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
Jung Hoo Lee (SF), OF (39% Rostered on Yahoo!)
I mentioned Lee last Wednesday as a batting average-specific add, but he’s since stolen two more bases, giving him three on the year. If he’s gonna keep doing that, he might not be all that different from Steven Kwan, with the difference being Oracle Park might make it difficult for Lee to reach ten home runs. Still, there’s upside here in batting average and runs at the very least.
Lee is unproven stateside thanks to last year’s shoulder dislocation. However, the lefty slashed .318/.404/.455 with six home runs and six steals across 86 games during his final season with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes, providing a semblance of his handiwork. Lee’s 15.4% K rate might also drop, considering most projections have him around 10%. It’s way too early to look closely at this sort of stuff, but his .440 xwOBACON and 50% hard-hit are enticing.
Ben Rice (NYY), 1B (35% rostered on Yahoo!)
Rice has been mentioned here a few times, but why not? Let’s bang the drum again. On Monday, he hit leadoff as the DH against RHP Casey Mize with Cody Bellinger hitting third, Paul Goldschmidt fourth, and Jazz Chisholm fifth. Yesterday, things got really interesting with the lefty Rice hitting second against Tarik Skubal. You could argue that the Yankees’ lack of a more suitable alternative is an indictment of their roster more than Rice ascending to stardom. Regardless, Aaron Boone is having difficulty keeping Rice and his .323/.447/.692 slash out of the lineup.
The BAT X projects Rice pulling a hard-to-ignore .336 wOBA and 120 wRC+. Now it’s merely a gamble on playing time, and that’s been trending in the right direction. Rice could be a mirage given his lack of track record. However, there’s also a non-zero chance he’s the Pinstripers’ second-best hitter against RHP (at least in terms of wOBA). His high pull rate likely means he’ll have a low batting average, but his affinity for barrels and a high walk rate backed by a 96th percentile chase rate could make him Kyle Schwarber-lite.
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Jeremy Heist highlighted Shane Baz two days ago. He remains a must-roster as a 25-year-old former top prospect who seems to be hitting his stride more than two years after Tommy John surgery.
Ditto with Tyler Soderstrom, who was kind enough to go yard twice more after being featured on Monday. He’s now tied with Aaron Judge with six home runs. He’ll slow down. I think. Regardless, his prospect report featured 70-grade power, and he posted a .418 wOBA and 140 wRC+ across 33 games with Triple-A Las Vegas last season before getting promoted. He might already be a 30-home run force.
Mitch Steinberg highlighted Casey Mize yesterday and mentioned his slurve as a new wrinkle in his arsenal. He’s an intriguing add as a post-hype prospect with upside who has gotten terrific results out of the gate.
Landen Roupp was a spring standout, earning a rotation spot over Hayden Birdsong. He was a little inefficient during his season debut, but still racked up eight Ks against the Astros. Last night, he pitched well, holding the Reds to one earned run across six innings with four Ks while needing only 81 pitches. Roupp’s breakout hasn’t been as clear-cut as Bubic’s, but based on what he showed this past spring, and thus far, he should probably be more than 16% rostered.
Kyren Paris went yard again last night on a hanging slider from Shane Baz. However, as Mitch Steinberg mentioned yesterday, strikeouts have been a problem; last year, Paris posted a K rate of 35.1% across 251 PAs in Double-A and Triple-A. Buyer beware.
Nothing new with ESPN. Jeremy Heist highlighted Kris Bubic as his top priority two days ago. The former pitching prospect excelled out of the pen last year and has been brilliant thus far with a 0.71 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 16 Ks through his first two turns. His fastball has sat around 92, but hitters are having difficulty squaring it up as it holds an impressive 34.1% whiff rate.
Jesús Luzardo has battled injuries throughout his career. But he’s healthy now and holds a 41.3% K rate through his first two starts. His sweeper (24.2% thrown) and slider (13.2% thrown) have each returned whiff rates over 50%. That’ll do.
Category Specific Players to Add
Jacob Wilson (ATH), SS (27% rostered on Yahoo!)
You could make a case for Wilson, the A’s top overall prospect, as a priority add after hitting .366 with two home runs through his first 11 games. But one was at Coors Field, and the early returns on his exit velocity aren’t great; expecting ten home runs might be a stretch based on that and his prospect profile. He also stole just six bases through 79 MiLB games in his career. And he might be stuck toward the lower third of the order, given he hasn’t walked once and didn’t walk much in the minors either. Still, his ability to put the bat on the ball is extraordinary, making him a no-brainer for those looking to add points to their batting average.
Streaming Pitchers
Be sure to check Nick’s daily SP streaming article.
Logan Allen (CLE), SP (2% rostered on Yahoo!)
The 26-year-old lefty didn’t exactly shine in his 2025 debut, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with five walks to the Padres. And, well, he wasn’t great last year either, posting an 8.8% K-BB% through 20 starts with a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. But he gets the White Sox at home, and that might work. The White Sox totaled a .272 team wOBA last year, 22 points behind the Rays for dead-last.
Erick Fedde (STL), SP (21% rostered on Yahoo!)
Fedde has three strikeouts through his first two starts. Not exactly what we’re looking for. However, this is also the same guy who held a 3.22 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 31 starts last year. His 5.29 PLV (5.00 is average) lends credence to his success last season. He’s similar to Jameson Taillon, whom we picked here last week, ie, a solid, veteran who isn’t gonna wow you with Ks, but he’s a reasonable gamble for a W/QS. He’ll face the Pirates, a team that PLV projects has a bottom-rung offense.
Speculative Adds
A.J. Smith-Shawver (ATL), SP (18% rostered on Yahoo!)
Atlanta’s 22-year-old top pitching prospect has struggled through his first two turns. His control (13.6% BB rate) has been a real problem, and that could render him unplayable this year. However, his splitter has returned a 50% whiff rate this year, and he’s using it a ton. He’s more of a watchlist candidate in most formats outside of dynasty. Still, I don’t mind the idea of picking him up for his next start against a light-hitting Rays team this Friday to see if the lightbulb turns on.
Emilio Pagán (CIN), RP (17% rostered on Yahoo!)
Tony Santillan got a one-out save since I mentioned Emilio Pagán last week after he recorded Cinci’s first save. However, Pagán earned his second last night, closing a 1-0 win over the Giants by retiring Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, and Wilmer Flores. Alexis Díaz’s (hamstring) return date remains uncertain; he’s currently knocking off the rust in Triple-A Louisville. But at the very least, Pagán could have some short-term value before Díaz proves he’s ready to close again.
Sean Murphy (ATL), C (20% rostered on Yahoo!)
Murphy returned last night from a left rib fracture and socked a dinger off Zack Wheeler. The split between him and rookie Drake Baldwin remains to be seen. In the meantime, Murphy is a potential spec add if you want to gamble on a catcher who hit a career-high 21 home runs across 108 games just two years ago.
Deep League Players to Watch
Zebby Matthews (MIN), SP (5% rostered on Yahoo!)
Zebby Matthews struck out nine in his latest start with Triple-A St. Paul, tying a career-high while maintaining velocity gains that made him a captivating arm to watch this past spring. Meanwhile, Pablo López left last night’s game with a hamstring injury. Chris Paddack has struggled in the Twins’ rotation, too, leaving another path for Matthews. Deep leaguers looking for an upside arm to stash might want to see if Matthews is available.
For more deep leaguers, check Ben Rosener’s Deep League Waiver Wire column every Thursday and Saturday.
