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Joey's FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bidding guide for Week 1 (March 30 - April 5). His recommended FAAB dollars to spend on waiver wire adds.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our Week 1 fantasy baseball FAAB waiver wire pickups for March 30th - April 5th. For anyone not familiar, this is a weekly series diving into the best fantasy baseball waiver wire targets each week for leagues that use FAAB (free agent acquisition budget) and our recommended dollar bid amounts for waivers.
The first set of waiver wire pickups is always the most important each year. Fantasy managers should be looking to pick up players off to fast starts because these players could sometimes turn into league winners. This weekly series about FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups will be released every Saturday morning to help with your waiver wire decisions before the next week begins.
This article will recommend free agents to target and how much FAAB you should be spending on these waiver wire targets. So, let's dive into the best waiver wire pickups heading into Week 1 of the fantasy baseball season. Only players rostered at 40% or less in Yahoo! leagues will be considered for this list.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters to Target
Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers
19% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you need a catcher
Dillon Dingler is coming off a solid rookie campaign in 2025. He hit .278 with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, 54 runs scored, and 57 RBI across 126 games with the Detroit Tigers last season. After a 2-for-5 day with one home run and three RBI on Opening Day, Dingler deserves to be added in some leagues ahead of Week 2.
Dillon Dingler Dinger 💥#OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/BhH2N4nZky
— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026
If you are in a standard $100 FAAB waiver wire league, using around 15% on Dingler could be a smart move if you are in need of a catcher. He ranked in the 97th percentile in expected batting average (.290) to go with a solid expected slugging (.475) and an elite launch angle sweet-spot rate (42.3%). Don't miss out on grabbing one of the top up-and-coming catchers in baseball.
Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Baltimore Orioles
39% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~20%
It's crazy that Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo is still under 40% rostered in Yahoo! leagues. Although he only went 1-for-4 with one run scored on Opening Day against the Minnesota Twins, he should be on every fantasy manager's radar right now. The tools are there for Basallo to be a consistent fantasy option in 2026.
He hit 23 home runs with a .270 batting average across 76 games at Triple-A Norfolk last season and has plus power at the plate. Basallo should also be in Baltimore's lineup almost every day as the team's designated hitter or starting catcher. Having a catcher who has the potential to launch upward of 25 home runs is a real game-changer for fantasy.
Jake Burger, 1B, Texas Rangers
15% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%
Jake Burger really struggled in his first season with the Texas Rangers. He hit just .236 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI across 376 plate appearances last season. However, Burger has the chance to be a better fantasy player in 2026. If you are in need of some power on your fantasy team, look no further than the slugging first baseman.
He went 3-for-4 with one home run and two RBI on Opening Day against the Phillies, and a 30-home run campaign is certainly attainable for the 29-year-old. He finished in the 80th percentile or better in expected slugging (.478), barrel rate (13.9%), hard-hit rate (48.5%), and bat speed (74.6 mph) in 2025. He's worth a look in some leagues.
David Hamilton, 2B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers
1% rostered
FAAB Bid: <2%
The Milwaukee Brewers always seem to find diamonds in the rough. Infielder David Hamilton could be the next unexpected Brewers player to contribute solid fantasy numbers. Hamilton drew the start at third base on Opening Day and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, one RBI, two walks, and one stolen base.
That's enough to keep an eye on Hamilton in some deeper leagues. He could see consistent playing time with the Brewers and will be a great source of stolen bases throughout the season. The 28-year-old has stolen 33 bases (2024) and 22 bases (2025) in each of the past two seasons. So, he's a sneaky pickup early in the year.
Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
26% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-10%
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick should remain an all-around fantasy player in 2026. After seeing his home run numbers jump substantially from 2024 to 2025, Frelick has the tools to contribute solid numbers in multiple categories. Last year, he hit .288 with 12 home runs, 76 runs scored, 63 RBI, and 19 stolen bases across 142 games.
Frelick has continued those numbers into the start of the 2026 season. He went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, one home run, and two RBI on Opening Day against the White Sox. He should be a great source of batting average, steals, and runs scored this year while contributing double-digit home runs. He's worth spending 5-10% of your FAAB on.
Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~20-30%
New York Mets prospect Carson Benge is easily the top pickup of the week. Benge went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, one home run, one RBI, one stolen base, and two walks against the Pirates on Opening Day. The highlight for him in that game was launching a hanging sweeper in the middle of the zone for a 385-foot home run.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW KID!!!@Carsonbenge3 | #LGM pic.twitter.com/TtPJHhQcn0
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 26, 2026
There's just so much to like about Benge's game. In his last Minor League season, he hit .281 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI, and 22 stolen bases across 116 games at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He should absolutely be picked up in almost all formats, and spending around 20-25% of your FAAB on him is ideal. It's going to be a bidding war to get him, so going up to 30% might be necessary.
Dominic Canzone, OF, Seattle Mariners
11% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~15%
Seattle Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone is worth a look in most leagues. He posted solid numbers in his limited plate appearances last year, hitting .300 with 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and three stolen bases across 269 plate appearances. Now, Canzone has started the 2026 season on a high note.
The 28-year-old went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and two runs scored on Opening Day against the Guardians. Assuming Canzone continues to hit the ball well, he should see consistent at-bats each week. Considering the Mariners outfielder had an expected .290 batting average, an expected .533 slugging, and a 49.7% hard-hit rate last year, he's a nice add heading into Week 2.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers to Target
Mick Abel, SP, Minnesota Twins
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-8%
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel should be on fantasy radars this early in the season. Even though Abel won't officially make his season debut until Monday, his strong spring should be why fantasy managers at least take a chance on him heading into Week 2. He finished with a 2.05 ERA and 27 strikeouts across six Spring Training appearances.
Mick Abel strikes out the side!! pic.twitter.com/7Zbt76jqCb
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 18, 2025
He has also shown that potential in the big leagues before. In his first career start last year with the Philadelphia Philies, he threw six shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a two-start week upcoming for Abel, he's worth grabbing in some 12-plus team leagues. The Twins pitcher had an impressive 32.9% strikeout rate and a 36.4% chase rate this spring.
Jack Leiter, SP, Texas Rangers
40% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5%
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter showed some encouraging things last year. He tossed seven innings of two-run ball with 10 strikeouts in his final start of the year, and his 97 mph average exit velocity placed him in the 88th percentile. With Leiter set to make two starts in Week 2, he's worth grabbing in some leagues as a potential streamer/long-term SP5.
Leiter is coming off a solid spring in which he had a 3.38 ERA and 18 strikeouts across 16 innings. In his final spring start earlier this week, the right-hander threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the Royals. Spending around 5% of your FAAB on him could be a cheap investment. He could finally put it all together in 2026.
Cody Ponce, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
40% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-8%
New Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce has had a couple of interesting years. He last pitched in the Major Leagues back in 2021 and spent the last four years playing overseas in Japan. In his last full season in Japan, Ponce finished with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts across 180 2/3 innings pitched. Those numbers helped him win the equivalent of the KBO's Cy Young award.
Therefore, Ponce is worth grabbing before his first start of the year. He had a 0.66 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his 13 2/3 innings of work this spring and has the potential to be a consistent fantasy option in 2026. The right-hander is also set to make two starts next week, giving fantasy managers even more incentive to pick him up.
Ryne Stanek, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
5% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-5% if you need saves
The closer job for the St. Louis Cardinals was up for grabs entering the 2026 campaign. No one really knew who would earn that closer role. Well, veteran pitcher Ryne Stanek got the first save opportunity of the season on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Stanek threw one scoreless inning with three walks and one strikeout to earn the save.
If you are in need of some saves, Stanek is a potential add in some leagues. He seems to be the early favorite to earn saves out of St. Louis' bullpen. However, this closer situation could change at any time. So, be wary of that before spending a lot of FAAB on the veteran right-hander. Both Riley O'Brien and JoJo Romero could see save opportunities as well.
Jordan Romano RP, Los Angeles Angels
19% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-10% if you need saves
Jordan Romano got the first crack at the Los Angeles Angels' closer job on Opening Day. He threw one scoreless inning with one walk and one strikeout against the Astros on Thursday. It seems like the Angels prefer Romano, who has experience as a closer, in this ninth-inning role. The two-time All-Star has 114 career saves over his eight Major League seasons.
So, he's the better closer to target in most fantasy leagues. Just be careful not to overspend on Romano because Kirby Yates will eventually return. Yates started the season on the 15-day injured list due to a knee injury, but he could be the team's primary closer once he returns. He saved 33 games for the Rangers just two years ago in 2024.
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