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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 25 (2026). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of our Bargain Basement Hitters for Week 25 of the fantasy baseball season. We're in the thick of the fantasy baseball playoffs, so all that matters is the schedule. We're not only looking for players on a hot streak, but also those with favorable matchups. Park factor is another important consideration here.
As usual, we will look at five hitters who are widely available across all Yahoo! leagues. Each of these players is rostered in fewer than 20% of leagues. Last week, we nailed Cole Carrigg, who was 6% rostered at the time of recommendation. Before that, we nailed Henry Bolte. Needless to say, we've been on fire in this column. Let's try to build on that this week and help you secure a championship.
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Kyle Karros, 3B - Colorado Rockies
6% rostered (Yahoo)
Kyle Karros is currently slashing .260/.355/.427 with 12 home runs and five stolen bases in 437 plate appearances. This includes a rock-solid 11.4% walk rate and a 20.1% strikeout rate. He also has a respectable 8.6% barrel rate.
So far in September, Karros has put up a .516 slugging percentage, so he's in good form for a pickup for the fantasy playoffs.
Kyle Karros - Colorado Rockies (12) pic.twitter.com/37Uw3Ab4Rf
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 17, 2026
You also have to like the schedule for this upcoming week. The Rockies play three games at Coors vs. the Diamondbacks, followed by three road games at the White Sox. We're looking to take advantage of home cooking for this Rockies hitter.
It also helps that Karros mostly hits in the heart of the order for Colorado, ranging from the No. 4 to No. 6 spot. This puts him in a good position to rack up counting stats.
If you need power, Karros is an appealing bargain basement hitter for this week. We saw how betting on Coors hitters can pay off, just look at what Cole Carrigg did for us last week after he was one of the main highlights in this column. Add now and see where this goes.
Richie Palacios, 2B/OF - Tampa Bay Rays
5% rostered (Yahoo)
Richie Palacios is currently slashing .232/.326/.375 with 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 373 plate appearances. While the batting average is low, you have to like his contribution in power and speed. He also has good plate discipline metrics, including an 11.3% walk rate and a 17.2% strikeout rate.
Palacios has been red-hot in September so far, putting up an otherworldly 212 wRC+. That means it's an ideal time to pick him up for a short-term boost in the fantasy playoffs.
Adjust your audio accordingly 🔊 pic.twitter.com/RbgOLGIIBU
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 12, 2026
The Rays have a favorable schedule coming up. Since they have a double-header vs. the Yankees, they're one of two teams to have seven games on tap. That's the kind of volume that we're looking for with a bargain-basement hitter.
While Palacios mostly hits at the bottom of the order, the Rays have a good enough lineup to make him worth a look this week. Palacios is more appealing in OBP leagues due to his excellent walk rate, but he's still worth a look for his power-speed profile.
Anthony Volpe, 2B/SS - New York Yankees
5% rostered (Yahoo)
Anthony Volpe has been impressive since being recalled to the big leagues, slashing .348/.400/.565 with one home run and four stolen bases in only seven games. That's the kind of stolen base upside that can give you exactly what you need as you're chasing the top of the standings or trying to win a head-to-head playoff matchup.
Even though Volpe is hitting at the bottom of the lineup, that serves him well here, since he's got a clear green light to steal bases.
With the @Yankees down to their last out, Anthony Volpe ties the game with a 2-run double 😮 pic.twitter.com/jZTn9t0skI
— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2026
If you need some speed, he's my favorite pickup on the board for this upcoming week.
Like the Rays, the Yankees have seven games on tap this week. Four vs Tampa and then three vs. the Orioles. It wouldn't surprise me to see Volpe rack up another 2-3 steals in this spot. He's clearly swinging the bat well, so it's the perfect time to pick him up.
Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Volpe was a highly touted player for the Yankees. It wouldn't shock me if he finally found his groove here, as the Yankees get ready to try to get back to the World Series.
Carlos Cortes, OF - Athletics
2% rostered (Yahoo)
Carlos Cortes is currently slashing .252/.320/.388 with nine home runs and two stolen bases in 362 plate appearances. While there's not much power or speed here, this is a bet on a favorable schedule.
The Athletics play six games this week. Each of them are at home, at the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park. That's great news for Cortes' chances to rack up some counting stats. They're going up against the Angels and the Astros.
ATH - Carlos Cortes Solo HR (9)
📏 388 ft | 💨 99.4 mph | 📐 26°
⚾️ 97.6 mph four-seam fastball (TOR - RHP José Soriano)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 parks 💣TOR (2) @ ATH (1)
🔻 4th#Athletics pic.twitter.com/IGywIIUPaa— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) September 9, 2026
We've seen Cortes mostly hit in the seventh or eighth spot lately, but with the games being played at a hitter's park, it wouldn't shock me to see some strong production.
While obviously teammates like Jeff McNeil and Henry Bolte are more desirable options, they're more heavily rostered. If you're in a deeper league and looking for a boost from an under-the-radar player, Cortes is your guy.
He's more appealing in OBP leagues due to his strong walk rate. That's where I'd prioritize him, particularly in 15-team leagues or AL-only.
Dylan Beavers, OF - Baltimore Orioles
2% rostered (Yahoo)
Dylan Beavers came into the 2026 MLB season with a lot of fanfare, as many were excited about the young outfielder. But he's been rather disappointing, slashing .237/.313/.376 with seven home runs and five stolen bases in 330 plate appearances.
While he's off to a rough start in September (.543 OPS), I like his chances of getting back on track. This is a bet on his upcoming schedule.
Dylan Beavers quickly gets the Orioles on the board first. pic.twitter.com/XaVDTbvULX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 11, 2026
The Orioles have six games this week, including three vs. the Blue Jays and three against the Yankees. Beavers is a left-handed hitter who can take advantage of that short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
But what's even more appealing is Beavers' spot in the lineup, as he's been hitting leadoff for seven consecutive games. That puts him in an excellent position to rack up counting stats.
With that in mind, it makes sense to give Beavers a look to see if you can get a boost in runs or RBI. Perhaps he'll even steal a base, although he's been rather underwhelming in that category this season. As a player available in nearly every league, Beavers makes sense in deeper formats. Add to see if he can get hot this week.
