The first week of the fantasy baseball season is already doing what it does best — creating chaos.
Small samples, surprise standouts, and early struggles can send managers scrambling to the waiver wire, trying to get ahead before the rest of the league catches up. It’s a delicate balance between reacting too quickly and missing out on a potential breakout.
To help sort through the noise, we turned to our Featured Pros for their top early waiver wire adds and drops. Whether you’re chasing upside or cutting bait on a slow start, these expert insights can help you make the right moves in Week 1.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Early Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Moves from Experts
Which player currently available on waivers in less than 50% of leagues do you believe could become a fantasy starter ROS? Why?
Daylen Lile (OF – WAS)
“It’s easy to overlook Daylen Lile because he hasn’t produced a homer or a steal yet. Despite the fact that he can contribute both power and speed as the season goes on, he’s providing something even more valuable – batting average. In an admittedly minuscule sample size, his xBA is in the 100th percentile. This isn’t a shock considering he hit .299 last season across 351 PA. Lile could hit .300 and enjoy a 20-20 season, which sounds like a fantasy regular to me.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)
Randy Vasquez (SP – SD)
“Randy Vasquez SP San Diego Padres – The name that immediately came to mind when I first read the question was Lance McCullers of the Houston Astros, because we have all known that he has the “stuff.” But, we all also know that hurts’ is a comin’. His Jersey number should either be an estimate of how many IL days he’ll have or the Roman numeral IL. And, the Astros have alternatives if they choose to play it safe and make McCullers a healthy shutdown reliever rather than a broken-down starter. So, my answer is Randy Vasquez. Vasquez has six pitches he can throw for strikes coming off a 2025 where he managed an ERA of 3.84 and while he has lacked swing-and-miss stuff in the past, a significant uptick in velocity in 26′ could be a preamble of Vasquez transitioning from a contact-reliant backend starter to a guy with strikeout upside and a lot of different looks for hitters to have to haggle with. And, unlike McCullers, it would have to be a LONG, LONG fall from grace for Vasquez to tumble from the Padres’ No. 3 to their long/swing man. He’s there for the long haul in SD. The question is, does the K/9 rise, making him something that matters to Fantasy owners, or is he a pedestrian strike-thrower that managers manipulate starting based on matchups? Either way, he’s a “guy” in 2026, available in 75% of leagues.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)
Ivan Herrera (C, DH – STL)
“This recommendation may depend on your league settings, but I am going with Ivan Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals. Herrera has already started two games behind the plate after appearing at catcher in just 14 games last season. Herrera is an excellent offensive player. His career numbers equate to 600 plate appearances: .282-72-18-76-10. That type of production is likely to result in a top-10 fantasy finish at the catcher position.”
– Mick Ciallela (Fantrax)
Kyle Harrison (SP – MIL)
“Kyle Harrison sticks out to me as an early-season waiver addition for fantasy managers already facing pitching woes early after the left-hander posted a strong performance in his first start on the mound (one earned run, one walk, four hits, eight strikeouts) against the Rays. His upcoming scheduled starts increase the appeal with matchups against the Royals, Nationals, and Marlins.”
– Chris Schommer (FantasyPros)
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