Fantasy Baseball: Week 6 Waiver Wire Outfielders

Evan Carter looks close to getting his ticket punched for another ride in the majors. Jacob Young appears to be the best speed out in shallow leagues.

Texas Rangers Outfielder Evan Carter / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The free agent pool in 12-team formats with 30 roster slots leaves fantasy managers with weaker options. Picking up on player trends can lead to finding surprising results, but a fantasy manager must believe in their long-term ceiling.

Outfielders

Jake Meyers, Houston Astros

After losing his way at the plate (0-for-14 with no walks and 10 strikeouts), Meyers launched back into the free agent pool in many leagues. Since then, he has had a four-game hitting streak (8-for-15 with three runs, two home runs, and eight RBIs) with a complete flip in his approach (one walk and one strikeout).

Have a day, Jake Meyers!

He ties an @Astros franchise record with 13 total bases in a game 😮 pic.twitter.com/8sJtVfIxwV

— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025

Meyers is on a career-high path in stolen bases, and his approach (six walks and 21 strikeouts over 88 at-bats) has improved from last season. He’s trending toward a 15/25 season if given 500+ at-bats, making him viable in 12- and 15-team formats. His runs will rank below par due to his lower slot in the batting order.

Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox

Miguel Vargas three-run home run! pic.twitter.com/MN2liQYUpr

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 1, 2025

I remain on an island with my evaluation of Vargas. He is a free agent in 89% of NFBC 12-team leagues, but that should change this week based on his success over his last 10 starts (14-for-35 with seven runs, two home runs, and six RBIs). Over this span, Vargas has six walks and four strikeouts, highlighting improved confidence at the plate. His counting stats (14 runs, two home runs, 12 RBIs, and one steal over 114 at-bats) will keep his price point down in FAAB leagues.

Jacob Young, Washington Nationals

Chasing the almighty stolen base category can come at a price if a base stealer struggles to get on base while offering no power. Young is the type of player who can steal over five bases in a week if given every day at-bats. His opportunity and play improved over the past week (5-for-20 with five runs and one RBI) while stealing a base on Saturday.

Young has 10 walks (10.7%) and 12 strikeouts (13.0%) over his 92 plate appearances, giving him a winning approach once more balls in play turn into hits. Alex Call made only four starts over the Nationals' last 13 matchups, helping Young’s playing time window. In 2024, he stole 12 bases in April over 67 at-bats. I sense a stolen base run with an uptick in batting average coming.

Dalton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays

Daulton Varsho sends his first home run of the season deep 👏 pic.twitter.com/fhoThITzNC

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2025

Based on Varsho’s play this season over his five games at AAA (3-for-19 with a run and three RBIs), the fantasy market didn’t run to the pickup window when the Blue Jays called him up this week. In his four starts back with Toronto, he already has two home runs, three runs, and three RBIs, but Varsho whiffed seven times. With an entire season of games, he has a 25/15 skill set with batting average risk. I expect him to beat most OF5s for the remainder of the season in 12- and 15-team formats.

Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox

Once Benintendi found his power stroke last season, he was good for about a home run per week after the All-Star break (.263/28/13/38 over 213 at-bats). He has 10 hits over his last 36 at-bats with five runs and five RBIs, with one swing leaving the year over the past two weeks.

The White Sox face five left-handed pitchers over their next 13 games, making Benintendi a more challenging start in shallow formats. His longer-term outlook is more attractive.

Evan Carter, Texas Rangers

After a slow start at AAA (2-for-25 with four runs, one RBI, and two stolen bases), Carter has surged over his last 14 games, hitting 15-for-52 with nine runs, three home runs, eight RBIs, and four steals. His strikeout rate (25.6%) remains a concern, but his walk rate (14.4%) shows progress. With Leody Taveras struggling (.241, seven runs, one HR, eight RBIs, and six steals over 79 at-bats), Carter is close to a call-up, making him a smart stash in deep leagues.

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Fantasy Baseball: Week 6 Waiver Wire Infielders