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Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 2 of 2026 (April 6 - April 12). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 2 of the 2026 season (April 6 - April 12). In this weekly piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. For deeper leagues, we try to find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Scanning the waiver wire is an activity that some players love, and some abhor. Whether we like it or not, we have to complete this task weekly. I hope this article can become part of your decision-making process and be helpful to you.
Let's see what is on the waiver wire this week. This week is another mix of young guys getting runway and boring veterans who could help you. At the end of the article, you will see players rostered in less than 15% of leagues who could help your squad.
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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners (47% rostered)
Hancock went six innings and earned a win in his first start of 2026, striking out nine hitters. This could be a breakout season for the 26-year-old hurler. The key will be if his sweeper continues to stymie hitters; he had a 42% whiff rate on the pitch in that first start.
I recognize it is one start, but the chart below shows what should be a new pitch mix for Hancock. Pedigree is important, and this is a first-round pick who could be entering his prime. Snag him now before your league mates do.
Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies (45% rostered)
Painter looked the part in his first start for the Phillies last week, earning a win while surrendering only one run amidst eight strikeouts. The rookie mixed in six different pitches and limited hard contact on all of them.
He is clearly one of their top five starters and will continue to be, even after the return of Zack Wheeler. Painter gets his next start against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Roster him this weekend before your opponents snag this valuable arm.
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals (38% rostered)
Cameron makes his next start in Cleveland next week and should be rostered more. Cameron went five innings in his 2026 debut, scattering four hits and one run with five strikeouts. I think the low strikeout rate keeps fantasy players away, as he struck out only 114 in 138 innings last season.
But Cameron is a nice addition to the back end of a fantasy rotation, even without the strikeouts. It won't be flashy, but it will get the job done most nights. Consider Cameron for your squad.
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals (32% rostered)
Wacha will make this list a few times this year, as he is the one pitcher in fantasy baseball that many players will claim they do not roster. Wacha sent six innings and whiffed seven in his first start this week.
What Wacha does better than just about any pitcher is limit hard contact. Look at his remarkable consistency below. Despite less octane in the stuff, he has a career 3.87 ERA. This is a usable pitcher at the back end of fantasy rotations.
Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers (31% rostered)
Mize gets his next start against Minnesota next week, and he should be in more lineups. Many may not realize that he won 14 games last year with a 3.87 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and 139 strikeouts in 149 innings. You should know that, and you should roster him.
Mize went six strong innings this week and struck out nine, and looks to be a mainstay in the Detroit rotation. Take a look at him if you are looking to fill out the back end of your rotation next week.
Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee Brewers (30% rostered)
Harrison threw well last week in his Milwaukee debut, covering five innings while striking out eight hitters and surrendering only one run. Harrison has a grip on a rotation job, and with performances like this, he will be able to keep it for some time.
I know it is only one start, but he had a 47.5% whiff rate in that game. Maybe Harrison is coming into his own after a few missteps and lack of chances, and he should be rostered more than 30% of the time on Yahoo. Grab him if you need help.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays (29% rostered)
The left-handed Lauer always seems to find his way into 10-15 starts a season, and 2026 will be no exception. He gets a start against the struggling Chicago White Sox this week. In his debut this week, he pitched into the sixth inning and struck out nine batters.
The peripherals won't grab you, but he gets guys out, limits traffic on the basepaths, and will keep Toronto in games. He is a great streaming option at the very least, most weeks.
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (28% rostered)
Messick was highly sought in many March drafts. In 2025, Messick made seven starts for the Guardians, going 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA, a high 1.37 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 39 innings. He went six innings last week, striking out five with no runs surrendered.
While I do know that it has only been eight starts in his MLB career, Messick seems to have a knack for limiting hard contact and a great feel for the actual act of pitching. His success should continue, and he will be far more rostered in the coming weeks. Get him now.
Michael Soroka, Arizona Diamondbacks (24% rostered)
Soroka has battled myriad injuries and role inconsistency the last couple of years. The surface numbers for the last two seasons are lousy: three wins, 18 losses, a 4.60 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP. But, in 169 innings covering that span, he struck out 179 hitters. Something is there.
Take a look under the numbers. His xERA in 2025 was 3.53. The K% was 25%. He limited barrels, and the opponent xBA was .209. Signed to pitch in the Arizona rotation and relying more on a nasty slurve, Soroka could surprise in 2026.
Taj Bradley, Minnesota Twins (24% rostered)
Bradley has two starts under his belt for the Minnesota Twins, who seem intent on giving him a solid chance in their rotation. Over two starts, he's covered 10 innings, striking out 12 while earning a win to go with a 0.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
Will this last? Likely not, but Bradley is only 25, and the skills could coalesce and bring decent results if expectations are held in check. The four-seamer velocity is up a tick so far this season to 97.2, which could bode well for Bradley. He's an intriguing option.
Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals (22% rostered)
I understand why people wrinkle up their noses at articles like this, suggesting guys like Liberatore. I get it: will the bottop drop out? You want your strikeouts. But he has made two starts now, and both have been successful, despite only nabbing four strikeouts in 11 innings.
Liberatore thus far is keeping hitters off balance, adding in his change-up more than in years past while still relying on his fastball and slider.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
Every week, we will give you four or five other lower-rostered pitchers that you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league.
- Landen Roupp, San Francisco Giants (9% rostered)
- Michael McGreevy, St. Louis Cardinals (8% rostered)
- Joe Boyle, Tampa Bay Rays (5% rostered)
Happy hunting for starting pitchers this weekend! If you have questions, you can always message me on X @mdrc0508. You can even tell me you hate these picks. Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above everything. Enjoy it!
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
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