Waiver Wire Week 26: Time For Riches — Final-week pickups and strategy

This is the author's final waiver-wire column of the season aimed at managers still in fantasy championships. The closing week is unpredictable: many teams rest regulars and limit pitchers, so roster decisions should focus on players who are (a) getting consistent playing time, (b) have hot recent performance, or (c) offer multi-position eligibility or extra games.

Shea Langeliers (ATH) — With 73% rostership on Yahoo, Langeliers is back after surgery and has been productive since last season (.272 AVG,.845 OPS since start of last season). Recommended FAAB: 5–10% for shallow leagues where you need catching help. Rafael Flores (PIT) — Deep-league option (9% rostership). Flores has been an everyday player lately, hitting cleanup at times with a.284 AVG and.873 OPS over the last month. Recommended FAAB: 1%.

Jared Jones (PIT) — At 55% rostership, Jones is the suggested starting-pitcher add for managers who can rely on a two-start week. The column highlights his recent stretch: a 2.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 12.5 K/9 across his last six starts, indicating regained health and strikeout ability. The author warns that two-start weeks are inherently risky, so add Jones only if you expect both starts to be used.

The piece lists several short recommendations with Yahoo rostership percentages and suggested FAAB ranges: Yainer Diaz, Alejandro Kirk (catchers), Maikel Garcia, Xander Bogaerts, Travis Bazzana (infielders), Henry Bolte, Max Clark, A.J. Ewing (outfielders), plus deep-league names like Leo Bernal, Luis Campusano, Dustin Harris, Cole Carrigg and Victor Mesa. Rostership percentages shown were updated 9/18.

Practical guidance for the final week

• Prioritize players who are guaranteed or very likely to play multiple games this week (lineup role, team still competing, or team with seven games).
• Use small FAAB amounts on hot, short-term contributors rather than large budgets on marginal multi-week upside.
• For pitching, treat two-start hopefuls as conditional adds — take them if they've shown recent health and performance, otherwise focus on high-floor relievers or single-game streamers.

This final waiver-wire column emphasizes picking players with confirmed playing time, recent production, and roster flexibility. Small, targeted FAAB investments on players like Langeliers, Meidroth, Marsee and Jones can swing a championship week if you account for the uncertainty of rest and limited starts.