Ryan Wormeli advocates aggressively targeting Heston Kjerstad off waivers following Colton Cowser's thumb injury, which may sideline him for two months and open playing time for Kjerstad. Wormeli believes manager Brandon Hyde has underestimated Kjerstad's ability to hit left-handed pitching. Emphasizing Kjerstad's impressive raw power potential, Wormeli strongly believes this newly opened everyday opportunity in Baltimore's lineup could allow Kjerstad to finally blossom. Kjerstad currently sits at just 7% rostered, and Wormeli strongly recommends immediate pickups to speculate on his breakout potential.

Chris Welsh noted an actionable fantasy window opening for Heston Kjerstad following Colton Cowser's recent IL placement. Kjerstad, starting against left-handers, has immediate increased MLB playing time opportunities. Welsh recommended Kjerstad as a deeper league speculative stash, though he prioritized other waiver options such as Kyle Manzardo and Spencer Torkelson higher. Still, Welsh acknowledged Kjerstad could potentially take hold of regular at-bats and provide fantasy production given his clearer path to playing time.

JD Yonke identified Orioles hitter Heston Kjerstad as a strong candidate for offensive production due to increased regular playing time after Colton Cowser's injury. Kjerstad previously showed promise with a 116 wRC+ in 114 plate appearances last year. Yonke noted that Kjerstad's high strikeout tendency (career 29.8% K rate) is mitigated against pitcher Merrill Kelly, who struggles to miss bats (15th percentile whiff rate). Additionally, Kelly is off to a poor start, ranking low in metrics such as 11th percentile xERA and allowing significant hard contact (9th percentile in average exit velocity and 6th percentile in barrel rate). This combination makes Kjerstad a promising target for prop bets such as total bases and daily fantasy sports decisions.