Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5 Fantasy Baseball (2026)

April 25, 2026

Andy breaks down his must add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the 2026 MLB season. Add these players now off the waiver wire and win more.

With another week of MLB action behind us, it's time to spotlight our top-7 must-add players ahead of Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season.

This week, we will spotlight a catcher who is entering must-start territory as a utility bat and a breakout starting pitcher in Boston who is coming off a stellar season debut.

Be sure to follow RotoBallerMLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS, for any questions! Additionally, be sure to use code SMITH at checkout for 30% off on all premium packages. Let's dive in! Note - All statistics are updated as of Friday, April 24.

2026 Fantasy Baseball: Week 5 Waiver Wire Adds

Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals

The Royals' backstop has continued to hit for high power and remains the primary target at the catcher position ahead of Week 5. Despite hitting his sixth home run of the young season this week, Jensen still sits under 40% rostered in all Yahoo leagues. Over his first seven games, Jensen showed some growing pains, posting a low .118/.118/.294 line with a modest .452 OPS.

During this stretch, the rookie hit just two hits, with only one of them going for extra bases (a home run) while striking out nine times.

However, over his last 16 games, Jensen is looking like his 2025 self, posting an elite .327/.417/.654 slash line with two doubles, five home runs, and a 13:7 K:BB. He has led 12 RBI during these games and scored another 10 while batting in the heart of the Royals lineup.

Last summer, Jensen made his MLB debut late in the second half and flashed similar upside, posting a .300/.391/.550 line with three home runs over a brief 20-game stint. While it is still early in the season, Jensen is generating strong underlying marks that suggest he could be in store for a massive first "full" season in the majors.

Under the hood, Jensen has generated a .349 xwOBA with a 14.6% barrel rate and a 75.0 mph average bat speed, all of which place him in the upper tier of hitters. He has also drawn walks at a 10.1% rate, which helps offset his higher 27.8% K%. Even in leagues where you roster an elite No. 1 catcher like Drake Baldwin or Shea Langeliers, Jensen has shown enough upside to warrant adding and relying on him as your weekly utility option.

Jensen has 20+ HR upside, seeing an everyday role in the starting nine.

Ildemaro Vargas, 1B/2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

The 34-year-old may not be the flashiest player on the waiver wire, but he is producing at an elite level, and is well-worthy of a pick up this weekend. Throughout the first 18 games of the campaign, Vargas has posted a .357/.375/.671 line with a strong 1.046 OPS. During this stint, Vargas has gone deep five times, added five doubles, and held a 9:2 K:BB.

He has tallied 16 RBI and scored another 14 runs, proving to be a strong four-category contributor. However, given that Vargas appeared in just 38 MLB contests last summer and posted a .270/.292/.383 line, managers do not appear to be turning this late-career bloom.

Under the hood, Vargas has generated a stellar .411 xwOBA, .369 xBA, and a .572 xSLG, all of which indicate that not only his high-end contact is sustainable, but also his power numbers. The 34-year-old has begun optimizing his swing, which has been the driving force behind his power breakout.

Per Baseball Savant, Vargas has generated a 41.0% LA Sweet-Spot% with an incredible 31.1% Pull AIR%. While this high Pull AIR% is likely to be unusable, even if it drops a handful of points, it will still be the highest of its career. This has allowed him to tap into his home-run upside without hitting the ball hard, as shown by his below-average 39.3% hard-hit rate and 8.2% barrel rate.

Vargas has the skill set to hit for over .300 while pushing for a potential 15-20 HR campaign.

Ildemaro Vargas goes deep AGAIN!

He's homered in three consecutive at-bats 😮 pic.twitter.com/CQwE18bmI5

— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2026

Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers

The final hitter we will look at this week is Jake Bauers of the Brewers. Despite being on the strong side of a platoon, Bauers has shown he is more than capable of being viewed as a solid corner infielder or a No. 4/No. 5 outfielder in standard 12-team formats. Through 22 games, Bauers has held a modest .237/.301/.461 line with two doubles, five home runs, and three stolen bases.

While his slash line does not jump off the page, he has generated a much higher .355 xwOBA, .275 xBA, and a .507 xSLG, suggesting he has gotten quite unlucky in the early going. Much of this is due to how hard the 30-year-old strikes the ball. Bauers has generated an elite 55.0% hard-hit rate with a 76.2 mph average bat speed, both of which place him in the 93rd percentile or higher.

While his 16.7% Pull AIR% is a bit of a drop from +20.0% Pull AIR%, which he generated earlier in his career, this mark is still well above average and should continue to boost his home run totals. In addition to his power upside, Bauers has also posted a 54th percentile sprint speed and is coming off an eight-solen base campaign.

Given his underrating marks and current opportunities, Bauers has 15/15 potential with the upside to hit for a plus batting average, as evidenced by his underlying metrics. Finding power hitters that will provide you a boost in speed and batting average is not often on the waiver wire.

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

The first pitcher we will spotlight is the priority target on this list. Payton Tolle was viewed as a top pitching prospect to stash in the opening month, and he showed why in his season debut for the Red Sox this past week. On Thursday, the hard-throwing southpaw shut down the Yankees, tossing six innings of one-run ball with three hits and one walk, while tallying 11 punchouts.

Tolle was summoned from Triple-A Worcester to replace the injured Sonny Gray (hamstring) in the rotation. While Tolle's spot in the rotation is not guaranteed, especially if Gray returns from injury in a few weeks, production like this should keep him in the starting rotation. Last summer, Tolle made his MLB debut but did not find much success in his first stint, allowing 11 earned runs over 16 1/3 innings.

However, in the minor leagues, the former TCU standout showed immense upside. This season, Tolle has made three starts for Worcester (15 innings), posting a 3.00 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 19 punchouts. Last summer, Tolle made headlines as a professional with High-A Greenville and would log 91 2/3 innings (across multiple levels) while holding a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a 133:23 K:BB.

Given that Brayan Bello (the team's No. 4 starter) has allowed 14 earned runs over his first 18 2/3 innings, Tolle could slide into his spot in the rotation once Gray returns, if he continues this trajectory. His strikeout upside alone makes him a must-add in all formats.

Payton Tolle Strikes Out 11 in Season Debut, a Must-Add off the Waiver Wire https://t.co/ZGCjXphR5g

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 24, 2026

Chase Dollander, SP/RP, Colorado Rockies

While Tolle may have stolen the "breakout" pitcher headlines this week, do not sleep on the Rockies' budding arm, Chase Dollander. The former ninth-overall pick out of Tennessee had a rough rookie campaign back in 2025, posting a 6.52 ERA over 98 innings. As a result, Dollander went undrafted in nearly all standard leagues as his place in the Rockies' rotation was not even solidified.

While the Rockies have kept Dollander in a "long-relief" role, he has been extremely effective and worthy of an add in 12+ team leagues. Through his first six outings of the 2026 season, the second-year pitcher has posted a 2.88 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP. He has struck out 32 batters over his 25 innings of work while limiting walks at a 6.7% rate.

This is a drastic improvement compared to the 11.1% walk rate he posted last season. Under the hood, Dollander has shown other massive improvements, generating a 2.81 xERA, .188 xBA, and a 53.2% ground-ball rate. His primary pitch, his four-seamer, is up to 99.0 mph (from 98.0 mph last season), and has been an elite pitch, boasting a 30.5% whiff rate and a .243 xwOBA.

His top whiff pitches (slider, changeup, and curveball) have all posted a high rate above 29.0%, with his changeup and curveball posting a .272 and a .128 xwOBA, respectively.

While his somewhat limited workload as a long reliever will keep his strikeout totals lower (relative to other starts), his high-end 30.8% K% will keep his fantasy value high, despite the lower innings count. Pitching in Coors Field does add some volatility to his profile, but the underlying metrics suggest he is on a breakout trajectory.

After diving in, I'm fully buying into Chase Dollander.

Not only do the numbers look great:

2.63 SIERA
28.7 K% (+10.1%)
7.5 BB% (-3.6%)
14.3 SwStr% (+4.5%)
109 Stuff+ (+12)
55.1 GB% (+12.4%)

The pitch mix has changed:

He's throwing his four-seamer much less. It's up 1.1 MPH… pic.twitter.com/NxkW5otRF6

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) April 20, 2026

Brad Keller, RP, Philadelphia Phillies

Given the number of high-end relievers on the injured list, I wanted to highlight two closers in this week's edition. Sitting at the top of this group is Brad Keller, who now projects to see the save opportunities while Jhoan Duran (oblique) is on the shelf. While Duran is not expected to miss more than a month of play, Keller has the path to being a must-start option for the next several weeks.

Last season, Keller was an elite setup option for the Cubs' pitching behind Daniel Palencia. Across 69 2/3 innings, Keller posted a 2.07 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP. The right-hander struck out 75 batters while earning 26 holds and chipping in three saves. While his start to his time in Philadelphia has been a bit shaky (allowing five earned runs over 10 1.3 innings), Keller has the experience to pitch in high-leverage situations.

Currently, Keller holds a strong 2.60 xERA with an elite 56.7% ground-ball rate and a 3.3% barrel rate, suggesting he has gotten quite unlucky in the early going. When looking for saves, Keller should be a priority target.

Louis Varland, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

The second reliever we will spotlight is more of a high-end handcuff. The right-hander has been operating in a high-leverage role for the Blue Jays, typically being deployed in the seventh and eighth frames.

Entering Tuesday's contest (his most recent appearance), Varland logged 12 1/3 innings with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. He struck out 19 batters while allowing just three walks and earning three holds. However, on Tuesday, Varland entered the game in the ninth inning in a save situation.

While the primary closer, Jeff Hoffman, entered the contest as expected, the right-hander struggled once again and loaded the bases. However, Varland not only got out of the jam but also sealed the victory, earning his first save of the season. While the Blue Jays coaching staff has continued to express their trust in Hoffman as a closer, it may opt to ease his high-leverage work as he works through these struggles.

Currently, the 28-year-old sits in the 98th percentile in xERA and has yet to allow a barrel. He has generated groundballs at a high 58.3% rate and limited free passes at a 6.5% rate. If Varland were to slide into the ninth-inning role, he may not give it up.

Other Waiver Wire Targets

• Tanner Scott, LAD (Top closer to add if available>50% rostered on Yahoo
• Bryan Baker, TB
• Noah Schultz, CWS
• Mickey Moniak, COL
• JR Ritchie, ATL
• Jake Burger, TEX
• Josh Jung, TEX
• Kyle Harrison, MIL
• Kirby Yates, LAA (IR Stash)

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