High-ceiling players aren’t abundant on fantasy free agent lists at this stage of the season. With the exception of the handful of top prospects who might be recalled later in the week for late-season auditions — more on that in a moment — it’s imperative that fantasy managers scoop up any player with even a chance at performing at an elite level for them during these critical, upcoming weeks.
Regarding those prospects — Sam Basallo, Bubba Chandler, Andrew Painter and J.J. Wetherholt among such promotion candidates — bear in mind that Aug. 15 is an important date on the baseball calendar, as it marks 45 days remaining on the regular-season calendar. That’s the maximum number for a player to retain rookie eligibility into the following season, though players must also accrue fewer than 130 at-bats and 50 innings pitched to remain eligible. That’s why we saw prospects like Dylan Crews and Jace Jung recalled after that point last year, and it’s why we might see a handful — Basallo and fellow Baltimore Orioles prospect Dylan Beavers, as well as Painter being heavily rumored — promoted similarly in the coming days.
Putting that aside, among high-ceiling, widely available players already in the majors, here are four you should be adding everywhere:
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Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins (available in 83.7%): The Twins’ house cleaning created numerous opportunities for players within their minor league system, but Keaschall is by far the most interesting of those effectively handed everyday roles. Kiley McDaniels’ No. 3 Twins prospect, Keaschall lasted only one week into his first taste of the big leagues in April, suffering a fractured right forearm after being hit by an 86.8 mph sinker from Kyle Hendricks that sidelined him for the next three months. Since activation, Keaschall has delivered four multi-hit, multi-RBI performances in his first five games, batting in the middle of the Twins’ reworked batting order. He brings elite plate discipline and well above-average speed to the table, things that should suit him as well in standard points-based as rotisserie leagues, and he gets enough lift in his swing that he could grow into more power.
Edward Cabrera, SP, Miami Marlins (available in 55.6%): There’s no way he can be left out there in any fantasy league, regardless of how you feel about his Marlins’ competitive state down the stretch or the team’s concerns for his late-season workload. Cabrera has been a sensation for the team all season, but especially since the beginning of July, as his 124 fantasy points in seven starts during that time span trail only Cristopher Sanchez (144) and Nathan Eovaldi (130). What has made the difference for Cabrera has been vastly improved control, largely from diversification of his pitch repertoire (specifically, fewer four-seam fastballs and more sinkers and sliders), as his 62.8% first pitch strike, 49.5% zone and 7.9% walk rates are easily his best in any of his five big-league seasons. His curveball and slider are both nasty (40%-plus whiff rate with each), and to the questions about team competitiveness and workload, his Marlins are only six games out of a wild card spot and he has a reasonable total of 115 innings, after 128 in 2023 and 119 in 2024.
Gavin Williams, SP, Cleveland Guardians (available in 61.6%): His season got off to a lackluster start, but since the beginning of June he has been one of the better starters out there. His 167 fantasy points in 12 starts during that time ranks 13th-best among all pitchers, and he has eight quality starts (including in each of his past four outings) during that time. Williams’ control could stand to improve, as his 12.6% walk rate would be easily his worst in any of his four professional seasons, but he’s dialing up his four-seam fastball to a career-best 96.7 mph on average, and his sweeper has transformed into a nasty, out-getting pitch (44 of his 123 K’s and a 41.1% whiff rate). McDaniel’s No. 33 overall prospect entering his 2023 debut season, Williams might well remain a top-25 fantasy starter the rest of the way.
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Zebby Matthews, SP, Minnesota Twins (available in 95.3%): The sleeper of this bunch, Keaschall’s teammate now appears locked into the team’s rotation for the duration, especially since he has totaled only 75 professional innings this season after 105 1/3 in 2023 and 134 2/3 last year. Matthews’ 5.17 ERA might appear unsavory, but examining his underlying numbers, he’s pitching far better than you might realize. Over the past three weeks, he’s one of only 51 pitchers to score 15-plus fantasy points in a start twice, and his 12.3 per-start average in the category ranks 32nd among pitchers with at least as many as his three starts. Matthews is also showing good control and command of all his pitches, with the lights-out slider (28-of-48 K’s, 43.5% whiff rate) that should continue to fill the strikeout column.
Two-start pitcher to add
Will Warren, SP, New York Yankees (available in 80.0%): Matthews’ Monday opponent, Warren should benefit from the favorable matchup against the reworked Twins lineup, and his second turn is another plus matchup at St. Louis’ pitching-friendly Busch Stadium. While Warren’s Yankees might be mired in an extended funk, he has pitched effectively during that stretch, with a 3.55 ERA in his past 11 starts.
Deeper league pickups
Editor’s Picks
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Cade Cavalli, SP, Washington Nationals (available in 95.4%): Michael Soroka’s trade to the Chicago Cubs paved the way for Cavalli, a onetime top-100 prospect who succumbed to 2023 Tommy John surgery, to finally get another chance, almost three years to the date of his Aug. 26, 2022, big-league debut. Though Cavalli’s 2025 work with Triple-A Rochester had been lackluster (6.09 ERA in 15 starts there), he tossed 4 1/3 innings of shutout, six-strikeout baseball in his return start for the Nationals last Wednesday. In that outing, he flashed a 97.3 mph fastball and got eight swinging strikes with his knuckle curve, illustrating the excellence of his raw stuff. It was more than enough to warrant a pickup in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.
Hurston Waldrep, SP, Atlanta Braves (available in 93.6%): Granted a pair of fill-in starts over the past week and a half due to scheduling quirks resulting from prior postponements, Waldrep excelled for the Braves, totaling 11 2/3 innings, two runs allowed and 10 strikeouts to earn a pair of wins. The Braves subsequently announced their plans to keep him in their rotation, perhaps at the expense of Carlos Carrasco or Erick Fedde, and with the team looking ahead to 2026, they might keep him in there while bumping both veterans after Chris Sale’s eventual return. Waldrep’s splitter was a sensation in those games, generating nine of his 10 K’s as well as a 50.0% whiff rate, with the pitch’s improvement alone making him well worth a pickup.
