Infield Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 3 (1B, 2B, 3B, SS) - April 14 to April 20

April 13, 2025

Dan's favorite infield-eligible fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups (1B, 2B, 3B, SS) for Week 3 of 2025 (April 14 - April 20). His top free-agent hitters to add.

Hello again, RotoBallers. I’m back with another installment of my favorite infield adds for the week ahead. Last week’s selections were mainly geared toward finding a replacement at first base for Freddie Freeman. Half of my write-ups were dedicated to first base eligible players, but the best hits were stashed among my “honorable mentions” at the end. That would include Ben Rice, who in the last week had four walks and five hits, including two home runs,  and Pavin Smith, who went 5-for-11 with a homer of his own and four runs scored.

Freeman replacements aside, the biggest “get” of my last batch was Kyren Paris. Last weekend, I wondered if he would see more playing time with Luis Rengifo’s hamstring acting up. Rengifo avoided missing time, but Paris still found his way into the lineup, filling in for Yoan Moncada, whose aching thumb cost him a couple of games before landing him on the injured list. Paris started in the Angels' last six games and went 7-for-20 with four home runs, seven runs scored, and one steal in that time. He is now rostered on 71 percent of teams as opposed to seven percent one week ago.

Are you trying to replace an injured starter for the week? Is it time to cut ties with a bench player who isn’t performing? Are you simply keeping tabs on the market, making sure the next big thing doesn’t slip past you? Whatever motivates your trip to the waiver wire this week, thank you for making this stop along the way. Hopefully, you will find some help among my favorite fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for the infield for Week 3 - April 14 to April 20.

Waiver Wire Pickups For Shallow Leagues (30-50 percent rostered)

Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees (48 percent rostered)

By the time you are reading this, Rice will be over 50 percent rostered. If he is still on the wire in your league, figure out how he fits your lineup. The Yankees are doing just that. Not only are they making sure to keep Rice in their loaded lineup, but they are now using him at the top of the order. The 26-year-old batted either first or second in every game going back to April 3.

Hitting in front of Aaron Judge comes with its perks. During the season, Rice scored up to 11 runs. He also has a .310 batting average and four home runs. If Rice is heating up, then he picked a good time. The Yankees have seven games on the docket in Week 3. Three at home against the Royals to start, and then four against the Rays in their home away from home, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

113.2 MPH off the bat on this line drive homer by Ben Rice 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/iDvSN3T1cO

— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2025

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics (42 percent rostered)

Jacob Wilson is off to one of the hottest starts of the new season. He has a hit in each game of the season, resulting in an active hit streak of 15 games. His batting average is .377, and he has two home runs, nine runs scored, and eight RBI. Yes, he’s on the Athletics, but that shouldn't be held against a player running this hot.

Wilson is an addition for teams needing a player who can boost the team’s batting average. Wilson will bring along some runs and RBI swinging such a hot bat, and we might see that production trend upward soon. The Athletics finally saw fit on April 12 to have Wilson lead off. If he can stick at the top of the order, he will be followed by Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Tyler Soderstrom in some order.

Waiver Wire Pickups For Deeper Leagues (10-30 percent rostered)

Wilmer Flores, 1B, San Francisco Giants (26 percent owned)

Ok, I confess. This is a homer pick. Wilmer Flores catching fire at the start of the year has been a great part of being a Giants fan in 2025. Also, including him gives me an excuse to share this:

Wilmer Flores delivers a pinch-hit walk-off RBI to give the #SFGiants an 8-1 start to the season and back-to-back series sweeps 🧹 pic.twitter.com/aqjm71B4Gx

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 6, 2025

Fun times. That hit last Sunday locked him into San Francisco’s lineup for this past week. Since Monday, Flores has gone 5-for-18, hit two more home runs (bringing his season total to six), and logged seven RBI. As of this writing, his 19 RBI on the season are second only to Aaron Judge’s 20. We know this won’t last forever, but we should make the most of it while it lasts. The Giants have seven games in Week 3, making it a good time to try to pad some stats.

Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B, Seattle Mariners (19 percent rostered)

Jorge Polanco was listed among the handful of infielders in the “More Waiver Wire Pickups To Consider” section in back-to-back weeks. A stint on the paternity list and managing knee and side soreness have prevented Polanco from playing every day, but he has been valuable, nonetheless. Through April 12, Polanco has a .381 batting average, three home runs, and 12 RBI.

The Mariners will reportedly use Polanco as their designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup while he is on the mend. The Mariners are on the road in Week 3, first for three games in Cincinnati and then three more in Toronto. The Great American Ballpark is a bandbox, and Polanco is hitting .333 with four home runs in 91 plate appearances at the Rogers Centre.

Waiver Wire Pickups For The Deepest Of Leagues (Under 10 percent rostered)

Josh Bell, 1B, Washington Nationals (7 percent rostered)

Josh Bell was also previously included in the “MWWPTC” section back in Week 1. A cold start to the season quickly turned him into an afterthought. Last week, Bell showed he might be thawing out. He had a hit in each game he appeared in, hit his second home run of the season, and racked up five RBI. Week 3 brings a favorable schedule. Washington starts with four games in Pittsburgh and then plays three against the Rockies at Coors Field.

bell dong pic.twitter.com/iKGdq7HHY3

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 12, 2025

Jose Caballero, 2B/3B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays (7 percent rostered)

Thanks to manager Kevin Cash’s constant meddling, Jose Caballero has appeared in only seven games for the Rays in 2025. In daily leagues, where his sporadic use is less of a barrier to his viability in fantasy, rolling with Caballero on days when he managed to play paid off. In limited action, Caballero is batting .333 with one home run and two stolen bases. With injuries taking their toll on Tampa’s depth, Caballero might see more action soon. If he can stay in the starting lineup, he should be good for a couple of stolen bases.

More Waiver Wire Pickups To Consider

• Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians (37 percent rostered)
• Christopher Morel, 2B/3B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays (20 percent rostered)
• Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (8 percent rostered)
• Pavin Smith, 1B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (6 percent rostered)
• Ty France, 1B, Minnesota Twins (4 percent rostered)

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