Updated Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups Include Chase DeLauter, Jordan Romano, Kodai Senga, Sal Stewart, Cam Smith, Jack Leiter

March 26, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 1 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Chase DeLauter, Jordan Romano, Kodai Senga, Kris Bubic, and Connelly Early.

Opening Day has finally arrived! Most fantasy baseball leagues have drafted, but it's never too early to start reviewing the waiver wire. At RotoBaller HQ, we kick off our mid-week waiver wire series for leagues that allow daily moves with our updated mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 1 -- March 25  through March 29. This edition of waiver wire rankings features Chase DeLauter, Cam Smith, Jordan Romano, Kodai Senga, and Jack Leiter.

There are key performances, prospect promotions, and injuries to watch for this week. The Angels placed closer Kirby Yates on the injured list Tuesday with knee inflammation. With Yates sidelined, is Jordan Romano the favorite to close and worth a speculative add for managers looking to add a closer? Kodai Senga has been lights out this spring, posting a 1.86 ERA and 11:1 K:BB through 9 2/3 innings, solidifying a spot in the Mets rotation. The 33-year-old is looking to regain his form after dealing with injuries over the last couple of seasons. 

Stay on top of our weekly waiver wire rankings and turn on MLB news alerts in our free mobile app to stay ahead of the curve. Once you're done here, check out our fantasy baseball prospects articles for the latest names to stash and pick up.

• Fantasy baseball draft kit
• Fantasy baseball rankings
• Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
• Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
• Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy baseball prospects

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups List

Since many fantasy baseball leagues have daily waiver-wire moves or multiple waiver-wire runs per week for adding players, this mid-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the middle of the week before we reach Sunday. This article will guide you through our weekly ranking of the relevant waiver-wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size).

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

The roster percentage is from Yahoo! leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top names include Kodai Senga, Connelly Early, Kris Bubic, Sal Stewart, Chase DeLauter, and more.  We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar for Week 1.

Kodai Senga, New York Mets

New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga burst onto the scene in his first MLB season in 2023, recording a 2.98 ERA with 202 strikeouts across 166 1/3 innings pitched. However, the 33-year-old has pitched just 118 2/3 innings in the two seasons since then, missing time with shoulder, calf, and hamstring injuries.

Senga was still reasonably effective when on the mound in 2025, recording a 7-6 record with a 3.02, 1.31 WHIP, and 109 strikeouts across 22 starts. Still, he struggled with command (11.2% walk rate), and his strikeout rate dipped to 22.6%, a far cry from the 29.1% mark he posted in 2023. This spring, Senga has avoided health issues and may be showing signs of a return to his peak form.

The right-hander reportedly touched 99 mph with his fastball and finished the spring with a seven-inning scoreless streak. If Senga can stay on the mound, he may be an undervalued source of late-round strikeouts for fantasy managers heading into 2026.

Connelly Early, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early will make his first regular-season start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Right-hander Johan Oviedo, who has been battling for the No. 5 starting spot in spring training, will open in the bullpen and will likely be a piggyback option.

The Red Sox will re-assess after a couple of turns through the rotation. Early could easily be sent to the bullpen or to the minors in 2026 if he starts to struggle, but the young southpaw has earned a rotation spot after recording a 1.59 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only five walks in 17 innings in the Grapefruit League.

The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2023 out of Virginia also looked good in his MLB debut in 2025, posting a 2.33 ERA (0.91 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K:BB in 19 1/3 innings. Early has a versatile repertoire, has a pretty clean injury history, and is good at inducing weak contact. His stock in all fantasy formats is on the rise.

Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds corner infield prospect Sal Stewart could be one of the few young players whom veteran Reds manager Terry Francona entrusts to regularly bat in the cleanup spot, speculates Reds beat writer Charlie Goldsmith. The 22-year-old Stewart made his MLB debut in 2025, hitting .253/.295/.543 with five home runs in just 58 plate appearances.

It appears the team is planning for him to play a prominent role in 2026, and he turned heads by hitting .333 with three home runs and four stolen bases across 54 Cactus League plate appearances this spring. Stewart seems likely to open the year as Cincinnati's starting first baseman, although he could also rotate through designated hitter with Reds veterans Eugenio Suarez and Spencer Steer.

If Stewart can stick in the middle of the Cincinnati lineup, he could provide positive value across all five categories for fantasy managers in 2026.

Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter is having an outstanding spring training and makes a great pickup from the waiver wire or an awesome last-round snag. The 24-year-old lefty hasn't played a regular-season game but made his MLB debut in the playoffs last year. He hit .278 in 34 games at Triple-A with five homers and a .384 wOBA.

This spring, DeLauter went 17-for-37 (.459) in his first 14 games with five doubles, three homers, six walks, and just four strikeouts. DeLauter's rise through the minors has been beset by injuries, but when he's healthy, he has proven to be an MLB-ready bat.

If you need outfield depth, he makes a great pickup late in drafts and could be one of the hottest names on the waiver wire if he's starting and hitting high in the batting order as expected. If he stays healthy (a huge if so far in his career), he has a great shot at a breakthrough season.

Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic had a breakout start to the 2025 season, posting an 8-7 record with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts across 116 1/3 innings (20 starts). However, the 28-year-old lefty's season was cut short after he suffered a rotator cuff injury in late July. Bubic is now healthy and has been impressive so far this spring, recording a 0.75 ERA and 14 strikeouts across 12 Cactus League innings.

While Bubic's fastball isn't overpowering, he still struck out nearly one batter per inning in 2025 and did a good job limiting the long ball with a 0.46 HR/9. Bubic has never logged more than 130 innings in a season and is coming off a shoulder injury, so fantasy managers may be wise to limit their expectations for his workload. Still, Bubic could be an undervalued source of quality starting pitcher production in the later rounds of drafts heading into 2026.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Third Base - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Starting Pitchers Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Relief Pitchers Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

Roto Points

Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...

Who To Pickup?

Reset

Choose From The Top Ranked Players

Overall

C

1B

2B

3B

SS

OF

SP

RP

Popular Searches

Overall

C

1B

2B

3B

SS

OF

SP

RP

2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players like Kodai Senga, Connelly Early, Sal Stewart, Cam Smith, Jordan Romano, Wilyer Abreu, Heliot Ramos, Otto Lopez, JoJo Romero, and Caleb Durbin. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Kodai Senga, Connelly Early, Sal Stewart, Cam Smith, Jordan Romano, Wilyer Abreu, Heliot Ramos, Otto Lopez, JoJo Romero, and Caleb Durbin:

LIKE ROTOBALLER?

CLICK HERE, ENTER ROTOBALLER.COM, THEN CHECK THE BOX

More Fantasy Baseball Advice