John Venezia urged managers not to let Taylor Ward remain on waivers simply because of his .196 average and .682 OPS. Ward already has 11 home runs and has gone 8-for-24 (.333) with three homers over his last six games, signaling another one of his familiar hot streaks. After posting 25 bombs last season, Ward projects to finish 2025 with a more palatable .240-.260 average once the cold spells level out. Venezia views the current 55% roster rate as too low and recommended bench-stashing Ward now so you have him active when the power binge continues.

John Venezia recommended grabbing Will Benson while the outfielder is scorching. Benson is available in 94% of Yahoo leagues but is slashing .308/.400/.654 with three homers and eight RBI through just 26 at-bats (eight games). That line comes with a .357 BABIP and a 194 wRC+, signals that some regression will come, yet Venezia stressed the upside of rostering a power-speed bat in hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. Fantasy managers can stream Benson in plus matchups now, and if the hot streak extends his ownership will spike, making the current 6% roster rate a bargain.

John Venezia advised adding Jonathan Cannon despite Chicago's overall struggles. Cannon is rostered in only 8% of leagues yet has strung together four consecutive quality starts. Over 50 innings he holds a 39-to-17 K:BB, and notably has not issued a walk in his last three outings. Venezia credited a revamped cutter that now sports a 22.5% whiff rate and a 26.9% put-away percentage—more than double last season’s mark—as the driving force behind the surge. With Cannon among the hottest pitchers over the last few weeks, Venezia called him a low-cost pickup who can supply immediate innings and ratio help.

John Venezia said Justin Verlander should be scooped off waivers even as a back-end fantasy starter. The Giants right-hander owns a 4.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks over 48 innings, but Venezia pointed out that Verlander has logged four quality starts in his last five turns. The big reason is a resurgent slider that carries a 32.7% whiff rate, its highest mark in the past three seasons. Because he is rostered in only 36% of Yahoo leagues, Venezia views Verlander as an under-owned veteran who can stabilize ratios while adding strikeout upside as the slider continues to miss bats.