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?
Jake Burger (1B – TEX)
“Give me all the Jake Burger shares. Reports surfaced this offseason of Burger’s tireless work with Texas’s newest hitting coach, Justin Viele. Burger also stated publicly that he felt immense pressure to perform right away last year with his new club, hindering his performance. He even dealt with some injuries. Now fully healthy and with a fresh mindset, the Rangers’ first baseman seems to be locked in. He raked in spring and is off to a similar start in the regular season. Burger is primed for a 30+ homer campaign, and with the way he’s hitting, his average could even finish above .270. I’m kicking myself for missing him in the majority of my drafts. If he’s still available in your league, consider yourself lucky.”
– Austin Lowell (Fantasy Baseball By The Numbers)
“Jake Burger is quickly emerging as a must-start option at 1B. Batting cleanup every day for the Texas Rangers, Burger is already making noise with two home runs to start the young season. He hit back-to-back 30 home run seasons with the Miami Marlins/White Sox, and that power clearly translates anywhere he plays. With everyday at-bats in the heart of a strong lineup, another 30+ home run season looks well within reach. Players with that type of power upside should not be sitting on waivers, and Burger has the profile to become a reliable rest-of-season starter in fantasy leagues.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
“Jake Burger is rostered in only 27% of leagues and isn’t far removed from being fantasy relevant. He had 29 homers back in 2024 and was being drafted around pick 110 in drafts last spring. He’s knocked in six runs through four games and should have plenty of RBI chances going forward. If he can lower his strikeout rate to around 25%, there’s definitely a chance he plays his way into must-start territory.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)
TJ Rumfield (1B – COL)
“Colorado first baseman T.J. Rumfield is off to a strong start (5-for-14, HR), and his team hasn’t yet played a game in Coors Field. He’s batting in the heart of the order for the Rockies, coming off a terrific spring (5 HR, .913 OPS), and certainly doesn’t appear overmatched. He had an excellent season at Triple-A last year (48 XBH, .285/.378/.447), too. He’s looking like a sneaky threat for 25-plus homers with run production and an acceptable average.”
– Andy Behrens (The Deep Shot)
Nolan Schanuel (1B – LAA)
“Always a high-contact hitter, Nolan Schanuel is showing off early trends to make a big change in his game. We’ve seen his barrel percentage double, his launch angle reach 17 degrees, and a pulled air percentage that is a huge improvement year over year. The last big change has been the need to pull the ball in the air, and this could get him to being an everyday fantasy first baseman. It’s too early in the season to know if this will hold, but I am making the bet it will.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)
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