Weekend Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 18

July 31, 2026

Weekend fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 18 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Cooper Pratt, Tristan Peters, Clay Holmes, Max Clark, and Merrill Kelly.

It's an exciting time for baseball as August officially arrives on Saturday, with the MLB trade deadline on Monday. The trade rumors for Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal continue to heat up, and we could see the ace traded by the deadline. At RotoBaller HQ, we have updated our weekend fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 18 -- July 27 through August 2 to account for the latest news. The rankings provide which hitters and pitchers to target off the waiver wire and are updated for fantasy baseball leagues that allow daily moves. 

This week, we saw the Tigers promote top outfield prospect Max Clark while the Cardinals called up top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews. Mathews will make his MLB debut on Saturday against the Blue Jays. Some key injuries to monitor include Rays starter Shane McClanahan, who exited Thursday's start against the Rangers with back tightness. Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. was removed from Thursday's game against the White Sox with cramping. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is set to return on Friday after missing all of July with lower-back inflammation. 

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 later-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the weekend before we reach Sunday night waivers. 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 Tristan Peters, Merrill Kelly, JJ Bleday, Cooper Pratt, and Clay Holmes.  Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters has come out of nowhere and put together an excellent season in 2026.  The 26-year-old earned himself a selection to the All-Star Game during his rookie season.  Through 103 games, Peters is slashing .272/.328/.428 with six home runs, 37 RBI, and five stolen bases.

It has been a slow start for Peters out of the break, but he'll hopefully turn it around soon.  His slump might've put Peters on the waiver wire in some leagues.  Fantasy managers in deep leagues seeking outfield help should consider scooping up Peters. He has shown the ability to contribute in multiple ways and could be a useful option in deeper leagues down the stretch of the season.

Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, who is considered the team's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is already on breakout watch in fantasy baseball circles despite debuting in the big leagues on June 16. The 21-year-old right-handed hitter has batted .284/.367/.394 with a .762 OPS, two home runs, 14 RBI, 17 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in his first 35 major-league contests across 128 plate appearances.

The former sixth-rounder in 2023 hasn't had much of an issue adjusting to major-league pitching so far in 2026 after slashing .241/.349/.386 with a .735 OPS, six home runs, 32 RBI, 17 steals, and 34 runs scored in 58 games on the farm with Triple-A Nashville. Pratt has really locked in at the plate in 22 July games, going 23-for-71 (.324) with two homers, three doubles, a triple, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 84 plate appearances.

He has beaten Jesus Made to the majors, and Pratt might have a better shot to stick at the 6 long-term in Milwaukee. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder's contact skills are excellent, and he loves to run, making him an immediate waiver-wire consideration in mixed fantasy leagues. Pratt is currently rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues.

Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly has rebuilt his mixed-league value with five strong July starts. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts across 27 2/3 innings this month. He capped that stretch Monday by holding the Pittsburgh Pirates to one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.

Kelly still carries a 4.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP through 109 1/3 innings, and his 71 strikeouts leave little margin for error when the ratios slip. That makes him more matchup-dependent than the typical must-start arm.

Still, Kelly was rostered in only 38% of Yahoo leagues when RotoBaller's Week 18 rankings were published. He ranks 55th overall with an add recommendation for leagues of 12 teams or deeper and has pitched well enough to earn a roster spot at that depth.

Max Clark, Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are promoting top outfield prospect Max Clark to the major leagues. Clark is currently viewed as MLB.com's No. 13 overall prospect and the top-ranked prospect in the Detroit system. Clark has spent his entire 2026 campaign at Triple-A Toledo but has recently begun to take major strides at the plate.

Over his last 33 contests (since June 12), the budding superstar has posted a .323/.426/.538 slash line with a dominant .964 OPS. During this noted stretch, Clark has hit seven doubles, seven home runs, and swiped nine bags.

Prior to this, Clark carried a much lower .248/.355/.374 line over the first 57 games of the Triple-A season. Given his above-average eye, increasing power, and high-end speed, Clark carries must-add value in all standard leagues ahead of his MLB debut.

Clay Holmes, New York Mets

New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) has not pitched since mid-May due to a fractured fibula.  However, the 33-year-old has now made two minor league rehab starts and appears to be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues.  Holmes got off to an excellent start to the 2026 season before the injury, recording a 4-4 record with a 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts across 52 2/3 innings (nine starts).

The 33-year-old does not profile as a high-end source of strikeouts for fantasy managers, as he's posted just a 20.9% strikeout rate this year.  till, he's logged an elite 56% ground ball rate, which has helped him limit damage from the long ball (0.51 HR/9).

Holmes could also get moved to a contender at the upcoming trade deadline, which may help him rack up wins.  n leagues where he's not already rostered, Holmes should be viewed as a priority stash candidate off the waiver wire.

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:

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Closer/Reliever 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?  heck the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

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2026 Player Decisions.  Today's focus is on specific players such as Cooper Pratt, Max Clark, Merrill Kelly, Clay Holmes, Ryan Jeffers, Tristan Peters, A.J. Ewing, Cole Carrigg, Kumar Rocker, Hogan Harris, Heliot Ramos, Kyle Karros, Brandon Pfaadt, Braden Montgomery, Kyle Leahy, Jake Mangum, Shane Drohan, Kade Anderson, Jackson Holliday, Charlie Condon, and Erik Miller.  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.  n 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.  e 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 Cooper Pratt, Max Clark, Merrill Kelly, Clay Holmes, Ryan Jeffers, Tristan Peters, A.J. Ewing, Cole Carrigg, Kumar Rocker, Hogan Harris, Heliot Ramos, Kyle Karros, Brandon Pfaadt, Braden Montgomery, Kyle Leahy, Jake Mangum, Shane Drohan, Kade Anderson, Jackson Holliday, Charlie Condon, and Erik Miller. :