RADIO
Joey's FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bidding guide for Week 3 (April 13 - April 19). His recommended FAAB dollars to spend on waiver wire adds.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our Week 3 fantasy baseball FAAB waiver wire pickups for April 13th - April 19th. 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.
This article will highlight 13 players who fantasy managers should be looking to pick up in leagues. We will only go through players rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo! leagues. That means players like Cam Smith, Jordan Walker, Jack Leiter, and Lucas Erceg will not be featured on this list. If one of those four players is available in your league, though, they are all must-adds.
So, let's dive into the best waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the fantasy season.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball draft kit
- Fantasy baseball rankings
- Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
- Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
- Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy baseball prospects
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters to Target
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals
26% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you need a catcher
Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is coming off a strong week at the plate. He has gone 6-for-19 with three home runs, five RBI, and two walks over his last six games and continues to see consistent plate appearances in this Kansas City lineup. Jensen has started four of the past five games for the Royals while rotating between catcher and designated hitter.
Carter Jensen homers in back-to-back days! pic.twitter.com/VKLQQtaTd5
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 7, 2026
Although the rookie is hitting only .229 to begin the season, Jensen's metrics suggest better days are ahead. He ranks in the upper half of the league in expected slugging (.425), average exit velocity (92.3 mph), barrel rate (15%), hard-hit rate (50%), and bat speed (74.7 mph). This is a catcher who has massive power at the plate. That's why he is a top hitter add ahead of Week 3.
Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins
19% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-5%
It's hard to ignore Minnesota Twins first baseman Josh Bell's start to the season. He is currently hitting .289 with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 10 RBI across his first 14 games. While Bell won't contribute anything in the stolen base department, he has been a fantastic source of batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored in the early going.
So, he's worth a look in some 12-plus team leagues. The inevitable regression will come Bell's way eventually, but fantasy managers should ride with him for the time being. His strong numbers will at least last for a little longer, as his xwOBA (.386), expected batting average (.274), hard-hit rate (53.6%), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (53.6%) all rank in the 75th percentile or better.
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Atlanta Braves
36% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-4%
Atlanta Braves utility specialist Mauricio Dubon has taken advantage of his opportunities in the early going. He is currently batting .347 with two home runs, nine RBI, and eight runs scored in his first 13 games. With Ha-Seong Kim beginning the season on the injured list, Dubon has been Atlanta's primary shortstop across the first two weeks.
Dubon's hot start makes him a potential waiver wire target in 12-team leagues. He has been hitting fastballs extremely well early on (.474 batting average) and has the chance to keep this up. The 31-year-old has a 10.8% barrel rate, a .433 expected slugging, and a 39.1% squared-up rate. Considering Kim is not expected to be ready until May/June, Dubon will start almost every day.
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
27% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-8%
Fantasy managers should be intrigued by Colt Keith's strong numbers to start 2026. Keith is slashing .364/.404/.500 with six doubles and three RBI across 13 games and appears to be headed for a breakout campaign. As a result, fantasy managers should be looking to pick up Keith in most 12-team leagues ahead of Week 3.
Keith has shown massive improvements at the plate in the early going. His chase rate is down, his walk rate is up, and he's hitting the ball better than anyone on the Tigers so far. The 24-year-old ranks in the 94th percentile in expected batting average (.313), 92nd percentile in expected slugging (.534), 98th percentile in average exit velocity (95.5 mph), and 96th percentile in hard-hit rate (60%).
Max Muncy, 2B/SS/3B, Athletics
48% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%
Athletics infielder Max Muncy has absolutely been lacing the ball this season. He is hitting .314 with two home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base in his first 52 plate appearances, and there has been no stopping the young hitter. With a baseball savant page that is bright red, Muncy is a top waiver wire target in all leagues this week.
Like Keith, the 23-year-old is showing massive signs of a breakout season in 2026. Both his average exit velocity (95.5 mph) and hard-hit rate (67.7%) rank in the 98th percentile, and his expected slugging (.515), barrel rate (16.1%), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (48.4%) all rank in the top 12% of the league. So, be ready to spend around 7-10% of your remaining FAAB to get Muncy on waivers.
Owen Caissie, OF, Miami Marlins
26% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%
Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie was on this exact waiver wire list last week. However, he deserves to be on this list again this week following a big-time performance on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Caissie went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI in that game and is a top hitter target on waivers before Week 3.
BIG RED!
Owen Caissie launches his 2nd HR of the season.
Marlins trail 4-2. pic.twitter.com/SpzsIxBnsk
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) April 3, 2026
The biggest concern with Caissie's fantasy value right now is the fact that he might not see many starts against left-handed pitchers. The young hitter sat out games on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with a southpaw on the mound. Still, he should be rostered in more leagues. Both his barrel rate (27.3%) and expected slugging (.599) rank in the 99th percentile.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers to Target
Jeffrey Springs, SP, Athletics
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5%
Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs has pitched lights out in his two most recent outings. He tossed six strong innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts against the Astros last Friday and then threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts against the Yankees on Thursday. Those two performances put Springs on the waiver wire list in 12-team leagues.
There isn't a noticeable difference in Springs' pitch mix this season compared to last season. But he continues to allow soft contact, and his changeup has been a game-changer for him so far. Given how he has looked on the mound in his last two starts, the southpaw is worth a look in some leagues. Just be wary of starting him at home, as he had a 4.81 ERA at Sutter Health Park in 2025 compared to a 3.45 ERA on the road.
Parker Messick, SP, Cleveland Guardians
48% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick posted solid numbers in his first taste of the big leagues last year. He had a 2.72 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 39 2/3 innings pitched. The left-hander has now carried that momentum into the 2026 season, as he has allowed just one earned run in 11 innings pitched in his first two starts.
For that reason, Messick should be a waiver wire priority heading into Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season. His chase rate (34.7%), whiff rate (29.9%), strikeout rate (27.5%), walk rate (7.5%), and barrel rate (3.8%) all rank well in the early going, and he held his own against two top offenses in the Dodgers and Cubs in his two starts. The southpaw has plenty of fantasy upside in his first full year in the big leagues.
Joey Cantillo, RP/SP, Cleveland Guardians
29% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7%
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo was impressive in his most recent start against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. He tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball with two walks and nine strikeouts, marking his second straight outing of completing at least five innings and allowing one run or fewer. That firmly puts Cantillo as an add in 12-plus team leagues.
Cleveland Guardians' starting pitcher Joey Cantillo had the changeup working against the Royals, leading to a 38.9% swinging-strike rate. He continues to throw a harder changeup (+1.6 mph), losing 3 inches of downward movement. That’s similar to Cantillo’s changeup velocity and… pic.twitter.com/MaK4wCzXE6
— Corbin (@corbin_young21) April 9, 2026
There were question marks about whether the southpaw would make the Guardians' Opening Day roster. He is now throwing the ball well, and his stuff has played well in the early going. Cantillo has a 33.3% strikeout rate, a 27.3% hard-hit rate, and opposing hitters have an expected .175 ERA against him across his three starts this year. So, look to pick him up ahead of Week 3.
Kyle Harrison, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
39% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5%
If we know anything about the Milwaukee Brewers, it's that they can fix any pitcher. While it's too early to say that the Brewers have already fixed left-hander Kyle Harrison, Harrison has shown a lot of encouraging things in his first two starts with the team. He threw five innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts across the Rays on March 30 and allowed two runs with six strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings against the Royals last Sunday.
Therefore, Harrison is worth an add in some 12-team leagues. His whiff rate (28.1%) and strikeout rate (34.1%) are both up from last year, and his four-seam fastball has been almost unhittable in the early going. He has a whopping 34.6% whiff rate to go with a 28.9% putaway rate on his fastball. The signs are there for the southpaw to be a consistent pitcher in 2026.
Seranthony Dominguez, RP, Chicago White Sox
43% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~8% if you need saves
It's clear through the first two weeks that Seranthony Dominguez is the Chicago White Sox closer. He has converted each of his past two save opportunities for the White Sox and looked sharp in both of those relief appearances. He has struck out three batters while allowing one hit and two walks in his last two innings of work.
So, add Dominguez if you need some saves on your fantasy team. The 31-year-old will get the majority of save opportunities for the White Sox, and his 22.7% strikeout rate ranks around league average right now. The only concern with Dominguez is the fact that he is the closer on a team that might not win many games. Still, he's an add in some formats.
Riley O'Brien, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
47% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~15-20% if you need saves
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien is the best reliever to target in all fantasy leagues heading into Week 3. Not only has O'Brien allowed no runs across 8 1/3 innings to begin the year, but the right-hander has emerged as the Cardinals' closer. He has pitched the ninth inning in each of his last six appearances out of the bullpen.
That's enough reason to bid big on O'Brien in all fantasy formats. He has converted all four of his save opportunities so far and appears to be St. Louis' go-to closer for the foreseeable future. The 31-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile or better in expected ERA (1.55), average exit velocity (79 mph), walk rate (0%), and hard-hit rate (16.7%). He projects well for the rest of the season.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitcher To Stash
Didier Fuentes, SP, Atlanta Braves
16% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%
Fantasy managers should start to think about stashing Didier Fuentes in all leagues. Fuentes started the season in the Atlanta Braves bullpen, where he allowed one run across four innings pitched in one relief appearance. But the Braves decided to option the 20-year-old down to Triple-A to build back up as a starter.
In his two starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, Fuentes has allowed zero runs across 9 2/3 innings to go with three hits, five walks, and 15 strikeouts. Although there is no clear timeline on when the Braves will call up the right-hander, he's worth stashing on your bench for the time being. Fuentes threw six shutout innings with eight strikeouts in his most recent Triple-A start on Wednesday.
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!
