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.

The All-Star Game has come and gone, and although the game really wasn't that exciting (coming from an NL fan), the next couple of weeks are sure to make up for it. That's because we've officially entered my favorite portion of the MLB calendar: trade season. I think it will be especially interesting to see how things play out this year because we still don't really have a strong idea of who all the buyers and sellers will be. Just look at the American League, where the 12th-place Tigers are only 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and the 13th-place Athletics are just 6.5 games back. How can you possibly predict who will give up their push for the postseason when the standings are that congested? I suppose time will tell, and we'll be here to help you navigate all the notable effects that future trades have on the fantasy landscape while you make your own push for the postseason. In the meantime, have a look at some players who already find themselves in a position to succeed coming out of the All-Star break.

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

Starting Pitcher

Shane Drohan, Milwaukee Brewers (33%)

Kyle Harrison has rightfully received a lot of attention as the Brewers' most valuable offseason addition, but also involved in that six-player trade with Boston was Drohan, who has recently begun to create some buzz as well. The 27-year-old lefty began the season in the bullpen but was moved into the rotation in June due to injuries to other members of Milwaukee's staff. Now sporting a 2.30 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across his last five starts, he seems to have adjusted nicely to his new role. His 22.9 percent strikeout rate is pretty mediocre, but a 34.5 percent chase rate and 27.8 percent whiff rate suggest that number could rise. His place in the rotation could be threatened once Harrison (forearm) and new acquisition Lance McCullers (shoulder) are both off the injured list, but I think Drohan's performance has bought him the right to keep his current job and claim a spot on your fantasy roster. FAAB: $4

 Zach Thornton, New York Mets (14%)

Thornton turned some heads after being promoted to start the Mets' first-half finale against the Red Sox, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out five batters in seven shutout innings. A late-game collapse from New York's bullpen prevented the 24-year-old southpaw from capturing his first career win, but that's still about as good a performance as you can hope for from someone making his third career start in the majors. Interim manager Andy Green has already confirmed that Thornton will stick around in the Mets' rotation to begin the second half, so there's little reason to worry about his job security until Clay Holmes (fibula) returns – likely sometime in August, at which point the Mets may have already sold another starter or two. FAAB: $3

 Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates (33%)

Jones has been gradually finding his rhythm since coming back from a UCL repair surgery that cost him the entire 2025 campaign, and he capped off the first half by striking out eight batters and throwing just 77 pitches across six perfect innings. Perhaps if he had been more than six weeks removed from his season debut and that hadn't been the most innings he's pitched in a game this year, he would have been allowed to chase history, but it's still impossible to be upset with how he performed. The 24-year-old flamethrower now owns a 2.55 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and a 21:5 K:BB in 17.2 innings across his last four starts, and he should begin to pitch deeper into games consistently as his surgery grows further away in the rearview mirror. FAAB: $2

Relief Pitcher

 Jacob Webb, Chicago Cubs (12%)

Webb has gone nine consecutive innings without giving up a run, and with Daniel Palencia (elbow) still on the injured list, that means Webb has begun to get looks in the ninth inning. He's done well in a closing role up to this point, converting each of his last three save opportunities while also adding two holds since the beginning of the month. Trent Thornton is also in the mix for saves, though I would trust Webb's far-superior 10.5 K/9 (compared to Thornton's 4.0) as a reason to believe that he can be more effective in a high-leverage role and has the upper hand in the competition. FAAB: $1

 Kirby Yates, Los Angeles Angels (6%)

After enduring a disastrous 2025 campaign with the Dodgers (or at least as disastrous as a season can be that ends with you getting a World Series ring) in which he put up a 5.23 ERA in 41.1 innings, Yates has redeemed himself with the Angels, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 21 frames. He's been especially dominant over the last month, giving up just two runs (one earned) while logging a 15:2 K:BB in his last 10.2 innings and securing two of the Halos' last three saves. Of course, the Angels being 38-59 means those two saves were nearly two weeks apart from each other, but a save is a save is a save. The 39-year-old's performance makes him a candidate to get traded within the next couple of weeks to a contender that would more likely use him as a setup man than a closer, so it might be best to get in on him now while he's still the premier reliever in Anaheim. FAAB: $1

Catcher

 Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins (31%)

Jeffers looked to be on his way toward a career year before a fractured hamate derailed his season and forced him to spend almost two months on the injured list. He returned from the IL for the Twins' final series of the first half against the Angels and picked up right where he left off, notching a double in each of his first two games back while adding two RBI in Minnesota's final game before the break. He figures to reclaim his role as the team's primary catcher now that he's healthy, and although his .292 batting average and .404 on-base percentage are both likely to trend down toward his career marks (.243 AVG, .328 OBP), he should at least remain a reliable power source. Of course, there's also a chance that he maintains his current numbers, and that possibility makes him well worth picking up if you're struggling to get offensive production out of your current catcher. FAAB: $5

 Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros (41%)

Diaz ended the first half on a six-game hitting streak, during which he slugged three homers, drove in six RBI and scored six times. He's now slashing .266/.309/.516 with nine total RBI and 11 runs scored in 18 games since returning from his left oblique strain June 16. Christian Vazquez and his .618 OPS aren't likely to threaten Diaz's playing time, especially while the latter is swinging a hot stick, so fantasy managers should be able to rely on Diaz as a reliable hitter (.276 career average) as well as a viable source of power. FAAB: $4

First Baseman

 Curtis Mead, Washington Nationals (30%)

After multiple weeks of just barely missing the cut, Mead finally finds his way back into this list after logging a hit in eight of his last nine games and slashing a cool .400/.475/.771 with three home runs, five ribbies, six runs and a steal to begin the month of July. The 25-year-old entered the season with a .617 OPS in his MLB career, but he's emerged as a legitimate offensive threat during his first year with the Nats, sporting a .843 OPS through his first 80 games. Newfound power has been a major key to his success, as his 17 homers are already more than he's had in any season since he began his professional career in 2018. He starts nearly every day for Washington at either first or third base while routinely batting in the top third of the lineup, keeping him in a prime position to drive in or score runs for a Nationals offense that currently leads the majors (alongside Pittsburgh) in runs scored this season (516). FAAB: $4

 Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds (34%)

Steer's performance has been on the rise this month, as he's slashed .314/.429/.429 with a homer, three RBI, four runs and a 5:6 BB:K across 42 plate appearances since the start of July. With 14 homers and 52 runs scored through 91 games on the year, the 28-year-old is on pace to set career highs in both categories. RBI, on the other hand, haven't come nearly as often, though that could begin to change now that he's begun to ascend the Reds' order, batting either fourth or fifth in 12 of his last 17 starts against right-handers. He doesn't have a permanent home at any one position, but his defensive versatility and hot hitting will both keep him in the lineup nearly every day and allow him to contribute to your squad at first base, second base or in the outfield. FAAB: $2

Second Baseman

 Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers (40%)

Duran decided to flex his muscles a bit before the intermission, smacking four homers in his last seven games to put him at 10 round-trippers for the season – just the second time that he's reached double digits in his five-year career. He's already set a career high by driving in 50 RBI this year, and with 40 runs and seven steals through 87 games, he's on pace to do the same in every other major counting stat. He has a tendency to swing outside of the zone often and fail to make contact, but he's been productive enough up to this point to offset his poor strikeout and walk rates. The poster child of defensive versatility, Duran can fit anywhere in your lineup other than catcher and therefore has a much greater chance to be an upgrade over somebody on your bench. FAAB: $2

Third Baseman

 Kyle Karros, Colorado Rockies (30%)

The Rockies may have the worst record in the National League, but it's still been somewhat exciting to watch them rebuild their offense through young pieces such as TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg, who have found a fair amount of success early in their big-league careers. Karros, 23, is the most recent example of this, as he's tallied a base hit in 15 of his last 20 games while slashing .318/.423/.667 with five home runs, 14 RBI and 14 runs scored in that span. That hot streak has all but cemented him as the everyday third baseman in Colorado while also elevating him into the middle third of the team's batting order against right-handers (and up to second against lefties). He owns a .747 OPS across 178 plate appearances on the road, which is a significant decrease from his .862 OPS at Coors Field but hasn't stopped him from recording more homers, RBI and runs than he has at home this season (five, 20 and 24 vs. four, 14 and 23). FAAB: $6

Shortstop

 Brayan Rocchio, Cleveland Guardians (33%)

Rocchio has been seeing the ball extremely well since the start of July, logging a hit in 10 of his 11 games and going 13-for-41 (.317) with three home runs, 10 RBI, seven runs scored and a steal in that span. His hot hitting hasn't been unique to the new month, however, as he's batting .303 dating back to June 18 and is up to .276 for the season – a 43-point jump from 2025. He's also enjoyed a slight uptick in power this year, matching the career-high eight home runs he hit in 2024 but getting to that mark in 49 fewer games. He had been locked into the ninth spot in Cleveland's batting order for much of the season, but the strides he's made at the plate have enabled him to get consistent opportunities in the top third of the lineup over the past few weeks, providing a significant boost to his potential for runs and RBI. FAAB: $2

Outfielder

JJ Bleday, Cincinnati Reds (27%)

Bleday beefed up his first-half stats right at the buzzer by slugging three home runs in his last five games to give him 16 round-trippers and 43 RBI on the year – already improvements over the marks he set last season with the Athletics. A power specialist who regularly bats second/third and has dropped his strikeout rate from 26.5 percent to 19.7 percent, Bleday would be a strong addition for those who are chasing any counting stat other than steals. He should be especially desirable in leagues that value on-base percentage, as he draws walks at nearly a 14 percent clip. FAAB: $4

Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox (8%)

Peters sure had quite the week, following Pete Crow-Armstrong and Bryce Harper as the third player to hit for the cycle this year Friday before being named to the American League All-Star team Saturday. The former Savannah Banana earned the nod to play in the Midsummer Classic after slashing .301/.354/.478 while adding six homers, 36 RBI, 37 runs and five steals through the first 91 games of his rookie campaign. Peters has been especially hot throughout his last 19 games, during which he went 22-for-62 (.355) and posted a .982 OPS. Despite his strong performance, he's stuck in the bottom third of the White Sox's batting order, and although that does lower his run and RBI potential, batting seventh/eighth for the White Sox isn't nearly as bad a spot to be in now as it was in previous years. FAAB: $2

Heriberto Hernandez, Miami Marlins (6%)

Hernandez is slashing .324/.410/.912 with five home runs in 11 games since the beginning of July. He picked the perfect time to catch fire, as he's expected to take on a regular starting role in Miami's outfield as long as Owen Caissie is on the injured list, which could extend into August depending on how quickly he progresses in his rehab. Most of Hernandez's value lies in his power stroke, as he is already up to 13 blasts on the season, and his 91.9-mph AEV suggests that he isn't likely to stop putting balls over the fence anytime soon. He also draws walks at a very respectable 10.1 percent rate, and although he isn't extremely aggressive on the base paths, he's fast enough to swipe a bag or two with a reasonable rate of success. FAAB: $2