Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players 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. We’ll also look at the most-added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites and tell you which players to add and which to leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Jacob Latz (TEX) – RP (Yahoo – 6%)
Latz rolled through the heart of the Yankee lineup, including Judge and Rice, while capturing his second save yesterday. Yes, this could be a committee, but Latz’s cost will only rise if he gets another one, as we’ve seen with Varland recently. Latz has undoubtedly been the best RP in the Rangers’ pen with a 1.08 ERA and 0.48 WHIP through his first 13 appearances. And he has a 99th-percentile xERA and xBA. His 5.26 PLV, tied for ninth-best among all pitchers who have thrown at least 200 pitches, confirms that he’s locating with precision.
Chase Dollander (COL) – SP (Yahoo – 43%)
Dollander has been a force to be reckoned with, piling up 16 strikeouts over his last two appearances; that includes a game at Coors Field against the Padres. A stiff test lies ahead with the Rockies returning to Colorado this weekend to host the Braves. But where’s the fun in that? As Farragut bellowed, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! In all seriousness, benching Dollander is the smart move. Regardless, he has me excited about a Rockies pitcher for the first time since… prime Germán Márquez. So, yeah, it’s been a bit. Dollander has a pretty nice-looking arsenal that includes three breaking pitches, each of which has yielded whiff rates over 30%. But really, it all comes down to this guy’s fastball. It’s really good. He throws 99 mph with 1.6″ HAVAA; that’s the sort of juice that gets whiffs upstairs, and he knows it.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Yankees rookie Elmer Rodríguez debuted yesterday against the Rangers and struggled a bit, handing out four walks and needing 80 pitches to get 12 outs. The 22-year-old right-hander had a 1.27 ERA and 0.89 WHIP through four starts with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre before the promotion. However, he might not be there long, with Carlos Rodón’s return tentatively scheduled for the second week in May.
Tyler Phillips appears to be the next man up for the Fish following Fairbanks’ trip to the IL with a nerve issue. He has a not-so-hot 8.7% K-BB% through 18.1 IP, but he nailed the save Tuesday night against the Dodgers.
Cade Cavalli fanned 10 Braves last Thursday and 10 Mets last night. That certainly warrants a roster spot, if you ask me. Could it be a mirage? Sure, but he’s also a former top prospect who is healthy after missing nearly three years of action. He has a pretty decent upcoming schedule, with potential matchups against the Twins and the Marlins. Alright, let’s see where this goes.
The Royals have struggled offensively (95 wRC+), leaving Luis Severino as a seemingly decent option last night. To his credit, Sevy entered last night’s game with a 23.4% K rate, his highest mark since 2022. But he is also walking batters at a career-high 15.3% clip. That doesn’t seem ideal, especially considering his home park.
David Peterson returned to the Met rotation last night against the Nats after a brutal start that sent him into the pen. And things did not go well. I wouldn’t totally rule out him being a decent streamer down the road, but there’s nothing to see here now.
Atlanta’s 23-year-old righty, JR Ritchie, gave up a gopher ball on his first pitch to James Wood, but settled in nicely. He started last night’s game against the Tigers and pitched reasonably well despite some control issues. With Rey-Lo in the pen, he might have an extended opportunity, at least until Spencer Strider returns. Judging by his minor league numbers, Ritchie doesn’t possess big strikeout upside. But he has done enough to justify holding for another start to see where this goes.
King Louis Varland has been phenomenal for the Jays with a ridiculous 43.3% K rate across 16 innings. And he’s converted four save opportunities in each of his last four appearances. Yes, I’d say that’s worthy of a spot on anyone’s roster.
34-year-old journeyman Ildemaro Vargas has been one of this season’s early surprises, slashing a silly .370/ .393/ .716 across 81 PAs. He also has a career .675 OPS. A Vargas rule for hitters? Sure, why not?
The O’s roughed up ol’ reliable Michael Wacha last Wednesday, which might have jettisoned him onto the wire in some leagues. Still, he has been otherwise terrific, with a 2.51 ERA and 0.93 WHIP through five starts; imminent regression or not, that’s probably too good to leave on the wire.
Speculative Adds
Jared Jones (PIT) – SP (Yahoo – 17%)
Jones gave the Pirates an exciting 1-2 punch with Skenes in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 18.5% K-BB across 22 starts before being undone by an elbow injury. Well, he’s hard on the comeback trail, and I mean that. How about hitting 101 in his latest rehab start? If you’ve got an empty IL spot, double-check your wire; now is the time to stash him.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streamers article.
Today:
Brandon Young (BAL) – SP (Yahoo – 5%) vs HOU
Can you tell this is a brutal slate for streaming? Young threw 93 pitches and flashed a pretty decent slider in his latest start against Boston; that might help him against a righty-heavy Stros lineup. Hopefully, nobody gets on base for Alvarez. Wishful thinking. Fine. But do you really want to give Lance McCullers Jr. or Bailey Ober a spin? Yeah, I don’t either.
Tomorrow:
Christian Scott (NYM) – SP (Yahoo – 3 %) at LAA
No, this isn’t for the faint of heart. But I want to give Scott another chance, given his track record as a prospect. The Angels have hit 40 home runs, tied for fourth in baseball. They also have the second-highest K rate in baseball and are predominantly right-handed, giving Scott the platoon advantage.
Deep League Players to Watch
Ty France (SD) – 1B (Yahoo – 3%)
After a six-year odyssey, France is back where it all started in San Diego. And he’s thriving, hitting .289 with a .911 OPS. History suggests that won’t stick, but more importantly, he has started consecutive nights against right-handers Taillon and Cabrera, suggesting that he’s wriggled free of the dreaded weak-side platoon role.
