Holy Kyren Paris! Were you guys able to pick up the Angels’ phenom last week? I thought he would gain regular playing time with a few teammates ailing but I never could have predicted this! I’m just glad I recommended him before the massive breakout because now I can take full credit for it.
Joking aside, Paris has been electric and if he’s somehow still available in your league, stop reading and go add him immediately. If you missed out, however, there’s no need to panic because I’ve got an onslaught of players for you this week. Hopefully, a few of them are available for you and they fulfill a need. I’ve got something for everyone this week so let’s get right to it.
All players listed are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo leagues. Also, I rarely repeat a player week to week, so it’s not a bad idea to check back to prior articles to see if any of those players are still available. That said, here are the top 14 waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the 2025 fantasy baseball season.
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Rest-of-Season Projections
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets (2025)
Jung Hoo Lee (OF – SF): 48%
Lee spent the majority of last season on the injured list nursing a shoulder injury. Now fully recovered, the young outfielder has hit the ground running, stockpiling 16 hits over the first 12 games. The Korean-born hitting machine is now sporting a robust .340 average and a clean 1.000 OPS.
Lee regularly leads off for the Giants, which has helped boost his run total to 13. He also hit his first home run of the season on Friday and now has three steals to his credit.
The Giants table setter does a bit of everything but his batting average is his greatest asset. He’s worth a roster spot in most leagues.
Matthew Boyd (SP – CHC): 28%
Boyd had been lights out until the sixth inning of Freddie Freeman‘s bobblehead night game. The veteran lefty had tossed 16 straight innings of shutout ball until Tommy Tanks Edman took him deep.
Boyd was excellent down the stretch for the Guardians last year as well, finishing with a 2.72 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over eight starts. His ERA now sits at 1.59 for the season and he’s racked up 17 K’s over 17 innings.
Boyd’s velocity is also up this year across the board on all of his offerings. The boost is rather significant, hovering around a one to two-mile-per-hour increase per pitch. The 34-year-old’s health could go at any time but for now, Boyd’s worthy of some fantasy consideration.
Zac Veen (OF – COL): 24%
Zac Veen comes with some nice prospect appeal and while he’s worth a speculative add, he could struggle after just receiving his call-up. His speed is a nice commodity, but if steals are solely what you’re after, you’re probably better off snagging Jake Mangum.
Jake Mangum (OF – TB): 11%
Mangum’s been putting the ball in play for the Rays, registering a .333 average and a low 8.8 K%. The speedy outfielder is up to five steals on the season and has earned himself a regular role in the lineup.
Mangum steadily produced a .300 plus average in the minors to go along with some nice stolen base totals. He could cool down at any moment, but for those in deeper leagues in need of speed and perhaps batting average, he’s a nice addition.
Wilmer Flores (1B – SF): 24%
No more walks, just bombs. The 33-year-old veteran has unleashed a hitting barrage early in the season and fantasy managers should take notice. Flores has been a beast for the Gigantes, trading in walks for homers, mashing five of them already while knocking in 15.
Last year, Flores spent a good portion of the season dealing with injuries and his numbers tanked but his walks increased. The year before, however, the Giants infielder emerged as a clear-cut power hitter, slugging .509 with 45 extra-base hits, including 23 big flies, in just 405 at-bats. Now fully healthy and the season kicking off with a bang, Flores could be in store for a career year. He’s worth adding for a dollar or two off the wire.
Wilmer Flores – San Francisco Giants (5)
pic.twitter.com/p2Vw7L4aDd— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 9, 2025
Trent Grisham (OF – NYY): 22%
Grisham isn’t for everyone, and for now, he’s probably better suited for those in daily leagues. Still, the man has been raking. After changing to an open stance this season, the former Padre has been on fire with the stick, accounting for three home runs and a .344 batting average.
Besides the question of whether he will continue to produce, is the dilemma of playing time. Some big names are standing in his way so it remains to be seen how it all plays out. Aaron Boone has been creative in finding a way to get Grisham into the lineup, but he’s still going to likely sit a third of the time. He’s not a candidate yet for standard leagues but for those in deeper ones, he’s worth monitoring.
Trent Grisham had a closed-off stance and struggled when he first arrived in the Bronx.
After opening it up in June, he's slugging .522 with 11 HRs in 62 games. That one adjustment has yielded BIG results, and Grisham could be a weapon vs LHP.
READ: https://t.co/8agTyqo73j pic.twitter.com/M3Ossm5Crx
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) April 6, 2025
Tyler Mahle (SP – TEX): 14%
Mahle was a solid fantasy pitcher once upon a time and he could be on the verge of relevance once again. After shaking off the rust in his first start since August of last year (he only pitched in three games last year), Mahle has been as dominant as ever. Over the last 12 innings, the former Red has allowed just one run on three hits and three walks. Batters have looked baffled against him as he continues to induce weak contact and plenty of swings and misses.
Mahle is still only 30 years old and he does have a 210 strikeout season under his belt. With a home matchup against the Angels scheduled for next week, Mahle’s worth selecting in most leagues.
Tommy Kahnle (RP – DET): 16%
A few weeks ago I speculated that either Will Vest or Tommy Kahnle would be the Tigers full-time closer, and it turns out it’s the latter. Kahnle surrendered his first run of the season on Friday night while securing his second save of the season. Vest has also pitched well striking out seven over 5.2 innings while allowing just one run. A.J. Hinch prefers to have a set closer to finish games and for now, it looks to be Kahnle’s job to lose. He’s still available in the majority of leagues but won’t be for much longer.
Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM): 31%
If you lost Ivan Herrera (one of my favorite sleepers coming into the season) then Francisco Alvarez could be your perfect replacement. Returning from a thumb injury, Alvarez is about to start a rehab assignment and could be called up as early as next week. You may need a stopgap until then, but Alvarez should hold some decent fantasy value once he returns.
Sean Murphy (C – ATL): 30%
If you’re not a big believer in Alvarez or you can’t stomach his 0-for-20 stretches, then you might be better off with Sean Murphy. The Atlanta backstop battled injuries last year and was atrocious at the plate, but the year prior he was arguably the best catcher in the league for the first half.
Murphy opened his 2025 season on a strong note, driving in four and launching a homer off of Zack Wheeler. The Braves have yet to hit their stride but a turnaround is certainly on the horizon. Murphy will play an integral part in their offense and is a solid injury replacement for those in need.
Geraldo Perdomo (SS – ARI): 35%
With Ketel Marte on the shelf for the D’backs, Perdomo has now inherited the two-hole spot in the lineup. Since moving to the top of the order, Perdomo’s production and fantasy value have soared.
Through the first 13 games, Perdomo is hitting .333 with seven runs, 13 RBI, two homers, and two steals. The switch-hitting shortstop went 3-for-4 on Thursday and has a date with the Miami pitching squad early next week. He’s a great addition if your league requires an MI (Middle Infielder) spot.
Ben Rice (1B – NYY): 46%
Ben Rice probably isn’t available in your league because the casual managers rarely read these columns. However, if he happens to remain unclaimed in your league, then he’s worth an immediate add.
Rice has arguably been the Yankees best hitter behind Mr. Judge. The Yankees DH has produced a robust 1.045 OPS over the first two weeks of the season and has been driving the ball all over the field. The former backstop showed flashes last year and manager Aaron Boone loves him atop the order.
Rice may sit, on occasion, versus tough left-handed pitchers but with the majority of RHP’s on tap, he is a solid start in most leagues.
Mitchell Parker (SP – WAS): 38%
Mitchell Parker has been a nice surprise for the Nationals. The second-year pro is 2-0 on the young season with a robust 1.96 ERA credited to his name.
The tall right-hander was adequate during his rookie campaign, tossing 151 innings for the club while maintaining mediocre numbers. Now with a bit more experience, Parker could form a solid one-two punch atop the rotation with MacKenzie Gore.
He’s not striking out many batters but he hasn’t allowed a single home run in 18.1 innings. The sinker is working and so are Parker’s numbers for fantasy purposes. He’s worth adding in deeper leagues and some shallow ones too.
Easton Lucas (SP – TOR): 16%
And finally Easton Lucas. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t mention Lucas. After keeping the Nationals off the scoreboard in his first outing the third-year Major Leaguer completely shut down the Red Sox over 5.1 dominant innings.
On paper, nothing really stands out for the third-year pro but upon further study, it’s evident why he’s been so difficult to hit this season. Lucas lives atop the strike zone with his four-seam fastball and with his deceptive arm angle, the ball appears to rise. He also releases his other three offerings from the exact same location and with the same arm movement.
This ability to repeat his delivery and locate the fastball where he desires has led to a 0.68 WHIP and 11 strikeouts over his first two starts. Statcast has his fastball, albeit just averaging 93 miles per hour, ranked in the top one percent of run value.
If he can somehow keep this up, Toronto may have found another gem off the scrap heap, and there’s no way they move him out of the rotation.
Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
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