RADIO
Mike's starting pitcher (SP) fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of 2026 (April 13 - April 19). These are his top free-agent pitchers to add and stream.
Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the 2026 season (April 13 - April 19). 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.
I love looking at the waiver wire. Can you find a guy who really fits your team? I know we preach a message of patience often with our teams, but it should start to become clearer as we move into the season's third week what you might need to add.
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.
Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SPRING, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered between 30-50% on Yahoo!
Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee Brewers (49% rostered)
People are starting to wise up to Harrison, who has a great opportunity in Milwaukee. Grab Harrison while you still can. He has looked like he belongs as a central part of the Milwaukee rotation, with a win, a 1.93 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Look below. You can see Harrison has always had a good strikeout percentage on his four-seamer, but it is off the charts this year at 50%. It's not a velocity change; it's a location and command gain. Harrison could finally be breaking out in 2026.
Noah Cameron, Kansas City Royals (45% rostered)
It is early in his career, but Cameron strikes you as the type of pitcher who will continually outperform his peripheral statistics. He doesn't give up free passes; he has reduced his 7.7% BB% from 2o25 to 4.5% this season thus far. His next two starts draw the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees.
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals (45% rostered)
Lugo is a seasoned veteran who continues to give the Royals quality innings. Lugo is 1-1 with a 1.53 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in 17 innings. He pitched into the seventh inning in a start against the Chicago White Sox, taking a loss despite only surrendering two runs.
Lugo is worth adding if you need a back-of-the-rotation arm in the coming week or two. Lugo always seems to outpitch his peripheral statistics. At the very least, he is a good streamer in weeks where he has good matchups.
Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves (42% rostered)
Yes, I know that he is suspended, but he will not miss a start (dumb loophole in MLB). The veteran has looked good in the early going despite whispers of lower velocity this spring. He has a win in three starts with a 1.15 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts in 15 innings.
He makes his next start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, and I like that matchup for him. Lopez will be given plenty of room to figure himself out and look to continue his early season mastery.
Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Deeper Leagues
Recommendations for leagues of any size rostered in less than 30% on Yahoo!
Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians (30% rostered)
I was high on Cantillo this winter, mostly because several Cleveland folks I know were high on him. Digging under the hood, you can see why. In his last start, Cantillo pitched into the sixth inning, got a win, and struck out nine Kansas City Royals.
Take a look at his early Statcast data below from the 2026 season. That K% is outstanding, and he is limiting hard contact. He has been impressive in his first three starts, and I look for that to continue next week against the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals.
Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays (29% rostered)
Lauer is another guy who is often passed over on the waiver wire, and I would argue he should be rostered at a far higher rate. Players will look at Lauer's early results and skim right past him, but maybe you should not.
He did not have a great start on Saturday, giving up seven runs on five hits and five walks. His xERA is 2.84, and his strikeout percentage is 28.1%. Better days are coming for the lefty, as the Blue Jays really need him in their rotation at this time. A small bid on Sunday could net you a good starter.
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics (28% rostered)
Springs seems to always have a couple of stretches every season in which he gets good results. He is in one such stretch to start the season. He has won two of his three starts, posting a 1.47 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. He gets the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
Springs will not get a ton of strikeouts, but he will keep the ball in the park and limit damage each time he is out there. His changeup remains elite. He should continue to eat innings for the Athletics and remain one of their starting five in the rotation.
Landen Roupp, San Francisco Giants (16% rostered)
I have done some homework on Roupp and picked him up in many leagues, and I like what I see. He is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts in 16 innings. Roupp has pitched six innings in two of his three starts in 2026 thus far.
This is a blood-red Statcast page showing some early gains for Roupp in 2o25. What catches my eye is the 82.9 MPH exit velocity and his 31.8% K%. The 66.7% ground-ball percentage is 20 points higher than his career-best 46% last year. Grab Roupp for the back of your rotation.
Nick Martinez, Tampa Bay Rays (13% rostered)
Martinez will be featured in this piece a few times this year because fantasy players skim over him when they look for pitchers on the waiver wire. He is actually good much of the time. Martinez is left on the waiver wire often because he does not get many strikeouts.
But what Martinez does well is limit hard contact and the free passes; a miniscule 2.3% BB% through three starts for Tampa Bay. If you need a fifth or sixth starter in one of your leagues, Martinez could be one of your guys.
Other Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Options
Every week, we will give you four or five other lower-rostered pitchers you could also consider adding from the waiver wire in your league.
- Luis Gil, New York Yankees (14% rostered)
- Davis Martin, Chicago White Sox (14% rostered)
- Steven Matz, Tampa Bay Rays (7% rostered)
- Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros (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
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
