Welcome to The Game Day’s weekly Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report, which features a detailed breakdown of the latest free agent recommendations.
This column will feature a description of each player provided, including recent performance and upcoming matchups. Since league formats can vary, I will include a description of where it’s best to pick up each player instead of FAAB projections.
The only players included on this page are those rostered in less than 30% of Yahoo! leagues.
So without further ado, let’s get right into the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire report for Week 5.
Stats included in the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Report are as of Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m. E.T.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top Pickups
Catchers
Connor Wong (15%)
Connor Wong is slashing .333/.358/.587 with five homers on the year. The Red Sox catcher stole eight bases last season, so there’s some sneaky speed potential here. This is more of a short-term pickup in two-catcher leagues if you’re desperate.
Patrick Bailey (10%)
Patrick Bailey has been a nice surprise so far, putting up a .309/.372/.515 slash with three homers and one steal. If you’re looking to ride the hot streak in two-catcher leagues, Bailey looks like a solid add. Roll with them while he’s on this nice stretch.
Danny Jansen (4%)
Danny Jansen has returned to the Blue Jays. Let’s remember that this is a hitter who has crushed the ball when healthy, homering 17 times in 301 plate appearances last season. While Jansen will split time with Alejandro Kirk, there’s some long-term appeal in 2-C formats.
Corner Infielders
Ty France (12%)
Ty France went to Driveline this offseason and we’re seeing positive results, as the veteran has increased his xwOBA from .342 to .365. In other words, he’s generating harder contact at a higher rate. France has some long-term appeal in deeper leagues.
Willi Castro (11%)
Willi Castro can be played at 2B, 3B, SS, and OF on Yahoo! There’s some stolen base upside here, as Castro swiped 33 bags in only 409 plate appearances in 2023. Pick him up if you need some speed and versatility.
Alex Kirilloff (10%)
Alex Kirilloff is a platoon bat who is slashing .264/.325/.458 vs righties this season. The Twins get five righties this week, including two on the White Sox, so you can fire Kirilloff up as a streamer in deeper formats.
Joey Meneses (6%)
Joey Meneses has gone 6-for-18 with four RBI in his last five games. The veteran has hit in the third or fourth spot in each of those games, so it’s a prime spot for run production. If you need a corner, Meneses has some appeal in deeper leagues.
Joey Ortiz (3%)
Joey Ortiz has back-to-back multi-hit games, including one home run and four RBI on April 26. This looks like a case of a young hitter who is starting to find his groove at the professional level. It’s also worth noting that Ortiz has started in eight consecutive games.
Curtis Mead (2%)
Curtis Mead has started in 10 consecutive games, which includes a homer on April 24. While the young infielder hits towards the bottom of the order, he’s still worth a look in deeper leagues because he’s eligible at both 2B and 3B on Yahoo!
Matt Mervis (1%)
Matt Mervis was called up on April 23 after slashing .288/.402/.606 with five homers in 82 plate appearances at Triple-A. While Mervis will mostly play vs righties, there’s some upside here. It wasn’t long ago that he was one of the most hyped rookies.
Jose Miranda (1%)
Jose Miranda has two multi-hit games in his last two. This is a young hitter who fell out of favor in the last year or so, but he put up 15 homers in 125 games back in 2022. Perhaps he can get back on track and gain playing time for the Twins.
Middle Infielders
Orlando Arcia (29%)
Orlando Arcia is hitting over .300 with two homers in a stacked Braves lineup. This is an everyday player who has found his way in the two-hole at times, so there’s some upside here. If you need plate appearances at MI, Arcia looks like a strong target.
Vaughn Grissom (25%)
Vaughn Grissom looks ready to return this week, set to make his Red Sox debut. This is a young hitter who put up five homers and five steals in only 41 games back in 2022. Perhaps he can get back on track with a change of scenery.
Ceddanne Rafaela (22%)
Ceddanne Rafaela is eligible at SS and OF in Yahoo! leagues. The power-speed threat is coming off a huge game vs the Cubs on Saturday, going 4-for-4 with one homer, seven RBI, and one steal. Check to see if he was dropped in your league because there’s a lot of upside here.
Luis Garcia (20%)
Luis Garcia could be in the middle of a breakout season, hitting .293 with a 52.4% hard-hit rate. The young infielder has mostly hit in the cleanup spot of late, giving him plenty of opportunities for run production.
Zach Neto (12%)
Zach Neto is starting to catch fire, going 8-for-19 with one homer and four RBI in his last five games. This stretch of play has bumped him up to the two spot in the Angels lineup, right behind Mike Trout. Neto is one of my favorite waiver pickups this week.
Masyn Winn (10%)
Masyn Winn has provided us with empty average so far, hitting .314 but with zero home runs. However, this is a young shortstop who is playing every day for the Cardinals, giving him some value in deeper formats. Winn has four stolen bases this season.
Outfielders
Jesse Winker (27%)
Jesse Winker is slashing .291/.404/.465 with three home runs and two stolen bases. The veteran seems to have found a home in Washington after a couple of disappointing season in Seattle and Milwaukee. Winker is a great add in OBP formats.
Jack Suwinski (27%)
Jack Suwinski hasn’t gotten it done this season, slashing .182/.263/.295 with two home runs and one stolen base. However, I’m intrigued with the Pirates outfielder because he’s trimmed his strikeout rate from 32.2% to 18.2%. We could see a hot streak coming soon.
Andy Pages (24%)
Andy Pages has performed well since being called up to the majors, slashing .282/.310/.513 with two homers in 42 plate appearances. The Dodgers rookie has started in 11 consecutive games. Perhaps Pages can stick with the big club longer than expected.
Pete Crow-Armstrong (13%)
Pete Crow-Armstrong has gone 4-for-10 with one homer and four RBI in three games since being called up to the Cubs. This is a player who is more known for his defense, so temper your expectations. Crow-Armstrong had a 28.9 K% in 83 plate appearances at Triple-A this year.
Jo Adell (8%)
Jo Adell was once an elite prospect, so there’s some post-hype appeal here. The young outfielder has a .333/.392/.600 slash with three home runs and five stolen bases. What’s especially intriguing is that Adell has cut his strikeout rate to 21.6%.
Trevor Larnach (3%)
Trevor Larnach has been mashing since being recalled to the Twins, slashing .379/.441/.655 with two homers in nine games. This is a platoon bat who you want in your lineup when Minnesota faces a righty, which happens five times this week.
Tommy Pham (3%)
Tommy Pham is now playing everyday for the lowly White Sox, with two multi-hit games in his three matchups so far. The veteran put up 16 homers and 22 steals in 129 games with the Mets and Diamondbacks last season, so there’s some power-speed upside here.
Richie Palacios (2%)
Richie Palacios is heating up for the Rays, going 5-for-6 in his last two games, which included one homer and two steals. What’s great is that Palacios has been batting at the top of the order vs righties, so fire him up when the matchup is right.
Starting Pitchers
Kenta Maeda (23%)
Kenta Maeda’s velocity was up across the board against the Rays in his last start, so it’s no surprise that it was his best outing of the season. This is a veteran with a track record, making me think that perhaps he’s started to right the ship. Two starts lie ahead this week, vs the Cardinals and Yankees.
Reese Olson (18%)
Reese Olson has allowed a combined four runs in his last three starts, spanning 18.1 innings. We could see him keep it rolling this week against the Cardinals, who have been disappointing this year. Olson has the ability to stick on your roster long-term.
Yariel Rodriguez (14%)
Yariel Rodriguez has two starts this week, facing the Royals and Nationals. The young righty has posted a 28.8% strikeout rate, so you can likely count on 10+ punch outs in this week’s action. Fire him up, but understand that he’s unlikely to pitch deep into the game.
- Read our Daily MLB Props to find out the best bets of the day.
Bailey Falter (9%)
Bailey Falter is a sneaky streamer this week. Not only has allowed only four runs in his last four starts (23 innings), but he also faces the A’s and Rockies (at home). The veteran is one of my favorite pickups for Week 4.
Simeon Woods Richardson (7%)
Simeon Woods Richardson has held the White Sox and Tigers to only three runs in two starts, spanning 11 innings. The young righty is worth a look this week, especially since another matchup vs the lowly White Sox is on tap.
Trevor Rogers (6%)
Trevor Rogers is another two-start pitcher with exploitable matchups this week, taking on the Nationals and Athletics. The Marlins lefty has two walks and 15 strikeouts in his last three starts across 16.1 innings. Two of those outings were against the Braves.
Relief Pitchers
Jeff Hoffman (9%)
Jeff Hoffman was unhittable this past week. The Phillies righty has pitched in the ninth in each of his last two outings. Perhaps we’re starting to see Hoffman lead the committee in Philadelphia, so he’s worth a look if you’re desperate for saves.
- Check out our Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings to help find out who could be the next hot pickup for saves in your league.
Justin Lawrence (7%)
Justin Lawrence notched two saves this week, but I would only recommend grabbing him if you’re truly hurting for saves in a deep league. It’s hard to trust any Rockies pitcher, even their closer. The risk to your ratios is high here.
Trevor Megill (7%)
Trevor Megill converted the most recent save for the Brewers, while Joel Payamps worked in the eighth in that game. Megill has better stuff than Payamps, but we could see him used in high leverage at times. This is an unpredictable situation right now.
Stashes
Max Meyer (23%)
Max Meyer put up a 2.12 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 17 innings before being sent down to limit his innings. If you have an NA spot in your league, check to see if Meyer was dropped because he could be an impactful arm later in the year.
Orelvis Martinez (20%)
Orelvis Martinez has seven homers in 96 plate appearances this season. We could see him called up to provide a power boost for the Blue Jays. However, this front office is notoriously conservative with their young players, so don’t hold your breath.
James Wood (16%)
James Wood is currently slashing .330/.435/.495 with two homers and seven steals in 108 plate appearances at Triple-A this season. It feels like he’ll be coming up to help the Nationals sooner rather than later, so stash him in your NA spot.
Joey Loperfido (12%)
Joey Loperfido has a .684 slugging percentage in 117 plate appearances at Triple-A. Jose Abreu has been really struggling for the Astros this season. We could see Loperfido come up to take over first base, but temper your expectations because he has a 30.8 K% in the minors this year.
Find the top MLB player props
Want to bet on some of your favorite Fantasy players? Find our top odds for MLB player prop bets.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Tips And Strategies
Stay Ahead of the Pack
We will provide you with actionable advice on who to pick up on your fantasy baseball waiver wire each week, allowing you to get ahead of the competition.
It’s always a good idea to look ahead to each player’s schedule to pick up a player before he becomes a hot ticket item in your league.
Save your FAAB
If you’re playing in a FAAB league where you make bids on the waiver wire, make sure not to use up too much of your budget too early in the year.
You’re going to need every one of those dollars as you compete down the stretch. Saving money can allow you to get whoever you want when it comes to August or September.
Balance a Long-Term and Short-Term View
It’s important to balance between taking players who can have long-term value while also looking for short-term help.
You don’t want to always be looking for players who can stick on your roster. It’s also helpful to boost your stats with streamers who have great matchups.
