Welcome to Week 5. If the first month of the season was a feeling-out process, this week is the wake-up call. We’ve reached that pivotal point in the calendar where the “early season quirks” start looking like permanent trends, and more importantly, the injury bug has officially shifted from nuisance to opening massive voids in your lineup.
Over the last few days, we’ve seen elite players like Francisco Lindor and Eugenio Suárez hit the IL, and this is where the Stream Team thrives! As we head into the first days of May this weekend, the margin for error is shrinking. Streaming isn’t just a luxury for an aggressive manager anymore; it’s a mechanical necessity to keep your ratios afloat and counting stats climbing. We are looking for the arms that can capitalize on desperate lineups and the bats that find themselves in suddenly favorable platoon splits. Let’s dive into the Week 5 targets to help you stabilize the ship as the weather and waiver wire heat up.
As always, to qualify for the Stream Team, we are looking for impactful contributors who are available.
The Criteria
- Availability: Every featured player is rostered in fewer than 45% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
- The Goal: Identifying high-upside plays for managers who need to replace struggling starters and injured players at specific positions.
The Stream Team
SP – Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox– The White Sox right-hander, Davis Martin, has emerged as a legitimate workhorse in a rotation that desperately needed one, anchoring a staff with a level of consistency that is hard to find on the wire this late in the month. The most impressive part of Martin’s impressive 2026 campaign isn’t just the run prevention; it’s the durability. Martin has managed to pitch into the seventh inning (6+ IP) in each of his last four starts, a rarity in today’s pitch count-sensitive landscape.
The stretch has lowered his season ERA to a stellar 2.01 and his WHIP to 1.02. While some underlying metrics (like a 4.65 xERA) suggest he might be dancing between raindrops, you cannot argue with the volume. In a Stream Team context, a pitcher who consistently gives you 18+ outs while keeping the game within reach is pure gold. Whether the outs are lucky or not, he provides a high floor for Quality Starts even if the strikeout totals fluctuate.
Martin is tentatively scheduled to keep the momentum rolling in his next matchup against the Los Angeles Angels. Currently rostered in 35% in Yahoo and ESPN leagues, now would be the time to make the addition before it’s too late.
RP – Louis Varland, Toronto Blue Jays – Louis Varland has turned himself into a “must-add” weapon by essentially pushing Jeff Hoffman out of the closer role. He is the perfect reliever to add for elite ratios and high leverage situations. Varland has been nothing short of dominant since moving into a multi-inning relief role. Across 13.0 innings this season, he has posted a 0.00 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, backed by a staggering 19 strikeouts. He is leaning on his triple-digit heater, which recently touched 100.6 mph, pairing it with a knuckle curve that has left some of the league’s best hitters looking foolish.
Manager John Schneider has declared a “shared responsibility” for the ninth inning. While Tyler Rogers is somewhat in the mix, too, Jeff Hoffman, the primary closer, has mightily struggled through a rough stretch. He saw a ninth-inning save opportunity Saturday versus the Cleveland Guardians. It wasn’t the prettiest outing, but he got through it to secure the save.
Varland slides right under our roster requirements, with a 37% rostered rate. With the hierarchy in flux, his ability to pitch 2+ innings and his opportunity to grab the closer role make him a top-priority reliever in all fantasy formats.
C – Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals – After somewhat of a sluggish start, you may have seen a good amount of fantasy managers drop Ivan Herrera. He is officially heating up and sitting right in the middle of the Cardinals’ lineup. The real beauty of Herrera’s fantasy profile right now is the usage. While he is the catcher eligible in almost all formats, the Cardinals have been utilizing him primarily as their DH. You get the offensive production of a full-time hitter without the “catcher tax”. He’s in the lineup every day and provides a volume of plate appearances that most catchers can’t offer. Over his last 15 games, he is slashing .288/.431/.538, showing the elite plate discipline and power that made him a breakout candidate in the preseason. The exclamation point on his hot streak happened April 25th against the Seattle Mariners, facing Bryan Woo, one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. Herrera took him deep to left field.
Herrera’s rostered situation may vary depending on the platform you’re streaming from. If he is somehow available on the waiver wire in your league, he is a must-add.
1B – Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles – The most immediate draw for Mayo is his dual eligibility at both 1B and 3B. With Jordan Westburg recently sidelined by an elbow injury, the Orioles have cleared a path for Mayo to see consistent playing time at the “hot corner”. This flexibility is invaluable during a week when rosters are shifting. In the span of 48 hours, Mayo more than doubled his RBI total and proved that when he connects, the ball stays hit. While his season average is still climbing out of the basement, his .714 slugging percentage over the last seven days shows a player who is seeing the ball better and punishing mistakes.
In Yahoo, Mayo is rostered in 3% of leagues. He may not be a long-term investment, but his hot streak is something any fantasy manager wants a part of.
2B – Daniel Schneeman, Cleveland Guardians – Welcome back to the Stream Team, Mr. Schneeman. With injuries to infielders like Gabriel Arias thinning out the Guardians depth chart, Schneeman has forced his way into the lineup by playing anywhere on the diamond for Cleveland. His flexibility at 2B, 3B, SS, and OF makes him the perfect Stream Team candidate during this injury-plagued time. After a quiet first few weeks, he is carrying a .323 average and a massive .989 OPS through 62 at-bats this season. Specifically, a .429 AVG, two HR, and a .556 OBP in the last seven days. Earlier this week against Baltimore, he went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
He is currently rostered in 19% of leagues and only going to rise, and he is plugging many positional holes for fantasy managers right now.
3B – Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks – After a quiet opening couple of weeks in his new Diamondbacks uniform, the future Hall of Famer has ignited just in time for the “May Day” weekend. Over the last two weeks, he’s had a multi-homer burst with two homers against Baltimore and a milestone moment when he launched a two-run homer against the Chicago White Sox, officially passing Joey Votto for 96th on the all-time home run list. He is currently sitting on four home runs and 14 RBI through the first 22 games of the season. While a .262 average isn’t vintage Arenado yet, his .713 OPS is climbing rapidly.
Only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues, he remains one of the few true ironmen left in the game. He has played in almost every contest this year, which bodes well for a Stream Team pick-up, especially if he can keep up his RBI production.
SS – Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals made a shrewd adjustment earlier this month, moving Winn down to the sixth spot in the order to take some pressure off, and it certainly has worked. Over his last 15 games, Winn is batting .340 with a .429 OBP, showing a refined plate approach that has stabilized the back half of the Cardinal lineup. Within that 15-game stretch, he is hitting a blistering .433 (13-for-30) in his last seven games. Despite moving down in the order, he has tallied 11 RBI and six runs in just this last week alone. Also, swiping three bags on the season, all while becoming more aggressive at the plate.
Winn is currently the hottest shortstop on the wire and fits right under our roster qualifications at 42%. His high-ceiling speed and middle-order bat make him a must-add middle infielder.
OF – Hyeseong Kim, Los Angeles Dodgers – Not to be confused with Ha-Seong Kim, the Atlanta infielder, Hyeseong Kim has quickly gained 2B, SS, and OF, making him the ultimate “skeleton key” for your roster. Over his last 10 games, Kim is batting .324 with an OBP approaching .400. He is showing elite ability to avoid strikeouts and put the ball in play, which is rare for a rookie acclimating to MLB velocity. He has also chipped in four stolen bases and has been aggressive on the basepaths, benefiting from hitting in front of the Dodgers’ “Big Three”.
As he is only rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues, grab him now before his roster share explodes. The “Dodger Tax” usually means these guys don’t stay on the waiver wire long.
OF – Carlos Cortes, Athletics – After grinding through the minors, the 28-year-old outfielder has transformed into one of the most productive bats in the “Sacramento” Athletics‘ lineup. He is currently sporting a minuscule 6.5% strikeout rate. This number is almost unheard of for a player slugging over .600. Against the Texas Rangers, Cortes spearheaded an 8-1 victory by launching two home runs, a solo shot off Nathan Eovaldi in the first inning and a three-run blast in the fifth to blow the game wide open. With teammate Brent Rooker returning to the lineup soon, he may slide into the DH role, but either way, his bat is producing too much to bench him.
He is currently rostered in 10% of leagues. Cortes could seriously uplift your batting average and is a threat to leave the yard. He is a priority temporary add if you are dealing with injuries in your outfield.
