Weekend Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 3

April 18, 2026

Weekend fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 3 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Parker Messick, Mick Abel, Bryan Baker, Max Muncy, Enyel De Los Santos, and Spencer Arrighetti.

The MLB season continues to roll, and at RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice with our weekend fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 3 -- April 13  through April 19 for leagues that allow daily moves. The list covers the top 100 hitters and pitchers. Below, you will find where key players such as Mick Abel, Max Muncy, Jorge Soler, Bryan Baker, Parker Messick, Carter Jensen, Mickey Moniak, Noah Schultz, and Tanner Scott are listed in our updated weekend ranks. 

There are key performances, prospect promotions, and injuries to watch for this week. Parker Messick was impressive on Thursday and took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Messick allowed two earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out nine in eight innings. The Brewers decided to go with Angel Zerpa for the save opportunity on Thursday as Trevor Megill was relegated to the eighth inning in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays. Bryan Baker notched his fourth save on Thursday. 

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 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 later-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the weekend before we reach Sunday night waivers. 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:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top waiver wire names include Max Muncy, Parker Messick, Spencer Arrighetti, Enyel De Los Santos, Oswald Peraza, and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy has gotten off to a decent start to the season, slashing .220/.313/.424 with four home runs, 12 runs, and four RBI. However, three of those four home runs, five of the 11 runs, and three of the four RBI came in his outing on April 10 against the Texas Rangers, where he went 3-for-5 with three home runs.

Muncy has always had the ability to go on hot streaks like this, but the cold streaks and the occasional sitting against left-handed pitching make him a more difficult person to trust on a weekly basis in head-to-head leagues. Rotisserie leagues, on the other hand, remain his best format for producing for fantasy managers throughout a season.

Regardless of the league format, Muncy's quality of contact remains elite, as his average exit velocities, barrel percentage, and hard-hit rate all rank in the 84th percentile or better, making him a standout option for fantasy managers in the power department if he's available on your waiver wire.

Parker Messick, SP, Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians rookie left-hander Parker Messick flirted with history in an impressive pitching performance on Thursday night in a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and ended up giving up two earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out nine in eight innings of work to win his third game of the year.

Outfielder Leody Taveras singled with no outs in the ninth inning to break up Messick's no-hit bid. Messick generated 18 swings and misses on a total of 112 pitches in his outing, and his changeup continues to be a nasty pitch for opposing batters to pick up.

The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Florida State doesn't have an overpowering fastball, but in comparison to his plus-plus changeup, it gets on hitters faster than expected.

Messick is quickly becoming a must-roster player in all fantasy leagues, and he'll be a must-start in his next scheduled outing next Tuesday against the Astros. He currently holds a strong 1.05 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 25 2/3 innings for Cleveland.

Spencer Arrighetti, SP, Houston Astros

Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti recorded the win in his 2026 season debut on Wednesday, allowing one run and two hits while striking out 10 across six innings of work in his team's 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Arrighetti was expected to play a significant role in the Astros rotation heading into the 2025 season, but elbow and thumb injuries limited him to just 35 innings pitched. He opened 2026 in Triple-A, but was recalled on Wednesday after fellow Astros starter Cody Bolton (back) was placed on the injured list.

Arrighetti posted an impressive 27.1% strikeout rate across 145 innings with the Astros in 2024 and demonstrated his ability to miss bats in his first start of 2026. However, control remains an issue for the 26-year-old, as he owns a career walk rate of 10.9% and issued four free passes against Colorado.

Still, if Arrighetti locks down a regular role in the Houston rotation, he could be a cheap source of strikeouts for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Enyel De Los Santos, RP, Houston Astros

Houston Astros relief pitcher Enyel De Los Santos worked a perfect ninth in his team's 3-1 win on Wednesday night. He picked up a pair of strikeouts against pinch-hitter Brett Sullivan and Brenton Doyle to preserve the win for Spencer Arrighetti. De Los Santos earned his second save of the season and has allowed only one run on four hits across 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts.

Josh Hader (biceps) is working his way back, but since he is likely at least a month away, De Los Santos will likely remain in the mix for a few saves along with Bryan Abreu over the next few weeks. In deep or AL-only leagues, De Los Santos is definitely worth owning if you're searching for saves, although his long-term outlook is in more of a setup role.

Oswald Peraza, 1B/2B/3B/SS, Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels infielder Oswald Peraza was doing a little bit of everything during Thursday's game against the New York Yankees. Peraza got revenge on his former club with a two-run home run during Thursday's blowout win. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a homer, three RBI, one walk, and a stolen base in the 11-4 victory.

Peraza probably doesn't have an everyday role, but is taking advantage of the extra at-bats with Jorge Soler suspended right now. He's 5-for-10 with two homers, four RBI, and three walks over the last three games. Peraza could be a short-term spark plug for fantasy managers looking for help right now.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

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Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

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Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Closer/Reliever Waiver Wire Rankings

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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 Parker Messick, Mick Abel, Bryan Baker, Spencer Arrighetti, Enyel De Los Santos, Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott, Jeffrey Springs, Noah Schultz, Sam Antonacci, Reynaldo Lopez, Jake Bauers, and Oswald Peraza. 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 Parker Messick, Mick Abel, Bryan Baker, Spencer Arrighetti, Enyel De Los Santos, Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott, Jeffrey Springs, Noah Schultz, Sam Antonacci, Reynaldo Lopez, Jake Bauers, and Oswald Peraza:

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