San Francisco Giants right-hander Landen Roupp has become a popular waiver-wire pickup because of his strong start in his third year in the big leagues, but can he keep it up, or should fantasy managers sell high on him? Roupp enters a tough matchup on Thursday night on the road against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and is currently 5-3 with a career-best 3.09 ERA (2.51 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 19 walks in 43 2/3 innings across his first eight starts of 2026. With an expected ERA of 2.55 and an xwOBA of .255, the 27-year-old's underlying metrics point to his early-season numbers being sustainable going forward. Roupp also ranks in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 86th percentile in strikeout rate, although he sits in the 31st percentile in walk rate. The former 12th-rounder in 2021 has been great at limiting hard contact and keeping the ball in the yard -- he leads the league with a 0.2 HR/9 mark. Roupp will be bested on Thursday, but he did limit the Dodgers to one earned run on just one hit with five walks and seven strikeouts in five innings in a win at home back on April 21.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday has looked like a different hitter since joining the Reds this year, as he came into Thursday's action with a .292/.443/.646 slash line, a 1.088 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, and eight runs scored in just 15 games played. The former fourth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Vanderbilt kept it going in Thursday's 15-1 blowout win over the visiting Washington Nationals, going 3-for-5 at the plate as the designated hitter with two home runs, six RBI, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .321 and his OPS to 1.210. The left-handed-hitting outfielder now has six long balls in his first 52 at-bats since joining Cincy, which should have fantasy managers taking notice in all formats. Bleday won't be able to keep this pace up all season, but his pedigree as a top draft choice makes him more intriguing as a potential waiver-wire star in 2026 who is clicking with a change of scenery in a very hitter-friendly home ballpark. Bleday is only rostered right now in 18% of Yahoo leagues and should deserve more attention.

Per MLB Pipeline, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jesus Made is now the No. 1 prospect in baseball, taking over the top spot with shortstop Konnor Griffin now starting in the big leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Made is only 19 years old and hails from the Dominican Republic, but he has a realistic chance to make his major-league debut before the 2026 season is over in Milwaukee. The 6-foot-1, 221-pound switch-hitter is currently stationed at Double-A Biloxi, where he has hit .257/.340/.400 with a .740 OPS, three home runs, 20 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 26 runs scored in 34 games across 159 plate appearances for the Shuckers. He doesn't have any obvious weaknesses from either side of the plate, and he has 25- to 30-homer upside at the big-league level at a premium position. In addition to his raw-power upside at the plate, Made has a refined approach at the plate despite his young age, and he consistently finds the barrel when he makes contact. In addition to his hitting skills, Made is a plus runner with lots of range at the 6. He could initially be used at second and third base in the majors, but long-term, he has the skills to stick at shortstop. Despite not even being 20 years of age yet, Made is rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues.

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez (thumb) hasn't played in a game since May 1 after suffering a muscle strain in his thumb, but could be back on the field in the coming weeks. Before hitting the injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins' fourth-ranked prospect was showing well, hitting .247 with six home runs and producing a superb .417 on-base percentage thanks to an elite 21.3 percent walk rate (28.7 percent strikeout rate). The left-handed slugger has displayed an elite eye at the plate for the entirety of his minor league career, and had a 16-home run campaign in just 99 games back in 2023, but staying healthy has been an issue for him, playing a total of 65 games in 2025 and 47 in 2024. With Matt Wallner recently demoted to Triple-A, there could be a path to playing time once Rodriguez returns to action, and with his solid combination of power, speed, and plate discipline, the 23-year-old is a worthy stash candidate in deeper leagues.