Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton did not make his 2026 debut until late May due to an elbow injury, and then missed a start in June due to back tightness. However, Melton has been highly effective when healthy this season, recording a 5-1 record with a 1.82 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts across 49 1/3 innings (eight starts). The 25-year-old owns just a 21.7% strikeout rate, which is definitely a limiting factor on his fantasy appeal. However, Melton limits free passes (5.8% walk rate) and has pitched into the sixth inning or later in five of his eight starts this season. The young right-hander may also have some untapped swing-and-miss potential, as he logged a 32.4% strikeout rate across 75 1/3 minor league innings in 2025. At the very least, Melton profiles as a priority starting pitcher streamer for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Since making his MLB debut on May 12, New York Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing is hitting .277/.356/.446 with seven home runs, 24 RBI, 26 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. The 21-year-old has gotten off to a red-hot start in July, hitting .290/.313/.613 with three home runs across 33 plate appearances so far this month. Ewing's 25.2% strikeout rate is slightly elevated, but his 10.5% walk rate has kept his on-base percentage high and allows his speed to play up. Ewing has also established himself as the everyday center fielder in New York and has moved into the leadoff spot in the Mets lineup in each of the team's last four games. In any league where he's not already rostered, Ewing profiles as a must-add outfielder with five-category upside for fantasy managers.

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Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield has been a revelation so far this season, hitting .297/.376/.480 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and 42 runs scored across 372 plate appearances. The 26-year-old had been blocked from making his MLB debut as a member of the New York Yankees organization before 2026, but he's taken full advantage of his opportunity in Colorado and emerged as the Rockies' everyday first baseman. With just a 5.4% barrel rate and a 28.6% hard-hit rate, Rumfield's underlying power metrics are uninspiring. However, the lefty-swinger's plate approach is strong, as he owns a 9.7% walk rate with just a 14.2% strikeout rate. Rumfield's hitter-friendly home environment in Colorado also helps maximize his production at the plate. While Rumfield may not have incredible upside, he profiles as a steady corner infield contributor for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber will officially participate in this year's Home Run Derby to kick off All-Star week on Monday, according to MLB. Schwarber will join teammate Bryce Harper in front of the home faithful at Citizens Bank Park, joining Junior Caminero, Ben Rice, Willson Contreras, and Jac Caglianone. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is an easy choice for the Derby, as he currently leads all of baseball with 32 round-trippers through 338 at-bats in 2026. Schwarbs also leads the league with 140 strikeouts in 90 games across 401 plate appearances while slashing .254/.369/.571 with a .940 OPS, 58 RBI, 57 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his 12th year in the big leagues and fifth with the Phillies. Despite his elevated 34.9% strikeout rate, Schwarbs has continued to get on base at a high clip and hit the ball hard 54% of the time when he makes contact. He has homered twice in his last three games and is batting .250 (14-for-56) with three homers, six RBI, six runs, and a steal in 16 games since June 22.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin got off to a brutal start to the 2026 season, hitting .183 with one home run across 164 plate appearances through the end of May. However, the 26-year-old rebounded with a standout June, hitting .326 with six home runs and five stolen bases across 92 plate appearances in the month. Durbin has just four hits in his first 25 at-bats in July, but two of those hits have gone for home runs. For the season overall, Durbin is now slashing a respectable .225/.288/.396 with nine home runs, 39 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. While his 29.1% hard-hit rate is uninspiring, he limits swing-and-miss (13.8% strikeout rate). Now that he's seemingly recovered from his early-season slump, Durbin has value on the waiver wire as a balanced contributor who can fill a depth role for fantasy managers.

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After a disappointing beginning to the 2026 season while working out of the bullpen, Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax has found success since being moved into his team's rotation in late April. Across 24 appearances (13 starts) on the year, Jax has recorded a 4-6 record with a 3.60 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. Dating back to June 7, Jax owns a 3-2 record with a 2.32 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts across 31 innings (six starts). In that span, Jax owns a 30.3% strikeout rate with just a 5.0% walk rate, good for an elite 25.3% K-BB rate. In any fantasy league where Jax is not already rostered, he profiles as a priority waiver wire pickup.

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Across 294 plate appearances in 2026, Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy is hitting .299/.341/.507 with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The 28-year-old has been consistently above-average at the plate for most of the season, and he's already hit three home runs and collected 14 RBI in July. McCarthy's underlying power metrics remain uninspiring, as he owns a 5.8% barrel rate and a 26% hard-hit rate. However, McCarthy has taken full advantage of his hitter-friendly home environment in Colorado, hitting .317 with seven home runs across 152 plate appearances at Coors Field. The lefty-swinging McCarthy has also logged a .952 OPS against same-handed pitching in 2026, which allows him to stay in the Rockies lineup every day. Between his plus speed and advantageous situation in Colorado, McCarthy profiles as a must-add outfielder in any fantasy league where he remains on the waiver wire.

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Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early's (elbow) visit to Dr. Keith Meister confirmed the diagnosis of posterior elbow inflammation/irritation and nothing more serious, a source told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It's great news for Early and the Red Sox moving forward, although it's unclear when the young southpaw might be ready to rejoin Boston's starting rotation in the second half. The BoSox put Early on the 15-day injured list after he was pulled from his start on June 30 early with discomfort in his elbow. In his second season in the big leagues, the 24-year-old former fifth-rounder from the University of Virginia in 2023 has gone 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA (4.62 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 93 strikeouts and 34 walks in 91 2/3 innings pitched in his 17 starts. His strikeout rate has dropped from 36.7% in a small sample size (four starts) in his MLB debut last year to 23.8% in 2026, but he's still one of the more intriguing young left-handed arms in the game to keep an eye on in the second half of the season. Early is available in over half of Yahoo leagues.

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Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Jacob Webb is attracting interest off the waiver wire after picking up two saves in the last week for the Cubbies with Daniel Palencia (elbow) on the injured list. Since blowing the save on June 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Webb has thrown 7 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, five walks, three hits allowed, two wins, two saves, and a hold. So far in three appearances out of the bullpen in July, he has two saves and a hold with two strikeouts and a walk in 2 1/3 frames. The 32-year-old veteran is involved in a closer-by-committee situation in Chicago that also includes Trent Thornton and Caleb Thielbar, but Webb has been manager Craig Counsell's most-used closer since Palencia landed on the IL in mid-June. Overall, the former 18th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2014 out of Tabor College has gone 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA (3.85 FIP), 1.31 WHIP, a career-high four saves, 47 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 39 2/3 innings pitched. Webb is definitely a short-term source of saves worth considering off the waiver wire if you're desperate for saves. He's currently rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told AM 570 this week that catcher Will Smith's (neck) injury could linger into August, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they are 14.5 games up on both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West division, so they can afford to take their time and make sure Smith is good to go for the stretch run. Per Ardaya, the Blue are treating Smith's injury as "an extended development period" for catcher Dalton Rushing. The 31-year-old Smith has been out since June 11. He has resumed swinging a bat, but the Dodgers are in no rush to bring the starting catcher back right after next week's All-Star break. It's unfortunate news for Smith's fantasy managers, as it's now sounding like he might not come off the 10-day injured list until sometime in August. Before his injury, the former first-rounder was disappointing with the bat, too, slashing .249/.338/.382 with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in his 173 at-bats.

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The Minnesota Twins are activating catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) from the injured list on Friday and are sending outfielder Kyler Fedko back to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The Twins haven't announced their starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Target Field against the Los Angeles Angels, but Jeffers should be back behind the plate to face right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who is also making his return from the IL. Jeffers is returning to the Twins after missing 46 games due to a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on May 18. Before his injury, the 29-year-old former second-rounder in 2018 out of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington was hitting a strong .295/.408/.541 with a .949 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 122 at-bats. Jeffers will be Minnesota's starting backstop and deserves consideration in fantasy baseball leagues off the waiver wire now that he's back. He's rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they reinstated first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (hand) from the 10-day injured list before their series opener on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The Royals haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's tilt in Baltimore, but Pasquantino should be starting at first base against right-hander Brandon Young. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger ended up missing 23 games due to a broken hamate bone in his right hand. The Pasquatch was a disappointment offensively before his hand injury, hitting just .224 (57-for-254) with six home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored, and three stolen bases across his first 68 games and 291 plate appearances of the 2026 campaign. Hopefully, he can turn things around in the second half after a career year in 2025 in which he slugged 32 homers and drove in 113 runs in 160 games played. Pasquantino is only rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers who need power should jump all over him to close out the first half of the season.

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The Cincinnati Reds placed middle infielder Matt McLain (calf) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a calf strain and activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. It's more bad news for McLain, who has really struggled in 2026 with a .190/.293/.328 slash line, a .622 OPS, eight home runs, 25 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 309 plate appearances in his third year in the big leagues. The former first-rounder out of UCLA had already been losing valuable playing time at the keystone to rookie Edwin Arroyo. At least to close out the first half and to begin the second half of the season next weekend, Arroyo is headed for a full-time role in Cincy at second base. McLain's fantasy value has tanked after he came into the season as a potential breakout candidate. He's currently rostered in only 30% of Yahoo leagues, with that number set to drop even more now that he's injured.

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Entering play on Friday, the Miami Marlins are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for second place in the National League East division and hold the last wild-card spot in the NL, so they figure to be buyers at this year's trade deadline for the first time since Peter Bendix took over as president of baseball operations in November of 2023. As long as the Marlins don't completely collapse in the next few weeks, they intend to keep ace Sandy Alcantara, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "He's our franchise icon, and for us, I look forward to many years in the future and what this all becomes," owner Bruce Sherman recently said on Marlins radio. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler has gone 10-4 with a 4.00 ERA (3.86 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 92 strikeouts and 33 walks in 123 2/3 innings across 19 starts in 2026 in his ninth year in the majors, and he's posted a 2.98 ERA, 1.14 WIHP, and 20.6% strikeout rate in his last seven starts. Alcantara has won seven straight starts while giving up 16 earned runs in his last 48 1/3 frames. He'll be an absolute must-start on Friday night at home against the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

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The Chicago White Sox officially announced on Friday that they reinstated corner infielder Munetaka Murakami (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned rookie infielder Jacob Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. The White Sox haven't released their starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics and left-hander Jacob Lopez, but Murakami should be back in the starting nine. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger will be returning from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that he suffered on May 29, which caused him to miss 35 games. Before his injury, the Japanese native hit .240/.378/.560 with a .938 OPS, 20 long balls, 41 RBI, 43 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 200 at-bats for the Pale Hose. Murakami went 2-for-7 with an RBI during his two minor-league rehab games with Charlotte. Fantasy managers will want to return him to their starting lineups immediately, and hopefully he can pick up where he left off as one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball to close out the first half of the 2026 season.

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Atlanta Braves right-handed reliever Robert Suarez (elbow) has been out since late June with inflammation in his right elbow. There was initial hope that he could return from the 15-day injured list immediately after the All-Star break on Friday, July 17, but Suarez hasn't been cleared to resume throwing yet, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It means that the earliest the veteran reliever could return would likely be a week or two after the start of the second half next weekend. The 35-year-old Venezuelan hurler has lost a ton of fantasy value in his move to Atlanta in a setup role behind closer Raisel Iglesias after recording 76 saves with the San Diego Padres in 2024 and 2025. However, Suarez has still been valuable in deeper fantasy leagues with his 4-0 record, 0.56 ERA (2.46 FIP), 0.84 WHIP, four saves, and 26:6 K:BB in 32 innings pitched in his first year in Atlanta. He's rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues while he recovers from his elbow injury.

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We have been encouraging fantasy managers to consider adding Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson as he made his way back from the injured list. In his first start back with the Brew Crew on Thursday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals, the 24-year-old looked solid, allowing three earned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four in 5 1/3 innings to pick up his third win of the season. It was by no means a dominant outing, but it was certainly an encouraging showing after Henderson spent six-plus weeks on the shelf with a back injury. He only allowed one run while he was on the mound, but two more runs were charged to him after he departed. The former fourth-round selection from McLennan Community College in 2021 has gone 3-1 this year with a 3.18 ERA (2.48 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and only seven walks in 28 1/3 innings over six starts, and he went 3-0 as a rookie in 2025 with a 1.78 ERA (3.02 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, and 33:8 K:BB in his five starts (25 1/3 frames). It's obviously a small sample size, but Henderson has looked great early in his big-league career, and he's only rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues. Henderson could be a great addition to your fantasy rotation for the second half of 2026.

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New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge is quietly having a strong first year in the big leagues for the last-place Mets. In Thursday's 7-3 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals in Queens, Benge went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, a stolen base, a walk, and two runs scored to boost his season line to .269/.332/.412 in his first 91 big-league contests. He's added a .744 OPS, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and 52 runs scored across 374 plate appearances in an everyday role. The 23-year-old former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State University has exactly two hits in each of his last four games and has gone 28-for-87 (.322) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, 15 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 21 games, dating back to June 17. Benge is clearly finding his stride and has proven to be a high-floor fantasy outfielder who can contribute across all categories. It's kind of a shock that he's only rostered in exactly half of Yahoo leagues. He has been one of the few bright spots in a lost season in Queens in 2026.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe (elbow) pitched in a minor-league rehab game on Tuesday at Single-A Lakeland for the first time since late May of last year due to Tommy John surgery, and he hit 100 mph while giving up an earned run with no walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings pitched. It was an encouraging outing for the 23-year-old, who threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes, but given his long layoff, his rehab assignment is expected to last around a month. The former third overall pick in 2021 could become a high-upside strikeout arm later this year if he can earn a spot back in Detroit's starting rotation, so he's certainly a name to keep tabs on in fantasy leagues. In deeper formats, Jobe might be worth stashing now. In only 12 big-league appearances (10 starts) for the Tigers since debuting in 2024, Jobe has a 3.91 ERA (5.01 FIP), a 1.41 WIHP, and a 41:28 K:BB in 53 innings pitched. It appears Jobe has already regained his pre-surgery velocity, but his command could be another story. He's rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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The San Francisco Giants aren't the best bullpen to target when searching for saves in 2026, but if you're desperate, right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian is the name to roster in the Giants' pen, especially after the team sent right-hander Ryan Walker back to the minors on Thursday. In his first year in the Bay Area, Kilian has gone 2-4 with a 4.03 ERA (4.42 FIP), 1.59 WHIP, his first eight career saves, 47 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 38 innings in relief. He closed out the month of June with five earned runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings pitched against the Athletics and Atlanta Braves, but he has two saves with six strikeouts and no walks in three innings in his first three outings in July. It's hard to put a lot of trust into a reliever with a 6.20 career ERA in just 65 1/3 innings since he debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2022, but Kilian is definitely manager Tony Vitello's go-to guy in the ninth inning right now, and he has a strong 28.8% strikeout rate to boot. Kilian is widely available off the waiver wire, as he's rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.

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