Week 21 of 2025 brings a compact set of starting-pitcher waiver options, tailored for shallow leagues but with deeper-leaning plays that could pay off in standard formats. Will Warren anchors the top tier, offering reliable volume and recent five-inning quality starts as the Yankees chase wins. Jose Quintana stabilizes the rotation with dependable innings and solid ratios on a strong Brewers squad. Jose Soriano combines strikeouts with groundball variety for a back-end slot in many leagues. Hurston Waldrep offers upside as a top Braves prospect getting a late-season shot, while Charlie Morton provides veteran savvy as Detroit managers lean on experience. In deeper formats, Cristian Javier returns to form with injury-recovery potential; Zebby Matthews brings swing-and-mmiss upside tempered by HR risk; Nolan McLean, Jason Alexander, and Ryan Bergert each offer speculative, weekend-ready options with varying ceilings. Kyle Bradish, Michael McGreevy, Sean Burke, Michael Lorenzen, and Joey Wentz close the list with a mix of floor, wins potential, and breakout vibes. Proactive rosters can maximize Week 21 by pairing safe floors with high-upside stashes, while tracking BvP and PvB data for favorable matchups.

Blake Snell and Dylan Cease anchor a pitcher heavy Saturday slate, with Snell favored despite facing Cease in their collision. Snell has looked sharp since returning, delivering strikeouts in his starts, while Cease brings elite upside at the high end. Casey Mize is priced up beyond his ceiling, but Lorenzen and Zebby Matthews present solid value bets in midrange ranges. On offense, Shea Langeliers is heating up after the break, and Ketel Marte with Corbin Carroll offer compelling Coors Field upside. Angels at Athletics and Giants vs Rays emerge as the two clearest stacks, anchored by Neto, Trout, Ward and Ramos, Schmitt, Devers respectively. Balance salaries with midrange pieces like Colt Keith and Slade Cecconi to round rosters.

Four sneaky Week 20 waiver targets surface as potential weekend embeds: Zebby Matthews, Hurston Waldrep, Cade Cavalli and Ben Brown. Matthews brings AFL-like strikeout upside and improving command, with a trendline that hints at a productive second half if his heater and slider calm the surface numbers. Waldrep has flashed swing-and-mip upside with a new split-finger look and a three-pitch mix that keeps hitters guessing. Cavalli returned from a long layoff with velocity gains and a sharpened knuckle curve, signaling he could handle a larger workload. Brown has found a modest two-start rhythm thanks to a heavier knuckle-curve usage, making him a deeper-league streaming option. Fantasy managers should monitor workload, matchup windows, and how each pitcher performs against mid-rotation lineups as August progresses, while keeping rosters flexible enough to chase surges in a thin starter market.

Carlos Correa returns to Houston for the first time since being reacquired at the trade deadline, facing the Astros in a marquee series that also features Alex Bregman back in his old stomping grounds with Boston. Correa has blasted onto the scene in a small Houston sample, batting .405 with a 1.098 OPS across nine games and shifting to third base, while Bregman has posted a steady .298/.911 OPS line this season with the Red Sox.

The series opener pits Boston’s Garrett Crochet (13-4, 2.24 ERA) against Houston’s Cristian Javier, who is making his first start in about 15 months after Tommy John surgery. Oddsmakers have the Red Sox as favorites (-172) with the Astros at +144. Monday’s action also adds Twins-Yankees, Brewers-Pirates and a WNBA clash, offering fantasy managers multiple angles as teams jockey for playoff positioning.

Fantasy managers should track how Correa’s reunion and Bregman’s return influence the Astros’ and Red Sox lineups, how Javier looks in his return, and Crochet’s bullpen role against a lineup that already knows him well. The day’s results could ripple through the AL races and shape Monday night DFS and betting props across MLB.

High-ceiling players are scarce on fantasy free-agent lists as the season winds down, so every add with even a chance to deliver elite returns in the next few weeks matters. Four MAJOR league talents stand out as must-adds already in the majors: Luke Keaschall, Edward Cabrera, Gavin Williams, Zebby Matthews. Keaschall brings a patient, middle-of-the-order approach and pace on the bases; Cabrera has sharpened his control and arsenal, lifting his fantasy ceiling; Williams has flashed big-move velocity plus a hidden sweeper that miss bats; Matthews is a sleeper with a lively slider and improving command, locked into a Twins rotation. Will Warren offers a reliable two-start week for those chasing volume. In deeper formats, Cade Cavalli and Hurston Waldrep are still on the radar for promotion and longer-term upside. Aug. 15 marks the 45-day rookies-eligible cutoff, so promotions like Basallo, Beavers, Painter and Wetherholt could reshape rosters in coming days.