Welcome to the Waiver Wire Picks, our daily fantasy baseball article that looks at the best players in baseball that you should be adding to your rosters. We’ll look at the players that are likely to be available in most leagues, as well as some deep league waiver wire options. We’ll also look at the most added players in fantasy baseball across the major sites and let you know which players to add and which players you can leave on the wire.
Top Priority Players to Add
Byron Buxton (MIN), OF (43% rostered on Yahoo, 22% rostered on ESPN)
Hey, it’s Byron Buxton! Many people are probably wondering if they should be doing this again, and it’s a tough question to answer. When Buxton has been healthy over the past few years, he has mostly been really good! Unfortunately, health is an issue, and we have seen it slow him down even when playing.
The case to add Buxton is pretty simple. The next few matchups could see him feast. He is currently in the thick of a series against the Cardinals, who don’t have the strongest pitching staff. He then will take on the White Sox, who, while there is some upside in their system, likely will have a bloated team ERA and WHIP.
There’s also still the upside that Buxton brings. There is some talent in that lineup, and if he’s feeling good, he could still produce quite a bit. He was just shy of 20 homers last year, sporting a .279 batting average. The plate discipline admittedly didn’t look great last year, which could be cause for concern. His bat speed makes up for this, though, as the power potential is huge with Buxton. Grab him while he’s healthy and playing against lower-level pitchers; it could be worth it.
Joey Ortiz (MIL), 3B, SS (24% rostered on Yahoo, 11% rostered on ESPN)
We briefly touched on Ortiz yesterday, as he has been one of the top adds for fantasy teams over the past week. Based on what we saw out of him last year and his projected metrics for this season, it seems like you should be out on him. However, there are some reasons to be optimistic. If you need some help in the middle infield already, Ortiz should be a high-priority player to target, especially considering he’s widely available.
Ortiz came out the gate swinging last year, as the Brewers looked like they came out winners in the Corbin Burnes trade. As the year went on, he became an average player, leading to many drops from rosters. It was revealed that Ortiz was nursing a neck injury following the All-Star Break, which caused him to slow down. He had a little bit of a hot streak to end the year, but it wasn’t enough to get him on the radar of fantasy managers. In Spring Training, he came out guns-a-blazing, finishing his preseason action with a wRC+ just shy of 200 and a batting average over .340.
So, do you ride the hot hand? The instinct always says no in cases like these; however, with the neck injury explaining last year’s decline, plus his multiple-position eligibility, it might be worth it to take that swing. Ortiz is still fairly inexperienced, which means he could improve. One strength he has that can’t be overlooked is his speed. He’s a pretty fast runner, although he hasn’t leveraged it into stolen bases at the rate you’d expect. With him nabbing more bags in the spring, could we see those numbers go up?
Yahoo and ESPN Most Added Players
Wilyer Abreu has immediately become one of the most popular pickups in fantasy baseball leagues, following arguably the best Opening Day performance among hitters. He went 3-for-3 with a walk and two homers, showcasing that he has come to play for a Red Sox team with championship aspirations. Abreu showed a lot of potential in the power department last year, with a high bat speed that led to solid barrel rates and high exit velocities. He struggled mightily against lefties last year, so he’s projecting to be a bit more of a platoon guy for the Red Sox, but there still can be value for power-hungry teams weak in the outfield.
Another Red Sox player made the list, with Justin Slaten becoming a target for teams looking for relievers. Slaten nabbed the save against the fiery Rangers on Opening Day, entering the game following Aroldis Chapman. This could very well be a sign that Slaten will be the guy for the Red Sox, at least until Liam Hendriks comes back.
Jack Leiter seems destined to be on this list for a while, as the former top prospect has shown signs of pure electricity on the mound. The key for him will be finding consistency, as fantasy managers will not want to ride the roller coaster for very long if he struggles.
Kyle Manzardo is a similar case to Abreu. He had an excellent Opening Day, carrying his team to the win over the Royals. Manzardo was a highly touted prospect before graduation. He’s a contact-heavy first baseman, projecting to be similar to the likes of Vinnie Pasquantino. Waiver trends tend to be a bit erratic, especially early in the season. However, with Manzardo’s pedigree and demonstrated power, perhaps this could be a great move for those buying in.
It feels like Mitch Keller is who we think he is at this point, which isn’t entirely a bad thing. He’s had his moments of brilliance, but ultimately, he’s just a solid pitcher who will probably bounce around the waiver wire a fair bit. His popularity probably stems from the matchup against Miami, as that lineup looks like one of the weakest we have seen in a while.
MacKenzie Gore had as good of a first start as he probably could’ve imagined. Well, he let up one hit; he definitely wants that one back. He didn’t get the win either, but again, what could he have done? Gore piled up 13 strikeouts in 6 innings against a tough Philadelphia lineup. Let’s hope he keeps it up, the game is more fun when pitchers are performing like this!
Cam Smith has been talked about at length already, as the hype machine is real. The same can be said about Kristian Campbell, who, alongside Smith, was covered relatively extensively in Matt Lamarca’s waiver article yesterday.
Clay Holmes had quite the journey to Opening Day. From losing the closer job to Luke Weaver with the Yankees, to being under consideration to enter starting rotations, to signing with the Mets, and finally becoming their Opening Day starter. Many probably had their doubts about this move, especially with Holmes’ stock hitting some low points last year. It seems that perhaps taking that starting role was what Holmes needed. His first start wasn’t amazing, giving up two earned runs in 4.2 IP. He also walked 4 batters. But, there’s a lot to like here, especially with a revamped arsenal. Holmes will provide wins and hopefully solid ratios moving forward.
I guess it’s never too late to get on the Ryan Pepiot train. With Shane McClanahan going to the IL following his final spring start, Pepiot was given the nod to start on Opening Day. With the new ballpark having a short porch and the Florida rainouts in an outdoor setting, it’s understandable if managers want to stay away from Rays pitchers. Tampa Bay also tends to limit the innings of their starters, especially early in the year. However, Pepiot is no ordinary pitcher. He has an elite heater and possibly an even better changeup, which will give you strikeouts and good ratios. There may be some walks early on, but believe in Pepiot, the stuff is legit.
Category Specific Players to Add
Nick Martinez (CIN), SP, RP (25% rostered on Yahoo, 36.3% rostered on ESPN)
The season that Martinez had in 2024 was surprisingly good, yet it still went under the radar. There have been questions about his role (see him being listed as an SP and RP), but he’s a ratio darling who had better numbers than you probably remember. Did you know he had a 3.2% walk rate? That’s absurd. You won’t get the Ks, and Great American Ballpark can inflate ERAs, but he’s a solid add.
José Caballero (TBR), 2B, 3B, SS (8% rostered on Yahoo, 10.3% rostered on ESPN)
It isn’t always the best idea to go for a player who strictly provides value in speed, which is why you might consider staying away from Caballero. However, if desperate to nab some bags, Caballero was the American League leader in stolen bases. He also has eligibility at multiple positions, which makes him even more worth your consideration.
Streaming Pitchers
WAIT! You haven’t read Nick Pollack’s starting pitcher streamer rankings for today? Get on that pronto. He ranks every expected starter for each day, highlighting who you should start, sit, and claim off waivers. The whole series of these can be found here: https://pitcherlist.com/category/fantasy/sp-streamers/
In terms of whom I would recommend you pick up? One name comes to mind.
Max Meyer (MIA), SP (13% rostered on Yahoo, 4% rostered on ESPN)
There’s a lot to love about Meyer for 2025, even if he might struggle to win games. His Spring Training went exceptionally well, showcasing an enhanced slider. It also helps that he’s going against the Pirates, an attackable lineup.
Deep League Players to Watch
Curtis Mead (TBR), 2B, 3B (10% rostered on Yahoo, 1.4% rostered on ESPN)
Pop quiz: What was Curtis Mead’s wRC+ in Spring Training this year? Don’t know? Yeah, you probably shouldn’t be expected to know right down to the digit. The point is, it was 235. That is an insane mark for a player, even if spring is incredibly misleading every year.
What isn’t misleading, though, is the fact that he will occasionally be leading off for the Rays. The former top prospect has struggled to maintain his spot in the lineup, but an outstanding spring and a few more pounds of added bulk have given him an excellent opportunity. Mead has always been more of a line-drive type guy, but the power potential has been seen at points.
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