The state of the waiver wire is very similar to last week with the primary focus still on replacing injured hitters and starting pitchers. In fact, a couple of the hitters mentioned below are actual injury replacements for the Astros since Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker are currently sidelined. Just because these athletes are mostly just stopgaps for your fantasy squad doesn’t mean they can’t stick around and become regular high-level performers for you. One pitcher in particular who is mentioned twice below has been very productive in his six starts this season and there’s little indication of him slowing down any time soon. Read on to see every widely available player our featured experts are keeping their eyes on.

Import your team to My Playbook for custom advice all season

Q1. What one hitter should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Bobby Bradley (1B/DH – CLE): 17% Rostered
“Bradley probably isn’t the next Adolis Garcia, but his power is going to play for a bit until pitchers figure out how to adjust. The young slugger has struggled with his strikeout rate since reaching Triple-A in 2018, but he’s currently sporting a very manageable 27.3% K-rate. That will play just fine, considering Bradley’s high quality of contact, including a 114.2 MPH maximum exit velocity and a 20% barrel rate. With first base now clear and the Indians needing pop wherever they can find it, Bradley should stick in the lineup and pop plenty of longballs.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Abraham Toro (3B/DH – HOU): 10% Rostered
“With any under-the-radar hitter, the key is playing time. That’s something Toro is almost guaranteed with Alex Bregman out for approximately a month. Toro was hitting .352/.485/.593 in 68 plate appearances at Triple-A Sugar Land when he was recalled and has only continued his hot hitting in Houston. Toro has started seven of eight games since Bregman went down and has already had a pair of four-RBI games over that span for the team that’s tops in the majors in just about every offensive category.”
– Steve Gardner (USA Today)

Akil Baddoo (OF – DET): 17% Rostered
“After a blistering start to the season, Baddoo hit a brutal adjustment period, batting just .087/.143/.217 over a 15-game stretch beginning in mid-April. Since that time, he’s quietly rallied with a .361/.481/.518 in 31 games since May 7. Overall, we’ve got a fairly streaky player with plenty of juice who’s posted five homers (as well as 12 doubles and four triples) with eight steals over his first 57 games, a power/speed pace that warrants attention in all leagues. The time is now to give Baddoo another look as he continues to settle in at the major league level.”
– Wayne Bretsky (BretskyBall)

Myles Straw (SS/OF – HOU): 17% Rostered
“In a fantasy world where we often bemoan the scarcity of stolen bases, why exactly is Straw still widely available? With 10 SBs in 279 PAs in 2021, Straw has been a top-50 OF in 12-team leagues according to the FanGraphs auction calculator and has been tearing things up as of late. Over the last two weeks, Straw is slashing .326/.385/.478, with a .373 wOBA, .863 OPS, and 142 wRC+, while stealing three bases and scoring 11 runs. He might only bat eighth for the Astros but as long as he’s playing every day, Straw needs to be rostered.”
– Nicklaus Gaut (RotoBaller)

Q2. What one starting pitcher should fantasy managers look into picking up that is rostered in less than 20% of leagues?

Patrick Sandoval (LAA): 17% Rostered
“Sandoval has ripped off three straight solid outings, piling up 23 strikeouts against just five walks over his last 17.2 innings pitched with a pair of wins and quality starts. Though he sits with a decent 3.69 ERA and 1.26 WHIP on the year, Sandoval has taken it to another level since the calendar flipped to June. The 24-year-old hurler has posted a CSW (called strikes + whiffs) of 36.6% in his past three starts highlighted by his 10-K performance on June 6. He’s up for a tough task in his next start with a visit to Tampa Bay, and while I may not immediately insert Sandoval into my lineup for that next turn, he’s got the look of an arm that can continue to help you over the season’s second half.”
– Wayne Bretsky (BretskyBall)

“Patrick Sandoval allows too many homers, in part because his fastball is eminently hittable. But his changeup is excellent (.125 BAA, .179 SLG against) and it has a 58.4% whiff rate. That changeup, along with his outstanding slider, should be enough to keep him in the rotation for a while and generate plenty of strikeouts. On the days his fastball is working, he’ll be elite. On the days it’s not, he should still pile up enough swings and misses to make starting him worthwhile.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Tyler Anderson (PIT): 8% Rostered
“While certainly not matchup-proof, Anderson has turned into a bit more than a ‘stream and cut’ and has solid matchups on the horizon. His 4.83 ERA may be unsightly (and he does play for Pittsburgh), but keep in mind that his overall numbers are dragged down by two blowups against Atlanta and Washington. In those two starts, Anderson posted a 12.27 ERA and 2.09 WHIP over 11 IPs; in his other 12 starts he has a 3.64 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He’s coming off of a tough no-decision where he shut out the White Sox for 6.2 IPs before allowing a pinch-hit, three-run home run. He now lines up for his next two starts against the weak offenses of the Cardinals and Brewers. Since May 1, St. Louis and Milwaukee both have a .299 wOBA vs. LHP (t-21st), with the Brewers posting a 27.3 K% (the third-highest in baseball).”
– Nicklaus Gaut (RotoBaller)

Joe Ross (WSH): 17% Rostered
“As the Nats have seemingly started to turn things around in June, so has Ross. In four starts this month, Ross has yielded zero earned runs in three of them — including eight shutout innings against the team with the NL’s best record, the San Francisco Giants. His strikeout-to-walk ratio in June is a stellar 26/4, and he’s lined up for two starts next week. Though neither one should be easy — vs. Tampa Bay and the L.A. Dodgers — both will come at home.”
– Steve Gardner (USA Today)

Thank you to the experts for naming their under-the-radar waiver wire pickups. Make sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice all season and check out our Leading Off Podcast every single day for quick-hitting takeaways and advice.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio