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Dan's top hitter streamers and starts as fantasy baseball waiver wire adds for the remainder of Week 18 of 2025 (July 28 - August 3). He analyzes streamers with favorable matchups, schedules.
The calendar flips from July to August in Week 18, and we should see some player movement before the trade deadline that could impact which players we want to pick up. Make sure you keep an eye on any of those developing stories this week, we will have all the breaking news as it happens here at RotoBaller, as well as the analysis you've come to expect from us!
Our hitter streamers fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify hitters with favorable matchups who can be considered waiver wire streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire runs for leagues with weekly transactions. Players who appear in this article will always be rostered in 40 percent or fewer leagues on Yahoo!
In this piece, every week, I'll look to find hitters playing in the most games and who have the most favorable matchups to help you plug those gaps and fill those holes in your roster. You can also check out the rest of our fantasy baseball streamer content here at RotoBaller. Let's see which hitters we should consider grabbing off the wire as we roll into Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season!
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What Teams Offer the Most Streaming Value for Week 18?
While most MLB teams are playing six games this week, we have only four teams playing seven.
Seven-Game Weeks
NYY, SEA, TBR, and TEX.
Ballpark Upgrades:
- ATH (all six games at home)
- CIN (all six games at home)
- PIT (three games in Coors)
- LAD (three games at CIN, three games at TBR)
Week 18 Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers
I'll recommend only players who are 40 percent rostered or lower, and all roster percentages are from Yahoo!
Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS - CHC (34% rostered)
No one has been hotter for the Cubs lately than the rookie third baseman. Shaw has been locked in at the plate and is quickly turning his season around with a massive start to the second half.
Matt Shaw has been HOT since the All-Star break 🥵 pic.twitter.com/540sjMvezq
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 27, 2025
Shaw has even swiped two bases in his last eight games to complete his robust contributions across all five offensive categories. The best part is that he's eligible at both middle infield positions in addition to third base. He's a no-brainer add this week, and hopefully this outburst is a sign of more good stuff to come from a player who many were high on to break out before the season started.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF - NYY (33% rostered)
It turns out Stanton is still pretty darn good at murdering baseballs. The mammoth veteran has mashed four dingers since the break and has even moved into the outfield to allow Aaron Judge to DH.
Giancarlo Stanton over his last 16 games:
.302 AVG
7 HR
16 RBIpic.twitter.com/XlWogZYUa3— Kirk Snyder (@dynastyinfo411) July 26, 2025
We don't know how serious Judge's injury is, but it could mean a few additional starts for Stanton this week, and you'd have to think the Yankees want to keep his hot bat in the lineup one way or the other.
Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B/OF - CWS (29% rostered)
Vargas has failed to meet expectations for much of the season, but lately he's been showing signs of life as the White Sox offense has really turned things around. Over the last two weeks, Vargas is hitting .306 with two home runs, six RBI, and 11 runs scored. That's good for 35th overall in the Yahoo! player rater.
The buy-low window won't last much longer if he keeps up this pace, so I'd snag him now where you can.
Angel Martinez, 2B/OF - CLE (28% rostered)
Martinez has established himself as the number two hitter in this Guardians lineup for the foreseeable future, and if Steven Kwan were to be traded (as rumors suggest), then he'd be the natural pick to slot into the leadoff spot.
Martinez is a switch-hitter who has shown some nice power from both sides of the plate lately. His recent hot streak has raised his average to .249 on the season, too. He doesn't run much (just six steals), but right now can help you across the board everywhere else.
The Guardians get to feast on Colorado pitching this week, too!
Mickey Moniak, OF - COL (22% rostered)
Speaking of the Rockies, guess who's back this week? That's right, kids, it's more Mickey Moniak propaganda! I mean, what else does he have to do at this point to get your attention?
Mickey Moniak has been a force over his last 31 games.
111 PA, .373/.423/.804, 7 2B, 11 HR#Rockiespic.twitter.com/pjY6FrJOJs
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 26, 2025
The numbers speak for themselves. I am still a bit baffled that his rostership remains so low. Take a flyer on Moniak; he has tremendous potential and is widely available.
Ramon Laureano, OF - BAL (20% rostered)
Baltimore's offense is suddenly awake. They piled up 18 runs on the poor Rockies yesterday and have added Tyler O'Neill back from injury. Laureano is still playing every day despite O'Neill's return and continues to hit.
Every time I expect him to trail off, he comes back with another really solid stretch of production. He may hang around as a productive player for deeper leagues all season.
Francisco Alvarez, C - NYM (15% rostered)
Alvarez is finally back in the lineup for the Mets after missing several months of action. He's started four of the last five games behind the dish for the Mets and has a hit in each game, including his fourth home run of the season.
Francisco Alvarez, triples connoisseur: pic.twitter.com/GRnFiyZKMy
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 27, 2025
We've seen the type of power that Alvarez has (36 HR in 680 at-bats from 2023-2024), so if you need another option at catcher with some home run upside, then I'd add the Mets' slugger.
Brice Matthews, 2B/SS/3B - HOU (12% rostered)
Most of Matthews' recent production came in two games against Arizona last Monday and Tuesday, when he hit three home runs and drove in seven runs. He has struggled with making contact, but we know all the tools are there for the exciting rookie, and Houston has stated they are committed to sticking with him while Jeremy Pena is on the shelf.
Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS - CWS (10% rostered)
I mentioned the White Sox as a team to target recently for offense, and a huge part of their recent success has been the emergence of the rookie Montgomery.
Chicago called up their top hitting prospect in early July, and he quickly showed that he has a plus glove in the field and a solid hit tool. But this week, he put his sneaky power on display with home runs in three straight games.
COLSON MONTGOMERY IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE.pic.twitter.com/2hSE4VhLAP
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) July 26, 2025
He's quickly moving up in the batting order and should continue to play every day as Chicago prioritizes the development of their best young players. I'd add him now before the rest of your league mates catch on and realize what a valuable asset he could be in the second half.
Week 18 Deeper League Fantasy Baseball Hitter Streamers to Consider
Some widely available hitters (under 10 percent rostered) could be worth a look this week.
- Kyle Manzardo, 1B - CLE (10% rostered)
- Andrew Vaughn, 1B - MIL (8% rostered)
- Brett Baty, 2B/3B - NYM (7% rostered)
- Chase Meidroth, 2B/3B/SS - CWS (6% rostered)
- Jesus Sanchez, OF - MIA (5% rostered)
- Kyle Teel, C - CWS (4% rostered)
- Isaac Collins, OF - MIL (4% rostered)
- Spencer Horwitz, 1B/2B - PIT (3% rostered)
- Mike Tauchman, OF - CWS (2% rostered)
Good luck this week, and choose those streaming options wisely! Thanks for making RotoBaller your one-stop shop for all things fantasy baseball!
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