Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 2)

April 5, 2026

Jarod's hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers, and risers to watch for Week 2 of 2026. His list includes waiver wire outlooks and underachieving hitters.

Welcome back to my first Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 2 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, stolen bases, and isolated power (ISO).

We're limited to just one week of data for this one, so trends may not be very strong yet, but we'll take a look nonetheless to see if there are some worthwhile waiver pickups or DFS plays. This week, we'll check in on some hot names like Daylen Lile, Giancarlo Stanton, and Ivan Herrera.

Note that when we talk about availability or position eligibility here, we're referring to players' rostership in Yahoo! leagues. So, who should fantasy managers consider grabbing off the waiver wire after the first week of the season, or even plug into their DFS lineup in the coming week? Let's check it out below!

Hit Streak Leaders

Data through 4/1

Daylen Lile (six games)

Daylen Lile appeared in a few of my Breakout Watch articles late last season and was a popular sleeper pick for 2026 fantasy drafts, and so far, he's making good on that. The former second-round draft pick has hit safely in each of his first six games of the season, with multiple hits in each of his last four, now 11-for-27 (.407) in the early going.

Three of his hits have been doubles, and although he hadn't displayed much power in the minors, the left-handed slugger blasted six home runs in September alone last year (along with three doubles and SEVEN triples), so perhaps he's growing into it. The 23-year-old hasn't stolen a base yet this year, but that is part of his profile as well. He's still only rostered in less than 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but he's a worthy add in most leagues.

Chandler Simpson (six games) 

Chandler Simpson won't hit for power, but the 25-year-old has four multi-hit games in his first six contests, going 10-for-21 (.476) with a triple and a 2:2 BB:K. With a history of strong contact and batting average, including just a 9.8 percent K% and a .295 AVG in 109 games last season, it's not a total surprise that he's hitting well to begin the year.

He does not have a history of drawing many walks, though, and if he continues to walk at a decent rate, his stolen base numbers will surely benefit. The speedster has two steals thus far, but there are plenty more in store. I took him to rack up 70 steals in my 7 Bold Predictions Article, and if he continues to get on base, it won't be all that bold after all. He can still be had in 30 percent of leagues.

Xavier Edwards (six games) 

Xavier Edwards has logged at least one hit in each of his first six games as well, but he's also scored one run in each of those contests, too. The switch-hitter is now 9-for-22 (.409), although just one hit has gone for extra bases and has yet to knock in a run.

Even so, the 26-year-old is always a threat to steal, with one so far in 2026 and at least 27 in each of the last two seasons. At 87 percent rostered, you won't find him on the waiver wire in many leagues, but he could be a solid DFS option while he's hot and scoring runs (and potentially stealing bases) or a viable trade target. The former 38th-overall draft pick is eligible at both 2B and SS.

Cole Young (six games) 

Cole Young went hitless on Opening Day, but since then, the former first-round draft pick has collected at least one hit in six straight games. Five of six were one-hit games, but he's got some pop, with two doubles and one home run mixed in there, along with four runs scored and four RBI.

Right now, the 22-year-old is hitting near the bottom of the order, which dampens his fantasy value, but that will change if he continues to hit. He's known for having excellent bat-to-ball skills, so don't be surprised to see him continue to have success at the major league level. The left-handed slugger is still available in most leagues, so he is a viable waiver add for managers looking for help at 2B.

Kazuma Okamoto (six games) 

Kazuma Okamoto began the season as an AL Rookie of the Year favorite and has made a solid first impression with hits in each of his first six games. Only one was a multi-hit contest, now 7-for-24 (.292), but he does have two home runs, and he should be a steady source of RBIs while hitting in the middle of the Jays' lineup.

A 40.7 percent strikeout rate is a little concerning, but he never had worse than a 21.0 percent rate during his eight-year run in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), so hopefully that will normalize.

Giancarlo Stanton (five games) 

Giancarlo Stanton is picking up where he left off last year, not only hitting for power, but for average, too. The veteran hit .273 in 2025 after a few years where he hit no better than .233, and he also sent 24 balls over the wall in just 77 games.

Oh G.

112.8 mph RBI-double 💪 pic.twitter.com/1s2muGRija

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 1, 2026

The 36-year-old has multiple hits in each of his first five games, going 10-for-20 (.500) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. The 6-foot-5 slugger is already looking like he's going to return a ton of value in 2026 after regularly being drafted well after pick 200; he just needs to stay healthy. Hopefully, being limited to DH duties only will help him achieve that. Stanton is available in nearly 40 percent of leagues.

Highest Batting Average Last Seven Days

Data through 4/1, minimum 13 at-bats

Joey Wiemer (.588 BA)

Joey Wiemer was a career .205 hitter prior to the start of 2026, but he has gotten off to a blistering start to the season. The right-handed hitter is 10-for-17 (.588) over his first five games, with two home runs, four RBI, seven runs scored, and an impressive 5:4 BB:K.

The 6-foot-4 slugger proved useful for fantasy back in 2023, smacking 12 home runs in the first half, with six of them coming in the month of June alone, along with 16 RBI and 14 runs scored. He even totaled 11 steals in the first half, too. So there is some precedent for his current performance.

Joey Wiemer has reached base safely in each of his first TEN plate appearances in 2026!

He ties Carlos Delgado (2002) for the longest streak to start a season in the last 75 years! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/S1lUnuotVm

— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2026

There is bound to be regression, though, so ride the hot hand while you can. The 27-year-old is rostered in just over 30 percent of leagues, so managers looking for a hot outfield bat have a good chance to find him on the wire.

Kyle Isbel (.571 BA)

Kyle Isbel is fresh off a four-hit game, now 8-for-14 (.571) on the young season, with four RBI and four runs scored. What's more is the former third-rounder with 61st-percentile speed has three steals already after swiping four all of last season in 135 games.

Like Wiemer, though, he's bound to cool off. Until then, however, the 29-year-old is available in almost 90 percent of leagues.

Highest ISO Last Seven Days

Data through 4/1, minimum 13 at-bats

Liam Hicks (.667 ISO)

Liam Hicks has three home runs in his first five games after hitting six all of 2025 in 119 games. The left-handed hitter is 7-for-15 (.467) overall and has already accumulated a stunning 12 RBI and six runs scored. The ability to put the bat on the ball is not all that out of the ordinary, as he produced a well-above-average 14.4 percent strikeout rate and 87.0 percent contact rate in 119 games last season.

I had Hicks in my Arizona Fall League Risers article back in 2024 after a strong showing, and granted, it's a hitter-friendly league, but mixed in there was a six-hit game, which doesn't happen every day.

The 26-year-old isn't going to stay this hot all season, but he has the bat to keep on hitting well, even if the power stroke doesn't stick around. He's worth a look in most leagues for managers in need of catching help, and he's eligible at 1B as well, adding to his appeal.

Brandon Lowe (.556 ISO)

Brandon Lowe is coming off a 31-homer campaign in 2025 in which he also hit .256, which, even though the latter stat doesn't sound all that remarkable, was better than league average (.245). The veteran is off to a good start in 2026, hitting .333 (6-for-18) with three home runs and a 4:3 BB:K.

The 31-year-old had a 39-homer season back in 2021, so the power is real even if he doesn't get back to that threshold again, but a big season could be in store with his new club. He's not available on the wire in many leagues, but could be a viable DFS play most days, especially against right-handed pitching (90 wRC+ for his career vs. LHP, 135 vs. RHP).

Luke Raley (.500 ISO)

Luke Raley has always had power; it has been more of an issue with regular playing time that has kept him from fantasy relevance. He did tally 22 home runs in 2024, but an oblique injury and back spasms limited him to just 73 games a season ago.

Luke Raley (1)
Solo Home Run

March 26th, 2026
Pitcher: Tanner Bibee
Opponent: Cleveland Guardians pic.twitter.com/rggzi4kMRF

— MarinersHR (@MarinersHR) March 27, 2026

The left-handed slugger has hit safely in each of his first five games this season, and homered in three in a row to begin the year. If he can work his way into regular at-bats rather than a platoon role, then he could be a viable source of power over the rest of the year. At just 18 percent rostered, managers in need of a power boost could give the 31-year-old a look.

Most Steals Last Seven Days

Data through 4/1

There are definitely some interesting names here, all of which are available for the taking on most waiver wires.

Jake McCarthy (four SBs)

Now with Colorado, Jake McCarthy has shown he can be worthy of a fantasy roster spot before, namely in 2024 in Arizona, when he hit .285 with eight home runs and 25 steals with just 495 plate appearances. He tallied at least 23 steals in 2022 and 2023, as well as in limited playing time, so the speed is there.

The 28-year-old will need to hit to stay in the lineup (and perhaps in the majors), though, and so far he's just 2-for-18 (.111). Desperate managers (already!?) may consider him, but he might be best left to the waiver wire if the steals will come at the cost of batting average.

David Hamilton (four SBs)

David Hamilton is another one for the watch list, but not necessarily an immediate add. The left-handed hitter has more steals (four) than he has hits (two), although he also has more walks (four) than strikeouts (two).

Garrett Mitchell (three SBs)

Nasim Nunez (three SBs)

xwOBA Underachievers March 26 - April 1

Next week, we'll look at overachievers, too, but many of the names mentioned above that I noted were regression candidates were at the top of the list based on xwOBA.

Ivan Herrera (.231 vs. .365)

I included Ivan Herrera in my 8 Sleeper Hitters for Fantasy Drafts article as a player I was targeting, given his ADP. The right-handed slugger belted 19 home runs last season in just 107 games, while also recording a .284 average, .365 wOBA (.371 xwOBA), and a 137 wRC+.

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