Final-week fantasy hoarding on the waiver wire centers on rookies and closers as MLB enters Week 21. With 45 days left in the regular season, rookie eligibility for 2026 ROY remains a live asset, spurring a trio of notable recalls and several deeper adds. Basallo, McLean and Abreu headline the top pickups, while Lopez provides a two-start streamer option and Beavers and Vodnik offer meaningful upside in deeper leagues.

Basallo anchors Baltimore’s prospect surge, offering catcher/first-base flexibility and a power-heavy profile that could carve immediate value in shallow formats. McLean’s Mets debut drew rave notes for breaking-ball command and a strong grounder-rate that could sustain multi-start value if the workload cooperates. Abreu stands as Houston’s next-in-line nearer—an attractive upside play if Hader’s health costs him time, with elite ratios and strikeout potential. Lopez’s left-handed mix has you leaning him as a pitcher only, given innings caps, while Beavers and Vodnik supply late-season upside in deeper builds: Beavers via a balanced tools profile and Vodnik via save opportunities in a volatile closer landscape.

Dodgers head to Coors Field with Shohei Ohtani on the mound against Tanner Gordon as Los Angeles looks to close the series in Denver. Ohtani’s big night in Game 2—11-4, capped by his 44th homer—powered LA, while Alex Call erupted for a career-best four hits, nearly hitting for the cycle. Colorado has been more competitive lately, going 4-1 in its last five, but the Dodgers own a dominant 7-1 edge this season. The day’s betting board and preview center on first pitch, odds, and several fantasy-forward angles, with modeling and expert bets highlighting LA’s clear value in a high-altitude environment.

Fantasy minds will note Coors Field’s hitter-friendly backdrop, yet Ohtani’s two-way two-way upside and LA’s depth give managers plenty to weigh. Gordon faces a lineup that’s shown consistency against Colorado and carries plenty of game-planning pressure from a potent LA attack. The Rockies will lean on the ballpark and bullpen to keep this within reach, while Call’s breakout night adds a feasible multiplier for daily formats. The matchup also threads in trend data, including Dodgers’ road performance and Colorado’s recent form, shaping a page full of lever points for lineups and bets.

The Dodgers lean on offense while managing Betts at short, a shift that invites defensive risk but keeps the lineup potent in a postseason bid. Teoscar Hernández supplies power and highlight catches, while the team rides a flurry of two-out hits that sparked an 11-4 rout of Colorado. Betts is hitting at career-lows, but Roberts isn’t ready to swap him back to right yet, arguing that scoring remains essential even in a tight race. Shohei Ohtani’s 44th homer and Call’s four-hit night underscore the depth fueling L.A.’s attack.

Alex Call led the way with three or more runs as Freeman, Will Smith, and Rojas joined in with multi-hit efforts, fueling a multi-inning rally that produced eight two-out runs. Emmet Sheehan scattered six innings of solid ball, and the Rockies briefly dented the cushion with a Brenton Doyle two-run shot and Kyle Karros’ first major-league homer. The Dodgers’ offense carried the day, while defense remains a talking point as they chase a postseason spot.

Fantasy managers should watch Betts’ continued positional experiment and Hernandez’s dual-ability to beat you with power while potentially highlighting defensive misplays. Call’s breakout shows the depth behind Freeman and Smith, while Ohtani’s on-base streak and power pace the run-production engine. With 18 hits in the win, the Dodgers demonstrated their ability to win via offense even if the defensive alignment isn’t perfect yet.

Kyle Karros delivered a milestone moment at Coors Field, launching his first major-league homer as Colorado faced the Dodgers, with Eric Karros watching from the stands. The moment doubles as a family milestone and a fresh spotlight on a Rockies rookie whose debut season is starting to hint at a potential future role.

Colorado’s rookie out of UCLA has appeared in 11 games, slashing .273/.400/.364 with three RBIs. He’s shown patience and a touch of pop, having hit six homers in the minors this year. Eric Karros carved out a historic career as a Dodger slugger, and this father-son moment stitches a living chapter into a long-running baseball narrative.

Eric’s career was built on steady power and longevity across the Dodgers, Cubs, and Athletics, tallying 284 homers in 1,755 games. Kyle’s emergence at Coors Field—an environment famous for turning hitters’ numbers into fantasy-currency—fuels intrigue about what the future could hold for him in Colorado’s lineup.

The scene fuels optimism for fantasy managers: a path to regular at-bats could unfold if Kyle continues to produce, especially in Denver where the ball travels. The storyline also adds a rich layer to the Rockies’ season, blending lineage with opportunity as Kyle steps further from prospect status toward potential contributor status.

The Dodgers are in a tight postseason chase, and Mookie Betts is still occupying shortstop after moving from his longtime right-field spot, with Teoscar Hernández taking over Betts’s old position. Manager Dave Roberts admitted the team isn’t fielding its best defensive lineup every night, stressing that offense remains a priority in a crowded race. Hernández has been a catalyst at the plate, ranking second on the club with 20 homers and 75 RBIs, even as his defense can swing momentum the other way at times.

In Tuesday’s 11-4 rout of Colorado, the lineup rode a barrage of multi-hit days, including Alex Call’s career-best four hits. Freeman, Will Smith, Betts, Rojas, and Call all contributed, with two-out scoring helping the Dodgers plate eight of their 11 runs. Ohtani added his 44th homer and extended a 17-game on-base streak, while Call’s power blast highlighted a day where the Dodgers outhit the Rockies 18-11. Betts, hitting .243 after going 2-for-6, has drawn attention to the trade-off between Betts at short and Hernandez in the outfield as the club weighs its postseason chances. Roberts declined to move Betts back to right field just yet, signaling the Dodgers aren’t ready to overhaul a lineup that clearly still scores well when required.

Betts’s fielding percentage at short appears strong enough to surface as a concern only in a broader context of fatigue, as he’s near the NL shortstop leaderboard’s top tier despite limited appearances. The manager’s candid stance—“not there quite yet”—underscores the balancing act: maximize runs while maintaining enough defense to close out tight games. The Dodgers’ rhythm on Tuesday suggested a team that can adapt on the fly in pursuit of October baseball, even if the defensive alignment isn’t fixed for every night.