Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options, and we’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites, and let you know which players to add, and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Lars Nootbaar (STL), OF (14% rostered in Yahoo, 21% in ESPN)
Nootbar has had some tough luck the past few seasons in regard to injury. The skills have always been appealing with his patient (maybe too patient) approach and ability to hit the ball hard. Mix in around 10 steals and we have a pretty well-rounded profile. Last season, he was one of four hitters with a double-digit walk rate, an above-average strikeout rate, and a hard-hit rate above 50%. The other bats were Ketel Marte, William Contreras, and Juan Soto.
His average will be in the .240-.260 range and with a clean bill of health, there’s a solid chance of at least 20 homers. He’ll need to steer clear of the 50% ground-ball rate mark, but he is at least conscious of the need to pull the ball in the air. Projected to bat leadoff, this could be the season he puts it all together.
Matt Shaw (CHC), 2B/3B/SS (57% rostered in Yahoo, 46.3% in ESPN)
The top prospect for the Cubs, Shaw should get every day run at third base. He has a nice blend of power and speed in his profile in what is expected to be a top-10 Cubs lineup. Shaw has a refined approach at the plate with good walk and strikeout rates throughout the minor leagues. Plus, the eligibility across three positions provides some roster flexibility. He is a 20-20 candidate this year making him a priority add where he is available.
Brandon Lowe (TB), 1B/2B (54% rostered in Yahoo, 15% in ESPN)
Lowe continues to be one of the more underrated bats in the league. He has dealt with plenty of injuries and limited exposure to left-handed pitching, but he may finally have an opportunity to play every day as it currently stands. With a double-digit barrel rate every year of his career with proficiency in pulling his fly balls, now Lowe gets an opportunity to play half his games at a ballpark that resembles Yankee Stadium’s short porch.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (CIN), 1B (40% rostered in Yahoo, 9% in ESPN)
Encarnacion-Strand is another big-time power bat who had his 2024 season cut short due to injury. In addition, while he will likely be in the high 20% mark for his strikeout rate, his projections all point to a decent average of around .250-.260. So he won’t tank you there and he has the luxury of hitting in Great American Ball Park. Hitting in the heart of the Reds lineup, he is an interesting corner infield option.
Iván Herrera (STL), C (30% rostered in Yahoo, 11% in ESPN)
Herrera reportedly got the nod to start on Opening Day, which hopefully signals that he will take the majority of the catcher responsibilities in St. Louis. He earned the role with his bat as he led the catching position with a 118 Process+ last season, albeit in a smaller sample. He pairs a good approach with great quality-of-contact numbers. He could be a significant value if you waited on catcher.
Garrett Mitchell (MIL), OF (22% rostered in Yahoo, 14% in ESPN)
Mitchell is a trendy breakout pick due to his power and speed upside. As Eric Cross pointed out on X, he is one of three hitters with a bat speed of at least 75 MPH and a sprint speed in the 90th percentile, which puts him in the company of superstars Julio Rodriguez and Elly De La Cruz. The strikeout rate could be a limiting factor, but there is a lot of upside with Mitchell as he hits in the middle of Milwaukee’s lineup.
Gavin Williams (CLE), SP (56% rostered in Yahoo, 26% in ESPN)
Williams has been lights out in the spring with the second-best strikeout rate among qualified pitchers (38.2%). Furthermore, he is among the highest in Eno Sarris’ spring Stuff+ numbers indicating that he has fully recovered from his injury last season. He boasts a great fastball with a big hammer curveball and a revamped slider. There is serious breakout potential here and he is a must-add in all formats.
Drew Rasmussen (TB), SP/RP (54% rostered in Yahoo, 12% in ESPN)
Highlighted in my recent Four Players to Skyrocket Up the Rankings piece, Rasmussen is entrenched in the Rays rotation. He returned briefly last season in the bullpen and again showed off his elite stuff. In certain formats, specifically points, the SP/RP eligibility is a luxury as well.
Dustin May (LAD), SP (34% rostered in Yahoo, 14% in ESPN)
May finally returns after a myriad of injuries. He asserts back into a loaded Dodgers rotation for the time being and has the skills to stick. He has a wicked curveball and multiple fastballs to keep hitters off balance. The movement on his pitches is filthy and while he is locked into a rotation spot on this Dodgers team, he is worthy of an add.
Jack Leiter (TEX), SP (10% rostered in Yahoo, 6% in ESPN)
Leiter has popped this spring as well as he has added a sinker and a kick change to his arsenal. That is in addition to his 107 Stuff+ fastball that consistently touches 100 MPH. He remade himself as a starter over the offseason and is absolutely worth an add to see how the changes he made translate in the regular season.
Casey Mize (DET), SP (11% rostered in Yahoo, 6% in ESPN)
The former #1 overall pick Mize may finally be putting it together. He’s pitched to a 1.89 ERA in the spring and his patented splitter looks more devastating than ever. After posting just an 18% strikeout rate in his first few big league seasons, he is up to 33% in the spring. It’s to be determined how it will look over a full season, but Mize certainly has the pedigree of a guy worth betting on.
A.J. Puk (ARI), RP (46% rostered in Yahoo, 35% in ESPN)
Puk as it currently stands could be in line to share the closer duties with Justin Martinez. In draft circles, it almost seems forgone that Martinez will be the guy, but that has not been publicly announced yet. Puk was one of the best relievers in baseball in the second half last year, leading the league in strikeout-minus-walk rate at a ridiculous 37.6%.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Luke Jackson is seemingly in line to get the first crack at being the Rangers closer. He wasn’t super impressive last season with a 25% strikeout rate, but if you need saves early on he could be a cheap option. AJ Smith-Shawver looks to be a part of the Braves rotation to begin the season. The 22-year-old boasts an upper 90s fastball with an excellent changeup and questionable command but is worth taking a shot on if he pops early on.
Kris Bubic is interesting as he re-enters the rotation after missing most of last season. The skills he showed as a starter before undergoing Tommy John surgery were intriguing in addition to his strong spring. A breakout could be on the horizon. Brendan Donovan has eligibility across multiple infield spots plus outfield making him a quality depth piece. He won’t jump out in any specific category, but he can serve as a dependable glue guy on your roster. Luis Gil serves as an upside IL stash with his strikeout prowess. He will be out for multiple months, but if you have enough IL spots he is a worthwhile add.
Clay Holmes is perhaps one of the bigger stories of the spring as he transitions into a starting role. He has a starter’s arsenal with six pitches and finished the spring with an ERA below 1.00 en route to being named the Mets’ Opening Day starter. He is a must-add everywhere if available. Kerry Carpenter is a polished power bat who also should be scooped up wherever available. While he is likely to platoon again, his 16.9% barrel rate was eighth best in baseball last year (min. 250 PAs).
Red Sox top prospect Kristian Campbell was named the Opening Day second baseman and he has an exciting fantasy profile. Prospects often struggle early in their career, but Campbell’s incredible approach helped him tear up the upper levels of the minor leagues with a 180 wRC+ across AA and AAA. Another top prospect in Astros’ Cam Smith is set to be the Opening Day right fielder. Smith has big raw power and could settle in comfortably in a good Astros organization and lineup. Flamethrowing Aroldis Chapman appears to be the Red Sox closer of choice for the time being and he could take the job and run with it. The Red Sox are expected to be one of the better teams in the AL this year and as long as his control woes don’t let him down too often, he is certainly justified as being one of the top added players.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Michael Conforto (LAD), OF (19% rostered in Yahoo, 9% in ESPN)
Conforto popped in the recent Bat Speed Risers article and could be a good source of cheap home runs. He gets a substantial park upgrade going from Oracle Park to Dodgers Stadium and a lineup upgrade as well. In addition, he won’t bottom out your AVG in the process.
Victor Robles (SEA), OF (47% rostered in Yahoo, 12% in ESPN)
Robles stole an impressive 34 bags in 91 games last season. Projected to bat leadoff and to get on base at a near-average to above-average rate, he is an excellent source of steals.
Jacob Wilson (ATH), SS (8% rostered in Yahoo, 7% in ESPN)
Wilson has done nothing but hit during his time in the minor leagues. He has posted single-digit strikeout rates and projects to hit for a .290 average by multiple projection systems on Fangraphs. Set to be the Athletics‘ everyday shortstop, he is a great cheap option to prop up your batting average.
Chris Bassitt (TOR), SP (30% rostered in Yahoo, 32% in ESPN)
Bassitt isn’t quite the hoss he was a few seasons ago, but he is still someone you can rely on for the number of innings. Pairing him together with a high-upside hurler but innings risk like a Kumar Rocker is a sensible idea to ensure you get enough of both. He is still projected for 176 innings by OOPSY on Fangraphs, good for the 24th most in the league.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices in the opening week. I have one guy in particular who is in a great spot to start the season off on the right note.
José Soriano (LAA), SP (13% rostered in Yahoo, 4% in ESPN)
You guessed it. We went directly to see who the White Sox face over the season’s first few games. It also helps that Soriano is someone I am high on this season and could be in for a breakout with his turbo sinker and strong secondaries.
Speculative Adds
Zebby Matthews (MIN), SP (4% rostered in Yahoo, 1% in ESPN)
Matthews was unlucky last season as he had a brutal 6.69 ERA, but he had much better peripherals with an 18.1% strikeout-minus-walk rate and 3.78 SIERA. Starting the season at AAA, it shouldn’t be too long before we see Matthews back in the big leagues.
Jordan Lawlar (ARI), SS (8% rostered in Yahoo, 3% in ESPN)
Long-time top prospect Lawlar has dealt with multiple injuries, but he is fully healthy heading into 2025. While there isn’t a clear-cut position for him to get regular playing time at the moment, his ability to play different spots on the diamond helps his case. Plus, he is just too talented to be in the minor leagues as he has nothing left to prove there.
Richard Fitts (BOS), SP (4% rostered in Yahoo, 2% in ESPN)
Fitts is lined up to be in the Red Sox rotation to begin the season and has some interesting traits. It’s a great slider which the Red Sox have leaned into. Factor in a velocity boost, and that makes for an interesting speculative add if you need pitching.
Deep League Players to Watch
Jo Adell (LAA), OF (6% rostered in Yahoo, 3% in ESPN)
Adell is a fun late power and speed option to take a swing on. He is projected for 30 home runs and 18 stolen bases along with a tasty .240/.305/.474 (118 wRC+) slash line by OOPSY.
Zac Veen (COL), OF (3% rostered in Yahoo, 1% in ESPN)
With Nolan Jones being shipped back to Cleveland, Veen could have an opportunity for regular playing time soon. He is starting the season at AAA, but his power and speed ability could be exciting in Coors Field.
Ben Brown (CHC), SP/RP (5% rostered in Yahoo, 2% in ESPN)
Brown was named as the Cubs’ fifth starter recently, and he generates a ton of whiffs on his knuckle curveball. It’s essentially just a two-pitch mix with the curve and a fastball, but the curve is good enough to use against both hands. He is worth keeping an eye on.
