MLB FAAB Factor: Top Fantasy Baseball Waiver Targets

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

Now that we've essentially reached the halfway point in the season, it's starting to be the time when some MLB teams face the music and accept the fact that they may be better off selling assets over the next month or so. We already know the Giants are open to unloading almost anybody on their roster (whether anybody else wants them is a different story), and the Mets –currently last in the NL East at 34-46 – have seemingly already kicked off their retooling process by sending David Peterson to the Cubs. While those teams get ready to throw in the towel, you should by no means be preparing to do the same in your fantasy league. There are still upwards of 1,000 games left to be played in the season, meaning there's more than enough time to put your team on course for title contention. The easiest way to do that? Picking up a player or two from the list below:

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Sean Burke, Chicago White Sox (37%)

After giving up at least three runs and failing to escape the fifth inning during each of his first two starts of the month, Burke has begun to turn things around on the hill, giving up just two earned runs across his last two outings and lasting at least six frames on both occasions. He did so while displaying composure in sticky situations, stranding two runners in scoring position during the third inning of his last start against Cleveland before escaping a bases-loaded situation in the fifth. The 26-year-old is usually good for a strikeout per inning, but even those numbers have seen an uptick lately, as he's punched out 27 batters in 22 frames since the start of June. His recent performance makes him worthy of consideration as he approaches a two-start week that will see him take on the Orioles (.675 OPS in last 10 games) before he gets a rematch against the Guardians (.612 OPS in last 10 games). FAAB: $4

 Troy Melton, Detroit Tigers (31%)

Melton has now delivered four wins and three quality starts in five outings with the Tigers this season while turning in a 2.56 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across 31.2 innings. We're still waiting on the strikeout stuff he showed off in the minors to translate into the bigs, but he still seems to be a great ratio-stabilizing option in the meantime. He's made a fantastic case for himself to remain a permanent addition to the big club, though it's still unclear how Melton will factor into a Tigers rotation that's fully healthy. That said, we're still a few weeks away from worrying about that now that Justin Verlander (hamstring) has suffered a setback in his recovery. FAAB: $4

 Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians (28%)

Cantillo went a bit off the rails while giving up 15 earned runs in just 11 innings across three starts between May 26 and June 7, but he's been able to rein it back in during his past couple of appearances. He delivered his most impressive body of work during his last time on the mound, giving up just one run on four hits and a walk while punching out nine batters (tying a season high) in eight frames (setting a season high). The 26-year-old southpaw is at his best when he's relying on his curveball and changeup, which is exactly what he did while generating 20 whiffs during his impressive showing Saturday. Assuming he doesn't try to fix something that doesn't seem to be broken anymore, he could continue to find success Friday while he faces a Mariners lineup that's put up just a .643 OPS this month. FAAB: $2

 Walker Buehler, San Diego Padres (23%)

Injuries have caused the two-time All-Star to fall considerably from the peak he reached back in 2021 while with the Dodgers, and it seemed like Buehler was going to be in for another long season after accumulating a 5.75 ERA through his first five starts of 2026. That hasn't been the case since the start of June, however, as the 31-year-old righty has given up just one earned run in each of his four starts this month while logging a 22:5 K:BB in 21 innings. The 1.33 WHIP he's posted in that span is by no means elite, though it's still a notable improvement from the 1.52 mark he put up last season with the Phillies and Red Sox. It's worth pointing out that Buehler's next start is set to come Saturday against the formidable Dodgers, so it may be wise to withhold judgment for the time being, but an impressive performance against his old team would strongly support the case that he's at least somewhat recaptured his previous form. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

 Alex Lange, Kansas City Royals (23%)

The Royals still aren't completely done giving Lucas Erceg opportunities in the ninth inning, but Kansas City's last two saves both belong to Lange, as does have a 3.86 ERA and 23.8 percent strikeout rate that are both better than Erceg's marks (5.34 ERA, 18 percent K rate). Of course, the 34-47 Royals aren't going to run into save chances as often as many of the league's other teams, but he could still provide some assistance if you're struggling in that area. FAAB: $2

Catcher

 Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets (18%)

Alvarez's bat hasn't cooled down since his return from the injured list June 9, as he's hit safely in 11 of his 13 games since then while batting .319 and putting up a .934 OPS in 50 plate appearances. More notable is the fact that he's homered in each of his last three games, doubling his total for the season. Power will be the most important attribute for Alvarez's fantasy value going forward, and with an AEV of 90.7 mph as well as a 15.9 percent barrel rate, there's plenty of reason to believe he'll continue to send balls over the fence consistently. The only concern is whether the 24-year-old can stay healthy, as he has only played more than 100 games in a year on one occasion and already suffered a torn meniscus earlier this season. FAAB: $3

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 Victor Caratini, Minnesota Twins (9%)

Caratini has seen far more playing time over the past couple of weeks in the absence of Ryan Jeffers (hand), and the former hasn't let that time go to waste. He's recorded a hit in 16 of his last 19 games while slashing .365/.438/.635 with four homers, 13 RBI and 11 runs in that span. Two of those home runs and eight of the runs he scored came in the past week alone. Jeffers isn't expected to return to action until next month, at which point the two backstops will presumably work in a timeshare behind the plate. Until then, Caratini could provide some valuable production from the catcher position. FAAB: $1

First Baseman

 TJ Rumfield, Colorado Rockies (38%)

Rumfield earned a nod last week after batting .344 in an eight-game span. Now that he's enjoying an eight-game hitting streak, the 26-year-old rookie is up to a .364 batting average in his last 14 contests and has added five homers, 14 RBI and nine runs during that stretch. The Rockies are slated to begin a series Friday on the road against the Twins – who have turned in a 5.58 ERA since the beginning of the month – before returning to the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field to play four games against Miami and three games against San Francisco. Rumfield's skills as a hitter, combined with favorable matchups/environments, will only help him to extend his hot streak even further into the final stages of the first half. FAAB: $4

 Josh Bell, Minnesota Twins (17%)

Bell's OPS sat at just .619 at the end of May, but he's caught fire over the past couple of weeks, slashing .328/.381/.586 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 10 runs across the Twins' last 16 games. Included in that stretch is a four-game streak in which the 33-year-old tallied multiple hits and a seven-game streak in which he came across the plate. The switch-hitting Bell is a near-permanent piece of the heart of the Twins' batting order, so runs and RBI will continue to pile up as long as he's swinging a hot stick, and with upcoming series against the Rockies (5.48 ERA) and Astros (4.76 ERA), that figures to be relatively likely. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies (47%)

Stott got off to a very slow start to the season but has been much more productive since the beginning of June, slashing .301/.378/.466 with 14 RBI and 14 runs in 21 contests. Power has been the 28-year-old's weakest area during his upward swing, but he was finally able to end his home-run drought by hitting a go-ahead three-run shot during Tuesday's win over the Nationals, pushing his OPS above the .700 mark for the first time since March. He should continue to collect RBI regularly while batting in the middle third of Philadelphia's lineup – he's on pace to easily beat his career high of 66 – and it doesn't hurt that he's a perfect 15-for-15 on stolen base attempts. FAAB: $4

 Nasim Nunez, Washington Nationals (30%)

With two pilfers during Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Nunez became the first player in the majors to reach 30 (and 31) steals this season. The 25-year-old is one of the fastest players in the game and has been leading the pack for some time now, so that wasn't really much of a surprise. What is surprising is the progress he appears to have made with a bat in his hands. Before his 0-for-4 performance Wednesday, he had hit safely in nine consecutive games, six of which saw him record multiple hits. His OPS is up from .512 to .602 following his outburst, and if he can continue to be even just an average hitter, his value will rise significantly since he won't be such a burden to your ratios while ranking comfortably inside the elite tier of baserunners. FAAB: $3

Third Baseman

 Nick Loftin, Kansas City Royals (3%)

Loftin enjoyed the game of his life Tuesday, going 4-for-5 with a solo homer, an additional RBI and four runs scored in a win over the Rays. Of course, one game isn't enough to get you a nod in this list, but a .306/.389/.565 slash line combined with three round-trippers, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored in 18 games since June 1 will do the trick more often than not. The 27-year-old has seen an uptick in playing time recently due to Maikel Garcia's hand injury, which is expected to keep him out through the start of July. If Loftin is still hitting well by the time Garcia comes back, the Royals could look to use Loftin elsewhere in the field, most likely at first base while Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) is sidelined. Until then, look to Loftin as a potential short-term fix for any holes you may need to fill. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

 Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees (7%)

After enduring a 10-game stretch in which he went just 4-for-35 (.114) at the plate, Volpe appears to have turned a corner as of late, going 14-for-34 (.412) with five walks, four RBI, five runs and a pair of steals during his latest collection of 10 games. His increased success comes at least partially thanks to his 21.2 percent strikeout rate and 14.2 percent walk rate – both improvements over the 25.2 percent and 7.4 percent marks he put up last season. The 25-year-old has acted as New York's reserve shortstop for much of the year, but he's been getting regular playing time recently while Jose Caballero moves around the field covering for the Yankees' multiple injured outfielders and Ryan McMahon (throat/ear) at third base. His power hasn't quite returned yet since he returned from shoulder surgery, but he's still more than capable of stealing a base and driving in/scoring runs for the American League's highest-scoring offense. FAAB: $1

Outfielder

 Sam Antonacci, Chicago White Sox (44%)

The 23-year-old got the chance to play hero this past week, delivering a walk-off two-run single to give the White Sox a win over the Guardians on Monday. That game was a perfect reflection of how well Antonacci has performed the entire month, as he's slashed .309/.420/.515 while tallying three homers, nine RBI, 14 runs and three steals to go with an 8:12 BB:K across 19 contests in June. He's cemented himself into the leadoff spot against righties while turning in a .386 OBP, and leading off for the White Sox is a much more rewarding gig this year now that the South Siders have begun to establish an identity at the plate and rank in the top half of MLB with a .728 OPS on the season. Antonacci probably isn't what you're looking for if you're specifically chasing power, but he's more than capable of helping you out in any other area. FAAB: $7

 Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays (27%)

Varsho had notched just four hits in his last 26 at-bats before landing on the injured list June 12 with a wrist injury. The time off appears to have done the 29-year-old a lot of good, because he's gone 7-for-18 with two doubles, two homers, five RBI, four runs scored and a pair of steals in four games since being activated Saturday. His improved batting average and OBP, as well as his uptick in steals, have been a tolerable trade-off to make up for his diminished power up to this point, though fantasy managers could soon be living the best of both worlds after he logged three hits with an exit velocity of at least 103 mph during his three-hit performance Tuesday – well above his season AEV of 86.2 mph. FAAB: $4