Fantasy Baseball Week 18 Projections and Waiver Wire Hitting Options

We're back to normalcy for the MLB regular season after the All-Star break.

With a new week beginning, let's take a look at some weekly projections to see if there's any fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters worth adding. We will only mention players who are rostered in under 90% of fantasy leagues.

Check out weekly fantasy baseball projections on FantasySP all season.

Catchers

Ivan Herrera is the top-projected fantasy catcher of the week. He's set for 30 points across seven games and is rostered in 73% of leagues.

Across 46 games and 188 plate appearances, Herrera has a .313 average and .383 on-base percentage. He has eight doubles and home runs among his 52 total hits, along with 37 RBIs, three stolen bases, 22 runs scored, 17 walks and 37 strikeouts.

Shea Langeliers is set for 25 fantasy points over seven possible games. He has a 76% own mark.

He's posted a .238 average and .293 OBP over 69 games and 280 plate appearances so far. Langeliers has 15 doubles and 14 home runs among his 61 total knocks. He also has 36 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks and 55 strikeouts.

Yainer Diaz (82% rostered) is projected for 23 fantasy points over seven games. Adrian Del Castillo (4%) and Agustin Ramirez (85%) are each projected for 21 points across six games, while Alejandro Kirk (73%), Victor Caratini (13%) and Carson Kelly (46%) are each set for 20 points. Kirk and Caratini have seven games, while Kelly could play up to six.

First Basemen

Nick Kurtz is tied for the most fantasy points among first basemen. He's at 28 points over seven possible games, and he's owned in 76% of leagues.

Kurtz has a .275 average and .348 OBP over his first 61 games and 248 plate appearances as a big leaguer. He has 13 doubles and home runs and two triples among his 60 total knocks, along with 48 RBIs, 37 runs scored, a stolen base, 26 walks and 81 strikeouts.

Alec Burleson is projected for 26 points over seven games and is rostered in 67% of leagues.

Burleson has a .293 average and .340 OBP over his first 88 games and 328 plate appearances this season. He's got 17 doubles and 12 homers among his 88 total knocks. Burleson also has 44 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks and 42 strikeouts.

Nolan Schanuel (33%) and Ryan O'Hearn (47%) are each set for 24 fantasy points over seven possible games. Carlos Santana (15%) is set for 23 points over seven contests.

Vinnie Pasquantino (89%) is set for 22 points over six games, while Christian Walker (68%) is projected for 21 points over seven contests.

Paul Goldschmidt (84%) and Jonathan Aranda (79%) are each projected for 20 points over six possible games.

Second Basemen

Jake Cronenworth is projected for 22 fantasy points over seven possible games. He's rostered in 33% of leagues.

Cronenworth has played in 74 games and gotten 283 plate appearances so far this season. He has a .247 average and .356 OBP, along with 31 RBIs and runs scored, two stolen bases, 37 walks and 57 strikeouts. Cronenworth has 13 doubles, a triple and eight home runs among his 58 total knocks.

Otto Lopez (70%), Jackson Holliday (78%), Tommy Edman (73%), Jorge Polanco (43%) and Luis Garcia Jr. (59%) are all set for 21 points this week. Holliday and Polanco have seven possible games, while Lopez, Edman and Garcia have six each.

Brandon Lowe (82%), Bryson Stott (56%) and Colt Keith (40%) are projected for 20 points each. Keith has seven games, while Lowe and Stott have six each.

Shortstops

Zach Neto is projected for 26 fantasy points over seven possible games. He's rostered in 82% of leagues.

Neto has a .281 average and .328 OBP over 80 games and 344 plate appearances. He has 19 doubles, a triple and 15 homers among his 90 total knocks, along with 35 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 65 runs scored, 17 walks and 89 strikeouts.

Masyn Winn is set for 26 points as well. He has seven possible games he could play in this week and is rostered in 47% of leagues.

Winn has a .264 average and .322 OBP over his first 88 games and 370 plate appearances in 2025. He has 19 doubles and seven home runs among his 89 total hits. Winn also has 32 RBIs, 57 runs scored, six stolen bases, 27 walks and 66 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts (83%) is projected for 25 points over seven games. Xavier Edwards (66%) is set for 23 points across six games.

Dansby Swanson (83%), Josh Smith (51%), J.P. Crawford (34%) and Willy Adames (76%) are all projected for 20 points this week. Crawford is the only guy in that group to have seven possible games this week.

Third Basemen

Nolan Arenado is projected for 26 fantasy points over seven possible games this week. He's rostered in 73% of leagues.

Arenado has a .241 average and .299 OBP across 87 games and 358 plate appearances this season. He has 14 doubles, 10 home runs and a triple among his 79 total hits. Arenado also has posted 42 RBIs, 39 runs scored, a stolen base, 25 walks and 34 strikeouts.

Jordan Westburg is set for 25 points over seven possible contests. He's owned in 88% of leagues.

Westburg has appeared in 47 games and gotten 192 plate appearances so far this season. He has 21 RBIs, 31 runs scored, a stolen base, 10 walks and 46 strikeouts so far. Westburg has 47 total hits, including 10 home runs, six doubles and one triple.

Zach McKinstry (80%) is projected for 22 points over seven games. Caleb Durbin (34%) and Ernie Clement (37%) are each set for 20 fantasy points this week - Clement could play up to seven games, while Durbin could appear in six at most.

Outfielders

Cedric Mullins is projected for 26 fantasy points over seven possible games. He's currently rostered in 55% of leagues.

Mullins has appeared in 82 games and gotten 321 plate appearances this season. He has a .218 average and .300 OBP, along with 42 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 32 walks and 77 strikeouts. Mullins has 14 doubles and 13 home runs among his 62 total hits.

Chandler Simpson is projected for 25 points over just six games. He's owned in 59% of fantasy leagues.

Simpson has a .308 average and .338 OBP across his first 56 games and 213 plate appearances as a big leaguer. He has seven doubles and a triple among his 61 total hits, while also posting 15 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, 10 walks and 19 strikeouts on the season.

Evan Carter (32%), Ramon Laureano (23%), Tyler O'Neill (21%), Cam Smith (66%) and Nick Castellanos (88%) are projected for 22 fantasy points this week. Laureano, O'Neill and Smith all could play up to seven games, while Carter and Castellanos could play in six games each.

Jo Adell (70%) and TJ Friedl (72%) are among the players set for 21 fantasy points. Adell has seven games this week, while Friedl could play up to six.

Jung Hoo Lee (64%), Javier Baez (41%), Jorge Soler (10%), Marcell Ozuna (85%), Giancarlo Stanton (28%) and Wenceel Perez (9%) are all projected for 20 fantasy points. Baez, Soler and Perez all could play seven games, while Lee, Stanton and Ozuna have six games they could play in.