Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 3 (Hitters and Pitchers)

April 12, 2026

Updated fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 3 of the 2026 MLB season. These are free agent options to add off waivers, and our rankings will help you prioritize.

The MLB season continues to fly by as we are already onto Week 3. In some of the biggest news of the day, the White Sox called up top left-handed pitching prospect Noah Schultz to the major leagues. Fantasy managers will have to navigate through more injuries as Adley Rutschman was placed on the IL, while Wyatt Langford, Luis Arraez, and Jeremy Pena are day-to-day. For fantasy managers looking to add injury replacements or top prospects, we've got you covered with our fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 3 (April 13 - April 19) of the 2026 MLB season. 

It is essential to stay on top of the player news as we guide you through the injuries, prospect call-ups, and closer role changes. For those searching for injury replacements or whose teams need a boost, we have you covered with our latest fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings. We've been working hard to put together a list of 100 players to consider for various league sizes to help you prioritize your waiver wire decisions.   

As always, we are here to help you prioritize which player to add using our waiver wire rankings article. This edition features players such as Cam Smith, Riley O'Brien, Jackson Holliday, Noah Schultz, Jakob Junis, Jorge Soler, Mickey Moniak, Carter Jensen, Liam Hicks, Will Warren, Garrett Mitchell, Jeffrey Springs, and more, who are listed in our initial waiver wire rankings. Read more to see where these players rank in our waiver wire rankings for the week ahead.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Rankings

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 Noah Schultz, Mickey Moniak, Carter Jensen, Liam Hicks, and more.  We recap why these players rostered under 70% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar:

Noah Schultz, Chicago White Sox

According to Elijah Evans of Just Baseball Media, the Chicago White Sox are promoting top left-handed pitching prospect Noah Schultz to the major leagues. He is expected to make his MLB debut on Tuesday. The southpaw is considered the team's No. 2-ranked prospect on MLB.com and the overall No. 49 prospect in the sport.

Schultz joined the White Sox system with the 26th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. In 2025, Schultz spent most of his time with Double-A, where he logged 56 2/3 innings with a 3.34 ERA before earning a brief taste of Triple-A. However, in 2026, Schultz looked dominant at Triple-A, prompting an early promotion.

Through his first three games of the season (14 innings), the left-hander has struck out 19 hitters while holding a 1.29 ERA and a 0.43 WHIP. Given his high-end strikeout upside, he is worth adding in all 12-team leagues ahead of his eventual MLB debut.

Jakob Junis, Texas Rangers

Mickey Moniak, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak had a fun homecoming in the third game of the series in San Diego on Saturday against the Padres in a 9-4 loss at Petco Park. Moniak, who went to high school in the San Diego area, went 4-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .300 and his OPS to 1.113.

The 27-year-old former first overall pick in 2016 by the Philadelphia Phillies has found a home in Colorado, at least against right-handed pitching. Moniak broke out in 2025 in his first year with the team, slashing .270/.306/.518 with an .824 OPS, 24 home runs, 68 RBI, 62 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 461 plate appearances over 135 games.

His two homers on Saturday night brought him to five on the year while also adding nine RBI. Although he has limitations against lefties (.491 career OPS), he has become a post-hype prospect, especially in the hitter-friendly environment at Coors Field. Moniak is only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues, but he should attract more interest to close out the week after his two-homer game on Saturday.

Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is starting to heat up at the plate and has homered three times in his last six games. Jensen is slashing .211/.262/.553 with four home runs, seven RBI, six runs, and 16 strikeouts over 14 games. The 22-year-old has struggled with strikeouts this season, posting a 35.9 K%, almost double last season's strikeout rate.

However, his 18.2% barrel percentage is in the 92nd percentile, while his hard-hit percentage (50.0) is in the 79th percentile. Jensen has legit power and homered 14 times in just 43 games in Triple-A last season. His average might not be there yet, but Jensen carries plenty of upside and is only rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues. Fantasy managers searching for catcher help off the waiver wire should add Jensen in all leagues, especially while he's wielding a hot bat.

Liam Hicks, Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks is off to a hot start in 2026, slashing .286/.354/.524 with three home runs, 13 RBI, and 10 runs across 14 games. Hicks continues to deliver in the heart of Miami's batting order and collected a hit in three of his last four games. The 26-year-old has drastically cut down on his strikeouts, with his K% dropping from 14.4% last summer to 6.8% in 2026.

While his BB% is down 4.2%, Hicks' expected batting average, xwOBA, and exit velocity are all up so far compared to last season. With dual eligibility at catcher and first base on Yahoo Fantasy, Hicks' fast start makes him a priority add for fantasy managers searching for help at first base or catcher, as he's rostered in only 55% of Yahoo leagues.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base 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 Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Closer/Reliever Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Week 3 Waiver Wire Roundup for Fantasy Baseball

In addition to these waiver wire rankings, we have also put together an assortment of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles. You can see that full roundup below to help prepare you for waiver wire runs:

• Nick Mariano's waiver wire pickups (Premium)
• Staff roundtable: waiver wire picks for Week 3
• FAAB fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 3
• Starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 3
• Hitter streamers, starts and waiver wire pickups for Week 3
• H2H points leagues waiver wire pickups for Week 3
• The Cut List - Players to consider dropping for Week 3

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:

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players like Lucas Erceg, Carson Benge, Paul Sewald, Kyle Harrison, Max Muncy, Brian Baker, Colt Keith, Cole Sands, Taj Bradley, Brandon Marsh, Cole Young, and Garrett Mitchell. 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 Cam Smith, Riley O'Brien, Jackson Holliday, Parker Messick, Noah Schultz, Jakob Junis, Jorge Soler, Mickey Moniak, Carter Jensen, Liam Hicks, Will Warren, Garrett Mitchell, and Jeffrey Springs:

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