Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Help Before the All-Star Break

The All-Star Break isn’t the time to slow down. Even when you think your team is settled and locked in, it never is. Don’t stop looking for ways to improve your team, as there are multiple types of players available off the waiver wire that can fit the bill.

In doing our weekly diligence, the criteria for inclusion in our waiver wire recommendations will generally be any player rostered in less than 50% of Fantrax leagues (as of 7/08), with some exceptions. The popularity of Dynasty leagues on Fantrax does sway some of these percentages compared to other platforms, but these are players who should be on your radar.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Jurickson Profar, OF, Atlanta Braves

He’s back. Initially the Atlanta Braves’ signing of Jurickson Profar didn’t go according to plan this season. After Profar hit .280 last season with 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases, expectations were high heading into 2025. The problem though, is that Profar was quickly suspended for 80 games this April.

Given the state of injuries and rosters across the league, hanging onto Profar was likely problematic. Now that he’s returned, though, he deserves to be rostered across all leagues.

Upon his return, Profar slotted right into the middle of Atlanta’s lineup. In his first six games back, Profar hit .240 with three RBI and four runs scored. There’s no reason not to expect him to continue reverting to prior form. Within the Braves’ lineup, Profar should have no issues compiling runs and RBI; at a minimum.

Masataka Yoshida, DH, Boston Red Sox

The fact that Masataka Yoshida is only eligible at DH isn’t necessarily great for roster management. At the same time though, it’s all about the production. And after missing the beginning of the season due to injury, Yoshida is back. The good news is that he didn’t waste any time getting back in the groove.

In 421 plate appearances last year, all Yoshida did was produce. While he’s not a power threat, with just 10 home runs, he did hit .280 with 56 RBI and 45 runs scored. Yoshida is slotted right back into a strong Boston lineup. On Wednesday in his first game, Yoshida went 3 for 4 with an RBI and run scored.

The one issue that we have to keep in mind though is playing time. Boston has a lot of interesting options and Alex Bregman’s return is imminent. However, Yoshida should be in the lineup most games and the production should follow.

Oswald Peraza, 3B, New York Yankees

After the release of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza is expected to see an uptick in playing time. Peraza, at least for the next month, should be the regular third baseman for the Yankees. New York will likely be looking for a trade deadline upgrade, but their budget is limited at best.

When it comes to fantasy production, all we can do is take things week by week. With that being said, Peraza will be playing every day, and it will be as part of a strong lineup. Perhaps that will be the stimulus Peraza needs to find his groove.

While he’s hitting just .157 in his first 146 plate appearances, Peraza does have a BABIP of just .202. With three home runs, Peraza isn’t a power hitter, but he does have 14 RBI and 14 runs scored. New York’s success should benefit the young infielder.

Sean Manaea, SP, New York Mets

It’s about time that Sean Manaea’s return is imminent. After a strong 2024 debut season with the Mets, a Spring Training injury has kept Manaea on the sidelines. That is until Sunday when the left-hander is slated to make his season debut. And he’s simply too good to be ignored.

Last season, Manaea pitched to a 3.47 ERA (3.75 xERA) over 181.2 innings. He struck out a batter per inning while walking just over three batters per nine. Opposing hitters had their share of struggles against Manaea last year. Hitters didn’t square him up as he allowed just a 7.5% barrel rate and 37.6% hard hit rate. A large part of his success can be attributed to adjustments made last year. Manaea transitioned to throwing a sinker 45% of the time while his fastball rate dropped from 56.2% to 11.3%.

As we enter the second half of the season, Manaea could be a strong addition to any rotation.

Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees

With multiple injuries in play, there’s a clear need for starting pitchers for the New York Yankees. Next in line was Cam Schittler who made his major league debut on Wednesday. It was a successful first start for Schittler and he’s certainly earned more starts in the near future.

After Schittler allowed three runs (two home runs) over 5.1 innings, while striking out seven, to pick up his first win, he should be on the radar of fantasy managers. It’s never easy to find pitching, and Schittler has, at worst, streaming value.

Prior to his promotion, Schittler worked through a .350 BABIP in 76.2 minor league innings to post a 2.82 ERA. With a 2.52 FIP, there was some upside present as he struck out 11.62 batters per nine innings. Limiting the home runs, 0.47 per nine innings, contributes to his success along with a 47.8% ground ball rate.

Ronny Henriquez, RP, Miami Marlins

The back-end of the Miami Marlins bullpen has been a revolving door this season. When looking for a successful option though, especially as of late, Ronny Henriquez continues to be a name to know.

He’s up to five wins, five saves, and 11 holds on the season as he continues to take on roles of increasing importance. Henriquez has a 2.72 ERA in 40 games with a WHIP of just 1.16. At the very least, he brings real strikeout upside to the table with 60 in 43 innings. With hitters batting just .212 against Henriquez, there’s real value to be found here.