Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 18

July 29, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 18 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Kumar Rocker, Tommy Edman, Christian Scott, Shane Drohan, Kody Clemens, and Gleyber Torres.

July will officially be in the books in a few days, leaving us with only two months left of the 2026 MLB season. At RotoBaller HQ,  we are back with more fantasy baseball advice to help bolster your team with our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 18—July 27 through August 2 — in leagues that allow daily moves. Our waiver wire list features the top 100 hitters and pitchers to prioritize in all league sizes, ranging from 10 to 15 teams. 

This week we saw the Nationals recall third baseman Brady House from Triple-A Rochester. With the MLB trade deadline coming up, expect a flurry of moves before then as teams improve their rosters for a World Series run. The Rays have expressed interest in acquiring Zach Neto from the Angels and Freddy Peralta from the Mets. Injuries continue to pile up as Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers could miss the rest of the season with a torn meniscus in his knee, while recently acquired Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead fractured his left wrist in his debut with the team and was placed on the injured list.

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, Gleyber Torres, Kody Clemens, Christian Scott, Shane Drohan, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres had his best game since returning from the injured list last week in Tuesday's 14-0 blowout victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles, going 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run, a double, a season-high five RBI, a run scored, and two strikeouts.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan second baseman played in just his 51st game of the season on Tuesday because of injuries, but he's now hitting .272 with a .778 OPS. Torres only has five home runs on the year, but he's never been a big power guy -- one outlier 30-homer campaign back in 2019 with the New York Yankees in his second year in the majors.

Where he can help down the stretch is with his batting average, thanks to his high contact rate, and in on-base percentage because of his excellent plate discipline. Torres isn't going to move the needle much in the counting stats, but he can certainly be a boost to your fantasy team's average and OBP the rest of the way if he stays healthy. He's currently rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues, too.

Kody Clemens, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Kody Clemens is batting .243/.299/.488 with 18 home runs, 49 RBI, and seven stolen bases across 338 at-bats. He needs one more homer to match the career-high 19 he set last season, and the underlying contact supports the power.

Clemens owns a 92.7 mph average exit velocity, 47.1% hard-hit rate, and 12.2% barrel rate, so this is more than a brief hot streak. A .250 expected average suggests his current mark is reasonable, although a 23.0% strikeout rate can still lead to uneven stretches. Clemens has appeared at first base, second base, and all three outfield positions, with Yahoo eligibility at 1B/2B/OF.

Yahoo managers have passed on him in 61% of leagues, while RotoBaller ranks him 59th in its Week 18 waiver rankings with an add recommendation for 12-team formats. Managers seeking power and lineup flexibility should roster him at that depth.

Tommy Edman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman has hit his way back into mixed-league relevance since returning from right ankle surgery. He is batting .337/.414/.490 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 17 runs, and three stolen bases through 113 plate appearances.

A .413 BABIP warns that the average will cool, but a .317 expected average, 89.4 mph average exit velocity, and 40.5% hard-hit rate show he has not simply been getting lucky. Edman's 2B/3B/OF eligibility makes him easy to keep active even as Los Angeles moves him around the diamond.

He will not carry a roster in power or steals, but he can help across the board without leaving managers exposed in any one category. Edman is still sitting on the waiver wire in 67% of Yahoo leagues and ranks 34th in RotoBaller's Week 18 rankings, with an add recommendation for 12-team formats. He should already be rostered at that depth.

Christian Scott, New York Mets

New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott has turned his first season back from Tommy John surgery into a useful source of strikeouts. The 27-year-old owns a 3.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings, while his 28.8% strikeout rate is up sharply from 19.8% as a rookie in 2024.

Scott's four-seam fastball has climbed from 94.2 mph to 95.4 mph, and opponents are batting .211 with a 34.1% whiff rate against his sweeper. The workload and control still create some risk. Scott has not completed six innings in any of his 14 starts, carries a 10.7% walk rate, and owns a 4.01 expected ERA.

He also lasted only 3 2/3 innings against Milwaukee on July 22, allowing three runs and three walks. Even so, he remains available in 72% of Yahoo leagues and ranks 52nd in RotoBaller's Week 18 waiver rankings. Scott is a priority strikeout addition in 12-team leagues.

Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Shane Drohan has a 3.51 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts against 23 walks through 82 innings. The left-hander has remained in the rotation for 10 consecutive starts since June 1, and his underlying numbers support more than short-term streaming value.

Drohan owns a 3.33 expected ERA, 24.0% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate. Drohan did allow five earned runs over six innings against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, July 24, so he is not an automatic start in every matchup. Even so, one poor outing does not erase the stable role, solid ratios, and strikeout-per-inning production.

Roughly two-thirds of Yahoo leagues still have Drohan available, while RotoBaller ranks him 71st among its current waiver options with a recommendation for 12-team formats. He belongs on rosters in standard mixed leagues, even if managers remain selective with tougher matchups.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Relief Pitcher/Closer Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

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 Kumar Rocker, Tommy Edman, Christian Scott, Gleyber Torres, Cole Carrigg, Luke Keaschall, Shane Drohan, Kody Clemens, A.J. Ewing, Garrett Mitchell, Zach Thornton, Ty France, Alex Lange, Ryan Jeffers, Merrill Kelly, Robert Gasser, Dylan Crews, Jake Mangum, Tristan Peters, Lane Thomas, Brandon Sproat, Clayton Beeter, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. 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 Kumar Rocker, Tommy Edman, Christian Scott, Gleyber Torres, Cole Carrigg, Luke Keaschall, Shane Drohan, Kody Clemens, A.J. Ewing, Garrett Mitchell, Zach Thornton, Ty France, Alex Lange, Ryan Jeffers, Merrill Kelly, Robert Gasser, Dylan Crews, Jake Mangum, Tristan Peters, Lane Thomas, Brandon Sproat, Clayton Beeter, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand: