We have officially hit the true dog days of summer, and if your fantasy baseball roster is feeling the heat, you are not alone. Navigating the waiver wire at this point in the season requires a balance of aggressively buying into breakouts while aggressively exploiting short-term situational advantages. Week 14 serves up the perfect storm of both.

Whether you are desperate to patch up absolute positional black holes like third base and catcher, hunting for an elite multi-category outfield spark, or looking to stream a premium bat-misser, this week’s wire is loaded with high-upside answers. From post-IL power surges to an absolute gift of a seven-game Coors Field schedule, these are the priority targets you need to secure to keep your championship push alive. 

Be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closer Grid to run down a list of players that are likely available in your fantasy baseball leagues

If you want more waiver wire content, head over to the Fantasy Alarm YouTube channel where Howard Bender and I broke some waiver wire options down for Week 14!

 

 

 

Top Waiver Wire Targets at a Glance

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Infielders

Caleb Durbin, Boston Red Sox

25% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 8-9%

Over a recent 13-game stretch, Caleb Durbin went 16-for-45 (.356) with all five of his June homers, single-handedly lifting his season OPS from a dismal .544 to a much more respectable .660. Third base is the worst position in fantasy baseball and Durbin is a serviceable play each and every day, especially if you’re consistently streaming the position. He possesses legitimate speed too, having notched 18 stolen bases as a rookie with Milwaukee last year. A 15-homer, 20-steal pace from the hot corner is pure gold in today's third base fantasy landscape. 

Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox

18% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 8-9%

The clearest sign of how much the White Sox value Teel’s bat is how they’ve handled his return. He hasn't been eased into the bottom of the order; instead, Chicago has slotted him directly into the three or four-hole in every single game since activating him from the 60-day IL.

For a catcher, batting in the middle of the order is an immediate volume driver. More plate appearances mean more counting stats, and Teel is uniquely equipped to cash in on those opportunities. This is a catcher that is hit-first after posting a 125 wRC+ in his first 78 games at the major league level in 2025. Add him now if you’ve streamed or juggled different catchers all year. He’s a long-term solution.

Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

20% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 6-8%

If you have been playing the uninspiring waiver-wire streaming game at catcher or settling for empty batting averages, Alvarez is the immediate solution. His combination of premium draft pedigree, a highly stabilized .274 floor since May 1st, and top-tier power upside makes him a lock-and-leave fantasy option. He has hit four bombs in 16 games during the month of June. Grab him now before the rest of your league realizes his post-IL metrics are fully actualized. 

Now, if I’m prioritizing catcher options this week Alvarez is second to Kyle Teel, but I’d bid close to what I’m bidding for Teel to make sure I secure at least one of them.

Nasim Nunez, Washington Nationals

32% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 5-6%

Is Nasim Nunez’s June stats sustainable? Absolutely not. No chance, no way. He has a .358 AVG in June attached to a .533 BABIP. That being said, he’s the league leader in stolen bases and if he simply puts the ball in play, his speed is a weapon and will have a higher BABIP because of it. You’re adding Nunez for one reason and one reason only; stolen bases.

Stolen bases is the one category in which you can gain a LOT of ground in, especially in roto leagues, and Nunez is still available in nearly 70% of Yahoo! Fantasy leagues.

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outfielders

Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals

36% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 4-6%

Dylan Crews has put his elite tools on full display over the last month, turning a corner into a highly productive everyday asset. Across 23 games in June, he has provided across-the-board fantasy utility. He’s posted 16 runs scored and 14 RBIs, anchoring himself as a key run-producer while belting four homers and two stolen bases, showing off the dynamic power-speed ceiling that made him a collegiate legend.

He has a .758 OPS over his last two weeks as everything is starting to click. The walks should correct itself considering his career-low 2.2% clip is four-percent lower than his career average. That will help his OBP start to tick up too.

Trent Grisham, New York Yankees

44% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 7-9%

Before his injury, Trent Grisham was one of the hottest hitters on the planet. Since May 22nd (17 games), Grisham is slashing .362/.429/.536 with a .421 wOBA, and 172 wRC+. The Yankees have come out and said he’s going to be activated from the injured list this week and because of his injury, he’s slipped back under 50% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy and you should check your waiver wire NOW!

Jake McCarthy, Colorado Rockies

25% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 6-8%

I’m not sure there’s a better add this week than Jake McCarthy if you’re just looking for a weekly streamer. The Rockies have SEVEN games at Coors Field and McCarthy enters this series on an absolute tear. 

Over his last 14 days, McCarthy has hit .388 with a 1.065 OPS and over his last 28. He’s still at a .333 clip and .926 OPS. McCarthy is hitting .315 at home on the year with a robust .902 OPS and will hit leadoff against all right-handed pitchers he faces. Six of the seven games this week that the Rockies play will be against RHP.

Henry Bolte, Athletics

14% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 6-8%

Over the last month, Henry Bolte has been absolutely locked in, showing exactly why the Athletics signed him to a multi-million dollar bonus out of high school. He has a .316 AVG and a stellar .839 OPS over the course of the month. He’s hit two homers and taken six bags, demonstrating the loud, game-changing fantasy ceiling that managers covet. Overall, he has pushed his rookie season average to .305 with 10 stolen bases through his first 41 games, proving his hot stretch is backed by deep comfort at the big-league level. Add all that together and sprinkle in Sutter Health as his home ballpark and you have a recipe you can only find at a five-star restaurant. OK, maybe you can find it at a four-star spot, but I will NOT go any lower!

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers

Tatsuya Imai, Houston Astros

47% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 8-10%

The 28-year-old Japanese rookie has had a highly enigmatic debut season in the majors, featuring an ugly 5.36 season ERA that has likely kept him sitting on your waiver wire. But scratch beneath the surface of that inflated ERA, and you'll find an elite, premium bat-misser who has made significant adjustments over the last month.

Imai is currently flashing a truly elite strikeout ceiling. His ability to generate empty swings has skyrocketed over his last four outings. He has registered 17+ swinging strikes in three of his last four starts. In each of those three high-whiff games, he has racked up 8 or more strikeouts. Overall, he boasts a sparkling 28.7% strikeout rate (11.1 K/9) through his first 47 major league innings. If he was qualified, he would currently have the eighth-highest K-rate in ALL of baseball amongst starting pitchers. He’s a bigtime boom-or-bust addition, but the upside has frontline fantasy starter written all over it.

Troy Melton, Detroit Tigers

41% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 5-7%

The metrics aren’t great, but sometimes you can’t deny results and Troy Melton has been a quality start machine since being activated off of the injured list. He has four quality starts in his first six starts and has just once allowed more than two earned runs in any start he’s made. The strikeouts have been a little better of late too, striking out five-plus batters in each of his last four starts. If you’re looking for this type of pitcher, in roto leagues specifically, then Melton is worth the add.

Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians

40% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 6-8%

Joey Cantillo has flat out dominated opponents three consecutive trips to the mound. They’ve stood no chance. He’s allowed three runs over that 19 inning span while posting a 22:3 K:BB ratio. There’s some sustainable stuff on the surface and under the hood and it starts with the whiffs and strikeouts. He has a career-high 12.8% SwStr rate this season and that ranks 16th amongst all qualified starting pitchers. Higher than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Max Meyer, Reid Detmers, Joe Ryan, and his teammate, Parker Messick.

Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox

15% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 6-8%

I’m impressed. That’s what I have to say about Red Sox starting pitcher Jake Bennett. As a guy not known for missing bats, he’s done basically everything well as a major league starter up to this point.

The 12.2% SwStr rate he’s posted at the big league level actually suggests more strikeouts are on the way. He’s my kind of arm. Can miss bats and gets a lot of groundballs, which limits damage and big innings. I’m very in on Bennett for the remainder of the year.

Brandon Sproat, Milwaukee Brewers

8% Rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

FAAB - 4-5%

Was it one start magic? Is anything Brandon Sproat did last game sustainable? I’m not sure, but he’s a decent add in 14-plus team leagues because of the upside. He is coming off his (to this point) Mona Lisa, striking out 10 batters over six one-hit innings. His 5.43 ERA doesn’t align with the 4.11 SIERA and 4.17 xFIP and a 24.7% K-rate is super solid to boot. Sproat is another guy with an elevated SwStr% (10.8%) after only notching 6.9% last year. Thanks, Mets.