Week 2 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - RotoBaller Staff Roundtable

April 5, 2026

RotoBaller staff's fantasy baseball Week 2 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire hitter, pitcher, and closer targets from Eric, Andy, Joey, Frank, Mike, and Dan.

With the first full week of the MLB season behind us, it's time to look to the waiver wire. In this piece, we will spotlight the emerging hitters, starting pitchers, closers, and breakout prospects you should pick up in your fantasy baseball leagues.

This week, we saw several hitters from the opening week continue their dominant start to the campaign and emerge as must-roster players, including a catcher in Miami and a young outfielder in Washington. On the mound, we may have a potential breakout in Seattle, and a top prospect in Philadelphia made his long-awaited MLB debut.

Who should we look to pick up this week? Let's dive in!

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Andres Gimenez, 2B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez deserves some recognition for his early-season numbers. He is batting .346 with two home runs, seven RBI, and two stolen bases across his first few games. Following a poor 2025 campaign in which he batted just .210 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases, Gimenez is looking like the player he was in Cleveland.

Gimenez hit .251 with 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2023 and then batted .252 with nine home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2024. Given that the 27-year-old is off to an encouraging start, he is one of the better hitters to target on the waiver wire this week. He has real potential to hit around .250 with double-digit home runs and close to 30 stolen bases in 2026.

- Joey Pollizee

Jake Burger, 3B, Texas Rangers

After two straight seasons in the 30-homer range, Jake Burger only connected on 16 long balls in 103 games last season with a .236/.269/.419 slash line. That was the lowest slugging percentage and on-base percentage he's ever had in a single season. Subsequently, Burger's ADP this spring was fairly low, and he's still only rostered in around one-third of Yahoo leagues after the first week of the season.

Pummeled off the pole! #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/2jRmOD1kAi

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 28, 2026

It was an impressive first week for Burger, smashing two home runs in six games with a .346/.370/.615 slash line. But at the same time, he also struck out in 11 of his 27 plate appearances, which is certainly a concern moving forward. However, Burger has never been one to provide a high batting average. You're targeting him for the power and ability to eclipse 30 home runs. He's off to a great start in that regard, with eight of his first 15 batted balls being hard-hit.

If you need power or a first baseman, I suggest you order the smash burger.

- Eric Cross

Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Ryan Waldschmidt is going to be an absolute stud

90+mph exit velo with a launch angle of 27.1 degrees

High floor, relatively high-ceiling outcome here. High OBP with a feel for hitting and showing the attributes to hit for power and develop some more

Top 15 prospect right now

— Prospect Tilt (@Prospect_Tilt) April 2, 2026

Ryan Waldschmidt is a polished hitter who put up a .309/.423/.498 slash with nine homers and 19 steals in 300 plate appearances at Double-A last season. If you're in an OBP league, you should be even more intrigued by Waldschmidt, as he put up an impressive 15.0% walk rate with an elite 17.7% strikeout rate.

So far, Alek Thomas (.158/.200/.316) has been underwhelming at the plate, continuing to struggle as he has throughout his career. That means that there's a chance that we see Waldschmidt sooner rather than later, especially since he's been solid at Triple-A so far, including a 25.0% walk rate and a 114 wRC+ in 24 plate appearances.

The D-Backs have also shown that they're going to be aggressive in calling up prospects this year, bringing up Jose Fernandez, who homered twice in his big-league debut.

Perhaps they just want Waldschmidt to get a bit more experience at Triple-A before he's up in the big leagues. If Thomas continues to struggle at the plate, we could see the team opt to move Jordan Lawlar to center or even play Waldschmidt there. They can definitely use the upgrade on offense while sacrificing a bit of defense, since that's Thomas' main strength.

Getting a 20-20 threat with elite plate discipline can be a big boost to your fantasy team, so make sure to stash Waldschmidt.

- Frank Ammirante

Joey Wiemer, OF, Washington Nationals

At this point, Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Wiemer should be added in most leagues. There has been no hotter hitter in baseball than Wiemer to begin the 2026 season. He is slashing .500/.682/.1.059 with two home runs, four RBI, and seven runs scored in five games played. While fantasy managers should expect some regression from him eventually, ride with him until the wheels fall off.

joey wiemerrrrrrr pic.twitter.com/8NMkUQKGaO

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 29, 2026

Although Wiemer only totaled 61 plate appearances with the Marlins last year, his metrics in that limited sample size suggested that a solid all-around season could be in store if the outfielder got consistent reps. The 27-year-old had a 14.7% barrel rate, a 61.8% hard-hit rate, and a 38.2% launch angle sweet-spot rate. Those metrics have now continued into 2026, as Wiemer is still hitting the ball hard. So, take a chance on him if he is still available.

- Joey Pollizee

Liam Hicks, C/1B, Miami Marlins

What in the world has gotten into Liam Hicks so far? In his first 19 plate appearances this season, Hicks has already cranked three home runs with a .467/.526/1.133 slash line and only one strikeout. I'm not entirely sure what his roster rate was on Yahoo before the season, but I'd bet a sizeable amount of money that it was under 10%, probably even under 5%. Now, he's nearly at 40% and climbing quickly.

It's still very early, and he only has 15 batted ball events so far, but Hicks is hitting the ball much harder than he did last season, currently sporting a 93.5 mph AVG EV and 60% hard-hit rate. And on top of that, Hicks has been hitting in the cleanup spot every game he's played so far, and has only been on the bench for one game.

If you need a catcher or first baseman, I'd be fine with giving Hicks a shot to see if this is the beginning of a breakout season.

- Eric Cross

Owen Caissie, OF, Miami Marlins

The tools have always been there for Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie. He hit .278 with 19 home runs and 75 RBI in Triple-A in 2024 and batted .286 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI in another season at Triple-A in 2025. Now, Caissie is finally getting consistent playing time in the big leagues and continues to show signs of a breakout season in 2026.

The Marlins' No. 3 prospect is hitting .348 with two home runs, nine RBI, and one stolen base to begin the year. Caissie has appeared in all seven of Miami's games and has displayed an elite barrel rate (20%), a top launch angle sweet spot (53.3%), and an above-average expected slugging (.554). That makes him the best waiver wire hitter target of the week. Spending around 12-15% of your FAAB makes the most sense to acquire him.

- Joey Pollizee

Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Eric Lauer, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Back in draft season, Eric Lauer was a pitcher I targeted frequently after pick 250. He was coming off a solid 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 17.8% K-BB rate across 104 2/3 innings last season, and figured to factor into the mix in Toronto's rotation with several arms on the IL.

Eric Lauer, K'ing the Side in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/ONKWMo7y6i

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 29, 2026

Trey Yesavage (shoulder) should be back in the next couple of weeks, but we're probably not going to see Jose Berrios (stress fracture in elbow), Shane Bieber (elbow inflammation), or Cody Ponce (knee) for a while. That means Lauer should stick in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

Lauer pitched well in his 2026 debut last weekend, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball. He's far from a hard thrower, averaging around 91 mph on his 4-seamer, but Lauer commands the pitch well and will mix in four other offerings to keep hitters off balance. The upside might not be terribly high, but Lauer can provide solid back-end SP value in a fantasy league as long as he's in the rotation.

- Eric Cross

Justin Steele, SP, Chicago Cubs

Steele is approaching the one-year anniversary of the premature end of his 2025 season due to elbow tendinitis and a subsequent UCL revision repair. Perhaps his long absence has pushed him out of the minds of fantasy managers as a potential contributor in 2026, and explains his low roster rate.

The lefty has held steady around his career average 24.4% strikeout rate since his 2021 debut. Not outstanding, but Steele’s real value lies in his potential to get wins supported by a talented Cubs lineup while keeping ratios in check. Steele has had a 5.7% walk rate and 1.14 WHIP since 2023, and a career 3.18 ERA since 2022. The 30-year-old is throwing bullpen sessions but has yet to start a rehab assignment. Currently on the 60-day IL, Steele is eligible to return as soon as May 24.

- Dan Stephens

Emerson Hancock, SP, Seattle Mariners

Hancock went six innings and earned a win in his first start of 2026, striking out nine hitters. This could be a breakout season for the 26-year-old hurler. The key will be if his sweeper continues to stymie hitters; he had a 42% whiff rate on the pitch in that first start.

I recognize it is one start, but the chart below shows what should be a new pitch mix for Hancock. Pedigree is important, and this is a first-round pick who could be entering his prime. Snag him now before your league mates do.

- Mike Carter

Taj Bradley, SP, Minnesota Twins

Remember all the hype surrounding Taj Bradley a few years ago? Well, if his first two starts are any indication, Bradley might finally have the season many thought he was capable of back in his Tampa Bay days. In Bradley's first two starts of the season, he's struck out 12 in 10 1/3 innings with a 0.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. It's just two starts, but this is the highest his strikeout rate has been since his 2023 rookie season.

It wasn't like Bradley was facing bad offenses either, as he squared off against the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals in his first two outings. In his start on Friday against the Royals, Bradley tossed six shutout frames.

We're seeing a different Bradley through the first two starts. He's throwing his four-seamer a full tick harder while using it 10% more often than last season. He's also ditched his sinker and has a whiff rate above 33% on all three of his secondary offerings, including 52.9% on the splitter. I'm certainly intrigued.

- Joey Pollizee

Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Painter looked the part in his first start for the Phillies last week, earning a win while surrendering only one run amidst eight strikeouts. The rookie mixed in six different pitches and limited hard contact on all of them.

He is clearly one of their top five starters and will continue to be, even after the return of Zack Wheeler. Painter gets his next start against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Roster him this weekend before your opponents snag this valuable arm.

- Mike Carter

Robby Snelling, SP, Miami Marlins

Sitting in the top spot once again is Robby Snelling of the Marlins. Snelling carries must stash upside in all standard leagues in Week 2, as his path to the major leagues remains quite clear.

Snelling just missed the Opening Day roster as the Marlins opted to give Chris Paddack the final spot in the starting rotation. However, Paddack had a rough season debut, allowing a hefty eight hits and eight runs over four innings against the Chicago White Sox. In this outing, Paddack did manage to strike out six hitters but allowed two long balls, which did most of the damage.

Snelling, on the other hand, has a quote from the Triple-A level and should contend for his MLB debut in the near future. In his season debut at Jacksonville, Snelling tossed four innings of one-run ball with just one hit and two walks. He struck out three.

This was another impressive outing for Snelling at the top level of the minor leagues, and he is continuing to enjoy the success he enjoyed in the second half of the 2025 campaign. He began the 2025 season with Double-A and carried a solid 3.61 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP over 72 2/3 innings. However, once he reached Triple-A, the young southpaw took a massive step forward.

In his first stint with Triple-A, the former 39th overall selection logged 63 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.27 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and an elite 81:17 K:BB. In this stint, Snelling posted a stellar 32.9% K%, which marked the highest of a single stint in his MiLB career. The left-hander also lowered his walk rate to 6.9%, compared to the 7.3% he held at Double-A.

Additionally, given that Max Meyer and Janson Junk also have spots in the rotation but both have dealt with either extensive injury histories or have had limited success in the majors, another dominant outing from Snelling at Triple-A could push the team's hand.

Snelling remains the No. 1 pitcher to stash in all formats as he not only has a path to join Miami in April, but also possesses high-end upside that is worth keeping on your bench.

Two strikeouts through two innings for Robby Snelling, including this one on a nasty curveball.#Marlins | @JaxShrimp pic.twitter.com/RyCGTT7gu7

— Fish On First Prospects (@FOFProspects) March 27, 2026

-  Andy Smith

Paul Sewald, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks closer job belongs to veteran Paul Sewald in the early going. He has secured two of Arizona's three save opportunities to start the season, and the only reason he didn't close out the third game was that he already pitched on back-to-back games. That makes Sewald the best relief pitcher target on the waiver wire this weekend.

Sewald has thrown 2 1/3 scoreless innings with no hits allowed, no walks issued, and four strikeouts across three appearances. He is one of the few closers available in most fantasy leagues who is locked into a closer job on a good team.

- Joey Pollizze

Gregory Soto, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

While he's yet to pick up a save, Gregory Soto was the reliever warming up on two separate occasions to come in for the save opportunity before the Pirates scored to push the game out of a save situation. So, for now, it appears that Soto is ahead of Dennis Santana in the saves pecking order in Pittsburgh.

Soto has looked really good during his first four appearances of the 2026 season, striking out eight in 4 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run. And just like last season, Soto is generating whiffs at an elite clip with both his sweeper and slider, which he has combined to throw 49.2% of the time so far.

- Eric Cross

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