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.

We're starting to come up on the mathematical halfway point in the MLB season, which means by now you probably have a good idea of what your fantasy team excels at and which areas need some work. Unfortunately, there isn't a player in this week's article who is likely to make a meaningful contribution in every aspect of the game (they were probably all scooped up fairly early in your draft). However, I'm confident that you'll be able to find a remedy for your needs somewhere among the 15 players listed below, regardless of what you might be looking for. So let's get to it, shall we?

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

Starting Pitcher

 Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs (29%)

The Cubs' rotation has been hit hard by injuries this season, with Jameson Taillon being the latest to land on the injured list thanks to a strained hamstring. His departure from the rotation has allowed Assad to claim a starting job after previously working out of the bullpen. The 28-year-old righty has been excellent in three outings since Taillon went down, allowing just two earned runs – both on solo homers – while posting an 11:2 K:BB and 0.61 WHIP across 18 innings. His contact-focused approach won't lend itself to putting up high strikeout totals, but his ability to keep the ball on the ground and limit free passes will go a long way toward keeping runs off the board and stabilizing your squad's ratios. FAAB: $4

 Peter Lambert, Houston Astros (29%)

Lambert joined the Astros' rotation after an early onslaught of injuries depleted the team's depth, and the 29-year-old has been a very pleasant surprise up to this point. He's been especially impressive this month, giving up just four earned runs over 18.2 frames and recording a quality start in two of his three outings. Houston's rotation has begun to return to full strength, but Lambert should have a strong chance to stick around after notably outperforming a few of his teammates, specifically Mike Burrows (5.86 ERA) and Tatsuya Imai (6.43 ERA). Lambert still struggles with walking batters and has been bitten by the home run ball quite a bit recently (four HR in his last three starts), but the consistency he's shown all season makes him worthy of a pickup. FAAB: $3

 Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals (26%)

Pallante has been extremely dependable over the past month, giving up two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six outings while posting a 4-1 record with four quality starts, a 2.88 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP across 34.1 innings in that span. He's also put up a 7.6 K/9 during his hot streak, which by no means is elite but is still a considerable step up from the 6.4 K/9 he's averaged over the course of his MLB career. Much like Assad, Pallante is at his best when he's forcing opposing offenses to hit the ball on the ground, which he's done at nearly a 54 percent clip this season. That will surely come in handy while he makes his next start against a Diamondbacks offense that doesn't strike out often relative to the rest of the league but still owns the fifth-lowest OPS in the majors (.691, .639 since June 1). FAAB: $3

Relief Pitcher

 Yoendrys Gomez, Minnesota Twins (21%)

A few weeks ago, I brought up Gomez as the emerging favorite for saves in Minnesota. Flash forward to today, and I think it's safe to say he's the clear favorite for saves in the Twins' bullpen. He now owns a 1.53 ERA and 1.02 WHIP as well as a 21:7 K:BB over 17.2 frames since being traded from Tampa Bay, and he's recorded three of his six saves as a Twin within his last four appearances. Of course, anything can change at any moment when you're dealing with a bullpen that's seen 11 different pitchers record a save not even three months into the season, but Gomez has brought far more reliability to the ninth inning than any of the other 10 have. FAAB: $3

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Catcher

 Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays (30%)

Kirk missed the last two-plus months recovering from a fractured thumb but returned to action last Friday, and he didn't waste any time before going 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. He's picked up just one hit in three games since then, but don't let a small sample size of games fool you – he's still the disciplined, high-contact hitter we all know and love. Brandon Valenzuela performed well while filling in for Kirk and could still pick up an occasional start behind the dish, especially while the latter eases his way back from an extended absence, but Kirk doesn't seem to be at risk of being moved off the regular starting job. FAAB: $4

First Baseman

 Bryce Eldridge, San Francisco Giants (45%)

Eldridge earned a nod on this list two weeks ago after he'd put together a six-game hitting streak, but because he had just one homer in his last 17 games at that point, I added, "It's only a matter of time before the long balls start to pile up." I am pleased to inform you that the long balls have started to pile up. He's hit four balls over the fence within his last seven games, giving him six homers for the season. Even better, he didn't have to sacrifice contact for his power surge, notching hits in 17 of his last 18 games and slashing an incredible .424/.500/.758 during that span to go with 14 RBI, 17 runs and an 11:12 BB:K. The Giants have responded by moving him up to the top third of the batting order, which will only further improve his counting-stat potential. FAAB: $9

 Paul Goldschmidt, New York Yankees (25%)

I really don't enjoy sounding like a broken record week after week, but the run Goldschmidt has been on is simply absurd – especially for someone available in three-quarters of all Yahoo leagues. Since the beginning of June, the ageless wonder has slashed .382/.397/.691 with five homers (three of which have come in his last four games), 17 RBI and seven runs scored across 13 contests. I mentioned playing time last week as my biggest concern regarding Goldy's value, but with Jasson Dominguez now in line for outfield duty following Trent Grisham's (hamstring) move to the IL and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) out indefinitely following a setback, Goldschmidt won't have to worry about losing reps for at least a couple of weeks. If you're unable to land Eldridge, target the veteran while he's still available. FAAB: $3

 TJ Rumfield, Colorado Rockies (19%)

Much like the other first basemen on this list, Rumfield also appears to have been eating his Wheaties recently, batting .344 while blasting three homers, driving in eight runs and crossing the plate six times himself over his last eight games. His strong contact skills and plate discipline still project to be what will propel most of his offensive success over the course of his career, but he appears to have also emerged as a power threat since joining the Rockies, now that he's reached the double-digit mark for the season. Those tools and his seemingly permanent role as the Rockies' No. 3 hitter figure to be a recipe for success. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Willi Castro, Colorado Rockies (44%)

Castro is enjoying a productive stretch at the plate since late May, slashing .342/.432/.513 with three homers, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored across his last 20 games. The 29-year-old switch hitter had already been working as Colorado's leadoff man against southpaws, but his uptick in production has inspired the Rockies to move him up from sixth to second in the order against right-handed starters – not a bad place to be when you consider what we just went over with Rumfield. Also, pay no attention to the fact that he's listed in the second baseman category; you're likely free to put Castro anywhere in your lineup other than catcher. FAAB: $2

 Nasim Nunez, Washington Nationals (11%)

Nunez's .579 OPS for the season is undoubtedly ugly, but the 26 steals he's amassed – two shy of the MLB lead – have made some managers think about whether he was worth the risk. He's been looking far less risky as of late, going 13-for-33 (.394) with seven RBI, eight runs and four steals across his last 10 contests. A career .229 hitter, Nunez is bound to cool off at some point, but the downside to picking him up if you're chasing steals is getting smaller by the day now that his bat is showing signs of life. He's easily the best addition you could make if your team doesn't excel at running the bases, but if you're looking specifically for consistent offensive production, you might be better off looking elsewhere. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Blaze Jordan, St. Louis Cardinals (17%)

The Cardinals opted to shake things up at the hot corner last weekend, sending the struggling Nolan Gorman down to Triple-A Memphis and promoting Jordan, giving the latter his first taste of the big leagues. The 23-year-old has already shown signs of being an upgrade over Gorman six games into his MLB career, going 6-for-21 while hitting his first career homer to go with five RBI and six runs scored. He'll face virtually no competition for starts at third base as long as Ramon Urias (elbow) is on the 60-day IL, and he could bring a lot of value to the Cardinals with his bat after slashing .313/.373/.548 across 252 games at Triple-A this year. FAAB: $2

Shortstop

Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers (5%)

It was only a matter of time before the Brewers made some changes to the left side of their infield; the only question was whether it would be Pratt or fellow prospect Jett Williams getting the call to the majors first. The answer came Tuesday when the team called up Pratt from Triple-A Nashville for his MLB debut. He didn't have a storybook introduction to MLB (0-for-3 with a throwing error), but he bounced back and checked off a lot of career-firsts in his second contest, logging two hits, an RBI, a run and a steal. The 21-year-old was slashing .276/.364/.474 across his last 30 games before being promoted while posting just a 15.7 percent strikeout rate and walking at an 11.2 percent clip. He isn't shy on the base paths either, eclipsing 25 steals across both of the full seasons he played in the minors and racking up 16 pilfers in 58 Triple-A games. The Brewers also have 50.75 million reasons to give him regular starts at shortstop, so I wouldn't be too concerned about Joey Ortiz cutting into Pratt's playing time. FAAB: $2

Outfielder

 Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners (20%)

June has been kind to Canzone, as he's posted a .419 batting average and 1.270 OPS in 15 games since the start of the month, and smacked three homers over the course of his seven-game hitting streak. He's worked primarily as Seattle's designated hitter this season, but injuries to Luke Raley (back) and Randy Arozarena (hamstring) have forced him to spend more time in the field recently, helping his chances of retaining eligibility as an outfielder next year. He's also begun to gradually work his way up the Mariners' order as his bat gets hot, batting cleanup during each of Seattle's last two games. That's a pretty significant development for someone who has 11 home runs on the year, already matching his total from 2025. That said, the 28-year-old has made just one start all season against a left-handed starter, so his value isn't completely uncapped. FAAB: $3

 Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers (6%)

Mitchell is a tough player on which to get a read. His bat speed and AEV are on par with those of some of the game's top hitters, he ranks among the fastest players in the game and he draws walks consistently, but he does so while turning in some of the worst contact and strikeout rates you'll ever see from an everyday starter. He's been trending upward as of late, however, slashing .333/.362/.622 with two homers, six RBI and nine runs scored in 12 games since the beginning of June and striking out at "only" a 27.6 percent rate, which is about seven points below his mark for the season. The red flags are there to suggest he won't keep this up for the rest of the year, but if you need a hot bat that you can pick up for cheap and plug into your outfield, Mitchell is probably your best option at the moment. FAAB: $1

 Jake Mangum, Pittsburgh Pirates (6%)

The Pirates are going to be without Oneil Cruz for at least a month after he suffered multiple fractures in his left hand, which opens up an opportunity for Mangum to become an everyday starter in Pittsburgh's outfield. It also can't hurt that the 30-year-old is batting .354 with five steals in 14 games this month. The three RBI and four runs he's posted in that time may be a consequence of him batting in the bottom third of the order, but they've begun to trickle in more since he claimed a regular spot in the lineup and should continue to do so as long as he's swinging a hot stick. If all else fails, you can at least count on him to swipe a few bags. FAAB: $1