Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 2

April 8, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 2 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Cam Smith, Bryan Baker, Ryan O'Hearn, Liam Hicks, and Taj Bradley.

At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice and have updated our waiver wire rankings from Sunday to guide fantasy managers in leagues that allow daily moves.  Below, you will find our early-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 2 -- April 6  through April 12. Below you will find players such as Cam Smith, Jordan Walker, Gregory Soto, Riley O'Brien, Bryan Baker, Grant Holmes, and Brandon Marsh are ranked. This list covers the top 100 hitters and pitchers to add off the waiver wire. 

There are key performances, prospect promotions, and injuries to watch for this week. The Mets placed superstar outfielder Juan Soto on the injured list with a minor calf strain. Matthew Boyd landed on the IL with a left bicep strain, while the Astros placed Hunter Brown on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith continues to rake to start the season by slashing .297/.422/.595 over 11 games. Smith is on a seven-game hitting streak and has homered in two of his last three games. 

Stay on top of our weekly waiver wire rankings and turn on MLB news alerts in our free mobile app to stay ahead of the curve. Once you're done here, check out our fantasy baseball prospects articles for the latest names to stash and pick up.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups List

Since many fantasy baseball leagues have daily waiver-wire moves or multiple waiver-wire runs per week for adding players, this early-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the middle of the week before we reach Sunday. This article will guide you through our weekly ranking of the relevant waiver-wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size).

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top waiver wire names include Bryan Baker, Cam Smith, Liam Hicks, Taj Bradley, Ryan O'Hearn, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Bryan Baker, RP, Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker picked up his first save of 2026 on Monday, allowing a solo home run but striking out two in the ninth inning of his team's 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old has been sharp to open the year, recording six strikeouts while allowing just one hit and zero walks across his first four innings pitched.

With Rays reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, Tampa Bay right-hander Griffin Jax got the first crack at the team's closer role. However, Jax has struggled mightily so far in 2026, opening the door for Baker to get an opportunity. Across 211 2/3 career MLB innings, Baker owns just five total saves. However, he has struck out nearly 28% of the batters he's faced in the big leagues and recorded a stellar 24.1% K-BB rate in 2025. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Baker could be a player for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Ryan O'Hearn, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O'Hearn is off to a blazing start, helping the young Pirates team to a 6-3 start to the 2026 season. O'Hearn is batting in the middle of their lineup, and slashing .367/.459/.700 with three home runs, five runs scored, and 11 RBI to go along with six walks. O'Hearn has a clear path to everyday playing time and is a must-add in all formats.

Throughout most of his time in Baltimore with the Orioles, he was splitting time at first base, and with the Pirates this year, his path to everyday playing time is more secure than it ever has been, which should only benefit fantasy managers who picked him up in their drafts, especially in the counting stats department.

Under the hood, most of his metrics support the early-season breakout, with his xWOBA, xBA, and xSLG all in the 87th percentile or better. O'Hearn has always had average-to-above-average plate discipline, which should only help him in points leagues or formats that prioritize OBP. Regardless of the league scoring format, O'Hearn should be rostered and started across the board.

Taj Bradley, SP, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Taj Bradley has been fantastic through two starts this season, throwing 10 1/3 scoreless innings in two starts while giving up eight hits, one earned run, and four walks, and striking out 12 for a 0.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Bradley has shown significant upside throughout his first couple of seasons at the big-league level with the Tampa Bay Rays before being dealt to the Twins this past offseason.

The issue with Bradley has been the lack of consistency in stringing multiple outings together and providing any level of consistency over a long period of time. Heading into Week 3 of the fantasy season, Bradley is lined up for a two-start week against much stiffer competition, Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers and Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

With a two-start week, he works his way into the fantasy radar for Week 3. Fantasy managers should understand that with Bradley, there is some risk involved, but the upside you could get with strikeouts should be worth it during a two-start week.

Liam Hicks, OF, Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins left-handed-hitting catcher and first baseman Liam Hicks is off to a blazing-hot start to his 2026 campaign. Through 29 plate appearances, he's slashing .333/.414/.750 with three home runs, seven runs scored, and an NL-leading 12 RBI. Most of his underlying metrics support his early breakout, with xBA, xWOBA, and xSLG all ranking in the 97th percentile or better.

More impressively, his plate discipline has also been fantastic, only striking out at a four percent clip and whiffing 5.7 percent of the time. While the 26-year-old out of Arkansas State doesn't have the career longevity to back up his early breakout, Hicks has become a must-add option in all formats. In some leagues, such as ESPN, he even has first-base eligibility, making his value even more significant.

The one thing fantasy managers should be cautious of is whether Hicks starts against left-handed pitchers or becomes a strict platoon bat against right-handers. Regardless, his production so far this season is too good to pass up. Fantasy managers should look to roster him to see if he can continue this hot start.

Cam Smith, OF, Houston Astros

Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is off to a scorching start this season. He is slashing .297/.422/.595 with three home runs, six RBI, nine runs, and three stolen bases across nine games. The 23-year-old is currently on a seven-game hitting streak and has homered twice in the last three contests. His wOBA has increased from .298 to .399 compared to last season, while his hard-hit percentage has gone up from 40.8% to 47.8%, and his K% has decreased from 27.8% to 25%.

Smith is Houston's starting right fielder, and his hot start has kept his bat in a potent Astros lineup that includes Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, and Jose Altuve. He has moved to the No. 1 spot on the RotoBaller waiver wire rankings list for Week 2 and has become a must-add due to his hot start. Only rostered in 37% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, Smith should be a priority for fantasy managers searching for outfield help.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Closer/Reliever Waiver Wire Rankings

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Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players like Cam Smith, Taj Bradley, Ryan O'Hearn, Liam Hicks, Jordan Walker, Gregory Soto, Riley O'Brien, Bryan Baker, Grant Holmes, Brandon Marsh, Jake Burger, Colt Keith, Cole Young, Andres Gimenez, and Miguel Vargas. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Cam Smith, Taj Bradley, Ryan O'Hearn, Liam Hicks, Jordan Walker, Gregory Soto, Riley O'Brien, Bryan Baker, Grant Holmes, Brandon Marsh, Jake Burger, Colt Keith, Cole Young, Andres Gimenez, and Miguel Vargas.:

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