Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Antonacci Ascends the Ranks

June is here, and at this point in the season, we should know the strengths and weaknesses of our fantasy rosters. In areas where we need to gain ground, the fantasy baseball waiver wire can help us out.

There are some interesting power options on the fantasy baseball waiver wire this week that can boost our home run and RBI totals. Plus, I spotlight some underrated pitchers who can provide sneaky value moving forward. With that, let’s get to the Week 11 fantasy baseball waiver wire targets.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

Sam Antonacci, 2B/3B/SS/OF, White Sox (70%)

Sam Antonacci was previously highlighted as a waiver wire pickup, but I wanted to flag him again since he’s picked things up on the basepaths. The rookie is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases over his last 14 games to go with 11 runs scored and a .302 batting average.

Antonacci has been the White Sox’s primary leadoff hitter since May 3 and has excelled in the role. Over those 120 plate appearances, Antonacci is 8-for-10 on the basepaths and scored 20 runs. Additionally, he maintains a sub-20% strikeout rate and sports a hefty .301 BA and .390 OBP. Unlike many speed options, Antonacci isn’t a batting average drain. He plays nearly everywhere and should continue to be an asset in the runs column while leading off for a team with the second-most runs scored since the start of May. Antonacci is a solid three-category contributor who should be on most fantasy rosters.

Kerry Carpenter, OF, Tigers (69%)

Kerry Carpenter returned from the IL and immediately made some noise by smacking a homer in his second game back. Prior to suffering an AC joint sprain in early May, Carpenter was already a power source for the Tigers. His six homers in 37 games tied for the highest mark on the club, and he registered a hefty .451 SLG and .253 ISO across those 117 plate appearances.

Carpenter’s quality contact metrics are consistent with last year’s marks when he piled up a career-best 26 homers over 130 games. He’s also been excellent at pulling balls in the air this season — his 28.8% pulled-air rate ranks 19th among hitters with at least 100 PAs. Carpenter is hitting cleanup since his return and could provide a power spark for the Tigers and fantasy lineups. He’s worth adding in 12-teamers before he takes off.

Joc Pederson, UT/OF, Rangers (28%)

Joc Pederson has been on a tear. He blasted five home runs in his last nine games, posting a .543 ISO and 1.257 OPS with eight runs scored and 12 RBI. He also tacked on two doubles and a triple in that span. Indeed, Pederson’s been humming along since taking over the leadoff spot on May 12. Across those 79 plate appearances, he’s hitting .288/.397/.652 with a 187 wRC+ and barreling the ball at a 13.2% clip. Pederson also flashed strong plate skills during that stretch with a 13.9% walk rate and an 17.7% strikeout rate. Pederson is a streaky player who kills RHP (career .824 OPS and .238 ISO). Take advantage while he’s swinging it.

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Yankees (34%)

Paul Goldschmidt is in the middle of an eight-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit efforts, three doubles, and two home runs. The veteran racked up nine RBI in that stretch while slashing .333/.368/.583 and striking out at an 18.4% rate. He’s picked up everyday playing time since May 20, after being relegated to a short-side platoon role for the month.

Since the beginning of May, Goldschmidt has been in vintage form. He’s hitting .304 in his last 26 games with six homers, 15 runs scored, and 19 RBI across 103 plate appearances. He’s also sporting a .261 ISO and 164 wRC+ during that stretch. On the whole, Goldy is making solid quality contact while sporting a hefty .384 xwOBA. He’s a power bat in a potent lineup, and fantasy managers would be wise to ride his hot streak.

Noelvi Marte, 3B/OF, Reds (62%)

Noelvi Marte got the call-up earlier in the week and should be added in most leagues. The Reds quickly demoted Marte to Triple-A after he struggled to the tune of a 32.3% strikeout rate and .331 OPS in his first 11 games this season. He’s since raked in Triple-A, slashing .369/.409/.575 with eight home runs, nine steals, and a 14.8% strikeout rate across 40 games. In addition to cutting down the Ks, Marte made improved contact in the zone at a near 92% clip.

Marte offers both pop and speed upside. In 2025, he hit .263 with 14 home runs and 10 steals across 90 games. Marte also flashed 89th percentile speed. If his plate and contact gains stick, he could be an asset across the board. Marte is worth an add to find out.

Trevor McDonald, SP, Giants (50%)

Trevor McDonald has been a solid starter for the Giants, allowing three earned runs or fewer in all but one of his six starts. Sure, his 4.50 ERA and 21.5% strikeout rate across those 32.1 innings aren’t anything to write home about. But under the surface lies a strong skillset.

McDonald’s bloated ERA comes with a 3.22 xFIP, and his 11.5% SwStr% should yield more strikeouts than his current 8.21 K/9. Combine that with a 1.15 WHIP and a 62.2% groundball rate, and McDonald shapes up as an appealing arm. It’s criminal he’s only rostered in 50% of leagues; grab McDonald now before his results catch up with his skills.

Sean Burke, SP, White Sox (64%)

Sean Burke has been a fairly reliable arm all season, but has really come on strong since May. In his last six starts, Burke posted a 4.23 ERA (4.05 xFIP) and 1.23 WHIP across 31.2 innings. While those surface stats don’t jump off the page, Burke’s underlying skills are more impressive. His 26.3% strikeout rate in that stretch is nearly an eight-point improvement from the start of the season and fuels a strong 18.2% K-BB% for the month.

Up next, Burke faces a Phillies team struggling against RHP since May (.215 BA, 76 wRC+). That’s followed by a less friendly matchup against an imposing Dodgers team (.260 BA, 125 wRC+). While you might want to sit that one out, Burke should be rostered more widely in deeper leagues, given his skillset. He’s also a solid streaming option in 12-teamers moving forward.

Stephen Kolek, SP, Royals (54%)

Stephen Kolek is coming off one of his best starts of the season. He tossed seven frames of two-run ball against the Reds with an impressive 8:2 K:BB. Overall, Kolek has been a steady, albeit boring, starter for the Royals. In six starts, he has a 3.32 ERA (3.66 xFIP) and 0.97 WHIP across 38 innings. The strikeouts aren’t there (18.1%), but neither are the free passes (5.4%), and Kolek keeps the ball on the ground about half of the time. Plus, he picked up four quality starts in six trips to the mound.

Given the bleak landscape of quality arms available on the wire, you can do a lot worse. Kolek is tentatively scheduled for a Texas two-step next week with home tilts against the Rangers and Astros. He’s a solid add in deeper leagues.