Fantasy Baseball 2019: Players to Target on Waiver Wire for Week 18

If you take a look near the bottom of the Major League Baseball standings, you could find some fantasy baseball gold for the next week.

The Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers are among the struggling teams across the league that carry some intriguing waiver-wire prospects.

The Orioles and Reds possess pitchers who were not in the fantasy conversation as recently as the start of July who could end up paying dividends if you pick them up.

Unlike Baltimore and Cincinnati, Texas is over .500 but is still off the radar a bit because it is 13.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West. If you examine the recent trends in the Rangers order, you will find an available hitter who could be beneficial to your team in a few ways.

Players To Target in Week 18

Asher Wojciechowski, SP, Baltimore

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Asher Wojciechowski has been one of the few bright spots for the Baltimore Orioles in recent weeks, as he has twirled two straight gems on the mound.

In 14.1 innings against the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels, the 30-year-old right-handed pitcher struck out 16 batters, walked three and conceded a pair of earned runs on four hits.

Wojciechowski's success is one of the most surprising stories of the season. He played most of the year for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate before he was shipped off for cash considerations on July 1.

Since then, he has been on a rise in the Orioles rotation, and he could fill an even bigger role in the coming days with John Means on the 10-day injured list.

Means told MASN's Steve Melewski he is expected to miss a single start before returning, but it still leaves a gap where the Orioles need production out of their starting pitchers.

If you had Means on your roster, it is possible to pick up Wojciechowski since his availability has fluctuated in Yahoo leagues. On Saturday, he was added by 3,271 owners but also dropped by 731.

Wojciechowski's next two starts are expected to take place at Camden Yards, with the next one occurring Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays at the start of a 10-game home stand.

He faced Toronto on the road July 7 and conceded three runs on four hits, which is still a solid outing, and his numbers have improved since then.

Although he still has a small sample size of starts, Wojciechowski is worth an add because he has been trending in the right direction, and he will be facing a Toronto team that is 20-33 on the road in his next start.

Alex Wood, SP, Cincinnati 

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Alex Wood is slated to make his first start in a Cincinnati Reds uniform Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.

The experienced left-handed pitcher is already picking up momentum on the waiver wire, as he was added close to 9,000 times in Yahoo leagues Saturday in anticipation of his Reds debut.

Wood was dealt to the Reds in the Yasiel Puig trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason and has been sidelined by back issues throughout his rehab process.

In the past two seasons with the Dodgers, Wood went 25-10 and he threw more than 150 innings in each campaign.

Wood told manager David Bell on Wednesday that he is ready to pitch in the majors again, per MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

"On Wednesday, David called me. Before he could even ask me anything, I told him I felt good and I was ready to go," Wood said. "He said, 'All right, you're starting Sunday.' I was ecstatic, man. I'm just ready to get this thing going."

That is significant because Wood had a fifth rehab start lined up if he wanted to take advantage of it, but instead he decided on a return to the Reds rotation.

Wood comes with some risks because he has dealt with an extended run of injuries, but his record over the past two seasons could lead some to believe he is capable of replicating that in the final two months of the regular season.

Danny Santana, 1B/2B/SS/OF, Texas

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Not only does Danny Santana provide fantasy owners with a hot bat, but he also possesses valuable versatility.

In the past five games, the Texas Ranger has started at first base, shortstop, left field and center field.

The 28-year-old also started at second base once in July and played there in four of his last five contests in June.

Santana has produced nine games with two hits or more in July, with the most recent two occurring in back-to-back games against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's on Wednesday and Thursday.

In Thursday's 11-3 victory over the Athletics, Santana drove in six runs, which moved his monthly total in that category to 17.

Santana has not been added at the rapid pace Wojciechowski and Wood have been, but he is picking up steam on the waiver wire, with 1,224 Saturday adds.

Texas plays five home games in the next week against Seattle and the Detroit Tigers, which is a favorable sign for Santana, who has performed better at home than on the road.

In his home stadium, Santana has hit 11 of his 14 home runs and earned a 1.084 OPS, which is more than 300 points better than his road clip.

Since he has matchups going in his favor and he can be used in a variety of positions, Santana is worth a serious look for next week and beyond.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.