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
Nick Kurtz (ATH), 1B (45% rostered on Yahoo, 23.6% on ESPN)
Kurtz was called up earlier this week after just 32 games in the minor leagues. Not this season, but for his entire career. He breezed through Single-A and Double-A last season after being selected fourth overall out of Wake Forest, and he needed just 20 Triple-A games in 2025 before the A’s decided he was ready for primetime.
Blasting through the minors that quickly is nearly unheard of, but Kurtz had proven everything he needed to at that level. Before getting promoted this season, he posted a 144 wRC+ with seven homers, 24 RBIs, and 18 runs scored.
Kurtz has played just two games at the big-league level, but he’s already proving that he belongs. His first hit was a 112.2 mile-per-hour scorcher to drive in a run in his first professional at-bat.
First base isn’t nearly as deep as it used to be in fantasy baseball. That’s particularly true with stalwarts like Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. off to subpar starts at the dish. Kurtz is a special prospect, with the potential to hit for power and average right out of the gates. He’s already been scooped up aggressively in some leagues, but he’s a priority add where he’s still available.
Noelvi Marte (CIN), 3B (14% Yahoo, 5.7% ESPN)
Speaking of prospects, Marte was at one point considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Mariners, and he was listed as FanGraphs’ No. 57 prospect overall in 2024.
Unfortunately, Marte’s disastrous 2024 campaign erased most of that optimism. It started with an 80-game suspension for PEDs, and he struggled mightily when he returned to the lineup. He posted a 46 wRC+ across 242 MLB at-bats, and he was somehow even worse in the minors. With Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz up the middle, it seemed as though Marte’s opportunities in Cincinnati might be over.
However, Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s injury opened the door for Marte to get back to the big leagues. Still just 23 years old, he’s starting to live up to those lofty expectations. He’s off to an excellent start at the dish, posting a .310 batting average with plenty of power through his first 29 at-bats. He’s already launched two homers—just two less than he hit in 66 games last year—and he’s added two stolen bases. Marte’s sprint speed puts him in the 97th percentile, so he possesses a rare combination of power and stolen base upside.
Marte’s expected numbers aren’t quite as impressive as his actual marks (.242 xBA, .484 xSLG), but he’s still worth adding if you’re looking for a third baseman. If he continues to play well, there’s a good chance that he hangs on to this job permanently.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
As usually, three of Yahoo’s most added players on Thursday were streaming pitchers: Chris Paddack, J.T. Ginn, and Michael Lorenzen. Paddack and Lorenzen both benefited from elite matchups, while Ginn has impressed through his first two starts of 2025.
Paddack has been dreadful for most of the season, and unfortunately, things didn’t improve much vs. the White Sox. Two earned runs across five innings isn’t terrible, but he allowed five hits with four walks. He also got zero run support, so he was unable to pick up a win. There’s no need to have him on your roster.
Ginn came crashing back to reality vs. the Rangers. He surrendered three homers in just 3.2 innings, resulting in a 7.36 ERA. His FIP was over 15.00, while he managed just two strikeouts. Any goodwill he built up in his first few outings is officially squandered, so he’s another player who can be left on the wire.
Lorenzen was the most successful of the trio. He limited the Rockies to one earned run across six innings, and he added seven strikeouts. That said, he had to navigate plenty of traffic on the basepath, surrendering five hits and four walks. It dropped his ERA to 3.90 for the year, but all of his advanced metrics are subpar. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday vs. the Rays, who are fourth in wRC+ vs. right-handers. He carries plenty of risk in that spot.
Luke Keaschall was the most popular addition of the day, and he’s definitely someone to have on your radar. He entered the year as a Top 100 prospect, and he has looked the part right out of the gate. He already has five steals in just 25 plate appearances to go along with a .368 average, .520 on-base percentage, and .526 slugging percentage. While he’s definitely been fortunate, there’s a good chance that he’s here to stay in Minnesota. He’s occupied the No. 3 spot in their lineup recently, so it seems less likely by the day that he’ll be sent back down to the minors. Don’t expect much power production, but he could be a great source of steals and batting average if he continues to play every day.
Josh Smith is the other batter who shows up on this list, and he’s also off to a phenomenal start. He’s batting .360 with two homers and three steals, and his OPS is over 1.000. That said, his future outlook isn’t quite as optimistic. He’s been below average in most of the major Statcast categories, including barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and average exit velocity. The one thing he’s doing well is drawing walks—his walk rate puts him in the 84th percentile—so he’s a better addition in on-base percentage leagues.
The top four players on ESPN’s most added list are identical to yesterday: Tyler Mahle, Dylan Moore, Carson Kelly, and Max Meyer. Kyle McCarthy touched on all four in yesterday’s column, and all four should be added in all but the shallowest of leagues. Meyer and Mahle both look like they should stick in fantasy rotations all season, while Moore’s positional eligibility and power-speed combo is tantalizing. Kelly seems like the most likely regression candidate, but he has literally been the best hitter in baseball to start the year. He’s first in the league in wOBA among players with at least 25 at-bats, and only Aaron Judge and Jackson Merrill have been better in xwOBA. Even if you end up dropping him at some point down the line, it’s worth seeing where this hot streak goes.
Tyler Anderson pitched to a 2.08 ERA through his first four starts, which was enough to put him on the radar as a streamer for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Pirates. Anderson didn’t hurt managers too much vs. Pittsburgh—six innings pitched, three earned runs allowed—but he didn’t help them much, either. He allowed six hits with just two strikeouts, and he continued to run pure from a batted-ball standpoint. His BABIP currently sits at a minuscule .167 for the year, and his FIP is double his ERA (2.60 vs. 5.20). There’s very little to get excited about here.
Category-Specific Players to Add
Kyle Manzardo (CLE), 1B (33% Yahoo, 12.9% ESPN)
Manzardo is another top prospect at first base, and he has already launched seven homers so far in 2025. That power production seems legit, with Manzardo ranking in the 93rd percentile for barrel rate and the 84th percentile for xSLG. He’s also improved as the season has progressed, with his Process+ increasing at each checkpoint:
Manzardo could be a drain on your team’s batting average—his .219 mark is somehow higher than his .200 xBA—but it’s going to be tough to find a better source of homers on the wire currently.
Chandler Simpson (TBR), OF (34% Yahoo, 22.6% ESPN)
Simpson was deemed a priority add in Sunday’s column, and that assessment still stands. However, he hasn’t been picked up in nearly as many leagues as expected. He’s still available in 66% of Yahoo leagues and nearly 80% of ESPN leagues.
Simpson has been as advertised so far. He’s going to hit for virtually no power, but he’s also going to put the ball in play and make the most of his prodigious speed. He’s hitting .333 with minimal Whiff and K rates through his first few outings, and he’s added two steals and two runs scored. Ultimately, Simpson is the type of player who could steal 80+ bases in the future, so he’s a potential game-changer in that category.
Jacob Wilson (ATH), SS (42% Yahoo, 42.1% ESPN)
Wilson has been basically the second coming of Luis Arraez this season. The man refuses to walk or strike out. He has just one walk and four strikeouts all year, putting him in the first and 99th percentile, respectively. Wilson is simply making contact virtually every time he comes to the dish, and he’s responded with a .337 batting average. His expected batting average sits at .338, which is the fifth-highest mark among qualified hitters. If you’re looking for someone to bring up your fantasy squad’s average, Wilson is your guy.
Agustín Ramírez C/1B (28% Yahoo, 7.6% ESPN)
Ramirez has the potential to be more than a one-category contributor, especially if his early production is any indication. He’s racked up five hits and two walks in his first eight plate appearances, and he’s added a homer and a steal as well.
It’s obviously way too early to make any sweeping declarations about Ramirez, but he has the prospect pedigree and Statcast data to support his success. The most intriguing aspect of his fantasy skill set is the ability to steal bases. That’s very rare at the catcher position these days, but Ramirez swiped 25 bags in the minor leagues last season.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check out the great Nick Pollack’s SP Streamer Rankings to see his favorite choices in the opening week. There are a handful of quality streaming choices for Friday, and Nick makes the case for Jake Irvin vs. the Mets. That said, he’s far from the only option:
Matthew Liberatore (STL), SP/RP (17% Yahoo, 9.8% ESPN)
Liberatore has seen one of the biggest bumps of the week in the Pitcher List Rankings. He’s up to No. 64 overall, which represents an increase of 15 spots.
Liberatore has fluctuated between the bullpen and rotation in previous seasons, but Liberatore rode a dominant spring training into a solidified spot this year. So far, he’s taken full advantage. He’s pitched to a 3.60 ERA through his first four starts, and his 3.06 xERA is even better. That doesn’t even tell the full story. Outside of a few rough innings, Liberatore has pretty thoroughly dominated.
His two outings have been his most impressive. He pitched 12.2 combined innings against the Phillies and Mets, limiting them to just two earned runs while striking out 13. If Liberatore can do that vs. two excellent offenses, there’s no reason he can’t do the same vs. the Brewers. Milwaukee is merely 21st in wRC+ vs. southpaws this season.
Speculative Adds
Francisco Alvarez (NYM), C (33% Yahoo, 18.3% ESPN)
Alvarez and Jeff McNeil are both tentatively slated to make their season debuts on Friday. Both players have spent the beginning of the season on the IL and rehabbing in the minors, but Alvarez is the more appealing fantasy option.
Alvarez made history in his rookie season, clubbing 25 homers at just 21 years old. Johnny Bench is the only other catcher with a 25-homer season at such a young age, and that guy turned out to be pretty darn special.
Alvarez regressed at the dish last season, hitting just .237 with 11 homers over 100 games. Still, he was once considered the best prospect in all of baseball, and he’s still just 23 years old. It should surprise no one if he has a breakout campaign in 2025, so he’s worth adding if you’re looking for a catcher.
Will Vest (DET), RP (8% Yahoo, 1.4% ESPN)
The Tigers’ bullpen continues to be a bit of a headache. Three players have already racked up multiple saves for Detroit this season, though Brant Hurter’s were the unconventional three-inning variety. Tommy Kahnle and Vest have served as the team’s traditional closers, with Kahnle leading the duo with four saves.
However, Kahnle had a blown save Sunday vs. the Royals, while Vest has converted the team’s past two opportunities. Both pitchers saw the mound on Wednesday, and Kahnle got the nod against the bottom of the order in the eighth inning. The Tigers tacked on two more runs in the ninth—ultimately eliminating the save opportunity—but Vest was trusted with getting the final three outs. That came against the top three in the Padres’ lineup, so all signs point toward Vest being the most trusted reliever in Detroit for the time being.
Vest has a sparkling 1.27 xERA this season, so that’s not a huge shocker. If he continues to pitch this well, he could solidify his status as closer for a team that is off to a 15-10 start.
Deep League Players to Watch
Yanquiel Fernández (COL), OF (0% Yahoo, 0.1% ESPN)
This is for the deepest of deep leagues. Fernandez isn’t on the major league roster yet, but he should make his debut at some point in the near future. He’s already launched seven homers in Triple-A this season, and with 70-grade raw power, he could do plenty of damage with half his games at Coors Field. If you’re looking for power, he could be worth stashing on your bench in preparation.
