FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Baseball Pickups to Target for Week 5 (April 27 - May 3)

April 25, 2026

Joey's FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bidding guide for Week 5 (April 27 - May 3). His recommended FAAB dollars to spend on waiver wire adds.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our Week 5 fantasy baseball FAAB waiver wire pickups for April 27th - May 3rd. For those not familiar with this weekly series, we dive 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.

For this week, there are a handful of players fantasy managers should be looking to spend big on. This list will feature 13 of the best waiver wire targets for this upcoming week. As a reminder, players rostered in 40% or fewer of Yahoo! leagues will only be featured down below.

So, let's look at the best waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters to Target

Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals

36% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you need a catcher

Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is the best waiver wire target at the position this week. He continues to play every day and has been a key part of Kansas City's offense recently. Jensen is slashing .327/.417/.654 with five home runs, two doubles, 10 runs scored, and 17 RBI across his last 16 games. The rookie also has five multi-hit games over the past seven contests.

Carter Jensen launches his sixth to get a run back. pic.twitter.com/Dfk1ZtCZQH

— Royals.TV (@kcroyalstv) April 22, 2026

The lefty slugger is really starting to establish himself as a top fantasy catcher. His power remains on display, and his metrics back up this recent stretch of games. Jensen ranks in the top 30% of the league in expected slugging (.477), barrel rate (14.6%), average exit velocity (91 mph), and bat speed (75 mph). That makes him a viable pickup in all formats.

Brayan Rocchio, 2B/SS, Cleveland Guardians

16% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2-5% 

Cleveland Guardians infielder Brayan Rocchio is a nice waiver target in some 12-team leagues heading into Week 5. He has been on another level at the plate across the past two weeks, hitting an absurd .428 (15-for-35) with two home runs, two doubles, nine RBI, and one stolen base since April 13. Those all-around numbers should firmly put Rocchio on fantasy radars.

While the switch-hitting shortstop won't contribute much in the home run department, he has the potential to carry a solid batting average with double-digit stolen bases. Rocchio has a .275 expected batting average to start the season, to go with a .346 xwOBA and a 51st percentile expected slugging (.398). Given how well he has hit the ball recently, the 25-year-old is worth a look in some formats.

Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers

26% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-8% 

The potential has always been there for Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung to be a fantasy star. That was on display in his rookie campaign in 2023 when he batted .266 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI across 122 games. But injuries have held back Jung from reaching his full potential in each of the past two seasons. Now that the 28-year-old is fully healthy again, he's becoming a consistent fantasy option once again.

Jung is batting .301 with three home runs, eight doubles, and 12 RBI in his first 23 games this season. He has 21 hits over his last 54 at-bats (.389 batting average) and has the hitting tools to continue this strong stretch into the summer months. The Rangers' third baseman ranks in the top 12% in expected batting average (.299), hard-hit rate (52.3%), and squared-up rate (31.8%). That's enough reason to pick him up in 12-plus team leagues.

Ildemaro Vargas, 1B/2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

32% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~7-10%

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas was on this exact list last week, but he deserves to be mentioned here again. Vargas has been the Diamondbacks' most consistent hitter all season and should be rostered in all 12-team leagues at the moment. The 10-year journeyman is batting .357 with five home runs, five doubles, one triple, and 16 RBI across 18 games this year.

Vargas is taking full advantage of his opportunities with both Carlos Santana and Pavin Smith currently on the 10-day injured list. He has a current 18-game hitting streak and has launched three home runs over the past three games. Considering the 34-year-old has a 100th percentile batting average (.369) and a 94th percentile expected slugging (.572), he's a must-roster add.

Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox

39% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5% 

Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas has been a bit inconsistent at the plate to start the 2026 season. He is batting only .209 with five home runs and 13 RBI in his first 25 games. But his recent offensive numbers and metrics make him a potential add in some 12-team leagues heading into Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season.

Vargas is 8-for-19 at the plate with three home runs, five RBI, and two stolen bases over the past four games. He continues to show up as a solid all-around fantasy contributor who has the potential to hit over 20 home runs and steal upward of 15 bases this season. The third baseman also has a 13.9% barrel rate, a 28.3 ft/sec sprint speed, and .478 expected slugging in the early going, making him a nice fantasy target off waivers.

Mickey Moniak, OF, Colorado Rockies

40% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~12-15%

Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak is the best waiver wire pickup this week. Since making his season debut on April 3, Moniak is slashing .315/.338/.712 with eight home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI, and one stolen base across 77 plate appearances. He has three home runs over his past five games and has been crushing the baseball early on.

Mickey Moniak rockets out his second homer of the game! pic.twitter.com/KS4BYcbTyc

— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2026

Therefore, fantasy managers should be looking to spend around 12-15% of their remaining FAAB on Moniak. His expected slugging (.502), barrel rate (13.2%), bat speed (73.9 mph), and sprint speed (28.3 ft/sec) all rank in the top half of the league, and this type of production is nothing new for the lefty slugger. The 27-year-old batted .270 with 24 home runs, 68 RBI, and nine stolen bases with the Rockies last year.

Leody Taveras, OF, Baltimore Orioles

4% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~2% (in deeper leagues)

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras has hit the ball well to start the 2026 campaign. He is batting .304 with two home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI, and one stolen base in 22 games and has found a spot in Baltimore's lineup almost every day. As a result, those fantasy managers in 15-plus team leagues should look to pick him up ahead of Week 5.

Taveras has shown to be a sneaky fantasy option in the past. He hit 14 home runs and stole 14 bases with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and then hit 12 homers and stole 23 bases with the same team in 2024. That's enough reason to add him in deeper leagues. The switch-hitting outfielder has an elite expected batting average (.294) and a top expected slugging (.503) early on.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers to Target

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

39% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~30-35%

If Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle is available in your fantasy league, he should be your No. 1 waiver wire pickup. The Red Sox called up Tolle to start against the New York Yankees on Thursday, and the southpaw threw six innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts in his first Major League start of the season. He had a 40.9% whiff rate and a 50% strikeout rate in that outing.

While there are some question marks about what the team will do with Tolle once Sonny Gray returns from the 15-day IL, there's no way the Red Sox will option him to Triple-A if he continues to pitch like this. Given Brayan Bello's recent struggles on the mound, the Red Sox rookie could have a spot in this rotation for the rest of the year. So, be ready to spend a lot of your FAAB on the 23-year-old.

Chase Dollander, SP, Colorado Rockies

18% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-12%

Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander has shown massive growth on the mound this season. He has a 2.88 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts across 25 innings as a bulk reliever. The 24-year-old has especially been lights out in his past two appearances, allowing only one run with 18 strikeouts in his last 11 1/3 innings.

Dollander has breakout written all over him for 2026. He ranks in the 75th percentile or better in expected ERA (2.81), expected batting average against (.188), whiff rate (30.3%), and strikeout rate (30.8%), and his four-seam fastball has been unhittable in the early going. Opposing hitters are batting .139 with a 30.5% whiff rate against Dollander's 99 mph fastball. That all makes the Rockies pitcher a top waiver wire target this week.

JR Ritchie, SP, Atlanta Braves

20% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-7%

The Atlanta Braves called up pitching prospect JR Ritchie earlier this week to start against the Washington Nationals. He then threw seven innings of two-run ball with five hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. That strong performance has earned Ritchie more starts in the big leagues, as Braves manager Walt Weiss said the rookie will remain with the team for now.

7 K's in 7 IP!

MLB's No. 79 prospect JR Ritchie mixes in his four-seamer with filthy offspeed stuff to twirl a quality start for the @Braves in his big league debut. pic.twitter.com/wnIV1UtthD

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 23, 2026

Therefore, Ritchie is worth a look in some leagues. He posted elite numbers down at Triple-A Gwinnett to start the season (0.99 ERA across 27 1/3 innings pitched) and has the potential to be a consistent force in Atlanta's rotation for the foreseeable future. The Braves' No. 2 overall prospect has a six-pitch mix that keeps hitters off balance.

Noah Schultz, SP, Chicago White Sox

40% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~5-10%

Chicago White Sox prospect Noah Schultz has made two career starts so far. He gave up three earned runs (four runs) with four walks and four strikeouts across 4 1/3 innings against the Rays in his MLB debut and then threw five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts against the Athletics in his most recent start. That outing against the Athletics is why fantasy managers should be picking him up.

Schultz has the potential to be a strong fantasy contributor in his rookie campaign. He looked comfortable in that start against the Athletics and has plenty of strikeout upside. It might be a small sample size, but the southpaw has a 2.58 expected ERA, a .183 expected batting average against, a 0% barrel rate, and a 30.4% hard-hit rate across his first two starts. That should get fantasy managers excited to pick him up.

Tanner Scott, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

45% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% 

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott is technically rostered in over 40% of Yahoo! leagues, so he's above the 40% threshold that we set earlier. However, I wanted to point him out in this week's edition after it was announced that Edwin Diaz will miss roughly three months due to an elbow injury. That opens up the door for Scott to earn more saves moving forward.

Louis Varland, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

33% rostered
FAAB Bid: ~10-15% if you really need saves 

The Toronto Blue Jays officially removed Jeff Hoffman as the team's closer before Friday's series opener against the Guardians. While general manager Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays will move to a closer-by-committee situation moving forward, it's hard not to see reliever Louis Varland getting a bunch of save opportunities in the short-term.

Varland has yet to allow a run across 13 innings pitched this season. He has a 41.3% strikeout rate, a 31.5% whiff rate, and a 29.2% hard-hit rate in his 12 appearances, and just earned his first save of the year in Toronto's 4-2 win on Tuesday after Hoffman loaded the bases in the ninth inning. If you need some saves in roto formats, he's a great target in all formats.

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