FantasyPros Staff | Wed, Apr 1st 2026, 12:54pm EDT

Early Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Moves from Experts (2026)

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.

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)

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)

Which player currently rostered in more than 50% of leagues do you believe could (theoretically) be dropped right now? Why?

Oneil Cruz (SS – PIT)

“I think I’m out on Oneil Cruz in anything other than a deep roto league. (And no, I don’t think this is a spite drop for his dismantling of Paul Skenes‘ ERA to start the season… but it could be.) If you play in a 12-team, H2H league, there are simply other outfielders who can give you most of what Cruz offers and who are in better situations and hit above .102 against left-handed pitchers. Yes, the stolen bases exist, but to collect those, you have to, y’know, play him. And that means eating his 32% strikeout rate at the top of an awful lineup. Obviously, you can try to trade him on name value; I’m convinced that’s why he is rostered in so many places. But I’d rather have a consistent contributor than the upside of a guy with a negative offensive WAR last season.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)

“We know Oneil Cruz can put up some big counting stats as far as home runs and stolen bases go, but Cruz is back to old bad tricks. Early on in the year, he has some of the worst WHIFF, K, and chase rates. He isn’t making contact, he can’t play defense, and even the Pirates will have to figure out how much it’s worth taking on the negatives for a few positives. It’s too early to call it done, but if we are playing the theoretical game of who we could cut that was drafted high(ish), Oneil Cruz is the most obvious name.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)

Adley Rutschman (C – BAL)

“I’m gonna go extreme on this one and push the threshold up to 80%. It’s tough to drop someone this early who’s so widely rostered, but if I had to choose, I’d probably go with Adley Rutschman. I wasn’t particularly high on him coming into the season, and in standard 12-team leagues that only start one catcher, I’d be comfortable moving on. There are likely a dozen catchers I prefer at the position right now. That said, Rutschman isn’t a bad bench piece and is an Ok starter—but he’s by no means a must-hold at this point. There are several options I like just as much, or even more, based on current projections, including Dillon Dingler, Francisco Alvarez, and possibly even Alejandro Kirk. You could also consider upside plays like Carter Jensen and Samuel Basallo. Rutschman will likely still finish somewhere in the 10-15 range among catchers, but with so many comparable options in that tier, he can be safely dropped if you feel strongly about one of those alternatives.”
– Austin Lowell (Fantasy Baseball By The Numbers)

Carlos Estevez (RP – KC)

“It might seem a little premature to drop Carlos Estevez after one (staggeringly) bad outing, but his velocity is simply nowhere near the level he’s maintained throughout his career. He was maxing out at 91-92 in the World Baseball Classic, which is 4-5 ticks off last year’s average. Estevez was basically a five-alarm concern during the spring, and he was lit up immediately in his 2026 debut. We should probably expect an IL stint coming soon and/or a reassignment of relief role.”
– Andy Behrens (The Deep Shot)

Bryan Reynolds (OF – PIT)

“Bryan Reynolds was a solid outfielder for fantasy teams during a four-year stretch until his stats declined in 2025. It doesn’t look promising for him to reverse that trend this season. He’s on pace to see a decline in xBA and an increase in K% for the third straight year. He finished 9th in the NL in strikeouts last season and so far has whiffed in 8 of his first 19 plate appearances. This Pirates offense doesn’t look demonstrably better than last year, and neither does Reynolds – it’s time to let him go and find someone with upside instead.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)

Addison Barger (3B, OF – TOR)

“The easy answer is Caleb Durbin of the Boston Red Sox, but I don’t think he was ever relevant enough to justify this auspicious award now, so it’s Addison Barger by default. Barger is a perfect example of misguided Advanced Metrics combined with a small sample size splash (the high-profile explosion he had in the 2025 playoffs and World Series), leading to an industry-wide overvaluation of a player. Barger has always struggled with contact, and yet “Metrics Warriors” choose, instead, to focus on his impressive exit velocities when he does manage to put bat to ball. Those same “Metric Warriors” chose to ignore the fact that Barger’s sample size is less than a full season while his 2025 “breakout” came as a 24-year-old in an extremely hitter-friendly environment. He doesn’t run, he won’t break .250 in batting average, and his OBP is not only poor, but combined with his poor BA, makes him more of a liability than an asset. I love multi-position eligibility, but Barger is 0-12 in ’25 with almost half of his outs coming by the way of the K. Impressive exit velocities and a great playoff narrative don’t cover for a high strikeout guy breaking out too old with a 0-12 start. Sorry, Mr. Barger. I’m moving on and recommending to the Fantasy public that they are justified in doing it, too.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

Jakob Marsee (OF – MIA)

“Jakob Marsee is currently rostered in over 70% of leagues, but the production simply has not justified holding him. While he did steal 14 bases in 55 games, the efficiency raises concerns, as he was caught stealing nearly 30% of the time. That lack of elite speed limits his upside in the stolen base department. Additionally, Marsee has yet to prove he can provide meaningful power at the major league level, which makes him difficult to rely on in multiple categories. Without strong contributions in either power or speed, Marsee becomes more of a roster clogger than a difference maker.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)

Nolan Arenado (3B – ARI)

“Nolan Arenado is the classic case of holding a name too long, because the production just isn’t there anymore. You’re looking at a corner infielder with declining bat speed, a bottom-tier barrel rate, and a power drop that’s very real, not bad luck—think closer to 10-12 HR pace instead of the 25+ you were hoping you paid for. When that power disappears, his .240-ish average and middling RBI totals become replacement-level in most leagues. Add in zero speed, and there’s no category cushion to justify the roster spot. At this point, you’re not dropping a productive fantasy asset—you’re cutting a low-upside bat for someone who can actually move the needle.”
– Dennis Sosic (Fantasy Six Pack)

Jose Caballero (2B, 3B, SS, OF – NYY)

“Even as a Yankees fan, I never really understood the helium behind Jose Caballero‘s draft price. Yes, he provides elite speed and is available at several positions. However, he provides very little in terms of front four category production from a fantasy perspective. Anthony Volpe will likely be back in a month or so, at which point he should play more often than not. That would relegate Caballero to a super-utility role where he probably starts two or three times per week. That probably won’t be enough to justify a roster spot by the time we flip the calendar to May.”
– Mick Ciallela (Fantrax)

The Brenton Doyle (OF – COL) Debate

Occasionally, our Featured Pros will disagree on whether a player is an add or drop. When that happens, we present both arguments so you can decide for yourself.

Add

“Brenton Doyle is exactly the kind of player I’m betting on, and I wouldn’t let the slow start or that ugly .143 average scare you off. The skill set is still intact—he’s tracking toward a 20 HR / 25+ SB pace with 96th percentile sprint speed, and that kind of production doesn’t sit on waivers long. Half his games at Coors Field means even mediocre contact turns into hits and extra bases, which smooths out the rough stretches. The strikeouts will drag the average at times, but his glove keeps him in the lineup every day, and volume is everything over a full season. That combination of speed, power, and guaranteed at-bats at Coors Field raises his potential, making him a must-start for the rest of the season.”
– Dennis Sosic (Fantasy Six Pack)

Drop

“It’s too early to be changing our opinions on players, but I was never in on Brenton Doyle, and his 71% roster rate is too high. He’s already sat out one game against a right-handed pitcher, and his .588 OPS against righties last year is all the more reason for that to continue. The Rockies don’t have many good options, and Jake McCarthy and Jordan Beck are playing just as poorly, but I’m not so sure how safe his playing time is. I would drop him to take a gamble on Carson Benge (37% rostered) or Owen Caissie (17%).”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)

“Brenton Doyle continues his fall from grace after a disappointing 2025 season with the Rockies and a dismal start to the 2026 season at the plate. The outfielder is being outperformed by the likes of Joey Wiemer and Jake Bauers, among others, despite playing at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Fantasy managers should move on without hesitation with the opportunity to pick up Wiemer, Bauers, or Owen Caissie.”
– Chris Schommer (FantasyPros)

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