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Joey's fantasy baseball buys and sells for MLB players currently on hot streaks. He looks at potential fantasy baseball frauds for Week 3 of the 2025 season.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly fantasy baseball frauds and buys/sells article. Each week, we go through several players currently on hot streaks. Then, we'll determine if we should be buying or selling these players heading into the following week. For the sake of this article, we won't list players who were on last week's edition.
That means fantasy managers won't see Jung Hoo Lee, Ben Rice, or Kris Bubic on this list. Even though those three players aren't listed here, they are all buys heading into Week 3 and shouldn't be on any waiver wires. With six new players featured on this week's list, some of these hitters/pitchers could be long-term answers for your fantasy team.
So, should fantasy managers be buying or selling these players coming off a strong week? Let's dive in and find out why we should buy some of these players.
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Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers
Rostered 65% of Yahoo! leagues
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung was always a sleeper pick in the later rounds of fantasy baseball drafts. Although he missed the majority of the 2024 season due to a fractured wrist, it was just two years ago that he had an all-around strong rookie campaign. Jung hit .266 with 23 home runs, 25 doubles, and 70 RBI in 2023 while earning an All-Star selection and finishing fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.
As a result, the potential was always there for Jung to be a solid fantasy option in 2025. That has surely been the case in the early going. Despite spending some time on the injured list due to a neck injury, the 27-year-old has looked fantastic at the plate in his first seven games. He is 11-for-27 with one home run and six RBI.
Josh Jung's first tank of the season ties the game 💪 pic.twitter.com/OpIT8OLC3d
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2025
That makes Jung a strong buy at this point in the season. The third baseman has had four multi-hit games this year, and his early-season numbers on Baseball Savant should give fantasy managers confidence in rostering him moving forward. His expected slugging (.671), barrel rate (15 percent), and squared-up rate (41.9 percent) all currently rank toward the top of the sport.
Hayden Wesneski, RP/SP, Houston Astros
Rostered 36% of Yahoo! leagues
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Houston Astros this offseason in the blockbuster trade involving outfielder Kyle Tucker. The move from Chicago to Houston would give the right-hander a prime opportunity to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career. Wesneski only started seven games for the Cubs in 2024.
In his first three starts with the team, the Astros are definitely excited about his potential in their rotation. Wesneski delivered seven innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts against the Mariners last Monday and then struck out 10 batters across six innings of three-run ball against the Angels on Sunday. With those two strong performances, fantasy managers could be looking to pick him up off the waiver wire.
Opposing hitters have only a .181 expected batting average against him through his first three starts, and Wesneski's sweeper continues to be a lethal pitch for him. However, the right-hander won't be pitching against the Mariners and Angels all season. Given that a matchup against the Padres is upcoming in Week 3, he is a sell for now.
Sean Murphy, C, Atlanta Braves
Rostered 34% of Yahoo! leagues
Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy made his season debut last week after missing the first nine games due to a fractured rib. The Braves were definitely happy to get him back, as the 30-year-old immediately made his mark in that Atlanta lineup. He hit a home run and drove in four runs in his first game back on April 8 and then launched two more home runs on Saturday against the Rays.
Sean Murphy returns with a home run to lift the @Braves to a win. pic.twitter.com/ewNg6ezKQU
— MLB (@MLB) April 9, 2025
Although Murphy's sample size is small, let's not forget what he did during the 2023 season. He hit .251 with 21 home runs, 21 doubles, and 68 RBI in 108 games. If he can return to being that type of hitter this season, then he is certainly worth buying, in most formats. He has looked solid offensively and should see most of the starts behind the dish.
With Travis d'Arnaud leaving in the offseason, the veteran won't have to split time at catcher this season. While he will see his frequent off days, there might not be a catcher with more power than Murphy on the waiver wire. So, he's a solid buy heading into Week 3, with the hopes that he can return to his 2023 form.
Wilmer Flores, 1B, San Francisco Giants
Rostered 31% of Yahoo! leagues
San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores has been one of the best hitters in baseball to start the season. His six home runs are tied for the league lead, and his 19 RBI ranks second only behind Aaron Judge's 20. As a result, Flores' ownership rate continues to climb in all formats.
Now, things will eventually even out for Flores as the year goes on. He has only hit over 20 home runs once in a season in his career (2023), and both his average exit velocity (87.2 mph) and hard-hit rate (30.2 percent) rank extremely poorly through the first 15 games. However, fantasy managers should pick him up while he's hot.
The 33-year-old could be a nice addition to your fantasy team and help you in your head-to-head matchups in Week 3. If you are looking for a long-term player on your waiver wire, though, Flores will not be that answer. He has never been known as a strong fantasy option, and the veteran won't keep up this hot streak for the entire year.
Cam Smith, 3B/OF, Houston Astros
Rostered 27% of Yahoo! leagues
It was only a matter of time until Houston Astros' top prospect, Cam Smith, started to break through offensively. After going 2-for-18 in his first six games, Smith has looked a lot more comfortable at the plate. The 22-year-old is 6-for-17 (.352 AVG) with one triple, one home run, five RBI, and one stolen base across his last five games.
Cam gets us on the board!#TheNextFrontier pic.twitter.com/BV54PgM1NH
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 13, 2025
It is a small sample size for Smith, but there are some encouraging signs from the rookie in the early going. His hard-hit rate (52.4 percent), bat speed (74.5 mph), and chase rate (20.7 percent) all rank in the 80th percentile or better to begin the season, and the young outfielder does have the potential to be a solid fantasy option in his first season.
As a result, Smith is someone fantasy managers should be keeping a close eye on. While he might not be a total buy in all formats right now, that could definitely change in the coming weeks. He has done a better job at the plate over the past week, and this is a player who hit .342 with four home runs and 11 RBI across 38 at-bats during spring training.
That makes the 22-year-old a buy in some deeper 12-team leagues.
Easton Lucas, RP/SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Rostered 19% of Yahoo! leagues
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Easton Lucas has looked fantastic in his first two career starts. The left-hander threw five scoreless innings with three strikeouts against the Nationals in his first start on April 2 and then followed up that performance by delivering five 1/3 shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Red Sox on April 8.
Lucas' start to the season has been fantastic. He has allowed zero runs across 10 1/3 innings pitched while carrying a 0.67 WHIP. No one really saw this coming from the southpaw, considering he gave up 20 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings pitched (9.82 ERA) in his first two major league seasons and didn't look great this past spring during his four appearances.
However, fantasy managers should be riding with him until the wheels fall off. He has a two-start week against the Braves and the Mariners, and both offenses have struggled in the early going. With an expected 1.87 ERA and a 28.9 percent strikeout rate in his first two starts this season, he is a buy in fantasy right now.
Other Standout Performers
- Zach McKinstry (sell)
- Chase Meidroth (sell)
- Jackson Jobe (buy)
- Trevor Story (buy)
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