Edward Cabrera’s breakout performance over his last handful of starts has flipped the script on his fantasy fantasy value. Miami’s righty has delivered a late-season surge: 2.06 ERA, 0.78 WHIP across seven starts, and a crisp 9.3 strikeouts per nine with a deceptive fade on both the four-seamer and two-seamer. He’s now a near-automatic add in most formats, with the ceiling to push him into league-winner territory if the heater stays dominant. Brandon Woodruff also looks like a legitimate post-ARC comeback candidate, posting a string of quality starts and high strikeout totals after shoulder concerns, reinforcing that both innings and upside can be real again.
Beyond the obvious arms, several under-the-radar bats jumped into the mix for the weekend. Luke Kishel and Jacob Marcy built hot streaks, while Xavier Edwards produced a rare blend of on-base skills and speed, delivering multiple steals as a standout hot hand in deeper formats. Isaac Collins’ second-half surge added to the growing belief that, in the right matchup, you can ride these inexpensive, high-contact options. Brenton Doyle, Kyle Manzardo, and Matt Shaw joined the roster-shuffling chorus, offering varied paths to value in shallower and deeper leagues alike.
On the pitching side, a handful of waiver candidates flashed enough upside to warrant roster attention: Chase Burns, Mackenzie Gore, and Zebby Matthews each showed two-start upside, with Burns’ 10 strikeouts in a six-inning step-forward and Gore’s late-career resurgence hinting at upside if they stay healthy. The hitting landscape remained elevated thanks to the usual suspects turning it on in the second half—Altuve, Bogaerts, Ohtani, Soto, Lindor, and Rodriguez supplied multi-homer weekends and stolen-base bursts that can swing categories in games or weeks. The overall thread: the waiver wire still has life, and a patient, roster-tight approach can reap solid returns in the weeks ahead.
