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Joey's FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bidding guide for Week 2 (April 6 - April 12). His recommended FAAB dollars to spend on waiver wire adds.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our Week 2 fantasy baseball FAAB waiver wire pickups for April 6th - April 12th. 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.
In this article, we will dive into the best waiver wire pickups for this upcoming week. This article will recommend 12 free agents to target and how much FAAB you should be spending on these waiver wire targets. Only players rostered in 45% or less of Yahoo! leagues will be considered for this list.
So, let's dive into the best waiver wire pickups heading into Week 2 of the fantasy baseball season.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters to Target
Liam Hicks, C, Miami Marlins
42% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you need a catcher
Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks is off to a strong start this season. He is currently batting .368 (7-for-19) with three home runs, 12 RBI, and one walk across his first six games. After an up-and-down rookie campaign in 2025, Hicks appears to be headed for a breakout season. His baseball savant page is all red, which includes a top xwOBA (.547), an elite expected batting average (.452), and a 99th percentile whiff rate (4%).
New Liam Hicks swing mechanics for this season, from a toe tap to a big leg kick.
As Hicks told MLB Network, he toyed with a leg kick last season, but couldn't get the timing right. Made it his goal in the offseason to figure it out.
Now pulling balls with way more authority 💪 pic.twitter.com/QRbueUiJbU
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) April 2, 2026
That’s why Hicks is a good pickup in all fantasy leagues. He’s playing every day and should keep a spot in Miami’s lineup through the 2026 season. The 26-year-old has been splitting time with Agustin Ramirez at both catcher and designated hitter. With his strong start, managers should consider spending about 15% of their remaining FAAB on the Marlins catcher.
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
29% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5%
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ryan O'Hearn is making a big impact on his new team. He is batting .381 with two home runs and seven RBI in his first six contests with the Pirates. It's not a surprise to see O'Hearn hitting the ball well when given consistent opportunities. Last year, the lefty slugger slashed .281/.366/.437 with 17 home runs, 63 RBI, and three stolen bases in an All-Star campaign.
Considering O'Hearn is set to see everyday playing time in Pittsburgh, he's worth a look in most 12-team leagues. He will hit upward of 15 home runs while hitting for a solid average and driving in over 60 runs. That's enough to grab him on the waiver wire for around 5% of your remaining FAAB. He's a safe pickup this week.
Andres Gimenez, 2B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays
32% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~8-10%
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez deserves some recognition for his early-season numbers. He is batting .346 with two home runs, seven RBI, and two stolen bases across his first few games. Following a poor 2025 campaign in which he batted just .210 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases, Gimenez is looking like the player he was in Cleveland.
Gimenez hit .251 with 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2023 and then batted .252 with nine home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2024. Given that the 27-year-old is off to an encouraging start, he is one of the better hitters to target on the waiver wire this week. He has real potential to hit around .250 with double-digit home runs and close to 30 stolen bases in 2026.
Brady House, 3B, Washington Nationals
8% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-5%
If you are looking for a deeper league pickup, Washington Nationals third baseman Brady House could be a sneaky waiver wire target. House was once a highly touted prospect and seems to finally be putting it all together. The 22-year-old is batting .346 with one home run and three RBI in his first seven contests this season.
It's been impressive to watch House's approach at the plate so far. His bat speed is up 1.3 mph from last year, and he's been hitting the ball harder in the early going. As a result, the Nationals' third baseman is worth a look in 15-team leagues. He could maintain a high batting average throughout the year while contributing double-digit home run numbers. House hit 19 home runs in his last full Minor League season in 2024.
Joey Wiemer, OF, Washington Nationals
35% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-7%
At this point, Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Wiemer should be added in most leagues. There has been no hotter hitter in baseball than Wiemer to begin the 2026 season. He is slashing .500/.682/.1.059 with two home runs, four RBI, and seven runs scored in five games played. While fantasy managers should expect some regression from him eventually, ride with him until the wheels fall off.
joey wiemerrrrrrr pic.twitter.com/8NMkUQKGaO
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 29, 2026
Although Wiemer only totaled 61 plate appearances with the Marlins last year, his metrics in that limited sample size suggested that a solid all-around season could be in store if the outfielder got consistent reps. The 27-year-old had a 14.7% barrel rate, a 61.8% hard-hit rate, and a 38.2% launch angle sweet-spot rate. Those metrics have now continued into 2026, as Wiemer is still hitting the ball hard. So, take a chance on him if he is still available.
Owen Caissie, OF, Miami Marlins
25% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~12-15%
The tools have always been there for Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie. He hit .278 with 19 home runs and 75 RBI in Triple-A in 2024 and batted .286 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI in another season at Triple-A in 2025. Now, Caissie is finally getting consistent playing time in the big leagues and continues to show signs of a breakout season in 2026.
The Marlins' No. 3 prospect is hitting .348 with two home runs, nine RBI, and one stolen base to begin the year. Caissie has appeared in all seven of Miami's games and has displayed an elite barrel rate (20%), a top launch angle sweet spot (53.3%), and an above-average expected slugging (.554). That makes him the best waiver wire hitter target of the week. Spending around 12-15% of your FAAB makes the most sense to acquire him.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers to Target
Randy Vasquez, SP, San Diego Padres
30% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~8-12%
San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Vasquez looked like a completely new pitcher in his first start of the season last week. He tossed six shutout innings with two hits, three walks, and eight strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. He induced 13 whiffs in that outing, and his fastball velocity was noticeably up. After averaging just 93.3 mph on his fastball in 2025, Vasquez averaged 95.2 mph on his fastball last week against the Tigers.
That added velocity on the mound makes Vasquez a potential breakout pitcher in 2026. With a seven-pitch mix and a fastball that now tops out at almost 98 mph, the Padres pitcher is a must-add. It'll be interesting to see how he fares in his next start against the Red Sox on Saturday, but he's a top pitcher to add in most 12-team leagues either way.
Taj Bradley, SP, Minnesota Twins
40% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-10%
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley is another pitcher with added velocity in the early going. Bradley topped out at 100 mph in his most recent start against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. The 25-year-old threw six scoreless innings with five hits, one walk, and three strikeouts in that outing and averaged 97.2 mph on his four-seam fastball.
Bradley hasn't quite lived up to his potential so far in his career, but this could be the year that everything comes together. His velocity is up one mph from last year, and both his cutter and splitter have been big for him through his first two starts. His cutter has a 33% whiff rate to go with a 27.3% putaway rate, while his splitter has been his go-to pitch against left-handed batters with a 52.9% whiff rate. That's enough to add him in some leagues.
Lance McCullers Jr., SP, Houston Astros
29% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-12%
The stuff has never been a problem for Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. He has a career 3.68 ERA and has had multiple strong seasons on the mound. His best pitching season came in 2021, when he finished with a 3.16 ERA and 185 strikeouts across 162 1/3 innings. However, McCullers just hasn't been able to stay healthy in recent years, as he has thrown just 110 innings since the start of the 2022 season.
Lance McCullers, 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/AlUVep9NWG
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2026
Still, McCullers is one of the best waiver wire targets this weekend. As long as the right-hander is healthy and continuing to start games, he will be a valuable fantasy asset. In his first start of the season, the former All-Star threw seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Red Sox. So, don't overlook him in your league because of his injury history. He's a top fantasy pitcher when on the mound.
Eric Lauer, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
31% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-5%
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer posted solid numbers as a starter last season. He had a 3.77 ERA and 74 strikeouts across 74 innings pitched in that starter role. Although the southpaw was expected to operate in Toronto's bullpen to begin the 2026 season, injuries to Cody Ponce, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage pushed Lauer into a starter role.
Lauer then picked up where he left off last year, throwing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Athletics on March 29. While the left-hander will eventually be replaced once Bieber, Berrios, and Yesavage are healthy again, he's a nice short-term pickup. He has some nice matchups upcoming with expected starts against the White Sox (Sunday), Twins, Diamondbacks, and Angels over the next three weeks.
Gregory Soto, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
11% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you need saves
The closer role for the Pittsburgh Pirates seems to belong to left-hander Gregory Soto at this point in the season. He was set to close out Tuesday's game before the Pirates scored two runs in the ninth, was warming up to save Wednesday's game before the Pirates scored four runs in the ninth, and then finally saved Friday's game against the Orioles.
Therefore, Soto is a top add if you need some saves. He appears to be the preferred closer option for the Pirates early in the year, and the hard-throwing left-hander has looked dominant on the mound. The 31-year-old has allowed just one run on two hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings of work. Be ready to spend your FAAB on the Pirates reliever in your league.
Paul Sewald, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
45% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~12-15% if you need saves
The Arizona Diamondbacks' closer job belongs to veteran Paul Sewald in the early going. He has secured two of Arizona's three save opportunities to start the season, and the only reason he didn't close out the third game was because he already pitched on back-to-back games. That makes Sewald the best relief pitcher target on the waiver wire this weekend.
Sewald has thrown 2 1/3 scoreless innings with no hits allowed, no walks issued, and four strikeouts across three appearances. He is one of the few closers available in most fantasy leagues who is locked into a closer job on a good team.
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