Jul 3, 2026, 1:15 PM ET

For some reason, Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott just isn't gaining much traction in fantasy baseball leagues in 2026, even though he leads the team in saves with Edwin Diaz (elbow) on the injured list for the foreseeable future. It's probably because of Scott's disastrous first season in L.A. in 2025, in which he lost the closer's gig and finished with a 4.74 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with a 60:18 K:BB despite saving a career-high 23 games in 57 regular-season innings pitched. The 31-year-old southpaw has turned things around in 2026 in his second year with the Dodgers, posting a 2.08 ERA (2.54 FIP), 0.72 WHIP, 11 saves, 42 strikeouts, and only three walks in 34 2/3 innings pitched. It's a modest number of saves for the first-place Dodgers, but Scott's other numbers suggest that he should be rostered in more than 53% of Yahoo leagues. Since last allowing a run on June 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Scott has been lights-out in his last seven appearances, throwing seven shutout innings with no walks, 10 strikeouts, five saves, and a hold. Manager Dave Roberts does deploy Scott in some non-traditional save situations earlier in the game, but that shouldn't deter fantasy managers from chasing him until Diaz returns later in the second half.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 1:04 PM ET

Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle is 4-6 with a 3.39 ERA (3.53 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 74 strikeouts and 23 walks in 13 starts across 74 1/3 innings pitched in just his second year in the big leagues in 2026. The 23-year-old southpaw and former second-round pick out of Texas Christian University in 2024 broke a stretch of three straight outings with three earned runs or fewer on Wednesday, when he allowed a season-high six earned runs on seven hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out five in just three innings for his sixth loss of the year. It was the first time since May that Tolle failed to go at least five innings in what was his shortest outing of the season. Despite the poor showing this week, Tolle remains one of the more intriguing young lefty arms in baseball and is still worth a pickup off the waiver wire with an upcoming matchup against the Chicago White Sox, a team that ranks seventh in OPS (.739) but fourth in strikeouts (777). Tolle ranks in the 79th percentile in chase rate and the 62nd percentile in strikeout rate despite giving up plenty of hard contact. He's currently rostered in 60% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 12:50 PM ET

Athletics rookie left-hander Gage Jump has proven himself to be pretty effective in his first seven major-league starts, going 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA (2.66 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and 10 walks in 40 innings pitched. The 23-year-old former second-round selection in 2024 out of Louisiana State University hit a road bump in his most recent outing, though, giving up a season-high five earned runs on 11 hits (two homers) while walking none and striking out five on June 29 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It broke a string of two straight scoreless appearances against the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants in which he struck out 16 and walked only four. We'll give Jump a pass against the back-to-back World Series champions in what was just his seventh major-league start. The A's No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has plenty of upside with a 25% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate, although he'll be much riskier as a fantasy streamer at home at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. In four starts in Sacramento, Jump has a 4.98 ERA with 26 hits allowed, compared to a 0.49 ERA in two road starts so far.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 12:41 PM ET

Boston Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin has emerged as a waiver-wire target after a hot month of June at the plate. In 25 games and 92 plate appearances during the month, Durbin went 28-for-86 (.326) with six home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored, and five stolen bases. The 26-year-old is now hitting .229/.286/.387 with a .674 OPS, seven home runs, 36 RBI, 31 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 78 games across 278 plate appearances in his first year in Beantown and his second overall in the majors. It was an incredibly hot month of June, but Durbin, who stands at just 5-foot-6 and 183 pounds, isn't your typical third baseman, both in stature and power potential. He hit .256 (114-for-445) with 11 homers, 53 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 60 runs scored in 136 regular-season games with the Milwaukee Brewers in his rookie campaign last year. Fantasy managers considering Durbin off the waiver wire should be targeting him for his speed and not his recent power surge. He has a weak .234 xBA, .324 xSLG, and .277 xwOBA, suggesting that his power outburst last month isn't sustainable.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 12:31 PM ET

Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak has been a late bloomer after the Philadelphia Phillies took him first overall in the 2016 MLB draft. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder finally broke out in 2025 in his sixth year in the league and first with the Rockies, hitting .270/.306/.518 with an .824 OPS, 24 home runs, 68 RBI, 62 runs, and nine stolen bases. He was following it up this year by hitting .280/.335/.607 with a .942 OPS, 12 homers, 28 RBI, and 21 runs in his first 43 games through May 21 before an injury landed him on the injured list. Since returning on June 22, Moniak has gone 9-for-32 (.281) with three homers, two doubles, a triple, nine RBI, and seven runs in 10 games played. More recently, he has six hits in his last nine plate appearances with two homers, two doubles, a triple, five RBI, and five runs scored. Moniak came a single shy of the cycle on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins and went 3-for-5 with his 15th homer of the year to finish a triple shy of the cycle on Thursday in the series finale. The power is real at hitter-friendly Coors Field, but beneath the hood, rough times could be coming. Moniak has a .233 xBA, a .326 xwOBA (.353 current wOBA), a chase rate in the third percentile, and a hard-hit rate in just the 55th percentile. Additionally, he's batting only .182 (6-for-33) with two of his homers against lefties and .219 (16-for-73) with three of his 15 homers away from Coors Field.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Jul 3, 2026, 12:16 PM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn has enjoyed his first year in the Steel City and has backed up his first All-Star appearance from a year ago, slashing .285/.340/.471 with an .811 OPS, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 41 runs scored, and a stolen base in 73 games across 300 plate appearances. He is clearly on pace to set new career highs across the board if he stays healthy in the second half. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed hitter has been hitting even better in his last 15 games, going 20-for-63 (.317) with three home runs, six doubles, 16 RBI, and 10 runs scored in 65 plate appearances. That stretch includes five multi-hit games. O'Hearn is now an everyday player, and most importantly, he's improved against same-handed pitchers, hitting .240 (18-for-75) with three of his 13 home runs against left-handed pitchers. He might be producing a bit above his skis, though, with a hard-hit rate in the 62nd percentile, an xwOBA in the 51st percentile, a barrel rate in the 31st percentile, and a chase rate in the 27th percentile. Still, you can't ignore the improvements O'Hearn has made, and he's still worth considering off the waiver wire for outfield depth.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 11:58 AM ET

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo has been pretty erratic for fantasy managers so far in 2026, going 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA (5.30 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 22 walks in 51 2/3 innings across 10 starts while also continuing to deal with injuries. The former seventh overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Christian University has always intrigued fantasy managers because of his strikeout upside as a southpaw, but so far in 2026, he's sporting a career-low 18.2% strikeout rate and a career-high 9.5% walk rate. It wasn't pretty through his first eight starts for the Reds, as he allowed 29 earned runs on 51 hits (6.12 ERA) while walking 17 and striking out 32 in 42 2/3 innings pitched. But in his last two starts, Lodolo has thrown nine shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks in two outings against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The 28-year-old lefty is by no means a slam dunk waiver-wire pickup, but he could have a third straight strong start in his upcoming matchup against a Baltimore Orioles team that has the fourth-most strikeouts in baseball this year. Lodolo is rostered in 66% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 11:44 AM ET

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson (back) is scheduled to make his second and final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Nashville on Friday. If everything goes well, the Brewers expect him to rejoin their starting rotation before the All-Star break in mid-July. The 24-year-old is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues at this moment, so this is your chance to scoop him up before the rush. In his first rehab start with Nashville on Sunday, Henderson tossed three scoreless innings with seven strikeouts on 50 pitches. The former fourth-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft out of McLennan Community College has been money in a small sample size of 10 starts since making his major-league debut last year with Milwaukee. In his 10 starts (48 1/3 innings), he's gone 5-1 with a 2.23 ERA (2.73 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 14 walks. There are durability concerns, but Henderson induces a lot of weak contact with his fastball/changeup combo. Taking a chance on a young pitcher with upside, especially in the Brewers' organization, is a smart move for fantasy managers who need rotation help going into the second half of 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 11:38 AM ET

Chicago White Sox rookie infielder/outfielder Sam Antonacci has made an immediate impact in fantasy baseball in his first year in the big leagues in multiple categories, and he should be rostered in more than 53% of Yahoo leagues. Through his first 67 games and 271 plate appearances, Antonacci is slashing .299/.394/.433 with an .827 OPS, five home runs, 12 doubles, two triples, 24 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 45 runs scored for Chicago. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2024 out of Coastal Carolina University is one of many reasons the Pale Hose have had a huge turnaround in 2026. Since the start of June, Antonacci has been heating up, too, going 31-for-93 (.333) with four home runs, seven doubles, 11 RBI, 22 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 25 games across 109 plate appearances. His underlying metrics support his strong start in his first year in the big leagues, too, as he currently has an xBA of .301 and an xwOBA of .372 (wOBA of .370). Antonacci can help make your fantasy team better in a variety of ways, and he's eligible at second base, third base, and the outfield in Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Jul 3, 2026, 11:28 AM ET

Texas Rangers veteran right-hander Jacob deGrom had a rough month of May, giving up 18 earned runs on 25 hits (nine home runs) for a 5.72 ERA (5.65 FIP) while walking five and striking out 30 across 28 1/3 innings and five starts. He opened the year by giving up just seven earned runs with seven walks and 40 strikeouts in 31 1/3 frames over his first six starts. Outside of a six-run meltdown on June 19 against the San Diego Padres, deGrom turned things around in June, giving up two runs or fewer in five of his six starts. The 38-year-old gave up just two earned runs with no walks and nine strikeouts over seven innings in his seventh win of the year in his most recent outing on June 30 against the Cleveland Guardians. deGrom has at least eight K's in four of his last six starts, and his arrow is pointing back up now that we're in July. Injuries should always have fantasy managers hesitant to buy, but you can't argue with his 30.3% strikeout rate (93rd percentile) and whiff rate in the 96th percentile. He also has a good upcoming matchup against the Detroit Tigers, a team that ranks 20th in MLB in OPS (.710).--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 11:18 AM ET

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson looked like the next superstar in 2024 when he hit 37 home runs, drove in 92 runs, and stole 21 bases in 159 regular-season games on his way to his first All-Star appearance. However, he could not run it back last year, finishing with just 17 home runs, 68 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 154 games played. The 25-year-old left-handed slugger is already up to 16 long balls in 87 games in 2026 in his fifth year in the league, but his numbers everywhere else have come up well short again. Through 399 plate appearances, he's slashing .227/.298/.416 with a career-low .714 OPS, 39 RBI, six steals, and 49 runs scored in a league-high 361 at-bats. Under the hood, his xBA of .235 and xwOBA of .307 don't scream buy low in fantasy leagues. Henderson also ranks in the 63rd percentile in hard-hit rate, the 41st percentile in strikeout rate, the 45th percentile in barrel rate, and the 34th percentile in chase rate. The power has obviously been nice, but fantasy managers shouldn't be buying with the expectation that he'll return to his 2024 form in the second half of 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Jul 3, 2026, 10:57 AM ET

The Athletic's Evan Drellich reports that Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli is appealing the seven-game suspension that Major League Baseball handed down on Thursday for his role in a benches-clearing incident last Sunday versus the Boston Red Sox, according to a source. It means that Cavalli could be allowed to make his next scheduled start on Monday against the Houston Astros if the league hasn't made a decision on his appeal by then. The 27-year-old is having a fine first full season in the big leagues in 2026 with the Nats and should become more popular off the waiver wire after his last strong outing on Sunday against the BoSox, when he allowed an unearned run on just one hit while walking none and striking out a season-high 13 batters to pick up his fifth win of the year. Cavalli has allowed more than three earned runs in 13 of his last 14 starts and is now sporting a 5-4 record with a 3.69 ERA (3.22 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 102 strikeouts and 29 walks in 90 1/3 innings across 18 starts. He's rostered in only 28% of Yahoo leagues currently.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Evan Drellich

Jul 3, 2026, 10:51 AM ET

The Athletic's Evan Drellich reports that Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras is appealing the seven-game suspension that Major League Baseball handed down on Thursday, according to a source. Until the league hears Contreras' appeal, he will be allowed to play, so fantasy managers should expect him to be in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Reid Detmers. The league gave Contreras a suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident last Sunday against the Washington Nationals in the series finale. The 34-year-old veteran Venezuelan has been great for fantasy managers this year in his first season with Boston, as he will take a .283/.377/.529 slash line with 18 homers, 53 RBI, 42 runs scored, and two stolen bases into Friday's game against the Angels. Contreras has been hot of late, too, going 10-for-34 (.294) with two homers, three doubles, nine RBI, six runs, and a stolen base in his last 10 games. Keep him in your starting lineups to start the holiday weekend.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Evan Drellich

Jul 3, 2026, 10:49 AM ET

Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Charlie Condon has put together a dominant stretch at the plate and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Since May 30 (his last 27 games of action), the former Georgia standout has launched 14 long balls while posting a stellar .376/.488/.941 line with a 1.428 OPS. Prior to this impressive stretch at the dish, the slugger posted a much lower .250/.380/.426 line over his first 46 games of action at the Triple-A level. Currently, the Rockies do not have a clear path for at-bats for Condon, with Mickey Moniak recently returning from the injured list and prospect Cole Carrigg earning the call. However, given Condon's current performance at the dish, a Rockies team that is in the midst of a rebuild could look to give their top hitting prospect a long look in the majors. Entering the All-Star break, Condon possesses elite stash upside among hitting prospects.--Andy Smith
Source: MiLB.com

Jul 3, 2026, 10:47 AM ET

Washington Nationals top catching prospect Harry Ford is entering stash territory amid solid performances at the Triple-A level. Ford joined the Nationals in a trade in the offseason (from the Seattle Mariners), but has spent the entire first half in the minor leagues. Over his first 30 games of the Rochester campaign, Ford held a .191/.318/.255 line with four doubles, one home run, and a 36:19 K:BB. However, over his last 22 contests, the young backstop has begun to make significant strides. During this noted stretch, the No. 7-ranked prospect in the system has held a .263/.417/.421 line with a .838 OPS. Even though the team's current No. 1 backstop, Keibert Ruiz, has held a .285 AVG with a .791 OPS, Ford's progress could push him back to the major leagues in the coming weeks. For now, managers in deeper two-catcher leagues should continue to closely monitor Ford's progression at Triple-A.--Andy Smith
Source: MiLB.com