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Nick Mariano's fantasy baseball waiver wire targets for Week 9. Free-agent hitter pickups, emerging starting pitchers, and bullpen arms for every week of the 2026 MLB season.
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It's time to kick things up a notch as June approaches our fantasy baseball lineups. I know many of you are still waiting for Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit a home run, but there are many other items on the to-do list! Let's break down some good options who are available in the majority of Yahoo leagues and plan for a winning future.
This writer realizes that many players may be rostered in your supremely active and deep league, but the data is the data, and I do my best to cover shallow and deep options alike. There are several paths to success ahead of you, but even more ways to go wrong. Take that next step towards the championship title with my waiver wire targets for Week 9
We'll use Yahoo rostered rates up to 40%, listing players in an approximate priority order (check our full waiver article for up to 70% rostered!). Please note that most statistics are gathered before Saturday's games, though I'll catch key news and happenings as I write. You can find me on X (@NMariano53) to ask me anything else on your mind!
Nick's Hitter Waiver Wire Targets
Catcher: Gabriel Moreno (34% rostered), Victor Caratini (2%), Daniel Susac (2%), Joe Mack (2%), Alejandro Kirk (26%), Logan O'Hoppe (3%), Keibert Ruiz (18%), Carson Kelly (0%), Danny Jansen (1%), Edgar Quero (1%), Jesus Rodriguez (1%), Mitch Garver (0%)
Kirk may move onto rehab games next week, which could give fantasy teams life if his form mimics the guy who hit 15 home runs with 76 RBI and a .282 average near the heart of the order.
I realize that Ruiz is scorching hot since going 3-for-4 with a homer on May 7 (.433/.438/.933 with three homers, 21 R+RBI, and a steal), but playing only eight games in a 16-day stretch illustrates the suppressed fantasy appeal. They are still splitting his work with Drew Millas at this time.
Frankly, few long-term options await those desperate for backstop help. Riding heaters as we got from Mickey Gasper is the friendliest strategy for many. Susac has played in three of his last four, including Saturday, as the primary C with Jesus Rodriguez. Caratini has done the same for Minnesota with Ryan Jeffers (hand) out. Quero has more PT ahead of him with Kyle Teel’s setback. You could do far worse, like Sandy Leon/Chadwick Tromp in Atlanta.
And I recognize that Alfredo Duno got some buzz due to an exciting seven homers clubbed in a seven-game stretch (part of a greater 11-game hit streak) as Tyler Stephenson languishes. But Duno is still only 20 years old and at High-A, with 11 Ks in his last 27 ABs there, though his massive frame and game power will demand the spotlight whenever his MLB promotion does come.
