Fantasy Baseball 1B/3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5 (2024)

April 21, 2024

Lauren's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for 1B and 3B for Week 5 of the 2024 season. Consider adding these free agent first basemen and third basemen.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our first base and third base fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 5 – April 22 through April 28. It's hard to believe the season's first month is almost over. April certainly hasn't been uneventful for MLB, with the many pitching injuries, the uniform fiasco proving all too real, and the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal. There hasn't been a dull moment.

Here's hoping May is a much more mundane month regarding injuries and off-the-field issues but an exciting one for offenses. Many of the usual suspects have gotten off to hot offensive starts already, with the Braves, Astros, Brewers, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks leading in the top 5 in batting average. But we're still waiting to see clubs like the Mariners, Reds, Phillies, and Blue Jays really take off.

Let's end April on a high note as we look to May, when the weather warms, the days lengthen, and teams begin to solidify their identities and confront the challenges of injuries and fatigue.

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Waiver Wire Pickups for Shallow Leagues (30-50% rostered)

Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles (43% rostered)

Every year, Ryan O'Hearn will go on a handful of stretches where he looks like the best slugger on the planet. This past week was one of those times. He hit a home run in three straight games, collecting seven hits and five RBI in total across his last seven games, culminating in a .250/.276/.607 slash line. His batted ball metrics also suggest this might not be just a hot stretch.

ryan o'hearn my goodness pic.twitter.com/jHg8v4KbkS

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 17, 2024

This is O'Hearn's second season with Baltimore. The 30-year-old spent five seasons in Kansas City, with whom the Orioles wrap up a three-game set on Sunday. He doesn't get at-bats against lefties, so O'Hearn sat against Royals southpaw Cole Ragans on Saturday, although it likely wouldn't have made a difference as Ragans lasted just 1 2/3 innings after allowing seven earned runs.

Jeimer Candelario, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds (47% rostered)

After missing multiple games with an illness this week, Jeimer Candelario and teammate Christian Encarnacion-Strand returned to the lineup on Saturday for the Reds. It's been a rough stretch for Candelario, who joined Cincinnati this offseason, so seeing his name here may seem strange. He's batting just .183 this year in 16 games, but I have some hope for Candelario. Before his illness, he broke through with a solo homer off of Mariners ace George Kirby in Seattle.

Solo shot for Jeimer Candelario!#Reds pic.twitter.com/kZ9rvJys8v

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) April 16, 2024

Plus, there's a reason he's still 47 percent rostered and why he was so highly coveted at the trade deadline and during the offseason. He had a career year between the Nationals and Cubs last year, putting up career-highs in homers (22) and RBI (70) and ending the season with a .807 OPS. He will face some tough pitching this week as a four-game set with the Phillies awaits, but be patient. The hits -- and the power -- will come.

Waiver Wire for Deeper Leagues (10-30% rostered)

Josh Smith, 3B/SS/OF, Texas Rangers (13% rostered)

Josh Smith has been filling in quite nicely for injured All-Star third baseman Josh Jung in Texas. Although still searching for his first home run, he's batting .304 on the year with 11 RBI and eight walks. He's added six hits in his last seven games, reaching base at a .400 clip.

However, he seldom starts against lefties, which is something to keep in mind moving forward. But the 2019 second-round selection entered the game as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday against the Tigers and came up clutch -- delivering the game-winning hit. The bottom line is that he's been an RBI machine lately, even picking up one on a check swing.

Josh Smith with a check swing RBI!

Just getting it done.
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/TqlkPH33Js

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) April 20, 2024

David Fry, C/1B/OF, Cleveland Guardians (10% rostered)

If I haven't convinced you by now to pick up David Fry, I am going to try my best to now. His Guardians are off to a hot start, and the 28-year-old is a large reason why. He hasn't slowed down yet, slugging .500 with a home run, four RBI, and two walks in his last seven games. He's hitting .333 and owns a .983 OPS in 12 games overall.

That number of games played is perhaps why his roster percentage is so low. Fry doesn't start every day, but he's making a case for why he should. He brings tremendous value to Cleveland's lineup -- he makes solid contact and hits well against lefties -- and can play multiple positions.

Never forget Ben Zobrist's 2009, 8.7 WAR, .948 OPS season in which he played 7 positions.

Now imagine a full year of David Fry playing every day. pic.twitter.com/EWokr194mg

— Andrew (Eli Morgan defender) (@andrewjmarks18) April 16, 2024

Deeper Waiver Wire Options to Consider (Under 10%)

Tyler Freeman, 2B/3B/SS/OF, Cleveland Guardians (5% rostered)

24-year-old Tyler Freeman, who made his debut in 2022, has been on a tear as of late. He hit a pair of homers this week against Boston and Oakland, respectively, and had five RBI and a walk. He has owned a .923 OPS over the last seven days and is due to face the same competition this upcoming week. Cleveland will finish their series with the A's on Sunday and then face the Red Sox at home for three games.

Tyler Freeman knocks in another for the Guards!#ForTheLand | @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/DFjKg32qvB

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 21, 2024

Freeman also mashes lefties, although he receives starts against righties, too, slowly playing his way into the Guardians' starting center fielder job. He's slugging .625 against southpaws with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, and two walks in 16 ABs. Like his teammate Fry, Freeman is also eligible for multiple positions on the diamond, bringing some versatility to your fantasy roster.

More Waiver Wire Pickups to Consider

• Gabriel Arias, 1B/3B/SS/OF, Cleveland Guardians (7% rostered)
• Connor Joe, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (35% rostered)

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