Top Hitter Streamers and Starts - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18 (August 3-August 9)

August 2, 2026

Dan's top hitter streamers and starts as fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for Week 18 of 2026 (August 3- August 9). He analyzes streamers with favorable matchups, schedules.

We've made it to August, and if your team is still in contention for the playoffs, it's likely because you've been actively adding players to your roster and navigating through injuries while not being afraid to cut underperforming players, too. Let's find some valuable hitters for you to add this week, as there are still plenty of options out there if you are willing to dig deep with me!

My weekly hitters, streamers, fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify hitters with favorable matchups who can be considered for waiver wire pickups or streamers ahead of Sunday night's waiver wire runs in leagues with weekly transactions. Because of format changes to Yahoo leagues this year, the players featured in this article are rostered in 30% or fewer leagues on Yahoo (yes, I'm increasing this number as the wire is already getting picked over pretty aggressively this season).

You can also check out the rest of our fantasy baseball streamer content here at RotoBaller. Now, let's see which hitters we should consider grabbing off the wire as we roll into Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season!

What Teams Offer the Most Streaming Value for Week 18?

Only six teams play a full seven-game week, while all other teams play six games.

Seven-Game Weeks: ARI, MIL, PHI, PIT, SD, and WAS

Ballpark Upgrades:

• ATH (three games at CIN, three games at BOS)
• BOS (all six games at home)
• CWS (three games at BOS)
• NYY (all six games at home)
• STL (three games at NYY)
• TB (three games at COL)

Week 18 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers

I'll recommend only players who are rostered in 30 percent or fewer leagues, and all roster percentages are from Yahoo!

Jackson Holliday, 2B/SS - BAL (29%)

Don't look now, but Jackson Holliday may finally be breaking out. Sure, he hit 17 home runs and stole 17 bases last season. But he managed to hit just .242, and he's failed to live up to the hype that has surrounded him.

Jackson Holliday since July 8:

.438 BA
.525 OBP
.500 SLG
1.025 OPS

Over this 18-game span, he has 21 hits — 18 singles and 3 doubles — with more walks (10) than strikeouts (9). pic.twitter.com/AvVrwKHjFj

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) August 1, 2026

He's missed a lot of time this year, but finally has been healthy and productive now for over a month. He's hitting .395 over the last two weeks and has been moving up the order, hitting as high as sixth against righties in several games last week.

Dominic Canzone, OF - SEA (26%)

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but Canzone is now playing every day, even against lefties, and has an .861 OPS and 14.6% Barrel%. He's homered three times in the last two weeks and continues to hit right in the middle of this Seattle lineup. He could potentially drag down your batting average a bit, but his power is substantial. He should continue to get a ton of RBI opportunities as the third or fourth hitter in this Seattle lineup.

Cole Carrigg, OF - COL (23%)

It was a short week for the Rockies, and Carrigg sat out a game with Brenton Doyle returning to the lineup. We have to wait and see if Mickey Moniak or Jake McCarthy get moved at the deadline, but even if they don't, I think Carrigg is still probably an everyday player for Colorado and a young guy it wants to develop. I'm still in on the young switch-hitter.

Jake Burger, 1B - TEX (22%)

You know the drill with Burger. You are risking some batting average and hoping to catch him on a power binge, as he's a streaky home run hitter. He's got three in the last two weeks and starts the week against an underwhelming Giants pitching staff.

Luis Rengifo, 2B/3B/OF - SD (21%)

Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but Rengifo is back in the mix as a player who is getting regular at-bats with the Padres. You can't argue with results, and he's been productive with a .381 average, 11 runs scored, and eight RBI over the last two weeks. He's even added a few steals. Adding makes sense if you need a stopgap at second, third, or the outfield, but I am not sure how long this recent surge will last.

Heriberto Hernandez, OF - MIA

The Miami slugger has been crushing lefties this season to the tune of a .945 OPS and 149 wRC+. He's still pretty strikeout-prone and is a risky bet for batting average, but the power/speed combo is legit as he's now up to 24 combined HR/STL.

Cooper Pratt, SS - MIL (15%)

I've been banging the drum for Pratt now for a few weeks, and it seems the field is finally catching on as his rostership jumped from only 4% to 15% this week. With another good week, he'll probably move up into the 20-30% range. If you're in a very competitive league, he may have already been snagged.

Cooper Pratt just keeps on producing pic.twitter.com/l0sTloB20U

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 2, 2026

He's hitting .406 since the break with two home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and four steals! The Brewers and their farm system strike again, as Pratt looks very much like he's turning the corner and transforming into a very good MLB player at only 21 years of age.

Cole Young, 2B - SEA (14%)

Is Cole Young perhaps the most undervalued middle infielder in fantasy baseball? He's ranked 130 on the season on the Yahoo Player Rater and has been as good as 104 over the last month.

Cole Young, laser shot for No. 14 -- and it reclaims the lead for the Mariners.

Exit velo: 110.2 mph
Launch angle: 16°
Distance: 373 ft.
Hang time: 3.6 seconds pic.twitter.com/5pRYqClBLm

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) August 1, 2026

He's riding a seven-game hitting streak and continues to produce in every category but steals (just three). Who doesn't like a leadoff hitter with some pop in his bat, too?

Kyle Karros, 3B - COL (13%)

We can jump back on some Rockies this week, and Karros may have been cut in your league after he slumped a bit and then missed a few games. Since returning to the lineup on Friday, however, he's 4-for-7 at the plate and should be locked into an everyday role and solid lineup spot for Colorado the rest of the way.

Joc Pederson, UTIL - TEX (11%)

No, it's not 1997, but I'm absolutely ready to fire up some Joc Jams (cue music)!

20 dingers for Joc. #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/sH42B02ZHZ

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 1, 2026

Yes, he's in a platoon, but he's on the strong side of it and is red-hot at the plate, smacking three home runs since the break to take him to 20 on the season. Like Burger, he's a streaky Texas hitter I can get behind this week.

Jake Mangum, OF - PIT (10%)

So, the Pirates might get Spencer Horwitz and/or Oneil Cruz back by the end of the week, but they also just lost Ryan O'Hearn for at least a month and could be making some more trades or roster moves by tomorrow. One thing is for sure, though: Mangum can hit. He's riding a 10-game hitting streak and continues to be an elite asset in batting average, while adding some runs and steals.

Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B - DET (9%)

I have a tough time writing up platoon players, but by the time we get to the 10% rostered threshold and below, that's sometimes all we are left with. If you play in daily lineup leagues and have a deep roster, then it makes it easier to roll with players like Joc Pederson and Colt Keith, who are both pummeling righties right now while sitting against lefties.

Keith is hitting .353 over the last two weeks, and Detroit's offense has come alive.

Javier Baez, 2B/SS/3B/OF - DET (7%)

Speaking of Detroit, it just got Baez back from an injury that has cost him most of the season. He picked up eight hits in his first three games back before going 0-for-5 last night. It looks like he'll be playing every day now and deserves a look if that's the case.

Spencer Jones, OF - NYY (9%)

We've been waiting for Jones to make some noise, and it just might be finally happening as the big lefty has slugged three home runs in his last four games.

Spencer Jones homers in back-to-back games and gives the @Yankees the lead with an opposite-field shot🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZLlrj9lRDi

— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2026

Expect the Yankees to keep riding his hot bat this week; they need all the offense they can get right now. He should see three righties in the St. Louis series, too, since Matthew Liberatore is pitching today.

Vaughn Grissom, 1B/2B/3B - LAA (6%)

Grissom has been one of the few bright spots for the Angels lately, hitting .298 with two home runs and 10 RBI over the last two weeks. That's been good for top-100 production! He's eligible at multiple positions and a lock to start every game this week for the Angels.

Pedro Ramirez, 2B/2B - CHC (5%)

Ramirez has been in and out of the lineup a bit more often than we'd like, but as a switch-hitter, he's not stuck in a traditional platoon, either. He's hitting .319 on the season through his first 94 at-bats and has added four steals. If you can afford the roster spot and your lineup has daily lineup changes, he makes for a solid pickup this week.

Griffin Conine, OF - MIA (3%)

I wrote about Conine a few weeks ago and his elite ability to pull the ball in the air, which is resulting in a high HR rate. He's been at it again, swatting three home runs in his last six games and is making the case for more consistent playing time.

Griffin Conine sends his 10th homer of the season to the second deck at Citi Field 😳 pic.twitter.com/UavK3myMVg

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2026

The Marlins stop in Atlanta first this week, which is a great ballpark for left-handed power hitters (just ask Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson!).

Good luck this week, and choose those streaming options wisely! As always, thanks for making RotoBaller your choice for fantasy baseball content all season long!

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