Working the Waiver Wire: June 18

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  • By Jack Bronkie

    Last Updated on June 18, 2026 1:05 pm by Paul Williamson | Published: June 18, 2026

    We’re just under halfway through the season, and if your teams are anything like mine, you’re scrambling to find replacements for your injury riddled roster. A lot of fantasy managers leave their draft prepared for a certain level of attrition at the pitcher position nowadays, but there’s simply no way to prepare for losing an Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez, or Elly De La Cruz. All we can do is rub some dirt on it and continue to work the wire. Below, I’ve listed a couple upside bats, a roster glue guy, an SP and an emerging source of saves to help aid you on your quest to a fantasy baseball championship. Let’s dive in!

    Noelvi Marte – 3B/OF – Reds – 43% Rostered

    Noelvi was a popular sleeper pick during draft season this year but he stumbled out of the gate to the tune of a .190 batting average and an abysmal -5 wRC+ in the first few weeks of the season. Coupled with his poor defensive skills, the slow start offensively lead to Marte being sent down to triple-A on April 13. Fantasy managers were left with a difficult decision, and in a majority of leagues he was dropped.

    Well guess what. He’s back, and he’s my first suggested pickup for those of you looking for an upside play. In his eight starts since returning to the bigs on June 3, he’s slashing .267/.313/.600 with three home runs and three steals. In those eight starts his average exit velocity is 92mph and his expected batting average is nearly 50 points higher than his actual batting average. He’s showing that he’s still got that power/speed combo that fantasy managers covet and being eligible at both 3B and OF makes him an attractive add for those of us scrambling to find a spark on the waiver wire.

    Playing time seems to be his Achilles heel thus far; he’s only started eight of twelve games for the Reds since returning to the show. However, if he continues to mash like he has while playing his home games in the Great American “Smallpark,” it’ll be tough for ol’ Tito Francona to keep him out of that lineup even with his poor defensive metrics. I’d be looking to add Noelvi in all but the shallowest of leagues.

    Royce Lewis – 1B/3B – Twins – 48% Rostered

    Are we going to fall for the Royce Lewis hype again? Yes! He’s my second suggestion for those of you that subscribe to the “no risk it, no biscuit” mentality. Much like Noelvi, Lewis struggled to begin the season, which lead to his demotion to triple-A. Again, much like Noelvi, he took that opportunity in triple-A to remind everyone just how talented he can be when he’s healthy by hitting 10 home runs in just 15 games.

    Since his return to the Twins’ lineup on June 6, he’s slashing a robust .324/.381/.622 to the tune of a 171 wRC+. Granted, he’ll likely come back to earth a bit at some point, and we all know tomorrow isn’t guaranteed with Lewis given his injury track record, but based on the explosive outputs we’ve seen from him in the past, I like the idea of plugging him into my lineup while he’s healthy and mashing.  He’s also been moving around the infield defensively, seeing starts at both first and second base making it easier to find a place in your lineup for him, especially in daily leagues.

    Chase Meidroth – 2B/3B/SS – White Sox – 37% Rostered

    This is my roster glue guy. He’s not going to hit for a ton of power, but he’s an everyday player with a good hit-tool and multi-positional eligibility in a shockingly competent White Sox lineup (11th in offensive team WAR). For those of us looking to fill a gap in our lineup because one of our studs has hit the IL, Meidroth can help us to tread water in the meantime.

    He’s provided the same WAR as Junior Caminero thus far this year and should be an asset in runs, average and OBP. Since the beginning of May he’s contributed 24 runs, 22 RBI and a near .300 batting average. He stole 14 bases last year and could provide a similar output to that this year given how often he’s getting on base. He’s not the type of player that will win you your league, but he’s the type of player that can keep you from falling out of contention while you wait on JoRam or Elly to return to action.

    I’m looking to add Meidroth to teams where I need a bandaid on my infield. I won’t be spending a ton in FAAB or dropping any legit assets to acquire him, instead I’ll hopefully just be filling the vacated roster slot of whoever I just shifted to the IL for little to no cost. When my injured infielder returns from the IL, I wont hesitate to rip off the proverbial bandaid.

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    June 18, 2026, 1:05 pm