Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 17

July 22, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 17 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Francisco Alvarez, Tommy Edman, Jasson Dominguez, Merrill Kelly, and Tommy White.

The 2026 MLB season continues to fly by as the trade deadline is just over a week away, and we are already a week into the second half of the season. At RotoBaller HQ, we return with more waiver wire advice with our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 17—July 20 through July 26 — to prioritize which players to add off the waiver wire. Our waiver wire list features the top 100 hitters and pitchers to target in all league sizes, ranging from 10 to 15 teams. 

This week we saw the Phillies promote their No. 17 prospect Alex McFarlane from Double-A Reading, while the Diamondbacks called up left-handed prospect Kohl Drake from Triple-A Reno. With the MLB trade deadline looming, there have been a few minor deals, including the Dodgers acquiring Seth Halvorsen from the Rockies. More injuries to note as Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone was removed from Tuesday's game against the Giants with right shoulder soreness. White Sox catcher Kyle Teel will miss six-to-12 weeks due to a left high-ankle sprain.

Stay on top of our weekly waiver wire rankings and turn on MLB news alerts in our free mobile app to stay ahead of the curve. Once you're done here, check out our fantasy baseball prospects articles for the latest names to stash and pick up.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups List

Since many fantasy baseball leagues have daily waiver-wire moves or multiple waiver-wire runs per week for adding players, this early-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the middle of the week before we reach Sunday. This article will guide you through our weekly ranking of the relevant waiver-wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size).

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top waiver wire names include Tommy Edman, Jasson Dominguez, Tommy White, Francisco Alvarez, Merrill Kelly, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman did not make his 2026 season debut until mid-June due to offseason ankle surgery. However, the veteran switch-hitter has been on fire since making his return to the lineup, entering play on Tuesday slashing .341/.426/.500 with two home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 96 plate appearances.

Edman's current .433 batting average on balls in play is well above his career mark of .294, so his numbers are likely to regress over a larger sample size of trips to the plate. Still, the 31-year-old's strong start at the plate could be a sign that he's healthier than he's been in recent seasons.

At his best, Edman offers a well-rounded profile that is without any major fantasy weaknesses. His ability to play multiple positions also helps keep him in the Dodgers lineup consistently. Particularly in deeper league formats, Edman profiles as a priority depth piece to target on the waiver wire.

Jasson Dominguez, New York Yankees

New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez singled and scored in Monday's 8-5 win over Pittsburgh, his fourth straight start since the All-Star break. He has played right field three times and served as the designated hitter once during that stretch. Dominguez is batting .230 with five home runs, 15 runs, 11 RBI, and six steals across 148 at-bats. The overall line is still uneven.

The opportunity is not. Aaron Judge (rib) has not been cleared for baseball activities, and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) still has no timeline for a rehab assignment. Dominguez should keep getting chances while both remain out. Five homers and six steals in limited work are enough to keep the power-speed appeal alive, even with a .265 on-base percentage. RotoBaller has him in the 12-team range. The playing time gives fantasy managers a reason to take the shot now.

Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez made his presence felt out of the nine-hole to kick off the second half of the 2026 season on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park in a 4-1 win over the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Alvarez went 2-for-3 at the plate with two solo home runs, a walk, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .257 and his OPS to .766.

Since returning from a torn meniscus in his knee, Alvarez has been swinging a hot bat, hitting .274 with seven home runs and 14 RBI in 106 at-bats. His multi-homer performance on Thursday was his first of the season and the seventh of his career. The Venezuelan backstop is now hitting .257/.328/.440 with 11 home runs and 24 RBI in 242 plate appearances for the Mets.

Fantasy managers who need power at catcher can find Alvarez widely available off the waiver wire, as he's currently rostered in only 18% of Yahoo leagues. Injuries have been a big part of the 24-year-old's career so far, but don't forget that he hit 25 long balls in only 123 games in his first full season in 2023. He has already matched his homer total in each of the last two seasons.

Tommy White, Athletics

Athletics third baseman Tommy White did not show much in his first two big-league games. Monday changed that. White went 4-for-5 against Arizona and is now 5-for-11 with a walk and no strikeouts since his promotion. He arrived after batting .303 with 10 homers, 64 RBI, and an .818 OPS over 314 minor-league at-bats. Yahoo has him rostered in just 5% of leagues.

That is low enough to take a shot in 12-team formats, especially while Nick Kurtz (thumb) remains out. White has started all three games at first base, though that opening may not last once Kurtz returns. He will not help much in steals, either. The appeal is the bat. White is now the Athletics' No. 7 prospect, and RotoBaller has him in the 12-team range. There is enough here to make the move now rather than wait for another big game.

Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly has struggled overall in 2026, recording a 7-8 record with a 5.20 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts across 98 2/3 innings (17 starts). The 37-year-old's strikeout rate has plummeted to 14.4%, by far the worst mark of his eight-season MLB career. However, Kelly has shown signs of a turnaround in recent outings.

Across his last three starts, the right-hander has allowed just four earned runs while logging 15 strikeouts and two wins across 17 innings pitched. Home runs have been a major issue so far this season for Kelly, as he's allowed 1.92 HR/9. If that mark can regress closer to his career rate of 1.23 HR/9 in the second half of the season, Kelly could be a viable streamer option in the right matchups. His profile carries risk, but Kelly could be re-emerging as a waiver wire target for deeper-league fantasy managers.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

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Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

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Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Relief Pitcher/Closer Waiver Wire Rankings

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Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players, including A.J. Ewing, Ian Seymour, Thomas White, Merrill Kelly, Jasson Dominguez, Tommy Edman, Chase Meidroth, Caleb Durbin, Mickey Moniak, Kyle Karrros, Mason Montgomery, Christian Scott, Shane Drohan, Cole Carrrigg, Gage Jump, Tyler Wells, Ryan Jeffers, Tristan Peters, Francisco Alvarez, Cooper Pratt, Erik Miller, Andrew Kittredge, and Max Clark. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like A.J. Ewing, Ian Seymour, Thomas White, Merrill Kelly, Jasson Dominguez, Tommy Edman, Chase Meidroth, Caleb Durbin, Mickey Moniak, Kyle Karrros, Mason Montgomery, Christian Scott, Shane Drohan, Cole Carrrigg, Gage Jump, Tyler Wells, Ryan Jeffers, Tristan Peters, Francisco Alvarez, Cooper Pratt, Erik Miller, Andrew Kittredge, and Max Clark: