The fantasy baseball season is still in its infancy, but to keep from crying like a baby over your team’s poor start, there are plenty of players available on the waiver wire to pacify your fears of failure.
While the available player pool may not seem overloaded with talent, there are always a handful of breakout performers who emerge early in the season and end up contributing all year long. That’s why it makes sense to try and find one of them now, based on little more than some playing time and a decent stat line or two over the past week.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire targets: Week 2
Due to the wide variance in types of leagues and individual team needs, the players listed here are in the highest to lowest roster rates in Fantrax leagues, which may or not match rates on other platforms. (Suggeseted bid values for standard 5×5 Mixed Roto leagues in parentheses based on $100 free agent acquisition budget for the season.)
SP Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers (80% rostered)
Leiter won his first two starts of the season, allowing a total of one earned run in 10 innings (0.90 ERA). However, he left his last start against the Reds on Wednesday with a blister. Assuming everything is OK and he’s good to take the mound at the Chicago Cubs as scheduled, Leiter should be starting in all fantasy formats. His 10 strikeouts to only one walk have him sporting an impressive 0.70 WHIP to go along with his stellar ERA. (FAAB bid: $14, if available)
C/OF Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies (54%)
Playing time was supposed to be sporadic for Goodman, but in the Rockies’ first two series he started four games at catcher and once at DH. He’s made the most of those starts, too, with at least one hit in each game – including a solo shot off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. And that’s before the Rockies have even played their first game at home … (FAAB bid: $8)
1B Ben Rice, New York Yankees (52%)
One of the torpedo bat swingers in the daunting Yankees lineup, Rice has started four of the first six games at DH for the Bombers and hit a pair of home runs for a 1.352 OPS. He’ll play almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers and hit toward the bottom of the order, but any piece of the Yankees offense is worth having at this point. (FAAB bid: $6)
IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh Pirates (52%)
If you’re looking for stealers, Pittsburgh is the place to be. The Pirates lead the majors with 19 stolen bases in their first seven games. Oneil Cruz tops everyone with six and shortstop Kiner-Falefa is second on the team with four, while getting on base at a .462 clip. He won’t always be this valuable in fantasy, but his eligibility at second, third and short is quite helpful in deeper leagues. (FAAB bid: $4)
1B/OF Gavin Sheets, San Diego Padres (44%)
Sheetz, err … Sheets nabbed one of the Padres’ final roster spots after hitting a cool .315/.373/.704 with six home runs in spring training. He’s continued to mash in the regular season, too, going 8-for-18 (.444) with a homer, two doubles and five RBI in his first six games. Sheets will sit against most lefties, but should be worth starting most weeks as the regular DH – pretty much the NL version of Ben Rice. (FAAB bid: $6)
1B Wilmer Flores, San Francisco Giants (34%)
After hitting just four home runs during an injury-plagued 2024 season, Flores has already matched that total this year to go along with 10 RBI in his first six games. However, the Giants started their season with a pair of series away from homer-unfriendly Oracle Park so don’t expect a season-long power surge. Still, he’s playing regularly and appears healthy. (FAAB bid: $4)
OF Jake Mangum, Tampa Bay Rays (31%)
Called up to replace the injured Josh Lowe, Mangum has been P.I. – positively incredible – in his MLB debut. After going 0-for-3 with a walk in his first game, he followed with a 4-for-4 performance and followed it up with three more hits the next night. Mangum doesn’t project as much of a power bat based on his meager home run totals in the minors, but as a switch-hitter with some speed, he can be a useful fill-in for fantasy teams. (FAAB bid: $3)
Waiver wire saves options
Potential closers get their own special section this week with so many fantasy teams looking to find fresh sources of saves. These guys aren’t great options, but they are currently getting work in the ninth inning.
RP Emilio Pagan, Cincinnati Reds (30%)
With expected closer Alexis Diaz starting the season on the injured list, the Reds don’t have a definite next in line. Manager Terry Francona could use Tony Santillan, Scott Barlow or Graham Ashcraft to finish games, but Pagan looks like the best option at the moment. The longer you can wait for the situation to clear up the better, however. (FAAB bid: $3)
RP Dennis Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates (24%)
The Pirates surprisingly demoted opening day closer David Bednar to the minors when he failed to get any outs in blowing two of his three save chances. Santana got the next opportunity and closed out a win over the Rays on Wednesday. In 62 appearances with the Yankees and Pirates last season, Santana averaged just about a strikeout per inning and had a 1.09 WHIP. He may only hold the job until Bednar finds his groove, but saves are saves. (FAAB bid: $6)
RP Anthony Bender, Miami Marlins (11%)
Bender needed just four pitches to wiggle out of a jam on Tuesday against the Mets and nail down the Marlins’ first save of the season. But don’t read too much into it. Presumed closer Calvin Faucher had pitched the previous two days … and the Marlins may not have that many save chances anyway this season. (FAAB bid: $1)