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Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters in Week 2 (2026) - April 6 - April 12. Free-agent hitters to add in points leagues.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our H2H points fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters for Week 2 of the 2026 season. These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of April 6 - April 12, looking at players below ~50 percent rostered on ESPN or Yahoo points leagues.
We'll be doing this points league roundup every week here at RotoBaller because we know points players get neglected, and we're here to help. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll highlight where players are the best and worst fits, with waiver-wire targets being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems on ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Fantrax, and NFBC.
Position eligibility is taken from Fantrax, and players are grouped by their most valuable fantasy position, using a hierarchy of C > 2B > OF > 3B > 1B > SS.
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Waiver Wire Caveats and APR Explanation
Roster% Thresholds
We use a combination of roster percentages to assess who is in our target pool, relying primarily on Yahoo and ESPN. For some players, you'll notice a wide discrepancy between the two. This is because ESPN's roster percentage is heavily weighted by points players, with guys who don't do well in their system (often because of an inflated strikeout rate) lagging behind the Yahoo! roster percentage.
For this reason, you'll sometimes see players (especially early) who might make you question my sanity in including them in a waiver-wire article, but don't worry, it's just a necessary glitch for coverage purposes.
APR stands for "Average Platform Rank" and is the average hitter rank between the four major point platforms: ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, and Fantrax. All player data is from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant, with injury information pulled from the Roster Resource section on the former.
Fantasy Baseball First Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Nolan Schanuel, LAA, 1B (Yahoo: 23%, ESPN: 12%) - Why won't you love our cover boy (man)? Schanuel is still laboring on the fringes of ownership, even though he has a super points-friendly profile, proving it with a top-50 APR as the season gets going. Walking about as much as he strikes out, and now with possibly enough increased pop to keep 'em honest, I predict Schanuel will continue to form up into the latest points demi-god who gets no Roster% respect from the general fantasy community.
Do your part to keep his disrespect down, and my sanity up and roster him. Just be careful with that Chris Sale guy he's set to face on Monday.
TJ Rumfield, COL, 1B (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 5%) - Rumfield has kept right on trucking after a hot spring (5 HR, .286/.359/.554), slashing .375/.444/.542 over his first seven games and scoring as a top-90 player across all major platforms. His power has been considered fringy for the position, but his walks and lack of whiffs could make up for it in point leagues.
The left-handed hitter gets seven games in Week 2, with three at home and nothing but right-handed starters on the schedule. Bat speed + power isn't the worst thing when you play half your games in the sky kingdom.
106.6 mph | 423 ft 🚀
TJ Rumfield demolishes his first MLB homer for the @Rockies! pic.twitter.com/OaXLeQN6ox
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 28, 2026
Miguel Vargas, CHW, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 21%, ESPN: 23%) - Longtime readers know we've been on that Vargas train for a while, but it looks like the roto world is starting to wake up to his goodness, as well, after he's started the season slashing .280/.406/.520, with a .406 wOBA, and 163 wRC+. Vargas's profile has been chock-full of points of goodness since he hit these streets, but it was a newfound commitment to upping his laser-smashing in 2025 that really drove his uptick in production.
From 2022-24, Vargas averaged a 26% Hard Hit%, with a 5% Brl%, and 86.6 mph average exit velocity; since then, he's posted a 42% HH%, with a 10% Brl%, and a 90.2 mph average EV. That's a change, not a blip. Vargas not only gets seven games against mid-staffs in Week 2 (vs BAL, @KC), but four of them are scheduled against left-handed starters, who Vargas has performed much better against compared to righties since making his hard-hitting changes.
Josh Bell, MIN, 1B (Yahoo: 7%, ESPN: 5%) - He's well past ticking your fancy too much in most roto formats, but in point leagues, Bell is far from done. Let's not get carried away and assume he'll stay near the top-15 hitter he's been through these early weeks, but Bell's discipline-first profile put him far away from the mediocrity we've come to expect if drafted in your classic 5x5.
Bell has an early top-15 APR and gets seven games in Week 2 (vs DET, @TOR), with three LHPs on the schedule.
Ryan O'Hearn, PIT, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 31%, ESPN: 49%) - You might already be too late to grab him on ESPN, but O'Hearn has put up top marks on all platforms in the early part of 2026, currently sitting on a 22 APR entering Sunday's action. O'Hearn has started at cleanup in all but one game for the Pirates, including two against left-handed starters.
Normally, this is the spot where we'd joke about what a joke the Pirates lineup is, but O'Hearn is in a sneaky-good spot to produce -- the king of whiffs, Oneil Cruz, has started off hot, the ghost of Bryan Reynolds is still kicking around, and it's only a matter of time before budding superstar, Konnor Griffin, moves his way up to the top third of the order.
That's a lot of potential ducks on the pond for O'Hearn, even if you still need to be careful in deploying him against good left-handers. Fortunately, that's not the case in Week 2, as the Pirates have six games (vs SD, @CHC), with only Shoto Imanaga representing the lefties.
Jake Burger, TEX, 1B (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 15%) - The big meat stick has quieted down since he opened up the season with dongs in back-to-back games, but Burger has still been getting knocks, collecting 11 hits in his first 35 PA. It might be some tough sledding in Week 2, however, as the Marlins are staring down six games of tough pitching matchups (vs SEA, @LAD), with no left-handers for Burger to feast on.
On the IL
- Andrew Vaughn, MIL, 1B (fractured hamate - 4 to 6 weeks)
- Triston Casas, BOS, 1B (knee surgery - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Second Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 22%) - Dubon has started off the year red-hot, collecting 10 hits in eight games, slashing .357/.400/.500, with his normal non-K'ing ways (16.7% K%). Playing every day, with plenty of hits, but few K's, is the points path to success, and Dubon is currently walking it, running a 55 APR in the early season.
He'll face three LHPs in his six games next week, setting him up for another successful period. Dubon slashed .292/.342/.406 vs LHPs last season, with a .748 OPS that was nearly 150-points higher than against righties.
Andres Gimenez, TOR, 2B (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 22%) - Wait, is this the Andres Gimenez that was promised when he was coming up as a top prospect through the Mets system? Or when he had that one great year for the Guardians in 2022 (.297/.371/.466, 17 HR, 20 HR)? Gimenez has been on a downward slope since 2022, culminating in a terrible first year for the Blue Jays in 2025 (.210/.285/.313), but has started off 2026 like gangbusters.
Batting in the bottom third (but starting every game), Gimenez has done nothing but rake, collecting nine hits and two home runs over his first eight games, and with a points-friendly profile already in hand, he should continue to stay relevant in his everyday role. The Blue Jays have six games at home (vs LAD, vs MIN) in Week 2, but even better for the left-handed Gimenez, all of the scheduled starters are of the right-handed variety.
Jake Cronenworth, SD, 2B (Yahoo: 17%, ESPN: 8%) - Also eligible at 1B/3B on Yahoo, Cronenworth has started 2026 slowly, but his eternally points-friendly profile keeps him relevant if you're in a pinch. He'll have a chance to compile his way to relevance in Week 2, with seven games (@PIT, vs COL) and six right-handed starters on the schedule, including a quartet from Colorado (Dollander, Sugano, Feltner, and Freeland) that doesn't exactly strike fear in the heart of batters.
Max Muncy, ATH, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 6%) - No, not that one...the other one! This Muncy has put the elder one to shame, so far in 2026, slashing .300/.323/.600 for the nomadic A's, while adding two homers and a stolen base. The right-hander gets six games on the road in New York (@NYY, @NYM), with just one leftie (Ryan Weathers) on the schedule.
Chase Meidroth, CHW, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 6%) - Meidroth's biggest carrying tool in 2026 might only be his ability to pull a pile of PAs on what looks to again be a bad Chicago offense, with the second-year players starting and batting leadoff in six of the Sox's seven games. He's still below Mendoza for the season (.192/.300/.346), but limited whiffs keep him usable, particularly in formats with a strikeout penalty.
Meidroth gets seven games (vs BAL, @KC), but, more importantly, with four left-handed starters scheduled.
On the IL
- Tommy Edman, 2B/OF (ankle surgery - out until at least May)
- Romy Gonzalez, BOS, 1B/2B (shoulder - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Miguel Vargas, CHW, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 21%, ESPN: 23%) - See earlier analysis.
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 22%) - See earlier analysis.
Max Muncy, ATH, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 6%) - See earlier analysis
On the IL
- Jordan Westburg, BAL, 3B (sprained elbow - out until at least May)
- Jordan Lawlar ARI, 3B (fractured wrist - expected to miss 6-8 weeks)
Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Waiver Wire Pickups
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 22%) - See earlier analysis.
Chase Meidroth, CHW, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 6%) - See earlier analysis.
Joey Ortiz, MIL, SS (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 3%) - Ortiz has been a top-100 hitter by APR in the early season, driven by a .375 OPB and a mess of non-power counting stats (5 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB). Unfortunately, the playing time has been far more spotty, with Ortiz continuing to yield starts to David Hamilton. Ortiz and the Brewers get six games (@BOS, vs WSH), with two LHPs in Week 2, but it'll be hard to assume Ortiz will start more than half of them.
On the IL
- Anthony Volpe, NYY, SS (shoulder surgery - no timetable)
- Ha-Seong Kim, ATL, SS (hand surgery - out until at least early May)
Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Waiver Wire Pickups
TJ Friedl, CIN, OF (Yahoo: 22%, ESPN: 19%) - Friedl has just two singles so far in 2026, but is in a good spot in Week 2 to get things going, with seven games (@MIA, vs LAA) and no left-handed starters on the schedule. In 2025, Friedl slashed .268/.378/.394, with a .345 wOBA vs RHP, compared to a .243/.330/.341, and .302 wOBA vs LHP.
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 22%) - See earlier analysis.
Ryan O'Hearn, PIT, 1B/OF (Yahoo: 31%, ESPN: 49%) - See earlier analysis.
Cam Smith, HOU, OF (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 5%) - Listen, I don't make the rules. The lightly-rostered Smith has come out of the gates hot and gets a series in Colorado. AKA, he needs to be on your radar. Smith flamed out in 2025, but has two home runs and a .382 OBP through his first 34 PA and will see a trio of bad starters (Ryan Feltner, Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen) in the thin air of Coors Field. We know what to do, right?
Cam Smith turns around a fastball for his second home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/DSWLmPSGE1
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
Kyle Isbel, KC, OF (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 14%) - Of all of the out-of-nowhere early fantasy performances, Isbel's might be the most unlikely. Isbel has started every game but the season opener, and now has 11 hits and three stolen bases in seven games, with two home runs that put him halfway to his total from last season. Don't expect him to start against the two LHPs the Royals have on their schedule in Week 2, but that still leaves five games for Isbel, including a series against the (non)vaunted White Sox pitching staff.
Joey Wiemer, WSH, OF (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 36%) - Wiemer has come a long way since I first witnessed his buxom bouncing curls as a Milwaukee farmhand at the AFL. As in, a literal long way, with Wiemer now in Washington after a stop in Miami following his Milwaukee exit. The now 27-year-old has finally found major league success, getting a chance at an everyday role for the Nationals and opening up 2026 by slashing a ridiculous .588/.682/1.059, with two home runs through his first five games.
That level of hotness obviously won't continue, but the early returns on his improved plate discipline are certainly encouraging. Wiemer had a 30% K% and 15% SwStr% over 499 PA in the majors entering 2026, but has an 18% K% and 11% SwStr% over this initial run. The Nationals have six games in Week 2 (vs STL, @MIL), with two LHPs on the books.
Owen Caissie, MIA, OF (Yahoo: 20%, ESPN: 30%) - The former Cubs farmhand has started off strong, but a lack of starts against left-handed starters looks like it might continue, with Caissie sitting against two of the three LHPs the Marlins have faced. But even though the Marlins are scheduled to face two more lefties in Week 2 (vs CIN, @DET), that still leaves five games against righties for Caissie, who is slashing .320/.357/.640 to open the season, with 2 HR, 4 R, 9 RBI, and 1 SB.
Just be careful if your league has a strikeout penalty -- Caissie had a 41% K% over a cup of coffee for the Cubs last season, and has a 32% K% in the early goings of 2026.
Jake McCarthy, COL, OF (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%) - If you're batting leadoff for Colorado, you might just be fantasy relevant, even if your name is Jake McCarthy. Colorado does have a home series against Houston before heading to San Diego for a four-game set, but do keep an eye on McCarthy's usage. He started and batted leadoff for Colorado's first five games, but a returning Tyler Freeman might squeeze his playing time more.
But probably not yet, as the Rockies are facing all right-handed starters in Week 2.
On the IL
- Lars Nootbaar, STL, OF (heel surgery - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups
Liam Hicks, MIA, C (Yahoo: 48%, ESPN: 46%) - The time to snag Hicks is almost over, but it looks like he's still hanging around in some leagues even after starting 2026 on absolute fire. Hicks has 3 HR, 7 R, and 12 RBI through his first seven games, helping lead the Marlins on an unexpected early roll. He'll have a good chance to keep things going in Week 2, with the Marlins looking at seven games (vs CIN, @DET) where the highest profile starter is Andrew Abbott.
Liam Hicks = Great ballplayer
THIRD HOME RUN OF THE SEASON pic.twitter.com/JLCacUtlYj
— SleeperMarlins (@SleeperMarlins) April 1, 2026
Francisco Alvarez, NYM, C (Yahoo: 32%, ESPN: 18%) - Slashing .286/.375/.762, with three home runs in the early goings, it's surprising Alvarez's Roster% hasn't jumped up higher. Catchers on good runs rarely last, so grab him now if you're on shaky catching ground. The Mets have a six-game homestand in Week 2 (vs ARI, vs ATH), with two left-handers, and a slew of guys who'll make you say, "wait, who?"
FORGET THAT!
FRANCISCO ALVAREZ BLASTS HIS SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT! pic.twitter.com/OBfLBJ0c2y
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026
Gabriel Moreno, ARI, C (Yahoo: 18%, ESPN: 33%) - He starts almost every day, rarely strikes out, and has a pulse-- sometimes that's all you need at catcher in point leagues. Moreno and the Diamondbacks get six games in Week 2 (@NYM, @ARI), with two left-handers scheduled.
On the IL
- Kyle Teel, CHW, C (strained hamstring - out until at least late-April)
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
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