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Nicklaus Gaut's H2H points fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters in Week 3 (2026) - April 13 - April 19. Free-agent hitters to add in points leagues.
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our H2H points fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for hitters for Week 3 of the 2026 season. These fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups are for the week of April 13 - April 19, looking at players below ~50 percent rostered on ESPN or Yahoo points leagues.
We'll be doing this points league roundup every week here at RotoBaller because we know points players get neglected, and we're here to help. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform, so we'll highlight where players are the best and worst fits, with waiver-wire targets being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems on ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Fantrax, and NFBC.
Position eligibility is taken from Fantrax, and players are grouped by their most valuable fantasy position, using a hierarchy of C > 2B > OF > 3B > 1B > SS.
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Waiver Wire Caveats and APR Explanation
Roster% Thresholds
We use a combination of roster percentages to assess who is in our target pool, relying primarily on Yahoo and ESPN. For some players, you'll notice a wide discrepancy between the two. This is because ESPN's roster percentage is heavily weighted by points players, with guys who don't do well in their system (often because of an inflated strikeout rate) lagging behind the Yahoo! roster percentage.
For this reason, you'll sometimes see players (especially early) who might make you question my sanity in including them in a waiver-wire article, but don't worry, it's just a necessary glitch for coverage purposes.
APR stands for "Average Platform Rank" and is the average hitter rank between the four major point platforms: ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, and Fantrax. All player data is from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant, with injury information pulled from the Roster Resource section on the former.
Fantasy Baseball First Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Josh Bell, MIN, 1B (Yahoo: 25%, ESPN: 17%) - Do people not realize that Bell's profile has always made his value in point leagues dwarf that of roto? After starting the season by slashing .286/.390/.551, with a 14% BB%, Bell is now up to the #22 hitter in APR, and gets four left-handed starters in Week 3 (vs BOS, vs CIN)
Jake Burger, TEX, 1B (Yahoo: 24%, ESPN: 12%) - The meat man did positively nothing in Week 2, but has some favorable matchups this week, getting seven games (@ATH, @SEA), but with just two left-handers. It will be a tough trio in Seattle, but our guy might have some new tricks up his grill -- Burger has been experimenting with amber-colored contact lenses (even with 20/20 vision) to help brighten up the scene is some of the darker stadiums. Like Seattle, where Burger specifically referenced in relation to places he thought they would help.
Hello, waiter? I'd like my eyes medium-rare, please:
These red contact lenses are wild looking 😮
Jake Burger will be testing out amber contacts at darker ballparks this season to help brighten things up and see the ball better 👀 pic.twitter.com/uEo9VrSDkf
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
Miguel Vargas, CHW, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 30%) - Much like most of 2025, Vargas just can't get any respect. The former slapper has continued with the increased exit velocities from last season, while keeping his elite discipline, and is currently the #66 hitter by APR. Even better, he and his fellow Sox are set to face four left-handed starters in their six games (vs TB, @ATH), against whom Vargas is slashing .333/.467/.667 in the dawn of this season.
Luis Garcia Jr., WSH, 1B/2B (Yahoo: 52%, ESPN: 29%) - He might be gone from your waiver-wire by now, but double-check in case he's still hanging around, as Garcia's super points-friendly profile has served him well so far in 2026. Garcia has a near top-100 APR, but where he really shines is on platforms with a strikeout penalty -- he the #73 hitter on ESPN, and #96 on CBS, compared to #122 on Fantrax and #133 on Yahoo.
Garcia and his 11% K% get seven games in Week 3 (@PIT, vs SF), with only one coming vs a left-handed starter.
On the IL
- Andrew Vaughn, MIL, 1B (fractured hamate - 4 to 6 weeks)
- Triston Casas, BOS, 1B (knee surgery - no timetable)
- Carlos Santana, ARI, 1B (strained groin - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Second Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Max Muncy, ATH, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 48%, ESPN: 23%) - Clearly, tired of being called the "other Max Muncy", Muncy the younger just refuses to stop hitting, currently sitting with the #52 APR. But 37% K%'s don't tend to keep translating well to point leagues, and Muncy's #83 ranking on ESPN (-1 per K) is probably a harbinger of doom. But not yet! Muncy and the A's have seven games at their high-offense home stadium (vs TEX, vs CHW), and he should again take advantage of sub-par pitching.
Luis Garcia Jr., WSH, 1B/2B (Yahoo: 52%, ESPN: 29%) - See earlier analysis.
Cole Young, 2B, SEA (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 9%) - Cole, who? Young has locked down Seattle's second base job and is running with it, currently slashing .269/.345/.462, with 11 runs scored and a 142 wRC+. A .353 BABIP says this run probably has some correction coming, but sometimes playing time is the name of the game, and Young certainly has that covered, having started every game thus far for Seattle.
He'll face three teams in seven games in Week 3, sandwiching a series in San Diego, with four games against Houston (one game) and Texas at home.
Andres Gimenez, TOR, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 23%) - After taking a big step back in 2025, Gimenez has been back to giving us what we saw in 2023-24 with Cleveland, currently slashing .260/.314/.420, with a 13% K%. Maybe it's not the highs he gave us in a breakout 2022 campaign, but Gimenez's points profile remains strong, and he currently sits with a 65 APR for the season.
The Blue Jays have six games on the road this week (@MIL, @ARI), but with zero lefties on the starter books.
Chase Meidroth, CHW, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 5%) - Meidroth has been living in this space in 2026, but that's kind of what happens when you're on a team filled with mostly misfit toys that no one else really wants. He's set up well for a bounce-back in Week 3 after collecting just one hit in his last four games. The White Sox have six games scheduled against mostly mediocre pitching (vs TB, @ATH), with three of them coming at Sac Town's banger of an offensive environment, but four left-handed starters could be the real cherry on top for Chase.
On the IL
- Tommy Edman, 2B/OF (ankle surgery - out until at least May)
- Romy Gonzalez, BOS, 1B/2B (shoulder - no timetable)
- Gabriel Arias, CLE, 2B/SS (strained hamstring - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 49%%) - Eligible almost everywhere and with a top-50 APR, it's hard to believe Dubon is apparently still available in some leagues. Dubon has started off the season like a point player's fever dream, slashing .321/.345/.528, with a 16% K% and a pile of PAs, having started every game but one for the Braves. A spot in the bottom third of their order normally wouldn't do him any favors, but you know what does?
Having Ronald Acuna Jr., Drake Baldwin, and Matt Olson come up to bat when you get on base. This is likely the absolute last call for Dubon, and he'll get six games in Week 3 (vs MIA, @PHI).
Miguel Vargas, CHW, 1B/3B (Yahoo: 35%, ESPN: 30%) - See earlier analyis.
Max Muncy, ATH, 2B/3B (Yahoo: 48%, ESPN: 23%) - See earlier analysis.
On the IL
- Jordan Westburg, BAL, 3B (sprained elbow - out until at least May)
- Jordan Lawlar, ARI, 3B (fractured wrist - expected to miss 6-8 weeks)
- Royce Lewis, MIN, 3B (sprained knee - no timetable)
- Addison Barger, TOR, 3B/OF (sprained ankle - no timetable)
- Miles Mastrobuoni, SEA, 3B/OF (strained calf - rehab assignment)
Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Waiver Wire Pickups
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 49%%) - See earlier analysis.
Xander Bogaerts, SD, SS (Yahoo: 33%, ESPN: 19%) - Bogaerts is only slashing .224/.262/.362 over his first 61 PA, but still has a top-90 APR thanks to the plenty of counting stats and his classic elite discipline (10% K% in 2026). And let's be honest; a walk-off granny certainly doesn't hurt:
SLAM DIEGO MADNESS
XANDER BOGAERTS WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM 😤 pic.twitter.com/kKJ85kWnfP
— MLB (@MLB) April 10, 2026
Bogaerts will try to keep his redemption tour going with six games (vs SEA, @LAA) and two left-handers in Week 3.
Chase Meidroth, CHW, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 5%) - See earlier analysis.
Andres Gimenez, TOR, 2B/SS (Yahoo: 15%, ESPN: 23%) - See earlier analysis.
On the IL
- Anthony Volpe, NYY, SS (shoulder surgery - rehab assignment)
- Ha-Seong Kim, ATL, SS (hand surgery - out until at least early May)
Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Waiver Wire Pickups
Mickey Moniak, COL, OF (Yahoo: 16%, ESPN: 8%) - We always start our guys in Colorado, but in a week with nothing but right-handers, Moniak could be a play even with one of their series coming back closer to sea-level (@HOU, vs LAD). After going deep twice on Saturday (giving him five on the season), Moniak's Roster% is about to surge.
Two at-bats, two home runs for Mickey Moniak 😤 pic.twitter.com/thRnXDd9u9
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2026
Mauricio Dubon, ATL, 2B/3B/SS/OF (Yahoo: 44%, ESPN: 49%%) - See earlier analysis.
Daulton Varsho, TOR, OF (Yahoo: 37%, ESPN: 17%) - Varsho's slash-line mostly looks like a disaster (.213/.302/.404) in the early goings, but a .211 BABIP certainly hasn't helped things, and even with the ugly line, he's been near a top-100 hitter by APR (#105). And in leagues where there is a strikeout penalty, Varsho and his 13% K%, 11% BB%, are even more valuable.
Like on ESPN, where he's been the #79 hitter. Varsho and the Jays get six games in Week 3 (@MIL, @ARI), with none coming against the left-handed starters that tend to vex him.
Jorge Soler, LAA, OF (Yahoo: 28%, ESPN: 15%) - Okay, first for the elephant in the room. Soler is currently staring down a seven-game suspension following his brawl with Reynaldo Lopez. While he has appealed it, there is a good chance a big chunk of his week is about to get sliced away. But we can't just ignore the craziness of his early counting stats.
Soler may have a .222 AVG and 36% K%, but four home runs, 10 Runs, and 15 RBI in his first 15 games have made him a top-25(ish) hitter on every platform except ESPN (-1 per K). Soler is supposed to have seven games in Week 3 (@NYY, vs SD), but check the suspensions before making any moves.
Jesus Sanchez, MIA, OF (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 2%) - The Jesus has risen -- to the top-100 in APR. Sanchez has been mashing in his new digs up north, currently slashing .275/.341/.500 over his first 13 games. But the real juice in picking him up for Week 3 is in those lefty splits. As in, Sanchez is generally terrible against them, but the Blue Jays have nothing but righties on the schedule in six games on the road (@MIL, @ARI).
Jung Hoo Lee, SF, OF (Yahoo: 11%, ESPN: 36%) - Lee's line in 2026 (.200/.263/.340) has been far from what we got in 2025 (.266/.327/.407), but let's cool any debbie-downer showers for a slow April start. Lee is still showing off elite discipline (17% K%, 5.3% SwStr%), but a .220 BABIP isn't doing him any favors. Lee and the Giants have all right-handed starters in Week 3 (@CIN, @WSH), and a slate of mediocre pitching and a Cincinnati band-box could be just what the doctor ordered to get that points train moving again.
Cam Smith, HOU, OF (Yahoo: 55%, ESPN: 35%) - You probably already lost your chance to grab Smith on Yahoo, but he's still hanging around on other platforms, even after opening 2026 on an absolute heater. Smith is slashing .302/.393/.547, with three home runs, and gets seven games against the backends of some already poor rotations (vs COL, vs STL, one game @ SEA)
On the IL
- Lars Nootbaar, STL, OF (heel surgery - no timetable)
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyler Stephenson, CIN, C (Yahoo: 5%, ESPN: 2%) - Stephenson has little to show so far in 2026, outside of two home runs, but he still brings the most elusive of traits to the catcher waiver-wire table -- playing time. With backup, Jose Trevino, hitting the IL this week, all that stands between Stephenson and 20+ PA, is P.J. Higgins.
Add on, @Tyler_Step22‼️ pic.twitter.com/rmjp5Rc9xP
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 7, 2026
Ryan Jeffers, MIN, C (Yahoo: 9%, ESPN: 8%) -Lefty-crusher, thy name is Jeffers. We're only three weeks in, so obviously all the normal small-sample caveats apply; but do you know about Ryan Jeffers vs LHPs? Jeffers already has 24 PA vs LHP this season (22 PA vs RHP) and has gotten right back to the crushing business, slashing a ridiculous .316/.458/.579, with a .480 wOBA and 202 wRC+.
This isn't unusual; for his career, Jeffers has a .371 wOBA and 141 wRC+ when facing the wrong-handers. Why is this so relevant? Because the Twins are set to face four lefties in their six games at home (vs BOS, vs CIN), sillies!
Victor Caratini, MIN, (Yahoo: 2%, ESPN: 1%) - Wait a tick, Nick -- didn't you just recommend a Minnesota catcher? Surely, you can't be serious? Well, of course I'm not...I'm Nick! Carantini might be the backup catcher, but he spends a lot more time at first base and DH, already collecting 51 PA in the young season. And like his catching buddy, Jeffers, Victor is all about that lefty-crushing.
Okay, maybe make that "crushes lefties via getting on base a lot"? Caratini has a .379 OBP against them in the early goings, with a .303 xBA and .928 xOPS that far outstrip the cold reality of a .182 AVG and .606 OPS. Also like Jeffers, Caratini is set to face four left-handed starters in Week 3 (vs BOS, vs CIN).
On the IL
- Kyle Teel, CHW, C (strained hamstring - out until at least late-April)
- Alejandro Kirk, TOR, C (thumb surgery - expected to miss six weeks)
- Sean Murphy, ATL, C (hip surgery - rehab assignment)
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