Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is one of the most talked-about players at his position heading into the trade deadline. Jeffers is on a one-year deal and is expected to be moved at the upcoming trade deadline. This season, Jeffers is slashing .294/.397/.531 with nine home runs and 35 RBI across 47 games. He has been crushing left-handed pitching and could be a real game-changer for a contending team down the stretch of the season. The assumption is that a trade would likely only increase his fantasy value. In theory, Jeffers would land in a better lineup and get more opportunities to play. Fantasy managers who are seeking help at the catching position should consider snagging Jeffers ahead of the deadline.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters has come out of nowhere and put together an excellent season in 2026. The 26-year-old earned himself a selection to the All-Star Game during his rookie season. Through 103 games, Peters is slashing .272/.328/.428 with six home runs, 37 RBI, and five stolen bases. It has been a slow start for Peters out of the break, but he'll hopefully turn it around soon. This slump might've put Peters on the waiver wire in some leagues. Fantasy managers in deep leagues seeking outfield help should consider scooping up Peters. He has shown the ability to contribute in multiple ways and could be a useful option in deeper leagues down the stretch of the season.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader (foot) will miss the rest of the 2026 season, according to Giants manager Tony Vitello. Bader continues to battle with a plantar fasciitis issue that has kept him sidelined since late May. Bader underwent imaging, including an MRI, and met with specialists as well. Despite all that, Bader remains without a timetable and apparently won't play again for the Giants this season. Through 30 games, Bader slashed .170/.198/.358 with five home runs and 14 RBI with the Giants this season. His continued absence won't impact the Giants, with the team already playing without him for multiple months. He signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal with the Giants during the offseason. We'll see what kind of role he has with the team next season. Bader can safely be dropped in all redraft formats.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Curtis Mead (wrist) is dealing with a non-displaced wrist fracture and will be reimaged in four weeks, according to Ian Browne. Mead was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Wednesday after getting hit by a pitch in the hand during his team debut on Monday. The original timetable was 6-to-8 weeks for Mead, but maybe he'll be able to beat that. Fantasy managers still won't get anything out of him during August. We'll see if the Red Sox add another bat at the trade deadline or wait for Mead to make his return.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (forearm) took the mound for a rehab start with High-A Wisconsin on Thursday. The southpaw looked stellar as he threw 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out five batters. Harrison is working his way back from a left forearm issue that has sidelined him since July 11. He looked stellar during his outing, so Harrison might be activated from the Injured List after only one rehab start. Harrison has been excellent this season and deserves to be rostered in most fantasy formats. Fantasy managers should stay tuned to see if Harrison needs another rehab start or makes his next outing with Milwaukee.

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Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said on Thursday that outfielder Roman Anthony (finger) has started swinging a bat, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "Off a tee, short flips, there's some of that action going on. It's mainly up to about 30 swings at this time, and he's doing well. He began swinging yesterday. There's no clear next steps yet," Tracy added. "He just started doing it. It's probably going to remain that way for a little while and see how he's feeling. And then if that continues to go well, then we'll start talking about building out a progression to more stuff. But he at least has a bat in his hand swinging." The former top outfielder prospect has been a bust in 2026, having played in only 30 games due to a torn tendon in his right ring finger. The 22-year-old has been out since early May, and there's no clear timetable for his return. Anthony is still rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues for his power/speed upside, but it might not be until late August or early September until we see him back with the Red Sox's big-league club.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee) reported soreness in his knee on Thursday, manager Dave Roberts told Maddie Lee of The Los Angeles Times, and the team decided to give him the day off against the Seattle Mariners. Roberts said he's very confident Ohtani will be back in the starting lineup as a hitter for Friday's series opener against the visiting Boston Red Sox. With Ohtani out in Thursday's series finale against Seattle, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is serving as the DH and will bat seventh against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo. Ohtani's bothersome left knee has kept him from pitching since facing the San Diego Padres back on July 3, and there's no timetable for him to return to the mound. The Dodgers continue to say that they are being ultra-cautious with the four-time MVP. Ohtani has five home runs in 21 games in July, but he's also hitting just .265 (22-for-83) with eight walks and 21 strikeouts in 92 plate appearances. They may continue to give him days off here and there as he continues to manage his knee injury, with the ultimate goal being to have Ohtani as healthy as possible for the playoffs.

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Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (forearm) is back at first base and is leading off on Thursday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Sonny Gray, per MLB.com. Kurtz was pulled from Wednesday's game early in Sacramento after being hit by a pitch on his forearm, but X-rays and an MRI exam came back negative, and he won't have to miss any time. Fantasy managers in all traditional leagues will want to get the left-handed slugger back into their lineups immediately, even though he's been a bit cold at the plate lately. The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2024 from Wake Forest University is hitting .260/.399/.491 on the year with an .890 OPS, 21 homers, 69 RBI, 62 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across his 346 at-bats after clubbing 36 homers and driving in 86 in just 117 games as a rookie in 2025. Kurtz offers elite power, regardless of position, but July hasn't been his best month, as he's gone 5-for-38 (.132) with a .485 OPS, two homers, five RBI, three runs, two walks, and 19 Ks in 12 games during the month. He has never faced Gray in his MLB career.

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St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews will be called up from Triple-A Memphis to make his major-league debut and start on Saturday in Toronto against the Blue Jays, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 25-year-old 6-foot-5, 188-pounder should immediately be in play as a waiver-wire pickup for fantasy managers in all league formats as the Cardinals' No. 7 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The former fourth-round pick in 2023 from Stanford University is getting the call to the Show after going 5-3 with a 3.13 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 111:52 K:BB in 92 innings across 19 starts at Memphis this year. Mathews has been particularly effective since June, posting a sharp 1.55 ERA in his 52 1/3 innings. He features a fastball, sinker, slider, and a changeup, and he'll occasionally mix in a curveball for good measure. Mathews has plenty of strikeout upside with an 11.5 K/9 in his three minor-league seasons, but mechanical issues have hurt his command/control at times. He could have a strong MLB debut this weekend against a Blue Jays offense with the second-worst OPS (.684) in all of baseball in 2026.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (leg) was forced to leave Thursday's loss to the Chicago White Sox early with an apparent leg injury, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Chisholm was pulled from the game in the 11th inning after coming up lame while running a groundout in the ninth inning, and he was replaced at the keystone by Jose Caballero. The left-handed slugger went 1-for-3 at the plate with two walks and a strikeout before leaving late. The severity and specific nature of the 28-year-old's injury are unknown, but it could be a minor injury due to the fact that he wasn't pulled from the game right away. The two-time All-Star came into Thursday's tilt with a .223/.298/.408 slash line with a .705 OPS, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, a league-high 30 stolen bases, and 53 runs scored in 101 games across 400 plate appearances. Chisholm is of little help for your average and on-base percentage thanks to a 30% strikeout rate, and his power is down in 2026, but fantasy managers cannot complain about his stolen-base contributions for a player who is eligible at second base. Check back on Friday to see if Chisholm is active for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (finger) will test out his new breaking-ball grip when he faces live hitters on Friday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. It will be Lodolo's first time facing hitters since going on the 15-day injured list on July 12 with another blister on his finger. The 28-year-old southpaw teased high-end strikeout upside when he entered the league in 2022 as a former first-round pick out of TCU, but he has failed to live up to expectations and hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to make 30 starts in a single season. In just 12 starts (62 2/3 innings) this year, Lodolo has gone 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP with 50 strikeouts and 27 walks. He's had a career-low 17.9% strikeout rate and career-high 9.7% walk rate, which is not what you want to see. Still, he's rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues with hopes that he can at least be a viable matchup-based streamer to close out the year. The Reds will likely have Lodolo make at least one minor-league rehab start if his simulated game goes off without a hitch on Friday.

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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly has rebuilt his mixed-league value with five strong July starts. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts across 27 2/3 innings this month. He capped that stretch Monday by holding the Pittsburgh Pirates to one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings. Kelly still carries a 4.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP through 109 1/3 innings, and his 71 strikeouts leave little margin for error when the ratios slip. That makes him more matchup-dependent than the typical must-start arm. Still, Kelly was rostered in only 38% of Yahoo leagues when RotoBaller's Week 18 rankings were published. He ranks 55th overall with an add recommendation for leagues of 12 teams or deeper and has pitched well enough to earn a roster spot at that depth.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday is batting .231/.339/.470 with 18 home runs, 45 RBI, 40 runs, and six stolen bases through 331 plate appearances. The average is still a weakness, but a .260 expected mark suggests he has deserved better. More importantly, Bleday's 10.8% barrel rate, 42.1% hard-hit rate, and .468 expected slugging percentage support the power that has kept him in the heart of Cincinnati's lineup. Bleday has started regularly in the corner outfield and offers enough walks and occasional speed to contribute beyond home runs. Yahoo managers have left him unclaimed in 74% of leagues, even though he ranks 49th in RotoBaller's Week 18 waiver rankings with an add recommendation for 12-team formats. He is not a batting-average asset, but managers seeking power and run production should not leave him available at that league depth.

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Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger is batting .236/.297/.426 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 45 runs, and two stolen bases across 385 at-bats. The average remains a drag, but the power is legitimate. Burger owns a 90.0 mph average exit velocity, 46.2% hard-hit rate, and 11.1% barrel rate, and he has already surpassed the 16 homers he hit during an injury-plagued 2025 season. Managers still need to accept the volatility. Burger's .231 expected average and 26.6% strikeout rate leave him vulnerable to prolonged cold stretches, and his value is concentrated in home runs and RBI. That tradeoff remains worthwhile when a regular first baseman with this kind of power is available in 78% of Yahoo leagues. Burger ranks 54th in RotoBaller's Week 18 waiver rankings and carries an add recommendation for 12-team formats. He belongs on rosters at that league depth wherever power is the priority.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman is among several available veterans who could fit the Philadelphia Phillies' trade-deadline needs, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Philadelphia is looking for rotation depth, a late-inning reliever, and another bat. Starting pitcher Shane Bieber, relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman, designated hitter George Springer, and center fielder Daulton Varsho were also mentioned as possible fits. The clubs share a spring-training complex in Florida, giving Toronto's front office familiarity with Philadelphia's prospects. Morosi did not report that talks involving any individual player were advanced. For now, the trade speculation does not change the fantasy value of any of the five Blue Jays.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan (back) left Thursday's start against the Texas Rangers after three innings with an apparent lower-back issue, according to Ryan Bass. McClanahan reached toward his lower back and tried to stretch before walking off with head athletic trainer Joe Benge. The left-hander did not allow a hit, but he was charged with one run after issuing two walks and hitting a batter. He struck out three and threw 49 pitches, 29 for strikes. Tampa Bay has not announced a diagnosis or said whether McClanahan will need testing. Fantasy managers should consider his next start uncertain until the Rays provide more information.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect River Ryan is sidelined by a hamstring injury and is missing time on the injured list at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was placed on the injured list at the end of June and hasn't pitched since. The 27-year-old right-hander boasts a 65-grade fastball a 60-grade slider and a 55-grade cutter and curveball. The stuff is there for the minor league veteran. Should he be able to work past his current injury, he might find his way back in Los Angeles after making his brief MLB debut in 2024. In 36 1/3 innings with Oklahoma City, Ryan has compiled a 3-1 record this season with a 4.46 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 43 strikeouts against just eight walks. That kind of control is a good sign moving forward and he should be in L.A. this summer if he can demonstrate full health. It could be a good move to stash him now.

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Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga has a path to save chances after manager Torey Lovullo removed Paul Sewald from the closer role. Arizona will play matchups rather than name one replacement, and Brandyn Garcia handled the ninth inning Wednesday before Lovullo confirmed the committee. Juan Morillo and Kevin Ginkel also remain part of a crowded late-inning picture. Loaisiga owns a 2.57 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 31 strikeouts and one save through 42 innings, but he has allowed three earned runs over his last two appearances. The strong ratios give him some value while the role develops, though the modest strikeout total keeps him dependent on saves and holds. Loaisiga is not included in RotoBaller's July 30 waiver rankings, so he remains a speculative addition rather than a priority pickup. He is worth considering in 15-team and NL-only leagues, while managers in 12-team formats should monitor Arizona's next few save chances.

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St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is coming off a superb start at Triple-A Memphis in which he hurled seven shutout innings with three hits and an unearned run with 10 strikeouts against three walks. Mathews picked up a win for his efforts, moving his overall record this season to 5-3. The left-hander has spent the entire season at Memphis, compiling a 3.13 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with 111 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched. In four July starts, Mathews has racked up a 1.04 ERA and 0.77 WHIP as he has raised the level of his game as the summer months have heated up. The No. 7 prospect on the Cardinals' list, Mathews boasts a 60-grade changeup and a 55-grade slider. After four years at Stanford, the 25-year-old is nearing big league ready and it would be wise to add him now before a potential late-season promotion.

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Milwaukee Brewers third base prospect Luke Adams has put together a nice month of July with a .305 batting average in 59 at bats with two homers and six RBI with 14 runs scored. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter missed some time with an injury this season but has returned in early June. In 182 total at bats this year between the ACL Brewers and Triple-A Nashville, Adams has 15 homers and 38 RBI with 40 runs scored while hitting .269. Adams is the No. 16 ranked prospect in the Brewers' system with a 50-grade hit tool and 50-grade power. A former 12th round pick in the draft, Adams doesn't have the prospect pedigree of some others, but he is nonetheless putting up some nice numbers at Triple-A. He could be looked at by the Brewers for a spot on the big league roster especially at third base where Milwaukee is a bit thin.

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