With the fantasy baseball trade deadline approaching and roster shakeups likely across the league, our analysts picked two hitters and two pitchers worth adding off waivers right now. Here’s the full breakdown.
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4 Players to Add Now: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (2026)
Jeff McNeil (2B – ATH)
McNeil is sitting at just 5.5% roster percentage, but he’s been scorching since the All-Star break, hitting .440 with six runs scored, a home run, seven RBI, and a stolen base. His July numbers overall are strong too, a .311 average with his slugging percentage climbing to .444. He’s only hit four home runs on the season, and the expected power hasn’t fully materialized yet, but the second-half surge suggests it could be starting to come around. For a team needing help at second base or in the middle infield, McNeil looks like a strong near-term option.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B – BAL)
Encarnacion-Strand is rostered in under 15% of leagues, but the recent form has been eye-catching since he was traded from Cincinnati to Baltimore. His new team has also been rumored to be shopping several regulars in its lineup, which could open up even more opportunity for him. Over a small sample of roughly 30 at-bats, he’s hitting .370 with three home runs.
The underlying data supports some real optimism here. His barrel rate sits at 18%, and his pulled-air rate has reached a career high near 23%, meaning he’s both elevating the ball more and pulling it more effectively than he has in the past. His expected batting average sits in the .270 range, and while his hard-hit rate is actually a touch below his career norms, he’s pairing that with a significantly improved strikeout rate, down to around 20% after sitting near 29% during his rookie season. He’s also been crushing fastballs specifically, hitting over .400 against them. This is a bat with real 25-plus home run upside if he settles into consistent playing time, even though his opportunity never fully materialized in his previous situation. One thing worth monitoring as the sample grows: he’s hit left-handed pitching very well so far but has struggled significantly against right-handers, a split worth watching for signs of regression or improvement.
Brandon Young (SP – BAL)
Young is the highest-owned player on this list at 28%, though that still leaves him widely available in most leagues, likely under 40% to 50% ownership even on platforms with higher roster rates. He’s strung together three straight quality starts, and his next outing comes against a Philadelphia offense that’s been in a serious slump in July, scoring one run or fewer in nine games this month and ranking near the bottom of the league in several key offensive categories, including strikeout rate, slugging percentage, and runs scored. That combination of recent form and a favorable upcoming matchup makes Young a strong add right now.
Kumar Rocker (SP – TEX)
Rocker is the lowest-owned player on this list at just 10%, reflecting how volatile his season has been. His overall line, a 4.03 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, isn’t eye-catching, but it represents real improvement for him, and the pattern has been one rough, blow-up start roughly every month rather than consistent poor performance. His July has included one very bad outing where he allowed seven earned runs, but it’s been sandwiched between much better starts, including a six-inning, one-hit, six-strikeout gem and a recent outing with six-plus innings and seven strikeouts. He’s struck out six or more batters in three of his four July starts, and his last two outings specifically have each featured at least six innings, at least six strikeouts, only two walks, and no more than two earned runs allowed.
The underlying data shows real progress too. He’s allowing less hard, well-barreled contact than in the past, and while his walk and strikeout rates have stayed fairly steady, one specific pitch has become a genuine weapon: his slider is holding opponents to a .160 batting average and grades as one of the more valuable sliders in the league by run value. The recommendation here is a matchup-based approach, avoiding him against especially tough lineups given his blow-up risk, but in favorable spots he profiles as a source of a low-to-mid 3.00s ERA with real strikeout upside and occasional wins.
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