Best hitter matchups for this week include the Braves, Athletics and Diamondbacks
By Scott White May 15, 2026 at 6:58 am ET • 1 min read 
Whether you're in need of an injury fill-in or just a hot-hand play, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in less than 80 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any estimation, but they're often the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
Be sure to check back Sunday for the latest results.
Sleeper hitters for Week 9 (May 18-24)
Daylen Lile RF WAS Washington • #4 • Age: 23 Matchups NYM4, @ATL3 Rostered 76% A recent hot streak (8 for 20 with three homers and a steal in his past five games) has moved Daylen Lile into the top 20 outfielders for Head-to-Head points leagues, and while his profile may not be as Roto-friendly, a lot more outfielders are needed in that format. His mathcups are favorable enough, featuring two aces but also five back-end starters. 
J.J. Bleday LF CIN Cincinnati • #22 • Age: 28 Matchups @PHI3, STL3 Rostered 46% J.J. Bleday is hot in a way that seems sustainable by the underlying stats, namely a 3 mph increase in average bat speed. His matchups are only middle of the road, but between spring training, Triple-A and the majors this year, he has yet to miss. 
A.J. Ewing LF NYM N.Y. Mets • #9 • Age: 21 Matchups @WAS4, @MIA3 Rostered 50% A.J. Ewing has so far looked like the spark plug he was billed to be, already collecting a home run, a triple and a stolen base in his first three games. The Mets' week opens with four games against the Nationals pitching staff. 
Nolan Arenado 3B ARI Arizona • #28 • Age: 35 Matchups SF3, COL4 Rostered 67% Believe it or not, Nolan Arenado has been swinging a hot bat over the past month or so, showing he may still have a little something left in the tank with a .333 (29 for 87) batting average and six home runs in 27 games. I still wouldn't buy into him for the long haul, but with the Diamondbacks having the third-best hitter matchups this week, I say go for it. 
Carlos Cortes LF ATH Athletics • #26 • Age: 28 Matchups @LAA4, @SD3 Rostered 46% It may feel like Carlos Cortes has gone quiet for Fantasy, but he's still sporting a .343/.400/.556 slash line with the data to back it up. Not only do the Athletics have the second-best hitter matchups this week, but six of the opposing pitchers are right-handed, which should keep Cortes in the lineup. 
Mauricio Dubon 2B ATL Atlanta • #14 • Age: 31 Matchups @MIA4, WAS3 Rostered 58% Mauricio Dubon's plus defense in both the infield and outfield has made him an integral part of the Braves lineup, and though he's being sustained in part by inflated run and especially RBI totals, he's likely to add bunches more of both this week with the Braves having the top-ranked hitter matchups. 
Jorge Soler DH LAA L.A. Angels • #12 • Age: 34 Matchups ATH4, TEX3 Rostered 59% Jorge Soler remains a serviceable, if inconsistent, source of power for the Angels and seems like a reasonable choice to take advantage of their fifth-ranked hitter matchups this week. That's partly because Soler has felt most at home at their hitter-friendly home, which is where they're playing all seven of their games. 
Ryan Waldschmidt CF ARI Arizona • #86 • Age: 23 Matchups SF3, COL4 Rostered 58% Ryan Waldschmidt has performed modestly since his call-up, but he's playing every day and has the matchups this week to break out, particularly with a four-game series against the Rockies pitching staff. 
Ezequiel Duran SS TEX Texas • #20 • Age: 26 Matchups @COL3, @LAA3 Rostered 29% Ezequiel Duran has secured the everyday second base job for now (while qualifying at every position but pitcher and catcher) and enters the weekend batting .333 (15 for 45) with seven extra-base hits in his past 13 games. He'd rank higher here, particularly with an upcoming series at Coors Field, if not for the three lefties on the schedule. Though a right-handed hitter, he has historically performed better against righties. 
Mike Yastrzemski RF ATL Atlanta • #18 • Age: 35 Matchups @MIA4, WAS3 Rostered 6% Mike Yastrzemski has begun to show faint signs of life recently, particularly with a big home run Tuesday, and doesn't rate out so differently than he did in San Francisco. He's due, in other words, and a favorable schedule with five righties on it might be enough to snap him back into place if you're desperate for outfield help. Best hitter matchups for Week 9
1. Braves @MIA4, WAS3 2. Athletics @LAA4, @SD3 3. Diamondbacks SF3, COL4 4. Mariners CHW3, @KC3 5. Angels ATH4, TEX3
Worst hitter matchups for Week 9
1. Royals BOS3, SEA3 2. Dodgers @SD3, @MIL3 3. Marlins ATL4, NYM3 4. Blue Jays @NYY4, PIT3 5. Rays BAL3, @NYY3
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