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Five hot fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, streamers, and sleepers for Week 11 (2026). Undervalued hitters outperforming their ownership percentage and should be more widely owned.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of our Bargain Basement Hitters. Another week of MLB action is in the books, which means it's time to do a deep dive into the waiver wire and determine if these hot hitters can continue their success.
This week, we will look at a veteran bat on the Yankees who is providing more value than a platoon and a quiet post-hype breakout in Los Angeles, among others. As always, the names in this piece are rostered in 25% (or fewer) in all Yahoo leagues.
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Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees
12% rostered (Yahoo)
The 38-year-old has only been on the radar in deep daily lineup leagues for much of the season, as he has only been deployed to the starting lineup against left-handed starting pitchers. The Yankees have kept Goldschmidt around for good reason, as despite his age and struggles against right-handers, he is still mashing southpaws.
As of this writing, Goldschmidt carries an elite .400/.500/.800 slash line with five doubles and five home runs over 66 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
While facing right-handers, he holds a much lower .202/.256/.345 line (over 90 PAs). During the 2025 season, Goldschmidt looked just as comfortable against left-handed pitchers. He posted a .346/.411/.570 line with a stellar .981 OPS, which is why the Yankees opted to re-sign him, despite the emergence of Ben Rice.
In the opening months, Goldschmidt continued to deploy him in a platoon, providing value to savvy managers willing to roster him and use him only in select matchups. However, following the injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the veteran is now a staple in the Yankees lineup and is firmly back on the radar in standard leagues.
Since May 20, Goldschmidt has started in each contest and has even begun to serve as the leadoff hitter against left-handed pitchers (three times) while typically batting in the three-hole against right-handers.
During this noted 17-game stretch, Goldschmidt has carried a .275/.315/.449 line with three doubles and three home runs. Is this production sustainable despite the increase in at-bats?
While his underlying marks are still slightly skewed, given that he only gave favorable matchups to begin the season, he has made elite contact with the ball. Entering June 10, Goldschmidt ranks in the 85th percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG and holds a 38.5% LA Sweet-Spot% (84th percentile).
When looking only at his performance in June (when he has seen every day at-bats), Goldschmidt has posted a .252 xBA against fastballs, but should face some regression, as shown by the .286 BA on the surface (see visual below). Additionally, his incredible .617 SLG against fastballs will likely gradually decline, as shown by the .497 xSLG.
As also depicted below, Goldschmidt has overperformed his marks against breaking pitches in June (.571 BA - .359 xBA), but should not see much regression, as his expected statistics are still among the best in the sport.
Lastly, even though he was put in favorable at-bats last season, he only hit 10 home runs, and has nearly matched that mark in two months of play this season with eight long balls. Goldschmidt is not only making consistent hard contact but has also optimized his swing, as evidenced by the 21.1% Pull AIR%, which is not only above average but on pace to be the best of his career.
Pairing his elite pull rate with an above-average bat speed, Sweet-Spot%, and hard-hit rate, Goldschmidt should continue to power this Yankee lineup without their leader. The 38-year-old should continue to provide a plus batting average with elite RBI and home run totals for the foreseeable future.
Wade Meckler, OF, Los Angeles Angels
5% rostered
Meckler made his MLB debut during the 2023 season with the Giants and held a modest .232/.328/.250 line across a short 20-game stint. He would then spend the 2024 and 2025 seasons in the minor leagues and enter the 2026 season completely off the fantasy radar.
However, he returned to the majors in late May (with the Angels) and has completely turned his career around. Through 17 games, Meckler has posted an impressive .340/.417/.547 slash line with five doubles, two home runs, and two stolen bases. His five-category potential makes him an intriguing target on the waiver wire and worthy of a deeper dive.
So far in this small sample, Meckler has generated a .371 xwOBA, .282 xBA, and a .483 xSLG, all of which would place him well above the average marks. While these numbers suggest regression is coming, managers may not feel it too much, as this would still make him a worthwhile hitter to roster. However, the concern lies in how hard he is impacting the ball.
So far, Meckler has generated a low 9.3% barrel rate, a weak 85.9 mph average exit velocity, and a 30.2% hard-hit rate. As we have noted for hitters throughout this series, hard-hit rates do not tell the entire picture.
Fortunately, Meckler optimizes his swing, which helps offset this lack of raw power. The 26-year-old has generated a stellar 39.5% LA Sweet-Spot%, 33.8% squared-up rate, and, most importantly, a 20.9% Pull AIR%. While he will not be a 15+ HR bat, his effective swing allows him to push for double digits despite not hitting the ball hard.
Meckler also remains a valuable asset in points leagues given his low 16.7% K% and 11.7% BB%. While regression will come in the batting average, Meckler should flirt with a 10/20 season (83rd percentile sprint speed) while proving reliable counting stats batting in the three-hole of this lineup.
Kody Clemens, 1B/2B/OF, Minnesota Twins
10% rostered
Kody Clemens has spent most of his time at first base for the Twins, but has seen additional starts and scored base hits in the outfield, which has added to his fantasy value. While he had a slow start, posting a low .184/.304/.333 line over his first 29 games of the season, the veteran utility man has quickly found his footing and has emerged as one of the most reliable bats in this lineup.
Since May 10 (his last 26 games), Clemens has held an impressive .301/.327/.602 line with a stellar .929 OPS. During this stretch, Clemens has hit nine doubles, launched six long balls, and even swiped two bases.
Given that he carries a career .215/.274/.419 line, managers may assume this is just a brief flash in the pan for the journeyman. However, his underlying actions suggest he is taking a step forward in Minnesota.
Through two and a half months of action, Clemens has generated a .250 xBA, which suggests that while he has overperformed as of late, he was a bit unlucky in the early going. However, where his Baseball Savant page really jumps off the page is in his hard-hit metrics. Clemens has generated an elite 92.5 mph average exit velocity with a stellar 14.0% barrel rate.
He has also maintained a 64th-percentile hard-hit rate while holding 71st- and 79th-percentile LA Sweet-Spot% and squared-up rates. His current barrel rate would set a career-high and make a 2.0% jump from his 2025 marks (when he hit 19 long balls). Clemens has also posted a 22.7% K% (below the average mark) but is on pace for the best season of his career.
Even while lowering his swing-and-miss rates, Clemens is not only impacting the ball even harder but also maintaining his effective swing, carrying a 20.1% Pull AIR%.
While the batting average will come back down to earth, it should still settle in the .250-.260 range, which is still worth rostering. However, Clemens' real fantasy upside comes in his power. With his uptick in barrel and above-average pull rates, Clemens has the path to push for a 20-25 HR season.
If you need power, this is a great budget bat.
MIN - Kody Clemens Solo HR (9)
📏 346 ft | 💨 94.7 mph | 📐 38°
⚾️ 93.6 mph four-seam fastball (DET - RHP Troy Melton)
🏟️ Out in 19/30 parksMIN (4) @ DET (3)
🔺 5th#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/7W9qZxkI54— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) June 10, 2026
Blaze Alexander, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Baltimore Orioles
5% rostered
The next hitter we will spotlight is a super-utility option. Orioles infielder Blaze Alexander has positional eligibility at three positions in the infield (on Yahoo) and also possesses outfield eligibility, making him a useful option, especially in daily lineup leagues.
The 27-year-old spent the first two seasons of his MLB career in Arizona and never carved out a true full-time role, but also never enjoyed much success, carrying a cumulative .237/.322/.366 slash line with just 10 home runs.
However, Alexander has since found a role in Baltimore in 2026 and enjoyed a Year 3 breakout. Through 57 games with the O's, Alexander has carried a much-improved .284/.342/.397 line with eight doubles, two home runs, and seven stolen bases (which already has marked a career-high).
Over his last 13 games, Alexander has been even more impressive, hitting both of these home runs while carrying a .444/.500/.722 line. Is this recent surge the start of a breakout campaign?
While managers should not expect Alexander to develop into a power hitter like Clemens and Goldschmidt, his underlying stats suggest he could be a useful source of batting average. So far, Alexander has generated a 97th-percentile .303 xBA, which suggests that his strong surface-level .284 BA could even improve further.
He has also generated an elite 48.1% hard-hit rate and a .348 xwOBA, suggesting his power numbers should continue to climb.
However, his power surge appears to be fool's gold. The 26-year-old has posted a low 4.7% barrel rate and an 18.9% fly-ball rate. He is hitting the ball very hard but not lifting it into the air. This can be further identified in his below-average 9.4% Pull AIR% and hefty 48.1% ground-ball rate.
Managers looking for power should pivot to the names above him on this list. However, those needing a stable source of batting average who should chip in counting stats, given his everyday role in the offense (7 R, 12 RBI in last 13 G), should consider putting in a low FAAB bid for Alexander.
Brandon Valenzuela, C, Toronto Blue Jays
18% rostered
As always, let's round this out with a budget catcher. With many catchers on the shelf (Drake Baldwin and Cal Raleigh) and underperforming (Salvador Perez), some managers likely have been using a revolving door at the position, unless you picked up Dillon Dingler, who was suggested in an early edition of this series.
Toronto's Brandon Valenzuela has filled in for the injured Alejandro Kirk. While Kirk is nearing a return, Valenzuela has shown enough upside to suggest he may keep the starting role, or at worst, have the edge in a potential committee. The 25-year-old rookie has posted a .252/.336/.463 line with a .799 OPS over his first 45 games of MLB action.
During this stint, Valenzuela has gone deep seven times, swiped one bag, and held a 30:16 K:BB. Over his last 18, he has looked far more comfortable at the dish, posting a .276/.358/.500 line with four doubles and three of these round-trippers. While his sample of overall data (and of success) is small, Valenzuela has shown enough to warrant consideration in deep 12-team leagues.
Through his first taste of MLB action, the 25-year-old has generated .351 xwOBA, .264 xBA, and a .454 xSLG, all of which are above the average marks. He has also impacted the ball very efficiently, despite having lower raw power. Per Baseball Savant, Valenzuela has generated a 41.1% LA Sweet-Spot% and a 25.3% Pull AIR%, both of which put him in the upper tier of hitters.
This has allowed him to add to his home run count, despite posting a low 37.9% hard-hit rate and 9.5% barrel rate.
The final reason Valenzuela may stick in this lineup is his defense. The young backstop has held his own behind the plate, sitting in the 100th percentile in framing, 86th in CS above average, and 77th percentile in pop time. While Kirk is an elite defender in his own right, Valenzuela's bat appears to have far more raw upside.
The Blue Jays need to keep climbing the standings to stay in the playoff race, and Valenzuela's bat is doing the job. Those needing a catcher should not wait long before he claims the starting job.
Brandon Valenzuela is a big-leaguer.
His third of the season makes this an 8-run 8th inning for the #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/zkc0jH7jUq
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 2, 2026
