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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 21 (2025). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
The fantasy baseball season continues into the last few weeks of August, with fall and the Major League Baseball playoffs looming just around the corner. Whether your fantasy team is on top of your league, headed for the playoffs, battling for a playoff spot, or just trying to stay above water, over the past few weeks, several hitters have started to step up in ways that make them potentially important to your squad.
This week's five bargain basement hitters are in position to give your squad just the boost you need in the remaining weeks of the season. As smart fantasy baseball managers know, it pays to constantly keep an eye on the waiver wire for options who can fill in gaps or strengthen your depth. In this post, we're skipping past the big-name, obvious pickups and diving deep into the bargain bin looking for some hidden values from the bargain basement. In most leagues, these options are often available for free or at a minimal cost from your FAAB budget. If your league uses waiver priority instead, these are options that can be targets even if you have low priority as plug-and-play options that can be scooped and started in most formats. If injury or ineffectiveness is forcing you to look for a bargain basement solution, check out these fun young bats to consider. All stats are through games played on Monday, August 18, unless otherwise noted.
Which widely available hitters should be on your shopping list? Let's dive in!
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Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
19% rostered
Varsho missed most of the season for the Blue Jays, dealing with injuries, but when the 29-year-old veteran has been available, he has been very productive. Even in only 38 games, Varsho has 13 home runs to go with 34 RBI and a .364 wOBA.
Varsho started the season on the injured list due to shoulder surgery, and he didn't make his season debut until April 29. Just over a month later, he went back on the injured list with a hamstring injury that kept him out of action from May 31 through August 1. After missing those two months, most fantasy managers moved on from Varsho, which is why his ownership is so low.
Since returning on August 1, he has played 14 games and hit .295 with two doubles, five homers, 14 RBI, and a 53.6% hard-hit rate. He has an average exit velocity of just under 95 miles per hour this month, along with a 21.4% barrel rate.
Daulton now has 31 hits in 36 games this season, hitting 13 HRs. #BlueJays
An insane 42% of Varsho's hits have left the yard. 👀pic.twitter.com/CxODKbHC6b
— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) August 16, 2025
When he's in the lineup, Varsho brings plenty of power potential, especially at home, where he has a .395 ISO and .383 wOBA overall and a .476 ISO and .434 wOBA against righties.
Varsho is in a crowded outfield situation with the Blue Jays right now, so he isn't guaranteed a lineup spot every day. He has made the most of his chances, though, and also provides Gold Glove-level defense in center field, which should keep him in the lineup down the stretch.
He has always been streaky throughout his career, but he's on a heater right now and can bring some power potential to your outfield, especially with the Jays lined up for a six-game home stand starting next Monday against the Twins and the Brewers.
Joey Ortiz, 3B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers
19% rostered
The Blue Jays have taken over the AL East lead and surged to the top of the standings this summer, while the Brewers have pulled away from the Cubs in the NL Central with their recent performance. One of the key contributors to their recent run of success has been 27-year-old righty Joey Ortiz.
Ortiz has eight multi-hit games in his 16 games in August and is hitting .367 with seven doubles and two stolen bases, but no home runs. Ortiz doesn't offer nearly the power production that Varsho and some of the other bargain basement pickups bring, but his contact skills and run production have helped him be a key contributor over the last few weeks.
What if we told you Joey Ortiz is hitting .378 in August 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Lk22LYrmG3
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 13, 2025
Ortiz is in the lineup primarily for his excellent glove at shortstop, but since he is in such a productive lineup and typically hits ninth in front of the top of the order, he has lots of potential for run production and some sneaky speed as long as he's making so much contact.
If you need batting average and counting stats and can give up a little power, Ortiz is a solid option on the left side of the infield.
Paul DeJong, 3B/SS, Washington Nationals
5% rostered
The Nationals' Paul DeJong is another versatile infielder with multiple-position eligibility on the left side of the infield. He doesn't have the job security and everyday spot in the order that Ortiz offers, but he brings a little more power potential.
DeJong was brought in this offseason for the Nats to help bridge the gap to some of their younger players. He was expected to primarily be the fill-in at third base until Brady House was ready.
That plan fell apart when DeJong was hit in the face by a pitch from Pirates starter Mitch Keller. He suffered a broken nose and needed surgery to repair his sinuses and orbital plate. He missed 2.5 months before returning in July.
He was mixing in at multiple infield positions as a spot starter against lefties early in July, but then started to heat up in August.
Paul DeJong is 9-for-21 (.429) with 3 home runs and 7 RBI during his 5 game hitting streak.
He now has 4 homers in his last 8 games. pic.twitter.com/CExUJKL33L
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) August 15, 2025
Since that post on X from the Nationals, DeJong has extended his hitting streak to seven games and is 11-for-29 (.379) over that stretch with four homers, 10 RBI, and a .514 wOBA. DeJong has a solid 42.7% hard-hit rate on the season and a 48.1% hard-hit rate since July 4.
The Nationals moved on from Nathaniel Lowe earlier this week, which opens up more potential playing time for DeJong at first base, where he started for the first time this season on Monday. If he gains extra eligibility, he'll have even more utility and ability to fit into your lineup in different scenarios.
Over the last two seasons, DeJong hit 14 homers with three teams in 2023 and 24 homers with two teams in 2024. He probably won't get near those totals due to his limited playing time this year, but he's still a sneaky source of good power production for as long as he stays so hot.
Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics
7% rostered
The Athletics have had a parade of prospects through their lineup this season, and Thomas has been the latest contributor to step up in center field.
In a quick cameo early in July, he went just 1-for-11 with six strikeouts, but he returned on July 22 when Denzel Clarke (adductor) landed on the injured list.
Clarke was turning in good numbers at the plate and outstanding defense before landing on the injured list with a Grade 2 adductor strain, opening the door for the 24-year-old Thomas to get his first extended run in the majors. MLB Pipeline ranked the former third-round pick as the team's No. 5 prospect.
Before his promotion, Thomas hit .291 with 18 homers and seven stolen bases in 82 games with the Las Vegas Aviators. Since rejoining the A's, Thomas is hitting .300 with two doubles, three homers, 12 RBI, and two stolen bases in 17 games.
Colby Thomas has been hitting the cover off of the baseball the last 14 days.
9 G
29 PA
.385 AVG
.379 OBP
.769 SLG
3 HR
7 R
11 RBI
.421 wOBA
199 wRC+
107.6 EV90
109.1 maxEV
47.4% HH%He currently owns a 5-game hit streak, with HRs in back to back games!#Athletics pic.twitter.com/q2R5qshy8M
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) August 18, 2025
Thomas has the kind of power and speed that gives him a very high ceiling as a fantasy producer going forward. The A's outfield is already crowded, and when Clarke returns, Thomas could struggle to find playing time. However, the team views him as a huge part of its future core, and he's already adjusting to the majors.
The power-hitting youngster also gets a boost from playing his home games at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. After an upcoming series in Seattle this coming weekend, the A's are home for six games against the Tigers and Rangers, which should be a great stretch in which Thomas can keep mashing.
In regard to pure ceiling, Thomas is probably the top pickup on this list this week, although he's also high risk since he's unproven and in an uncertain role.
Brett Baty, 2B/3B, New York Mets
4% rostered
The Mets have been waiting for Baty to lock in as a regular part of their infield for several years, but the 25-year-old lefty hasn't ever really been able to find a groove. This year, he has filled in at 2B and 3B in the strong side of the platoon against righties, and lately, he has been heating up enough to be a viable mixed-league infield play.
Baty hit .215 in 169 games in the majors coming into this season with 15 homers. This year, he has taken a step forward with a .239 batting average, 13 homers, and a .310 wOBA. He has been even better in August, going 10-for-29 (.345) with a couple of homers in his first 10 games.
He hit his third homer of the month on Tuesday night against the Nationals:
Brett Baty gives a fan in the second deck a souvenir ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/xZS7cl42mJ
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2025
Baty can be a solid infield option in a good lineup for the next several weeks if you need a short-term fill-in or are stretched to the max. His Mets are right in the mix for the NL Wild Card, and he brings good power and batting average potential, even though he hits toward the bottom of the lineup.
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