability to translate to the major league level, they need at least one of two things to happen. Either they need to have otherworldly raw power (think Jac Caglianone), or they need to excel at pulling flyballs. Neither of these are things that Teel possesses.

• 90th EV - 104.7 MPH (64th Percentile)

• Pulled Flyball Rate - 5.4% (29th Percentile)

• Zone Contact Rate - 80.9% (34th Percentile)

You’ll notice I added in the zone contact rate, it’s important to note that a low zone contact rate, combined with the other two data points, doesn’t give Teel much to work with in terms of power upside. Slightly above average power, with hardly any pulled flyballs, and a zone contact rate coming dangerously close to dipping below 80% puts Teel in line with guys like Kameron Misner (104.5/6.1%/80.7%), Oscar Gonzalez (104.7/4.3%/80.6%), and present day Mark Vientos (104.3 MPH/6.4%/80.3%).

As much as I would love it if Teel became the next big thing at the catcher position, I think he may end up as a better real-life baseball player than a fantasy baseball asset. He’s likely a very high-priority addition for many people who are looking at getting in early on a top prospect, but you’re very likely better off adding guys like Dillon Dingler or David Fry to solidify your catcher position.

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Willi Castro | 2B/3B/SS/OF | Minnesota Twins

If you remember the other Anti-Waiver Wire articles, you’ll know that guys who have seen a big roster increase due to unsustainable power numbers are a big red flag. Willi Castro, much like Will Benson previously, is the latest member of this group. If you know anything about Castro’s profile, it’s that he may be the best super utility guy in baseball. His batted ball profile is very contact-heavy with limited power upside. He does hit some dingers here and there, but a career high of 12 with a 90th EV of just 104.2 MPH will always keep his ceiling on the lower end.

So color me surprised when I see Castro hit double-dingers twice in a five-game span, followed by many fantasy managers clamoring to add him as quickly as possible. Like I’ve said in the past, players having big games while on the waiver wire do not benefit you in the slightest. The only way you benefit from these guys having random power outbursts is if you already have them rostered.

There has been very little that has changed in Castro’s batted ball profile in a drastic enough way to make me believe this power can stick.

• Zone Contact - 2025: 84.4% | Career: 84.1%

• 90th EV - 2025: 104.2 MPH | Career: 103.7 MPH

• Barrel Rate - 2025: 8.1% | Career: 6%

While I do understand the sentiment behind adding a guy who just so happens to be eligible at almost every position, doing so because of a sudden burst in power without digging deeper does a disservice to your team. If you added him, or were considering adding him, you likely are dropping someone who can add you more value moving forward. With guys like Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner making their way back from injury and the emergence of Kody Clemens, Castro is likely on his way to an everyday battle for at-bats, which will quickly make him droppable.

Trevor Story | Shortstop | Boston Red Sox

In the words of former President of the United States, George W Bush, “Fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can’t get fooled again.” Feels pretty fitting for the way I feel about Trevor Story and where he stands currently. At the beginning of every season it feels like we all have that “This is the year he puts it all together again” thought, and while its been a fun beginning of the season for Story, he’s flashed the upside we hoped we would see, he’s once again struggling to keep his head above the Mendoza line. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before his playing time starts to dwindle, especially with all the top young talent the Red Sox have been calling up. The eight home runs and nine stolen bases already feel much more like a facade than a reality.

In what feels like an attempt to get as much production out there as possible before he loses playing time or once again gets injured, Story has become quite the free swinger, and with that has seen his contact rates take a tumble.

• Swing Rate - 2025: 54% | Career: 49.2%

• Chase Rate - 2025: 35.7% | Career: 29.3%

• Contact Rate - 2025: 72.7% | Career: 74%

• Swinging Strike Rate - 2025: 14.8% | Career: 12.8%

It doesn’t help that he combines all of this with a well below league average bat speed as well. SOME of the quality of contact metrics are positive. And by “some”, I mean his 47.3% hard hit rate and 10.3% barrel rate look pretty good, but aren’t anything worth writing home about. For every one thing that may point to positive regression for Story, you can find two that point in the opposite direction. I really wanted him to be good this season, I did, but right now it feels more and more like the end of Trevor’s Story as a good fantasy baseball asset may be closer than many would like it to be.

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If you’ve been around for a bit, then you know the drill. These articles are here to help you decipher the best options for pitcher streaming for early in week 12. As usual, these are the guys I’m most confident in saying I believe they’ll have successful outings. I know there are a ton of options out there, and you guys always message me asking about a bunch of names (which I love by the way, keep doing it), just know before you ask that these are the ones I love above all others.

When evaluating pitchers for streaming purposes, what I look for are the ones most likely to put together a quality start. Chasing wins only gets you hurt in the fantasy baseball world. Go after the guys you think are best suited for a solid six inning, three earned runs or less outing. These are the guys usually most in line for both a win as well as positive ratios. If you can find someone with excellent strikeout potential as well, that’s a double bonus.

Remember, these articles are for paid subscribers only. If you’d like full access to these early week and weekend pitcher streaming articles, you can get it for only $5/month by becoming a paid subscriber! You get two day early access to all articles, as well as paid subscriber-only articles. It’s cheaper than the coffee you stop and grab yourself every morning on your way to work!

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Monday

Nobody

I know this isn’t all that exciting, but Monday is one of those days where we have a weird mix of aces and guys rostered in too many leagues to be considered a true “pitching streamer”. The guys that fall outside of those categories just aren’t good enough to get the job done either. If you really wanted names, I’d say Shane Baz and Dustin May are guys around 50% rostered that I’d consider good plays for Monday, but again, they’re rostered a bit too much to make this list. Skip streaming on Monday if at all possible.

Tuesday

Slade Cecconi - Cleveland Guardians vs Cincinnati Reds

Slade is proof that one bad outing early on in a season can really mess with your overall numbers. He was touched up for five runs in 4.1 innings in his third start of the season. Outside of that, he’s given up just two runs to the Yankees on the road, one run at Detroit, and three runs at Cincinnati in his first outing of the season. He took the loss in that first game against the Reds, but he still managed to strike out eight despite only throwing 77 pitches. The Reds have continued to be susceptible to strikeouts against right-handers this season (sixth worst in baseball), and Cecconi is coming off a confidence-boosting start against the Yankees. I’m taking the over on both innings and strikeouts with Cecconi on Tuesday.

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