Admittedly, this isn’t a great week for high-priority waiver adds. Most of the top performers from recent weeks are fantasy staples and widely rostered across leagues. That said, there are still a few gems to be found. Beyond the players highlighted below, the Cleveland Guardians are calling up their No. 5 overall prospect (No. 66 overall), first baseman C.J. Kayfus. Kayfus is more of a contact-over-power hitter, but his bat carries a decent amount of pop. He dominated in Triple-A and Double-A this season and should have a chance to secure a regular role at first base, especially given the underwhelming performances of Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana.

In injury news with significant implications, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 calf strain. Acuna Jr. left Atlanta’s game against the Royals on July 29 and was moved to the IL the following day. Eli White is expected to receive most of the reps in right field while Acuna recovers. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers also placed outfielder Jackson Chourio on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. Early reports indicate Chourio could miss at least a month—a major setback for the Brewers as they try to keep pace with the Cubs, who are just half a game ahead in the standings.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer landed on the 7-day concussion injured list on August 1, retroactive to July 29. He’s likely to return when healthy, but his status is worth monitoring during an otherwise excellent campaign. In more outfielder injury news, Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day injured list with rib inflammation. The move is retroactive to July 27 and comes at a tough time for Buxton, who had been outstanding for the better part of three months. There is currently no timetable for his return.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda suffered a fractured left wrist during a collision at first base earlier this week. Reports indicate Aranda hopes to return in 2025, but wrist injuries like this can sap a hitter’s power for an extended period. Lastly, Boston Red Sox third baseman Marcelo Mayer was also placed on the injured list with a wrist injury. There is little clarity about his outlook, though Mayer “expects to know more” about his timeline over the weekend.

For those new to this column, it generally assumes point formats and will only feature players with around 50% ownership or less on Yahoo! A player will only appear twice if they continue to perform well in consecutive weeks. Happy hunting!

Waiver Adds

Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS – Chicago Cubs (50% Owned)

If you picked up Matt Shaw last week when he was recommended, you can skip this section. The Massachusetts native can frustrate fantasy managers with his inconsistencies—as noted in his first write-up—but the potential reward outweighs the risk. Shaw’s ridiculously high ceiling is exciting, and I’m hopeful this recent hot streak marks the beginning of his rise.

We shouldn’t expect superstar production from a 23-year-old, despite recent history spoiling us. Still, Shaw looks poised to continue that trend with strong hitting over the past few weeks. In 13 games since the All-Star break—in which Shaw started all but two—he’s been a blazing 15-for-39 (.385) with three doubles, four home runs, and three steals. I wish Chicago’s hot-corner man struck out less and drew more walks, but that should improve with experience. Earlier this season in Triple-A, he posted a 15.5% walk rate and over 11% across two minor league levels in 2024.

Shaw will have ups and downs over the final months, but enduring the rough patches for stretches of this quality will be worthwhile. His roster ownership has jumped 20% in the last seven days.

Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B – Seattle Mariners (34% Owned)

Few hitters started 2025 as well as Jorge Polanco. Over 73 combined at-bats in the season’s first month, he posted an outstanding .384 average (28-for-73) with 13 extra-base hits—including nine homers—and looked on track for a big year. After a steep production drop in the following two months (.183 average), the twelfth-year veteran is heating back up again.

History shows Polanco can go cold at any time. However, his expected stats look strong, and his .250 season average trails his .283 expected batting average (xBA) by over 30 points. Additionally, he launched six home runs in July after hitting only two in the previous two months. If the switch-hitting second baseman can stay hot (and healthy), he has a chance to challenge his career-high of 33 home runs. I wouldn’t bet on it, but he’s certainly capable.

With the Mariners pushing for the playoffs and recently reacquiring third baseman Eugenio Suarez, Seattle’s lineup has become even more formidable. Polanco could be a key driving force in the heart of that order.

Andrew Vaughn, 1B – Milwaukee Brewers (28% Owned)

Speaking of trades, Milwaukee quietly acquired Andrew Vaughn from the White Sox in mid-June. Chicago had demoted Vaughn to Triple-A, where he stayed until about a month ago when the Brewers promoted him to the active roster. Since then, he’s been mashing, and the underlying metrics suggest Vaughn has taken a significant step forward.

Progress isn’t always linear, especially at the MLB level. Still, when a breakout happens, it tends to be loud. A glance at the former third-overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft’s Statcast page clearly shows a marked difference from his previous four seasons. For starters, Vaughn is hitting the ball much harder in 2025, recording a 92.3 mph average exit velocity—the highest of his career and ranking in the top 11% of batters. He’s also producing hard-hit balls over 50% of the time (50.8%) and barreling pitches at an excellent rate (14.3%).

If you’ve been following along all season, you may remember that I mentioned—somewhat jokingly—a month or two ago that a player’s age-27 season often becomes the breakout year if it hasn’t happened already. Vaughn fits that mold. His spot in the middle of a strong Milwaukee lineup (4.79 runs per game, seventh-most in the league) is just gravy on top. Snag him before he’s gone.

Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS – Chicago White Sox (23% Owned)

The White Sox promoted their No. 5 overall prospect at the beginning of July, and he’s adjusted to the major league level quite well. Through his first 22 professional games, Colson Montgomery is slashing a respectable .257/.313/.514 with five home runs, two doubles, a triple, 18 RBI, and nine runs scored. Notably, all five of his home runs have come in the last eight games, along with a double and 12 RBI during that same stretch.

The former first-round pick holds an elevated strikeout rate (23.5%), though that’s not too concerning given his limited major league experience. Encouragingly, he’s shown improvement in that area over his last nine games, lowering it to 16.7%. Montgomery has never been known for exceptional plate discipline, but his hit (55/80) and power tools (60/80) form an enticing combo. Don’t expect the Holland, Indiana native to make much of an impact on the basepaths, but the traits of a potential middle-of-the-order force are there.

Chicago’s North Side has stolen the fantasy spotlight this season, but the future at shortstop looks bright for the Pale Hose.

Nathan Lukes, OF – Toronto Blue Jays (2% Owned)

Nathan Lukes has officially graduated to the feature portion of this column, despite a minuscule 2% ownership rate. He’s been on my radar for a few weeks, and I still can’t pinpoint anything in his profile that explains the recent uptick in production. In his initial mention, I said Lukes wasn’t likely to unlock any real power this late in his age-31 season. Well, egg on my face—he’s now launched four home runs over his last eight games.

His plate discipline has mostly held steady during this power surge, and it’s worth noting that two of those four homers came in games he didn’t even start. Earning consistent starts remains an issue, though. The former seventh-round pick of the then-Cleveland Indians doesn’t typically get the nod against lefties—and he shouldn’t, as he’s hitting just .182 across 22 at-bats against them. Against right-handers, however, he’s much more productive, slashing .263 and nearly balancing his walk (26) and strikeout (28) totals.

Lukes isn’t a priority add, and he may not even be the best option on your waiver wire. Still, don’t completely write him off. Toronto has already surprised us in 2025 with Addison Barger, and outfielder George Springer is enjoying a resurgent season. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Blue Jays’ hitting lab is working some real magic.

Deep League Adds

Lenyn Sosa, 1B/2B/3B - Chicago White Sox (6% Owned)

Lenyn Sosa has hit .292 or better in every month since April—except for June—and he’s been even better since the Midsummer Classic. Following the brief break, the 25-year-old has caught fire, especially in recent days, putting together four multi-hit performances over his last six games. While most of his hits have been of the "cheap" variety (just two for extra bases), the real story is the stark improvement in his plate discipline.

Earlier in the season, Sosa struggled mightily in that department and still holds a 22% strikeout rate through 92 games. However, since the All-Star break, he’s struck out just four times in 39 at-bats (10.3%) and is slashing a robust .359/.395/.487. Sure, he doesn’t offer much in the stolen base department and isn’t likely to pile up runs or RBI in a struggling White Sox lineup. But there’s no reason to think his rising .278 average won’t continue to be an asset—especially in category leagues.

Two-Start Streamers

Joey Wentz, LHP - Atlanta Braves (2%/8% Yahoo!/CBS)

Joey Wentz is on his third organization of the calendar year, having already logged brief stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. But it wasn’t until the Braves scooped him off waivers that he truly became intriguing—and now, he might be able to serve in the same capacity for your fantasy squad.

Earlier this week, Wentz credited his cutter for his recent success—and the numbers back that up. A review of his outings with Atlanta compared to his early-season pitch mix reveals that the 6-foot-5 southpaw has been far more effective when leaning on the cutter as his primary offering. The results speak for themselves: in the last three starts where it was featured, he’s allowed zero, zero, and just one earned run. It’s not only his most-used pitch but also his most effective one, generating a rising 28.3% whiff rate.

As mentioned earlier in the article, Milwaukee’s lineup has been excellent—so it’s unfortunate that Wentz will face them to kick off his two-start week. It’s even less ideal given that the Brewers have scored over a full run more per game on the road this season. But here’s the thing: you likely won’t get another chance to add him ahead of his second start against the visiting Marlins if he excels again with the cutter. Remember, you can always stash him on your bench for the first outing. It might sting a little to grab someone you’re not starting immediately, but what matters is that there’s a clear, tangible reason behind his elevated performance.

Thanks for reading—and good luck in your matchups this week!