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Mike's fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters to add as category boosters for Week 3 of 2026. His top hitters to pick up or stream for HR, RBI, SB, AVG, and runs.
Welcome back to our Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters - Category Boosters column for Week 3 of the 2026 MLB season. As always, Week 1 had its fair share of interesting moments to start the season.
We are now almost 20 games into the season, and while that is a very small collection of data points, we should start seeing where we might need to cut a player in favor of someone who can help our fake teams win more often. This is a tough calculus for many fantasy players. Yet it must be done.
We will give you three options for each of the five offensive categories in a standard five-by-five league. All hitters will be listed according to their percentage of rostered players on Yahoo!, with a maximum of 50 percent. Let's see who can help boost your categories.
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Runs Scored (R) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (40% rostered)
Varsho was a late pick in many deep drafts, but in Yahoo, he remains on the waiver wire in most leagues. The veteran outfielder plays daily and bats second in a powerful Blue Jays lineup. A surprising .263 batting average with three homers and seven runs scored sits on the waiver wire.
Varsho is a great addition in leagues where you have to start five outfielders. Based on his ample playing time and current good health, Varsho is worth a small investment this weekend if you need outfield help.
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Detroit Tigers (31% rostered)
Keith looks like he may be putting it together. Hitting leadoff in a good Detroit lineup, Keith has now been getting looks in the three slot. He is hitting a robust .333 with 10 runs scored, with four of those over the last week.
Look at his Statcast below. Check out the hard-hit and the squared-up percentages, and you can see his success is no fluke. I love that Keith has multiple position eligibility at three infield positions as well. He will not be on the waiver wire much longer. Grab him now.
Jose Fernandez, 1B/SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (14% rostered)
The young call-up is hitting .318 with two home runs and eight RBI, a stolen base, and eight runs scored. Seven of those runs have come in the last week. Fernandez continues to earn playing time in Arizona at the designated hitter position.
There are a ton of injuries on the Diamondbacks, but someone needs to play daily, and Fernandez should continue to get opportunities as long as guys like Gabriel Moreno and Jordan Lawlar remain out.
Home Runs (HR) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers (44% rostered)
The veteran third baseman continues to do what he does well: get on base and hit home runs. He has four, three of which came in one start late last week. If you can pair him with another third baseman who hits for a better average or steals bases, you have fantasy gold.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Colorado Rockies (23% rostered)
Moniak just continues to quietly post counting stats in Colorado, and the majority of leagues ignore him; he's available in 77% of Yahoo leagues right now. If he gets anywhere close to what he did last year in Colorado, you will have a bargain on your hands.
Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers (10% rostered)
Every year, no matter the circumstances, Bauers gets a brief opportunity to show us what he can do when he plays. And this year, again, he has a chance with Andrew Vaughn on the IL with a broken hamate bone. Power is his calling card, and he can mix in a few bags as well.
See the box below. Ride Bauers while he is on this hot stretch. He also has both first base and outfield eligibility, which helps his versatility on your roster. Bauers is hitting the ball hard and getting results; he has homers in three of his last four games.
Runs Batted In (RBI) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Jorge Soler, OF, Los Angeles Angels (41% rostered)
Soler might be in the news lately for the brawl he was involved in, but he has been a productive hitter to start the 2026 season. He is serving a four-game suspension now, but has hit four home runs over the last week and knocked in 10 runs. See below for more info. Soler has 18 RBI.
Josh Bell, 1B, Minnesota Twins (38% rostered)
Bell will rarely get drafted in most leagues, but will put together a couple of stretches each season in which he is rosterable. The veteran first baseman has 14 RBI on the season, seven over the last week, while hitting nine for his last 30 as well.
If you are struggling at first base with the likes of Josh Naylor and Vinnie Pasquantino, both of whom will probably be fine in the long run, Bell could help you weather their lack of April production.
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals (36% rostered)
Fantasy players seemed concerned about how much Jensen would play as an understudy to veteran star Salvador Perez, but Jensen is getting ample playing time. Despite a mediocre .222 batting average, the young backstop has hit four home runs and knocked in nine runs, five this past week.
When he does not get the nod behind the plate, Jensen is the team's primary designated hitter, so the at-bats should keep coming. He is a great addition in two-catcher leagues, and will soon make an argument for single-catcher leagues as well.
Stolen Bases (SB) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Angel Martinez, 2B/OF, Cleveland Guardians (40% rostered)
Martinez was a popular FAAB addition last weekend, but he is still hanging out on the waiver wire in many leagues. He is hitting .314 with two home runs, nine RBI, and four stolen bases. Three of those bags came in the last week. He started seven games in a row as well.
Martinez also offers versatility as he qualifies at both second base and outfield. With regular playing time, he is going to be a threat on the bases. Martinez already has half his total from last year. Grab him if you need the help.
Bryson Stott, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies (37% rostered)
Stott is really close to breaking loose. He is only hitting .204 and has no home runs, but he does have four stolen bases already this season. His xBA is .266, and his hard-hit percentage is 50%, with a 37.2% squared-up percentage. So, the results are not there yet, but could be imminent.
One thing for certain is that Stott's defense and sprint speed, both shown in the graphic below, will keep him in the daily lineup in Philadelphia. A small bid now, while he underperforms what the metrics tell us, could be a boon for your team soon. Add in the second base and shortstop eligibility as well.
Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (16% rostered)
This is more of a speculative pick as Frelick returns from an oblique injury. He stole a base on Tuesday night and should get the green light pretty often in Milwaukee. He has scuffled so far, but has seasons of 18 and 19 stolen bases over the last two seasons. Expect more of the same in 2026.
Batting Average (AVG) - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Boosters
Jeremiah Jackson, 2B/3B/OF, Baltimore Orioles (27% rostered)
Jackson is a hot addition this week in many leagues; he has been added over 20,000 times in the last 24 hours on Yahoo. Four of his last five games have produced multiple hits, slamming four homers and knocking in 10 since last Saturday.
Jackson is hitting .480 over the last week and continues to hit at a torrid clip. Will it keep up? Unlikely. But a player who has both middle infield and corner infield eligibility with outfield on his resume as well can indeed be a useful player on your roster.
Moises Ballesteros, C, Chicago Cubs (9% rostered)
With the success of Carson Kelly last season, it seemed like Ballesteros was an afterthought in draft season. Yet, the young catcher continues to get at-bats both behind the plate and as the team's designated hitter. He's hitting .342 with multiple hits in three of his last four starts.
The return of Seiya Suzuki could complicate things, but if Ballesteros keeps hitting, the offense-starved Cubs will continue to play him.
Casey Schmitt, 1B/2B/3B, San Francisco Giants (6% rostered)
Out of seemingly nowhere, Schmitt has been batting in the top third of the lineup in San Francisco. He is hitting .341 with a homer and four RBI, chipping in five runs and a steal as well. Schmitt has two multiple-hit efforts in his last four games.
Good luck and happy hunting, RotoBallers! You can always message me @mdrc0508 on X to complain about my picks or make other suggestions! Take care of your mental health daily. It is the most important thing you can do for yourself. And remember that fantasy baseball is fun.
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