MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

We are well within the dog days of summer at this point – a time when a lot of players begin to really feel the physical demands of a 162-game season while also having to deal with the sweltering heat of summer. There are exceptions to this trend, of course, as some players are able to harness the heat and catch fire this time of year. The same can be said for teams – just look at what the Red Sox have been doing! So, if you're searching the waiver wire for players who could help get your fantasy team moving in the right direction, here are a few who might be worth taking a look at.

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Zac Thornton, New York Mets (26%)

The spelling of his first name might have changed, but Thornton has remained a dominant force on the mound early in his MLB career. He gets a spot on the list for a second consecutive week after picking up his first win in the majors Tuesday against the Brewers while allowing just four men to reach base in six shutout innings. He hasn't given up a run in the majors since the first inning of his June 26 outing against the Phillies, marking 18 consecutive scoreless frames for the 24-year-old southpaw. If he didn't already have a firm grasp on a spot in New York's rotation, he may now have one regardless of what the team does at the trade deadline. FAAB: $5

Shane Bieber, Toronto Blue Jays (42%)

Bieber ran into some struggles on the mound during his first couple of starts after making his season debut in late June, but he's shown flashes of his former self recently. His best outing yet came during his last start Saturday against the White Sox, during which he fired six scoreless innings in just 80 pitches while striking out six batters and collecting his first win of the year. Will he ever get back to putting up the numbers he did while he was thriving in Cleveland? No, probably not. But that doesn't mean he's incapable of delivering strong performances as he gets back into the swing of things. FAAB: $2

 Michael McGreevy, St. Louis Cardinals (37%)

There's no such thing as a "sure thing" in sports, but McGreevy recording a quality start is about as close as you can get at this point. He's done so in seven of his last eight outings, posting a 2.83 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 47.2 innings in that span. That kind of consistent dominance makes him a great option for those looking to stabilize their ratios, but there are still some things here to beware of. The 26-year-old isn't one to put up impressive strikeout totals, as his 5.9 K/9 ranks among the worst marks owned by starting pitchers this season, and some unfortunate luck has limited him to just one win in the past two months. FAAB: $2

Relief Pitcher

 Jordan Romano, Colorado Rockies (5%)

Colorado's bullpen has been a nightmare to navigate, but Romano appears to have emerged as the team's top high-leverage option at the moment, recording three of the team's last four saves and allowing just one run while striking out eight batters in 5.2 frames since joining the big club July 4. He's still far from being the dominant force he was with the Blue Jays earlier in the decade, but those are still strong numbers for someone who was kicked off the Angels this year for allowing nine runs in just eight innings. FAAB: $1

Check out where all the players on your fantasy baseball team fit into RotoWire's MLB Cheat Sheet!

Catcher

 Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets (21%)

Not many things have gone right for the Mets this season, but Alvarez has been one of the bright spots for a team that's underperformed in numerous other areas. He's been especially productive over the past couple of weeks, slashing .316/.409/.474 with two homers, six RBI and three runs scored across his last 11 games. He's not a true everyday catcher – Luis Torrens also receives a fair amount of starts behind the plate – but Alvarez makes up for it by occasionally slotting in as New York's designated hitter. Already with 11 homers on the season (matching his total from 2024 and '25), the 24-year-old could be an especially useful pickup for those who could use some extra thump in their lineup. FAAB: $4

First Baseman

 Ty France, San Diego Padres (17%)

France was riding a nine-game hitting streak before breaking it with an 0-for-5 performance Wednesday, but he still boasts an impressive .395/.432/.895 slash line across his last 10 contests to go with five homers, 11 RBI and eight runs in that stretch. The 32-year-old's power surge has propelled his OPS up from .780 to .871, which would mark a new career high if the season ended today. His strikeout rate has increased from 16.9 percent in 2025 to 23.4 percent this season, but I'd say it's more than worth taking that on to pick up someone who is performing better in nearly every major category compared to last year and has begun to bat cleanup for the Padres. FAAB: $5

 Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Baltimore Orioles (1%)

Encarnacion-Strand has played in four games since coming up from Triple-A last Thursday, but he's already made an impact with the big club, going 6-for-16 (.375) with two homers and four RBI. Blaze Alexander remains without a return timeline after suffering a hand fracture earlier this month, and Samuel Basallo also recently landed on the IL with a shoulder injury, so CES could continue to play regularly at the hot corner or as Baltimore's designated hitter in the short-term future. That said, you might have to wait a week or so to use him as a third baseman for fantasy purposes, as he's currently only eligible to fit into the first-base slot. FAAB: $1

Second Baseman

 Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers (27%)

Edman probably isn't the first player who comes to mind when you think about the Dodgers' offense (or second... or third... or fourth... or fifth...). However, he's been arguably the team's most productive hitter over the past couple of weeks while slashing .378/.439/.568 with a homer, eight RBI and 10 runs across his last 11 games. That's not too far off from his season slash line of .360/.439/.535, and now that he's reached the 100-plate-appearance mark, he seems to be well on his way toward a career-best campaign. He's gradually begun to break out of the bottom third of the lineup, but then again, as long as he's starting most days for the Dodgers, his potential to add runs and RBI will remain very high. FAAB: $5

Third Baseman

 Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates (43%)

Gonzales is currently in the middle of a seven-game hitting streak that extends back to Pittsburgh's final game before the All-Star break, during which the 27-year-old has gone 12-for-31 (.387) and tallied two homers, five RBI and scored eight runs. Now with a .313 batting average and .371 OBP through 399 plate appearances on the year, the 27-year-old infielder doesn't seem to be on the verge of slowing down anytime soon, and he could begin to score runs at a higher clip now that he's been moved back to the top of Pittsburgh's lineup against left-handed starters. FAAB: $4

 Caleb Durbin, Boston Red Sox (40%)

After enduring a prolonged cold spell during the early portion of the season, Durbin has suddenly transformed into one of the better hitters in Boston's lineup, slashing .327/.395/.570 in 120 plate appearances across his last 30 games. That stretch included a franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak for the Red Sox, so clearly his turnaround at the plate has had a noticeable impact on the club's performance. The Sox are expected to begin returning some of their injured infielders from the IL within the next several weeks, but Durbin shouldn't see his playing time take a significant hit as long as he's still swinging a hot stick. FAAB: $3

 Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (3%)

The idea of a player improving his performance at the plate following a defensive position change doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but that seems to be exactly what happened with Ortiz. The 28-year-old's OPS was at risk of falling below .500 in late June when Cooper Pratt's arrival to the majors forced Ortiz to move from shortstop to third base. Fast forward to today, and Ortiz now boasts a .373/.429/.667 slash line with three homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored and three steals over his last 16 contests. David Hamilton (hamstring) is expected to rejoin the team within the next several days, but I would expect Ortiz's playing time to remain fairly stable now that he's added some offense to complement his elite glove. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

 Brayan Rocchio, Cleveland Guardians (36%)

Make it back-to-back weeks for Rocchio, who has collected a base hit in five of Cleveland's six games since the All-Star break and is slashing .299/.319/.507 with four homers, 14 RBI and 10 runs in the month of July. The Guardians, looking to capitalize on Rocchio's newfound offensive prowess, appear to have dropped him from second to fourth in the batting order. That move could ding his potential to score runs but has already paid dividends in the RBI department, as he's stacked up four ribbies in his last three games. With Jose Ramirez now back from the IL, Rocchio would likely be the choice to step out of the starting nine whenever the Guardians want to give Gabriel Arias or Daniel Schneemann a start in the infield. However, Rocchio's superior hitting, fielding and base-running should keep him locked in as the primary shortstop in Cleveland. FAAB: $2

Outfielder

 Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers (24%)

Mitchell has been one of the hottest hitters in the Brewers' lineup for quite some time now, posting a .362/.413/.594 slash line since the beginning of July, so I'm honestly a bit shocked to see that he still has such a low ownership rate across both Yahoo and ESPN leagues. He has a stable gig as a middle-of-the-order bat for a top-five scoring offense in the majors, and although he still carries an unsightly 32.6 percent strikeout rate for the season, that number has dropped down to a slightly less ugly 26.7 percent this month. Tack on a 92.6-mph AEV, blazing speed, great discipline and the team's willingness to have him face same-handed pitching, and you have yourself someone who could be a legitimate fantasy contributor down the stretch. FAAB: $4

 Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians (47%)

Not even three weeks removed from owning a sub-.600 OPS, Kwan has now put up multi-hit efforts in five of his last seven games and is batting .420 with a 1.077 OPS in 17 contests since the beginning of the month. He'd previously been relegated to the bottom of the Guardians' lineup due to his prolonged struggles, but his hot streak has prompted manager Stephen Vogt to move Kwan back atop the batting order. That should greatly boost the 28-year-old's potential for runs, especially now that star slugger Jose Ramirez has returned from his month-long stay on the injured list. It's worth pointing out that Kwan has been far less aggressive on the base paths this year, notching just six steals in 95 games after averaging roughly 18 pilfers across the first four seasons of his MLB career. FAAB: $3

 Victor Mesa, Tampa Bay Rays (3%)

Mesa hit eight home runs last season across 68 total games between the major and minor leagues. He's now smacked five balls over the fence in just his last 10 games (while also recording three additional RBI and two steals), causing his OPS to spike from .584 all the way up to .800. It's unlikely that the 24-year-old will be able to maintain the .964 slugging percentage he's put up since July 7, but he's already shown to be capable with a bat in his hands after batting .329 with a .963 OPS in 18 games at Triple-A Durham. At the very least, he should continue to get regular opportunities as the Rays' primary right fielder against right-handed starters. FAAB: $1