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Nick Mariano's fantasy baseball waiver wire targets for Week 6. Free-agent hitter pickups, emerging starting pitchers, and bullpen arms for every week of the 2026 MLB season.
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There's nearly one quarter of the season behind us, so please try to imagine another three of these little fantasy baseball lifetimes ahead of you. We've still got plenty of ball on the horizon, with much to unfold that we can't even fathom at this point. Keep an open mind and a strategist's mindset as we build up champions.
Don't take anything for granted! Try your best to balance taking aggressive shots with your roster slots, but without compromising depth, especially if you're in deeper leagues with a worse replacement level. It's time to get the party started with my waiver wire targets for Week 7.
We'll use Yahoo rostered rates up to 40%, listing players in a rough priority order (check our full waiver article for up to 70% rostered!). Please note that most statistics are gathered before Saturday's games, though I'll catch key news and happenings as I write. You can find me on X (@NMariano53) to ask me anything else on your mind.
Nick's Hitter Waiver Wire Targets
Catcher: Samuel Basallo (32% rostered), Moises Ballesteros (39%), Carter Jensen (33%), Joe Mack (2%), Dalton Rushing (23%), Kyle Teel (10%), Jesus Rodriguez (3%), J.T. Realmuto (16%), Alejandro Kirk (27%), Gabriel Moreno (10%), Logan O'Hoppe (0%), Danny Jansen (1%)
Mack has been given the keys to Miami’s backstop position, much to the chagrin of those who took Agustin Ramirez as a top-10 fantasy catcher (raises hand). We typically don’t care about defense, but you have to be serviceable.
Joe Mack has the first caught stealing of his career.
1.93 seconds pop time
80.2 mph arm strength#Marlins pic.twitter.com/oFg3ADU3gg— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) May 9, 2026
Mack can do that, and he just went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles after a cold first five games. He’d ripped 21 homers with nine steals alongside a .257 average and .813 OPS over 112 minor-league games last year.
Basallo is making more frequent contact of late, which should automatically put his massive power on more radars. When he squares things up, the ball goes a long way...and fast.
Rodriguez came up to San Francisco and found starts in four straight games, going 5-for-11 with his first MLB home run. With Patrick Bailey traded to Cleveland and Daniel Susac (elbow) on the injured list, Rodriguez has a chance to shine. But he doesn’t have a big track record of power in the minors, which San Francisco won’t help, and Susac has already started his rehab assignment. A split between the two would help neither for us, but JRod did get one outfield start.
Kirk is swinging a bat as of Saturday and could be back in a few weeks. Toronto’s lineup has not lived up to the standard set last season, and we will want to see that Kirk’s power is not affected by the thumb fracture before buying back in.
Teel is also slated to kick off a rehab assignment this week, sporting a higher fantasy ceiling, albeit with less secure playing time next to Drew Romo and Edgar Quero. O’Hoppe will also start his on Monday.
