X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Week 26

Hitters to add from the waiver wire and stream in Week 26 of the 2021 fantasy baseball season. Jon Mathisen analyzes the top batter streamers to pick up.

Welcome to the top hitter streamers column for Week 26 of the MLB season (9/20 through 9/26). This weekly piece should be helpful for anyone looking to gain an edge in their league. If you need a fill-in for an injured player or want to exploit some matchups in order to gain an edge on your opponent, then you're in the right place. This article aims to keep you informed while helping you stay ahead of the competition so you can get an early jump on those waiver claims before your competitors.

There are a whopping 15 teams playing seven games next week, which is what we like to see. We also have three teams, the Braves, the White Sox, and the Cardinals, playing eight. We even have one team, Cleveland, playing nine! So we have a myriad of high-volume streaming options on the slate. We're in the midst of the fantasy playoffs with most leagues finishing off their semi-finals matchups this week. Streaming has been more important than ever this season given the crazy amount of injuries that we've had to deal with, especially to high-profile players. Streaming can help mitigate that poor luck and offset some of those injuries, which can end up being the difference between making the playoffs, advancing, and eventually winning a title. So it's time to buckle up, get focused, and find some high-performing hitter streamers for Week 26.

Disclaimer: I am only highlighting players that are currently rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo! leagues, meaning you should have a decent chance of picking them up on the waiver wire. These recommendations should apply to most league settings and formats as I'm looking for players who can help you across a variety of scoring categories. If the following names aren't available, feel free to read our Waiver Wire Pickups piece that drops every Monday for more ideas. Best of luck to all of you who are still in the playoffs! Alright, let's get after it.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Bats to Stream and Start in Week 26

Remember that this piece is forward-looking and a lot can happen over the course of a week. Potential pitching opponents, lineups, and projected number of at-bats are all subject to change so make sure you're following @RotoBallerMLB on Twitter to stay up to date!

Seven-Game Weeks:

ARI, ATL*, BAL, CWS*, CIN, CLE**, HOU, KC, LAA, MIL, OAK, PHI, PIT, SD, SEA, STL*, TEX, TOR, WSH

*plays eight games
**plays nine games

 

Stream of the Week

Luis Urias (2B/3B/SS, MIL): 39% Rostered

The week sets up nicely for Luis Urias and the Brewers. The 24-year-old infielder is putting together the best year of his career for the Brew Crew and should continue to put up even more production over the final full week of the regular season. Milwaukee hosts the Cardinals for four games before the Mets come to town for a three-game weekend series. Urias putting up career-highs across the board this year with a .249/.339/.443 batting line to go along with 20 home runs, 65 RBI, and five stolen bases over 449 at-bats. In addition to that, he's posting career bests in Hard Hit Rate (41.6%), Barrel Rate (9.5%), Average Launch Angle (13.5 degrees), Walk Rate (10.4%), xwOBAcon (.372), and xSLG (.426).

The Brewers will face five right-handed starters and just two southpaws, which bodes well for Urias who's performed much better against the former. He's got a .251/.345/.445 slash line against right-handers this season with 20 doubles, 15 homers, and 49 RBI. The toughest pitcher he'll face all week is Adam Wainwright but the rest of the arms don't pose too much of a threat. Urias and company should all be favored against the likes of Jake Woodford, Miles Mikolas, Taijuan Walker, and Carlos Carrasco. The two southpaws they'll face are Jon Lester and Rich Hill, who don't scare anyone at this stage in their respective careers. We like Urias next week not only for the pitching matchups but because he's been hot lately. He's slashing a rock-solid .296/.381/.519 with three home runs and eight RBI over the last 15 contests. He'll look to keep it rolling against the stable of aforementioned hurlers.

 

Catcher

Travis d'Arnaud (C/1B, ATL): 45% Rostered

Atlanta is one of three teams to play eight games next week so d'Arnaud checks the volume box for us. He's scuffled a bit lately, so his numbers don't look that impressive, but he's somewhat salvaged what would have been a lost year after he tore a ligament in his thumb back in early May. He slashed an ugly .220/.253/.341 with two home runs and 11 RBI over his first 23 games of the year before injuring his thumb. He was activated from the IL back on August 11 and has posted an improved .235/.326/.457 batting line with four home runs and 11 RBI over an identical sample size, 23 games. Overall, he's posted a .227/.291/.399 batting line with six homers and 22 RBI over 163 at-bats. His stats are a far cry from the numbers he put up during his breakout 2020 season but we should be able to squeeze a little production out of him next week.

Atlanta's week starts off with a tasty four-game set against the Diamondbacks on the road. It gets a little tougher after that with another four-game series vs. the Padres at Petco Park. They're slated to face seven right-handed starters and one southpaw in Madison Bumgarner. Even though d'Arnaud has generally struggled against righties this season (.635 OPS), he'll be facing some lackluster pitching that should get him off the schneide. The Diamondbacks' pitching staff ranks second to last in batting average allowed (.267), wOBA (.343), and xwOBAcon (.393). They rank in the bottom five in xBA (.251), xwOBA (.331), and xSLG (.441) as well. Luke Weaver, Merrill Kelly, Bumgarner, and Humberto Castellanos are all plus matchups for d'Arnaud, who has been better than he's performed per his expected stats (.248 xBA, .312 xwOBA, and .398 xSLG). He'll also face Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, which won't be easy, but Jake Arrieta should help balance out the difficulty of the matchups in San Diego.


Also Consider:
 Tyler Stephenson (C/1B, CIN): 21% Rostered; Sean Murphy (C, OAK): 50% Rostered

 

Corner Infield

Evan Longoria (3B, SF): 27% Rostered

Longoria was putting together an excellent season before spraining his shoulder in early June, an injury that sidelined him for over two months. He was activated on August 14 and played in just five games before injuring a finger on his right hand, which sent him back to the IL. He was activated on September 3 and is slashing a cool .310/.421/.621 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 11 games since then. Overall, the veteran third baseman has a rock-solid .296/.390/.558 batting line with 13 homers, 46 RBI, and a stolen base over 206 at-bats. It's been a resurgent season for "Longo" despite all of the missed time caused by his injuries. The 35-year-old is posting career-bests in Hard Hit Rate (54.5%), Barrel Rate (13.6%), Walk Rate (13.5%), and Max Exit Velocity (113.2 mph).

He's demolished left-handed pitching with a .351/.486/.719 batting line (56 at-bats) but has fared well against righties as well with a .275/.349/.497 triple-slash (149 at-bats). The Giants are visiting the Padres for three games before heading to the friendly confines of Coors Field for another three-game set with the Rockies. They're only facing one left-hander, Kyle Freeland, but the rest of the arms outside of Joe Musgrove shouldn't worry the Giants. Chris Paddack, Vince Velasquez, Ryan Feltner, and Jon Gray will have their work cut out for them against first-place San Francisco. Simply put, Longoria has been one of the better hitters in baseball this season but due to the lengthy IL stints, it's largely gone under the radar. He'll look to finish his regular season on a high note before the Giants move into postseason play.

Also Consider: Miguel Sano (1B/3B, MIN): 47% Rostered; Jeimer Candelario (1B/3B, DET): 35% Rostered

 

Middle Infield

Leury Garcia (2B/3B/SS/OF, CWS): 13% Rostered

It's all about volume next week and Garcia will see plenty of at-bats as the White Sox play eight games. They begin the week with a three-game series against the Tigers in Detroit before heading to Cleveland for a five-game set, which includes a doubleheader, against the Indians. Garcia, who's working on a mini five-game hitting streak, has been raking over the last 17 contests. He's slashing .365/.400/.556 with six doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, and three stolen bases over that span and should continue to build on that against Detroit and Cleveland. Overall, the 30-year-old utilityman is slashing .262/.333/.373 with five home runs, 50 RBI, six stolen bases, and 54 runs scored across 362 at-bats this season.

The switch-hitting Garcia will see six right-handed starting pitchers and two lefties. While he's performed much better against southpaws this season with a .295/.333/.402 batting line with one home run and 20 RBI, he's fully capable of hitting righties as well. He's slashing .248/.333/.360 with four home runs and 30 RBI vs. right-handers with 14 extra-base hits (12 doubles, two triples). Casey Mize, Triston McKenzie, and potentially Shane Bieber will be the toughest arms that the White Sox will face but they'll see plenty of easier matchups as well. Matt Manning, Tyler Alexander, Eli Morgan, and Sam Hentges could all struggle against the first place ChiSox. Another factor working in Garcia's favor is his home/road splits. He's performed much better on the road (.293/.355/.420) than he has at home (.227/.308/.320) this season. He doesn't possess a ton of upside but his floor is higher than your average streamer and his position flexibility makes him easy to roster as you can slide him into four different positions.

Also Consider: Josh Rojas (2B/SS/OF, ARI): 30% Rostered; Enrique Hernandez (2B/SS/OF, BOS): 46% Rostered

 

Outfield

Anthony Santander (OF, BAL): 38% Rostered

On the surface, it's been an underwhelming 2021 season for Santander. The 26-year-old slugger showed a lot of promise last year, smashing 13 doubles and 11 home runs in just 37 games before an oblique strain cut his season short. Fantasy managers came into this season with tempered expectations but were still hoping for better than what he's displayed up to this point. He got off to a poor start in April, batting just .196 with a .551 OPS over the first 16 games of the year before hitting the IL with an ankle sprain. He was sidelined for a month and picked things in May before sputtering again in June and July. He's played better recently but is still slashing a mediocre .247/.292/.441 with 23 doubles, 17 home runs, and 47 RBI over 381 at-bats. He's underperformed on paper but his expected stats say otherwise. He's got a .265 xBA, .329 xwOBA, and .445 xSLG to go along with a career-best 43.7% Hard Hit Rate, 8.7% Barrel Rate, an Average Exit Velocity of 90.9 mph (77th percentile), and a Max Exit Velocity of 112.8 mph (87th percentile).

The Orioles visit the Phillies for a three-game set before hosting the Rangers for a four-game series at Camden Yards. They'll face five right-handers and two lefties, which benefits the switch-hitting Santander, who hits most of his home runs while batting lefty. He'll likely struggle against Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler, who are the two best pitchers he'll face next week but Taylor Hearn, Kohei Arihara, Jordan Lyles, and Spencer Howard don't strike much fear. Santander has also been raking over the last seven games, slashing .333/.385/.750 with three home runs, six RBI, and six runs scored. He'll have a great chance to stay hot next week and should serve as a nice power boost if you're in need of home runs.

Also Consider: Raimel Tapia (OF, COL): 46% Rostered; Max Kepler (OF, MIN): 36% Rostered



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF